[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 151 (Tuesday, August 7, 2007)]
[Notices]
[Pages 44178-44179]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 07-3837]



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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

National Park Service


Notice of Intent To Prepare a Draft Environmental Impact 
Statement (DEIS) for an Off-Road Vehicle Management Plan (ORV 
Management Plan) for Cape Lookout National Seashore (Seashore), NC

SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given in accordance with the National 
Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA) (42 U.S.C. 4332) and Council on 
Environmental Quality regulations (40 CFR 1506.6), the U.S. Department 
of the Interior, National Park Service (NPS) will prepare an ORV 
Management Plan/DEIS. The ORV Management Plan/DEIS will be used to 
guide the management and control of ORVs at the Seashore for 
approximately the next 15 to 20 years. It will also form the basis for 
a special regulation that will regulate ORV use at the Seashore. The 
ORV Management Plan/DEIS will assess potential environmental impacts 
associated with a range of reasonable alternatives for managing ORV 
impacts on park resources such as threatened and endangered species, 
soils, wetlands, wildlife, and cultural resources. Socioeconomic 
impacts and effects on visitor experience and public safety will also 
be analyzed. In addition, the plan will focus on issues that have a 
direct bearing on ORV management, including management of threatened 
and endangered species and species of special concern, as well as 
predator management.

DATES: To determine the scope of issues to be addressed in the ORV 
Management Plan/DEIS and to identify significant issues related to the 
ORV management at the Seashore, NPS anticipates conducting public 
scoping meetings in September 2007. The NPS is tentatively planning to 
conduct one meeting in Charlotte, Raleigh and Morehead City or 
Beaufort, North Carolina, respectively. Representatives of the NPS will 
be available to discuss issues, resource concerns, and the planning 
process at each of the public meetings. Once public meetings have been 
scheduled, their locations, dates, and times will be published in local 
newspapers and posted on the NPS Planning, Environment, and Public 
Comment (PEPC) Web site at http://parkplanning.nps.gov/CALO.

ADDRESSES AND FURTHER INFORMATION:  Written comments or requests for 
information should be addressed to Wouter Ketel, Management Assistant, 
Cape Lookout National Seashore, 131 Charles St., Harkers Island, North 
Carolina 28531. Comments may also be hand-delivered to the attention of 
Wouter Ketel. In addition, comments may be entered online in the NPS 
PEPC Web site at http://parkplanning.nps.gov/CALO. To comment using 
PEPC, select the ``Cape Lookout National Seashore ORV Management Plan/
EIS project,'' select ``documents,'' select this ``Notice of Intent,'' 
and then select ``comment'' and enter your comments. Further 
information about this project may also be found on the PEPC Web site 
listed above, including links to information about the NEPA planning 
process.
    Before including your address, phone number, e-mail address, or 
other personal identifying information in your comment, please be aware 
that our practice is to make 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. We will always make submissions from 
organizations or businesses, and from individuals identifying 
themselves as representatives of or officials of organizations or 
businesses, available for public inspection in their entirety.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The ORV use on the Seashore predates 
establishment of the park in 1966. The State of North Carolina turned 
over the lands of Core Banks to the NPS in 1976. Shackleford Banks was 
acquired from 1984 to 1986. Beginning in the 1940s, vehicles were 
transported to the banks by shallow draft ferries, and were used to 
provide access to productive commercial and recreational fishing spots 
as well as for camping and sightseeing. Today ORVs are used to provide 
vehicular access onto the Seashore beaches for recreational purposes, 
including surf-fishing, surfing, sunbathing, swimming, bird-watching, 
scenic driving, camping, etc. It is estimated that up to 5500 ORVs are 
transported by ferry to the Seashore each year.
    Executive Order 11644, issued in 1972 and amended by Executive 
Order 11989 in 1977, states that Federal agencies allowing ORV use must 
designate the specific areas and trails on public lands on which the 
use of ORVs may be permitted, and areas in which the use of ORVs may 
not be permitted. Agency regulations to authorize ORV use provide that 
designation of such areas and trails will be based upon the protection 
of the resources of the public lands, promotion of the safety of all 
users of those lands, and minimization of conflicts among the various 
uses of those lands. Executive Order 11644 was issued in response to 
the widespread and rapidly increasing use of ORVs on the public lands--
``often for legitimate purposes but also in frequent conflict with wise 
land and resource management practices, environmental values, and other 
types of recreational activity.'' 36 CFR 4.10(b) requires that ``routes 
and areas designated for off-road motor vehicle use shall be 
promulgated as special regulations.'' In addition, such routes and 
areas may only be designated in national recreation areas, national 
seashores, national lakeshores and national preserves. Therefore, in 
accordance with the Executive Order, the purpose of this Plan/DEIS is 
to manage ORV use in compliance with the Seashore's enabling 
legislation, NPS management policies, and other laws and regulations to 
ensure protection of the natural, cultural, and recreational values of 
the Seashore's dynamic coastal barrier island environment for present 
and future generations.
    An ORV Management Plan is needed because lack of an approved plan 
over time has led to inconsistent management of ORV use. Related to the 
need to provide consistency in ORV management is the need to provide 
consistency in resource protection in areas of ORV use, particularly as 
required under the Endangered Species Act of 1973. Compounding these 
issues, the Seashore is also subject to dynamic weather-related events 
that continually change the beach, and sometimes limit the area that 
can be accessed safely by ORVs. Therefore, an ORV Management Plan is 
needed to: (1) Comply with Executive Orders 11644 and 11989 respecting 
ORV use, and with NPS laws, regulations (36 CFR 4.10), and policies to 
minimize impacts to Seashore resources and values; (2) Establish an 
approved plan incorporating public input that reduces the potential for 
inconsistent management of ORV use, user conflicts, and safety 
concerns; (3) Provide for sustainable recreational use; (4) Protect 
natural and cultural resources from potential effects of ORV use; and 
(5) Provide for protected species management in relation to ORV and 
other uses that replaces the Cape Lookout National Seashore Interim 
Protected Species Management Plan/EA and associated Biological Opinion.
    The ORV Management Plan/DEIS will cover lands administered by the 
NPS on North Core Banks, South Core Banks, Middle Core Banks, Ophelia 
Banks, and

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Shackleford Banks. Of the 56-mile long Seashore, about 47 miles 
spanning North and South Core Banks were identified by the Seashore 
General Management Plan (December 1982) as appropriate for controlled 
ORV use; the remaining 9 miles on Shackleford Banks is a proposed 
wilderness and is closed to vehicle use. However, other potential 
aspects of the ORV Management Plan, such as species and predator 
management, will also be addressed for Shackleford Banks, where ORVs 
are not allowed.
    During initial internal scoping the NPS interdisciplinary team 
identified a number of draft objectives for the ORV Management Plan/
DEIS, including:

Management Methodology

     Identify criteria to designate ORV use areas and routes.
     Establish ORV management practices and procedures that 
have the ability to adapt in response to changes in the Seashore's 
dynamic physical and biological environment.
     Continue an ongoing and meaningful dialogue with the 
multiple public groups interested in/affected by ORV management.
     Establish procedures for prompt and efficient public 
notification of beach access status including any temporary ORV use 
restrictions for such things as resource and public safety closures, 
storm events, etc.
     Build stewardship through public awareness and 
understanding of NPS resource management and visitor use policies and 
responsibilities as they pertain to the Seashore and ORV management.

Natural Physical Resources

     Minimize adverse impacts from ORV use to soils and 
topographic features, e.g., dunes, ocean beach, wetlands, tidal flats, 
etc.

Threatened, Endangered, and Other Protected Species

     Provide protection for threatened, endangered, and other 
protected species (e.g., State-listed species) and their habitats, 
minimize adverse impacts related to ORV and other uses as required by 
laws and policies, such as the Endangered Species Act, the Migratory 
Bird Treaty Act, and NPS laws and management policies.

Other Vegetation and Wildlife and Wildlife Habitat

     Minimize adverse impacts to native plant and animal 
species and their habitats related to ORV and other uses.

Cultural Resources

     Protect cultural resources such as shipwrecks, 
archeological sites, and cultural landscapes from adverse impacts 
related to ORV use.

Visitor Use and Experience

     Manage ORV use to allow for a variety of appropriate 
visitor use experiences.
     Minimize conflicts between ORV use and other uses.
     Ensure that ORV operators are informed about the rules and 
regulations regarding ORV use at the park.

Visitor Safety

     Ensure that ORV management promotes the safety of all 
visitors.

Park Operations

     Identify operational needs and costs to fully implement an 
ORV management plan.
    The draft and final ORV Management Plan/DEIS will be made available 
to all known interested parties and appropriate agencies. Full public 
participation by Federal, State, and local agencies as well as other 
concerned organizations and private citizens is invited throughout the 
preparation process of this document.

    Authority: The authority for publishing this notice is 40 CFR 
1506.6.

    The responsible official for this ORV Management Plan/DEIS is 
Patricia A. Hooks, Regional Director, Southeast Region, National Park 
Service, 100 Alabama Street, SW., 1924 Building, Atlanta, Georgia 
30303.

    Dated: July 13, 2007.
Patricia A. Hooks,
Regional Director, Southeast Region.
[FR Doc. 07-3837 Filed 8-6-07; 8:45 am]
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