[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 104 (Thursday, May 31, 2007)]
[Notices]
[Pages 30392-30393]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 07-2689]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

National Park Service


Quarry Visitor Center, Draft Environmental Impact Statement, 
Dinosaur National Monument, Colorado and Utah

AGENCY: National Park Service, Department of the Interior.

ACTION: Notice of availability of the draft environmental impact 
statement for the quarry visitor center, dinosaur national monument.

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SUMMARY: Pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, 42 
U.S.C. 4332(c)(C), the National Park Service announces the availability 
of a Draft Environmental Impact Statement for the Quarry Visitor Center 
at Dinosaur National Monument, Colorado and Utah.
    The Draft Environmental Impact Statement contains five 
alternatives.
    Alternative A--No Action. The Quarry Visitor Center (QVC) was 
closed to the staff and public because of serious life safety issues 
caused by building instability on July 12, 2006. The QVC protected 
1,500 dinosaur fossils in situ and provided access to the park's 
primary resource. The building would remain closed to the public; 
functions would remain displaced; and critical resources would be 
threatened.
    Alternative B--Preferred Alternative--Rehabilitate the Exhibit Hall 
and Construct a New Facility Off-site. The existing exhibit hall would 
be rehabilitated to adequately protect fossil resources and provide 
access to the public. Currently displaced functions would be 
constructed at a location off-site that has stable soil.
    Alternative C--Retain the Exhibit Hall and Construct a New Facility 
at the Quarry Visitor Center. The exhibit hall would be rehabilitated 
to protect fossil resources and provide access to the public, and the 
currently displaced functions would be reconstructed on the unstable 
soil that has caused building movement for more than 50 years.
    Alternative D--Retain the Exhibit Hall and Construct Wings Similar. 
The exhibit hall would be rehabilitated to protect fossil resources and 
provide access to the public. The remaining portions of the building 
would be reconstructed in the original footprint and dysfunctional 
configuration on the unstable soil that has caused building movement 
for more than 50 years.
    Alternative E--Demolish the Entire Facility and Construct a New 
Facility at the QVC Site. The entire building would be demolished and 
rebuilt on the unstable soil that has caused building movement for more 
than 50 years.
    General Assumptions/Conditions that Apply to all Alternatives--
Engineers and architects estimate that only 10% of the historic fabric 
could be used for any of the alternatives. All alternatives would 
result in reconstruction, which is not an approved treatment under the 
Secretary's guidelines. Thus, the National Historic Landmark 
designation cannot be preserved under any alternative.

DATES: The National Park Service will accept comments on the Draft 
Environmental Impact Statement from the public for 60 days from the 
date the Environmental Protection Agency publishes the Notice of 
Availability. No public meetings are scheduled at this time.

ADDRESSES: Information will be available for public review and comment 
online at http://parkplanning.nps.gov, in the office of the 
Superintendent, Mary Risser, 4545 E. Highway 40, Dinosaur, CO, (970) 
374-3001 and the following locations: The Moffatt County Library, 570 
Green St., Craig, CO 81625 and the Uintah County Library, 155 East 
Main, Vernal, UT 84078.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mary Risser, 4545 E. Highway 40, 
Dinosaur, CO, (970) 374-3001, [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: If you wish to comment, you may submit your 
comments by any one of several methods. You may mail comments to 
Dinosaur National Monument Headquarters, 4545 E. Highway 40, Dinosaur, 
CO. You may also comment via the Internet at http://parkplanning.nps.gov. If you do not receive a confirmation from the 
system that we have received your Internet message, contact us directly 
at 970.374.3001. Finally, you may hand-deliver comments to the park 
headquarters at the above address. Before including your address, phone 
number, e-mail address, or other personal identifying information in 
your comment, you should be aware that your entire comment--including 
your personal identifying information--may be made publicly available 
at any time. While you can ask us in your comment to withhold your 
personal identifying information from public review, we cannot 
guarantee that we will be able to do so.


[[Page 30393]]


    Dated: May 17, 2007.
Michael D. Snyder,
Director, Intermountain Region, National Park Service.
[FR Doc. 07-2689 Filed 5-30-07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4312-CR-M