[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 49 (Tuesday, March 14, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 13160-13161]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E6-3558]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

National Park Service


Notice of Availability of the Record of Decision for the 
Environmental Impact Statement on the Backcountry Management Plan and 
General Management Plan Amendment, Denali National Park and Preserve, 
AK

AGENCY: National Park Service, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of Availability of the Record of Decision for the 
Environmental Impact Statement on the Backcountry Management Plan and 
General Management Plan Amendment, Denali National Park and Preserve, 
Alaska.

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SUMMARY: The National Park Service (NPS) announces the availability of 
the Record of Decision (ROD) for the Environmental Impact Statement on 
the Backcountry Management Plan and General Management Plan Amendment, 
Denali National Park and Preserve, Alaska.
    This Record of Decision documents the decision by the NPS to adopt 
a Backcountry Management Plan for Denali National Park and Preserve and 
to amend the park's General Management Plan. The Backcountry Management 
Plan addresses management of all park and preserve lands, except the 
park road corridor and adjacent development zones and backcountry day 
use areas, which were addressed in the 1997 Entrance Area and Road 
Corridor Development Concept Plan. Winter management of the park road 
corridor west of park headquarters is also addressed. The plan includes 
management area zoning, access, wilderness management, commercial 
services, backcountry facilities, administrative and research uses, and 
boundary changes. The plan also serves as a Soundscape Preservation and 
Noise Management Plan as required by NPS Director's Order 47, a 
Wilderness Management Plan as required by NPS Director's Order 41, and 
a Commercial Services Plan for the backcountry.
    The NPS selected the modified version of Alternative 4, as 
described in the Final Environmental Impact Statement (Final EIS). Of 
the four action alternatives, this alternative best meets the 
objectives of the plan for park resource protection and recreational 
use, and has a high degree of implementation feasibility.
    The ROD briefly discusses the background for the planning effort, 
summarizes public involvement during the planning process, states the 
decision and discusses the basis for it, describes other alternatives 
considered, specifies the environmentally preferable alternative, 
identifies measures adopted to minimize potential environmental harm, 
and provides a non-impairment determination.

ADDRESSES: The ROD can be found online at the NPS Planning, Environment 
and Public Comment Web site at http://parkplanning.nps.gov/index.cfm. 
Copies of the ROD are available on request from: Adrienne Lindholm, 
National Park Service, Alaska Regional Office, 240 West 5th Avenue, 
Anchorage, Alaska 99501. Telephone: (907) 644-3613.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mike Tranel, Chief of Planning, 
National Park Service, Denali National Park and Preserve, 240 West 5th 
Avenue, Anchorage, Alaska 99501. Telephone: (907) 644-3611.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The NPS prepared an EIS, as required, under 
the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969 and Council of 
Environmental Quality regulations (40 Code of Federal regulations [CFR] 
1500).
    A Notice of Intent to prepare an environmental impact statement, 
published in the Federal Register on August 31, 1999 (64 FR 49503), 
formally initiated the NPS planning and EIS effort. A Draft EIS was 
issued in February 2003 (68 FR 8782). Following a 90-day public comment 
period, a Revised Draft EIS was prepared and issued for a 75-day public 
comment period in April 2005 (70 FR 21440). A Federal Register (FR) 
notice announcing the availability of the Final EIS was published by 
the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on January 20, 2006, 
commencing the required 30-day no-action period (71 FR 3290). The Final 
EIS describes and analyzes the environmental impacts of four action 
alternatives and a no-action alternative.
    The NPS selected the modified version of Alternative 4, as 
described in the Final EIS. The overview of the selected alternative is 
as follows:
    This backcountry management plan will guide the NPS in providing 
opportunities for a variety of wilderness recreational activities and 
experiences while recognizing and protecting the premier wilderness 
resource values of the entire backcountry. Areas in the Dunkle Hills 
and around the Ruth and Tokositna Glaciers on the south side of the 
Alaska Range will be managed for those visitors who want to experience 
the wilderness resource values or other resource values of the Denali 
backcountry but require services or assistance, or who are unable to 
make a lengthy time commitment. Areas along the park road in the Old 
Park and the Kantishna Hills will provide accessible opportunities for 
short- or long-duration wilderness recreational activities with only 
limited options for guidance or assistance the farther one gets from 
the park road. The remainder of the backcountry will be managed for 
dispersed, self-reliant travel, and will include opportunities for 
extended expeditions in very remote locations.
    Major actions of the selected alternative include:
     Subdivision of the ``Natural'' zone in the 1986 General 
Management Plan into a variety of management areas that are designed 
for different types of backcountry experiences: The management areas 
are defined by indicators and standards for resource and social 
conditions, which establish a carrying capacity for the area. These 
management areas include a few areas of relatively dense use and higher 
levels of impacts. These high use areas accommodate transportation into 
the backcountry and visitors who want to experience the wilderness 
resource values or other resource values of the Denali backcountry but 
require services or assistance, or who are unable to make a lengthy 
time commitment.
     Management of visitor access through adaptive management: 
Resource and social conditions will be monitored and access management 
tools will be used to achieve the standards for each management area. 
This approach is consistent with the Visitor Experience and Resource 
Protection framework used by the NPS to address carrying capacity.
     Establishment of wilderness management criteria, group 
size limits, restrictions on use of climbing tools, and a strategy for 
preventing social trail formation: The entire park and preserve 
backcountry will be managed to preserve wilderness resource values and 
provide wilderness recreational opportunities.

[[Page 13161]]

     Provision of commercial services in the backcountry 
associated with wilderness recreation and transportation to wilderness 
recreation, and scenic air tour landings.
     Limited development of visitor facilities in the 
backcountry, including a continuation of the ``no formal trails'' 
policy park wide (with minor, specific exceptions), no public use 
cabins or shelters in the backcountry, and up to five designated 
campsites in the southern Kantishna Hills.
     Application of the minimum requirement/minimum tool 
process throughout the park and preserve backcountry, research permit 
requirements for all NPS and external research, and development of a 
plan for NPS administrative and research use of aircraft.
     A land exchange with the State of Alaska to align the park 
boundary with the Ruth, Tokositna, Chulitna, and Coffee Rivers.

    Dated: February 21, 2006.
Victor Knox,
Acting Regional Director, Alaska.
 [FR Doc. E6-3558 Filed 3-13-06; 8:45 am]
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