[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 35 (Wednesday, February 22, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 9147-9148]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E6-2488]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

National Park Service


Dog Management Plan; Golden Gate National Recreation Area, Marin, 
San Francisco and San Mateo Counties, CA; Notice of Intent To Prepare 
an Environmental Impact Statement

    Summary: Under the provisions of the National Environmental Policy 
Act of 1969, the National Park Service (NPS) is preparing an 
environmental impact statement for a Dog Management Plan for Golden 
Gate National Recreation Area (GGNRA). The purpose of the Dog 
Management Plan is to provide clear, enforceable guidelines to 
determine the manner and extent of dog-walking use in appropriate areas 
of the park. The objectives are to protect and preserve natural and 
cultural resources; provide a variety of visitor experiences; improve 
visitor and employee safety; reduce user conflicts; and to maintain 
park resources and values for future generations. The Dog Management 
Plan will also address public desire to walk dogs off-leash in certain 
areas of GGNRA.
    Background: A dog management plan is needed at this time because 
the existing NPS regulation governing dogs in parks, codified at 36 CFR 
2.15, has not been effective in resolving longstanding, controversial 
resource management and public use conflicts and safety issues at 
GGNRA. If no action is taken, GGNRA resources and values could be 
compromised to the extent that areas of the park may not be available 
for enjoyment by future generations. A history of a dog management 
policy that has been inconsistent with NPS regulations has resulted in 
controversy and litigation, compromised visitor and employee safety, 
affected visitor experience and resulted in resource degradation. The 
conflicts will likely escalate if not addressed in a comprehensive dog 
management plan.
    In order to implement a dog management plan that may allow off-
leash dog walking, a special federal regulation would need to be 
promulgated governing dog walking in GGNRA.
    Largely because of intense public interest and debate regarding dog 
walking, GGNRA has decided to use a negotiated rulemaking process to 
reach consensus on a proposed regulation for the management of dogs 
within the park. Although each process has its own separate legal 
requirements, the negotiated rulemaking process will run concurrently 
with the preparation of the EIS in order to facilitate informed 
decision-making. GGNRA intends to create a Negotiated Rulemaking 
Committee, consistent with the Negotiated Rulemaking Act and the 
Federal Advisory Committee Act, made up of representatives of interest 
groups that could be affected by a change to the current regulation 
governing dogs. The Negotiated Rulemaking Committee will negotiate to 
reach consensus on concepts and language to use as the basis for a 
special regulation for dog management at GGNRA. If the Committee 
reaches a consensus on most or many issues, that consensus would be 
incorporated into one or more alternatives in the Draft EIS and if 
selected, would ultimately become the basis of a special regulation for 
dog-walking within GGNRA.
    Scoping Process: To be most helpful to the scoping process 
necessary to inform preparation of the dog management plan and Draft 
EIS, comments regarding the scope of the plan/EIS, relevant 
environmental information, or issues or concerns are encouraged. All 
comments must be postmarked or transmitted not later than 30 days after 
publication of this notice in the Federal Register; immediately upon 
confirmation of this date it will be announced on the park's Web site 
(http://www.nps.gov/goga). The NPS intends to conduct public scoping 
meetings in the GGNRA area in early 2006. Please check the park's Web 
site, the NPS planning, environment, and public comment (PEPC) Web site 
(http://parkplanning.nps.gov/goga), or telephone the GGNRA Negotiated 
Rulemaking Information Line (415) 561-4728 for current information on 
when and where these meetings will be held. To request a sign language 
interpreter for a meeting, please call Mike Feinstein at (415) 561-4733 
a week in advance of the meeting.
    Regularly updated information regarding this project can be found 
on the GGNRA and PEPC websites, and will be available for public review 
at the park's visitor centers at Fort Mason, Pacifica, Presidio, Marin 
Headlands and Muir Woods. A public scoping brochure that further 
explains the purpose, needs, issues, and objectives of the plan/EIS 
will also be available before the meetings. Copies of the brochure will 
be sent to those on the Dog Management Plan mailing list, or may be 
obtained on the GGNRA or PEPC websites, or at the GGNRA visitor centers 
at Fort Mason, Presidio, Pacifica, Marin Headlands and Muir Woods.
    All interested individuals and organizations may submit comments 
online through the PEPC website (http://parkplanning.nps.gov/goga). 
Click on

[[Page 9148]]

``Golden Gate National Recreation Area Dog Management Plan'' and follow 
the instructions on the website. Detailed written comments may also be 
sent to the attention of the Superintendent, GGNRA, Fort Mason, 
Building 201, San Francisco, CA 94123.
    Please note that names and addresses of people who comment become 
part of the public record. If individuals commenting request that their 
name and/or address be withheld from public disclosure, it will be 
honored to the extent allowable by law. Such requests must be stated 
prominently in the beginning of the comments. There also may be 
circumstances wherein the NPS will withhold from the record a 
respondent's identity, as allowable by law. As always: The NPS will 
make available to public inspection all submissions from organizations 
or businesses and from persons identifying themselves as 
representatives or officials of organizations and businesses; and, 
anonymous comments may not be considered.
    When using PEPC to comment, if you would like your name and/or 
address withheld from the public record but would like to receive 
future mailings on the project, you may fill in the name and address 
field, and mark ``keep my contact information private''. If you do not 
want to receive any additional information on the project in the future 
and are only using PEPC to comment, you may put N/A in the name and 
address field.
    Decision Process: At this time it is anticipated that the draft 
plan/EIS will be made available for public review in late fall, 2006. 
Availability of the draft document will be formally announced through 
the publication of a Notice of Availability in the Federal Register, as 
well as through local and regional news media, the GGNRA and PEPC 
websites, and direct mailing to the project mailing list. Public 
meetings on the draft plan/EIS will also be held following its release; 
as soon as dates and locations are determined these will be announced 
via local and regional press and direct mailings. As a delegated EIS, 
the official responsible for approval of the Record of Decision is the 
NPS Regional Director, Pacific West Region; subsequently the official 
responsible for implementation is the Superintendent, Golden Gate 
National Recreation Area.

    Dated: November 2, 2005.
George J. Turnbull,
Acting Regional Director, Pacific West Region.
 [FR Doc. E6-2488 Filed 2-21-06; 8:45 am]
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