[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 220 (Wednesday, November 15, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 66575-66576]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E6-19202]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Aviation Administration


Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement 
(EIS)

AGENCY: Federal Aviation Administration, DOT.

ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement 
(EIS) and initiation of public and agency scoping for the Haleakala 
National Park Air Tour Management Plan.

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SUMMARY: The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), in cooperation with 
the National Park Service (NPS), began development of an Air Tour 
Management Plan (ATMP) and associated Environmental Assessment (EA) for 
Haleakala National Park in February 2003. The ATMP is being established 
pursuant to the National Parks Air Tour Management Act of 2000 (Pub. L. 
106-181) and its implementing regulations contained in Title 14, Code 
of Federal Regulations, Part 136, National Parks Air Tour Management. 
The objective of the ATMP is to develop acceptable and effective 
measures to mitigate or prevent the significant adverse impacts, if 
any, of commercial air tour operations upon the natural resources, 
cultural resources, and visitor experiences of Haleakala National Park.
    The FAA and NPS have now decided to proceed with development of an 
Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for this project. This decision is 
based on information received through the EA scoping process, the 
environmental analysis completed by the Agencies to date, the 
consideration of preliminary ATMP alternatives, and through 
consultations conducted pursuant to Section 106 of the National 
Historic Preservation Act.
    By this notice, the FAA and NPS are initiating a 60-day scoping 
period for this EIS. This timeframe is provided due to the major 
holidays occurring during this public review period.
    The FAA and NPS are now inviting the public, agencies, and other 
interested parties to provide written comments, suggestions, and input 
regarding the scope of issues and the identification of significant 
issues to be addressed in the EIS. Comments previously submitted in 
response to the EA scoping will not need to be re-submitted, as they 
will be considered as part of the EIS process and record. No additional 
scoping meetings are scheduled.

DATES: The 60-day scoping comment period will commence upon publication 
of this Notice. Please submit any written response you may have within 
60 days from the date of this Notice or no later than January 16, 2007.

ADDRESSES: Please address your written comments to: Docket Management 
System, Doc. No. FAA-2006-26113, U.S. Department of Transportation, 
Room Plaza 401, 400 Seventh Street, SW., Washington, DC 20590-0001.
    You must identify the docket number FAA-2006-26113 at the beginning 
of your comments. If you wish to receive confirmation that your 
comments were received, include a self-addressed, stamped postcard. You 
may review the public docket containing comments in person in the 
Dockets Office between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, except 
Federal holidays. The Dockets Office is on the plaza level of the 
NASSIF Building at the Department of Transportation at the above 
address.
    You may also submit comments and review the public docket on the 
Internet

[[Page 66576]]

at http://dms.dot.gov by using the above docket number. Comments that 
were previously received in response to the EA scoping may also be 
reviewed at this Web site under Docket No. FAA-2004-17174.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Peter F. Ciesla, Air Tour Management 
Plan Program Manager, Executive Resource Staff, AWP-4, Federal Aviation 
Administration, Western-Pacific Region. Mailing address: P.O. Box 
92007, Los Angeles, California 90009-2007. Telephone: (310) 725-3818. 
Street address: 15000 Aviation Boulevard, Lawndale, California 90261. 
E-mail: [email protected]. Park specific information can be obtained 
from Marilyn Parris, Superintendent, Haleakala National Park, Mile 
Marker 11, Crater Road, Kula, HI 96790. Telephone: (808) 572-4401. E-
mail: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In developing an ATMP and any associated 
rulemaking actions, the FAA is required to comply with the National 
Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA), which calls on Federal 
agencies to consider environmental issues as part of their 
decisionmaking process. For the purposes of compliance with NEPA on 
this project, the FAA is the Lead Agency and the NPS is a Cooperating 
Agency. The FAA ATMP Program Office and the NPS Natural Sounds Program 
Office are responsible for the overall implementation of the ATMP 
Program. Pete Ciesla is the FAA's principal program manager responsible 
for all parts of the EIS and performance of required consultation 
regarding cultural resources and endangered and threatened species. For 
the park, Superintendent Marilyn Parris is responsible for park 
operations and management and for recommending the draft and final EIS 
and Record of Decision to the NPS Pacific West Regional Director.
    The EIS is being prepared in accordance with FAA Order 1050.1E, 
Environmental Impacts: Policies and Procedures, NPS Director's Order 
12: Conservation Planning, Environmental Impact Analysis, and 
Decisionmaking, and NPS Management Policies. The FAA is now inviting 
the public, agencies, and other interested parties to provide written 
comments, suggestions, and input regarding: (1) The scope, issues, and 
concerns related to the development of the ATMP for Haleakala National 
Park; (2) the scope of issues and the identification of significant 
issues regarding commercial air tours and their potential impacts to be 
addressed in the NEPA process; (3) the potential effects of commercial 
air tours on natural resources, congressionally designated wilderness, 
cultural resources, and the visitor experience; (4) preliminary ATMP 
alternatives; and, (5) past, present, and reasonably foreseeable future 
actions which, when considered with ATMP alternatives, may result in 
significant cumulative impacts. The FAA requests that comments be as 
specific as possible in response to actions that are being proposed 
under this notice.
    Scoping documents that describe the Haleakala National Park ATMP 
project in greater detail and the preliminary ATMP alternatives under 
consideration are available at the following locations:
     FAA Air Tour Management Plan Program Web site, http://www.faa.gov/about/office_org/headquarters_offices/arc/programs/air_tour_management_plan/.
     Haleakala National Park, Mile Marker 11, Crater Road, 
Kula, HI 96790.
     National Park Service, Pacific West Region--Honolulu 
Office, 300 Ala Moana Boulevard, Box 50165, Honolulu, HI 96850.
     Hawai[revaps]i State Library, Hawai[revaps]i Documents 
Center, 478 South King Street, Honolulu, HI 96813.
     Hana Public and School Library, 4111 Hana Highway, Hana, 
HI 96713.
     Makawao Public Library, 1159 Makawao Avenue, Makawao, HI 
96768.
     Kahului Public Library, 90 School Street, Kahului, HI 
96732.
     Maui Community College Library, 310 Ka[revaps]ahumanu 
Avenue, Kahului, HI 96732.
     Kihei Public Library, 35 Waimahaihai Street, Kihei, HI 
96753.
     Lahaina Public Library, 680 Wharf Street, Lahaina, HI 
96761.
     Wailuku Public Library, 251 High Street, Wailuku, HI 96793

    Issued in Los Angeles, CA, on November 6, 2006.
Peter F. Ciesla,
FAA, Air Tour Management Plan Program Manager, AWP-4.
[FR Doc. E6-19202 Filed 11-14-06; 8:45 am]
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