[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 195 (Tuesday, October 10, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Page 59523]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E6-16688]



[[Page 59523]]

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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

National Park Service


Notice of Availability for the Record of Decision on the Final 
Environmental Impact Statement and General Management Plan, Pea Ridge 
National Military Park, AR

AGENCY: National Park Service, Department of the Interior.

SUMMARY: Pursuant to section 102(2)(C) of the National Environmental 
Policy Act of 1969, the National Park Service (NPS) announces the 
availability of the Record of Decision (ROD) on the final General 
Management Plan and Environmental Impact Statement (GMP/EIS), Pea Ridge 
National Military Park, Arkansas (Park). The NPS will implement the 
preferred alternative, Alternative 4, as described in the final GMP/EIS 
issued in August. The GMP sets forth a management philosophy for the 
Park and ensures the Park has a clearly defined direction for resource 
preservation and visitor use.
    Under the selected action, visitors will have the opportunity to 
choose from the widest range of experiences available at the Park. 
Visitors will have opportunities to immerse themselves in Park 
resources associated with key battle areas and gain an understanding of 
the history of the Pea Ridge battle. Visitors will have many choices in 
the type, intensity, and duration of their experiences, guided by a 
variety of interpretive programs and media.
    The preferred alternative (Alternative 4) best accomplishes 
protection of Park resources and maintenance of a wide range of quality 
visitor experiences. The preferred alternative will have positive 
impacts on the Park's natural resources related to the rehabilitation 
of the landscape to its 1862 appearance. The new management zones help 
ensure that visitors will have numerous and varied opportunities for 
understanding and appreciating the significance of the history of the 
Battle of Pea Ridge.
    Four areas will be added to the Park under the selected action. The 
added lands will be feasible to administer by the NPS. There are no 
viable alternatives for adequate management and resource protection. 
The NPS will first consider alternate methods such as easements, right 
of way, or cooperative approaches that do not involve Federal 
acquisition of any interest in real property.
    The ROD includes a statement of the decision made, synopses of 
other alternatives considered, the basis for the decision, the 
rationale for why the selected action is the environmentally preferred 
alternative, a finding of no impairment of site resources and values, 
and an overview of public involvement in the decisionmaking process.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Superintendent at Pea Ridge National 
Military Park, 15930 Highway 62, Garfield, Arkansas 72732. The document 
can be found on the World Wide Web at: http://parkplanning.nps.gov/.

    Dated: September 5, 2006.
Ernest Quintana,
Regional Director, Midwest Region.
[FR Doc. E6-16688 Filed 10-6-06; 8:45 am]
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