[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 76 (Thursday, April 20, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Page 20414]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E6-5938]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

National Park Service


Draft General Management Plan/Environmental Impact Statement, 
Amistad National Recreation Area, TX

AGENCY: National Park Service, Department of the Interior.

ACTION: Notice of termination of the Environmental Impact Statement for 
the General Management Plan, Amistad National Recreation Area.

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SUMMARY: The National Park Service (NPS) is terminating preparation of 
an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the General Management 
Plan, Amistad National Recreation Area, Texas. A Notice of Intent to 
prepare the EIS for the Amistad National Recreation Area General 
Management Plan was published in Vol. 68, No. 11, of the January 16, 
2003, Federal Register (2351). The National Park Service has since 
determined that an Environmental Assessment (EA) rather than an EIS is 
the appropriate environmental documentation for the general management 
plan.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The general management plan will establish 
the overall direction for the national recreation area, setting broad 
management goals for managing the area over the next 15 to 20 years. 
The plan was originally scoped as an EIS.
    However, few public comments were received in the scoping process. 
Although several concerns were expressed during the public scoping 
process, particularly on the future of recreational opportunities in 
the recreation area, no issues were identified for the general 
management plan that have the potential for controversial impacts.
    In the general management planning process the NPS planning team 
developed two alternatives for the national recreation area, neither of 
which would result in substantial changes in the operation and 
management of the area. The action alternative primarily focuses on 
maintaining and protecting resources, developing new visitor, 
administration, and law enforcement facilities, and addressing park 
maintenance/operations needs. The preliminary impact analysis of the 
alternatives revealed no major (significant) effects on the human 
environment or impairment of park resources and values. Most of the 
impacts to the recreation area's resources and values were negligible 
to minor in magnitude.
    For these reasons the NPS determined the appropriate National 
Environmental Policy Act documentation for the general management plan 
is an EA.

DATES: The draft general management plan/EA is expected to be 
distributed for a 30 day public comment period in the spring/summer of 
2006 and a decision is expected be made in the fall of 2006. The NPS 
will notify the public by mail, Web site, and other means, and will 
include information on where and how to obtain a copy of the EA, how to 
comment on the EA, and the length of the public comment period.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Alan Cox, Superintendent, Amistad 
National Recreation Area, 4121 Hwy 90 West, Del Rio, TX 78840-9350, 
telephone: (830) 775-7492, extension 201; e-mail: [email protected].

    Dated: March 15, 2006.
William E. Wellman,
Acting Director, Intermountain Region, National Park Service.
 [FR Doc. E6-5938 Filed 4-19-06; 8:45 am]
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