[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 197 (Thursday, October 12, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 60188-60190]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 06-8626]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

National Park Service


Final Environmental Impact Statement and General Management Plan, 
Ebey's Landing National Historical Reserve, Island County, WA; Notice 
of Availability

    Summary: Pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, 
42 U.S.C. 4332(2)(c), and the Council on Environmental Quality 
Regulations (40 CFR part 1500-1508), the National Park Service has 
prepared and announces the availability of a Final Environmental Impact 
Statement (FEIS) for the proposed general management plan (GMP) for 
Ebey's Landing National Historical Reserve located in Island County, 
Washington. In addition to a ``no-action'' alternative which would 
maintain current management, the FEIS describes and analyzes two 
``action'' alternatives which respond to concerns and issues the public 
identified during the scoping process, as well as various conservation 
planning requirements. The alternatives present varying

[[Page 60189]]

management strategies that address visitor use and preservation of 
cultural and natural resources that protect and interpret the rural 
community on Whidbey Island from 19th century exploration and 
settlement in Puget Sound to the present time. Development concept 
plans for three sites are described. The potential environmental 
consequences of all the alternatives, and mitigation strategies, are 
identified and analyzed; a determination as to the ``environmentally 
preferred'' alternative is also provided.
    Background: A Notice of Intent announcing preparation of the Draft 
EIS and general management plan was published in the Federal Register 
on May 22, 2000. Public engagement and information measures have 
included public meetings, presentations and meetings with organizations 
located within Ebey's Landing National Historical Reserve (Reserve) and 
additional organizations, newsletter mailings, local press releases, 
website postings, and postcards. Preceding the formal GMP planning 
process, the National Park Service (NPS) organized an interdisciplinary 
planning team to initiate a new general management plan for the 
Reserve. The team included both the Reserve's Trust Board (which 
included members from the NPS, Washington State, Island County and Town 
of Coupeville) and staff, and staff from the NPS Pacific West Regional 
Office in Seattle, Washington. The purpose of these initial meetings 
was to help characterize the scale and extent of the planning process.
    The official public scoping process began in June 2000 when NPS 
staff produced and mailed a newsletter to approximately 650 people on 
the Reserve's mailing list. In addition, over 2800 newsletters were 
distributed at local public places such as libraries, civic buildings, 
businesses, and local parks. The planning team held a series of public 
scoping meetings in Seattle (June 20) and Coupeville (June 21). In 
total, 141 verbal comments were recorded from three meetings. 
Individual scoping meetings were also held between August 2000 and 
January 2001 to meet with organizations located within the Reserve to 
discuss issues of mutual interest. Other meetings with additional 
organizations were scheduled. Scoping letters and comments were 
received until August 15, 2000 (a total of 36 letters were received 
during the public scoping period).
    On August 18, 2005, the NPS mailed 230 copies of the draft GMP/EIS 
to agencies, governmental representatives, organizations, and 
interested individuals. Copies of the draft GMP/EIS were placed in the 
Coupeville public library for public review. The Reserve's Notice of 
Availability was published in the Federal Register on September 2, 2005 
to announce release of the Draft GMP/EIS for public review. The EPA's 
notice of filing of the draft EIS (August 26, 2005) and a revised 
Notice of Availability (September 13, 2005) provided opportunity for 
public comment through December 1, 2005. All comments received until 
December 15 are included in the official record.
    The NPS and Reserve staff placed advertisements announcing 
locations, times, and dates for public meetings in the Puget Consumer 
Cooperative Sound Consumer, in Seattle, Washington, the Whidbey News-
Times in Oak Harbor, and the Coupeville Examiner in Coupeville, 
Washington. Press releases were sent to the following local and 
regional newspapers to publicize release of the draft GMP/EIS and 
dates, times, and locations of public meetings: Coupeville Examiner, 
Whidbey News-Times, Skagit Valley Herald, Everett-Herald, Anacortes 
American, Journal of the San Juan Islands, South Whidbey Record, 
Bellingham Herald, Market Place, Peninsula Daily News, and Sequim 
Gazette.
    A total of 2,000 newsletters were printed containing a summary of 
the draft GMP, also announcing the public meetings. Each newsletter 
included a postage-paid return form for public comments. Newsletters 
were available at the following locations: Island County Planning 
Office, the Town of Coupeville Planning Office, the Coupeville Public 
Library, Island Country Historical Museum in Coupeville, and Fort Ebey 
and Fort Casey state parks, the Coupeville Post Office, Coupeville 
Wharf, Coupeville Arts Center, the Oak Harbor and Coupeville Chamber of 
Commerce offices, local restaurants and other Coupeville businesses. 
Additional copies were also available at the Reserve's Trust Board 
office. All material was also made available online at http://parkplanning.nps.gov/ebla. The public was also able to provide comments 
electronically through this Web site.
    The NPS and the Reserve's Trust Board hosted three public open 
houses, one in Seattle (September 12, 2005) and two in Coupeville (both 
on September 15, 2005). The purpose of the meetings was to provide an 
opportunity for the public to meet with Reserve Trust Board members and 
staff, and NPS staff to discuss the draft GMP/EIS and provide comments. 
A total of 74 people attended the sessions and 179 comments were 
recorded. In addition to these oral comments, at the close of the draft 
GMP/EIS public comment period a total of 51 pieces of written 
correspondence had been received from individuals, agencies and 
organizations. Minor changes to the Preferred Alternative were made as 
a result of public comment; however, there were no substantive 
modifications. Responses to comments are provided in the FEIS. 
Throughout the planning process, the public's comments and 
recommendations have provided the foundation for the proposed GMP, 
represented in the Reserve's purpose and significance, interpretive 
themes, and proposed actions.
    Proposed Plan and Alternatives: Alternative A constitutes the No 
Action alternative and assumes that existing programs, facilities, 
staffing, and funding, would generally continue at their current 
levels. The NPS would dispose of NPS-owned and managed farms within the 
Reserve to the private sector after placing conservation easements on 
them.
    Alternative B is the Preferred Alternative. The Reserve's Trust 
Board, and the NPS, in cooperation with partners, would enhance 
existing programs and resources management, as well as administrative, 
maintenance, and visitor services within the Reserve. To maintain and 
protect the rural landscape, the NPS would continue to purchase 
conservation easements on priority properties based upon a new land 
protection plan. The NPS would exchange two NPS-owned farms, Farms I 
and II, to private owners for additional protection on other properties 
within the Reserve. As part of the exchange of Farm II, the new farm 
owner would be required to construct a new maintenance building on the 
West Ridge property, which would remain in NPS ownership. The Sheep 
Barn at West Ridge would be rehabilitated for dry storage using 
preservation funds. Additional historic buildings would also be 
rehabilitated to the Secretary of the Interior's Standards. In 
addition, a minor boundary adjustment would be recommended. To orient 
and inform the visitor about the Reserve, three gateway kiosks would be 
developed along State Route 20 and a visitor center/contact station 
would be sited in an historic building in Coupeville or within the 
historic district.
    As noted above, several minor modifications were made to the 
preferred alternative based upon public comments. A recommendation that 
Island County adopt a regulatory overlay zone for historic preservation 
over the unincorporated portion of the Reserve has been removed; the 
proposed

[[Page 60190]]

GMP has also been updated to include historic preservation and land use 
measures undertaken by Island County since project planning was 
initiated. A second change involved recognizing the efforts by others 
and not the NPS to establish a marine science center within the Reserve 
and encouraging those on-going efforts. Also, since release of the 
draft GMP/EIS, Bell Farm has been removed from the proposed boundary in 
both Alternatives B and C at the owner's request.
    Alternative C changes the management structure of the Reserve from 
a Trust Board of volunteers to a paid Commission structure. Many 
actions are similar to Alternative B but with some distinctions. 
Approximately five acres of NPS-owned land at Farm II would be retained 
for administrative and maintenance use before exchanging the remaining 
farmland to a private farm owner for additional protection on other 
properties within the Reserve. One of the three gateways would be in a 
historic building in the north of the Reserve. The Reserve would also 
partner for a visitor contact facility at a proposed marine science 
center.
    Copies: The Final EIS/GMP is now available. Interested persons and 
organizations wishing to review the Final EIS/GMP may obtain the 
document by contacting Rob Harbor, Reserve Manager, Ebey's Landing 
National Historical Reserve, P.O. Box 774, Coupeville, WA 98239, or via 
telephone at (360) 678-6084. This document may also be reviewed at the 
Coupeville Library, or a copy can be obtained electronically at http://parkplanning.nps.gov/ebla. Please note that names and addresses of all 
respondents will become part of the public record. It is the practice 
of the NPS to make all comments, including names, home addresses, home 
phone numbers, and e-mail addresses of respondents, available for 
public review. Individual respondents may request that we withhold 
their names and/or home addresses, etc., but if you wish us to consider 
withholding this information you must state this prominently at the 
beginning of your comments. In addition, you must present a rationale 
for withholding this information.This rational must demonstrate that 
disclosure would constitute a clearly unwarranted invasion of privacy. 
Unsupported assertions will not meet this burden. In the absence of 
exceptional, documentable circumstances, this information will be 
released. We will always make submissions from organizations or 
business, and from individuals identifying themselves as 
representatives of or officials of organizations or businesses, 
available for public inspection in their entirety.
    Decision Process: Following release of the Final GMP/EIS, a Record 
of Decision will be prepared and approved not sooner than 30 days after 
the EPA has published its notice of filing of the document in the 
Federal Register. A notice regarding the approved GMP will be similarly 
published. As a delegated EIS, the official responsible for the final 
decision is the Regional Director, Pacific West Region. Subsequently, 
official responsibilities for implementing the approved GMP reside with 
the Trust Board, Ebey's Landing National Historical Reserve and the 
Reserve Manager.

    Dated: August 14, 2006.
Jonathan B. Jarvis,
Regional Director, Pacific West Region.
[FR Doc. 06-8626 Filed 10-11-06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4312-GW-M