[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 213 (Monday, November 3, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Pages 65395-65397]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-26128]


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

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

National Park Service


Final Environmental Impact Statement and General Management Plan; 
San Juan Island National Historical Park, San Juan County, WA; Notice 
of Availability

SUMMARY: Pursuant to section 102(2)(C) of the National Environmental 
Policy Act of 1969 (Pub. L. 91-190, as amended), and the Council on 
Environmental Quality Regulations (40 CFR Part 1500-1508), the National 
Park Service (NPS), Department of the Interior, has prepared a final 
environmental impact statement (FEIS) for updating the General 
Management Plan (GMP) for San Juan Island National Historical Park 
located in San Juan County, Washington. The current GMP was prepared in 
1979. This FEIS describes and analyzes three GMP alternatives that 
respond to both NPS planning requirements and to the public's concerns 
and issues, identified during the scoping and public involvement 
process. Each alternative presents management strategies for resource 
protection and preservation, education and interpretation, visitor use 
and facilities, land protection and boundaries, and long-term 
operations and management of the park. The potential environmental 
consequences of all the alternatives, and mitigation strategies, are 
identified and analyzed in the FEIS. In addition to a ``no-action'' 
alternative, an ``environmentally preferred'' alternative is 
identified.
    Proposed Plan and Alternatives: Alternative A constitutes the ``no-
action'' alternative and assumes a continuation of existing management 
and trends at San Juan Island National Historical Park. The primary 
emphasis in current management is placed on the protection and 
preservation of cultural resources. Since 1966, the park has been 
listed in the National Register of Historic Places and is a National 
Historic Landmark. The management of cultural landscapes around the 
immediate encampment areas at American Camp and English Camp would 
continue to emphasize cultural landscape management while respecting 
the natural environment and natural processes. No new construction 
would be authorized.
    Alternative B would increase visitor opportunities and outreach at 
both English Camp and American Camp, as well as in the town of Friday 
Harbor through additional visitor facilities, recreational 
opportunities, programs, and services. Natural and cultural resources 
interpretation would be enhanced through more extensive facilities and 
programs. At English Camp, the road system would be reconfigured as a 
one-way loop road by connecting a road segment approximately one-fifth 
mile long from the entrance road to the administrative road. The road 
would follow the existing historic road alignment where possible. The 
Crook house would be rehabilitated as a visitor contact facility on the 
ground floor and for administrative use on the second floor. At 
American Camp, the 1979 double-wide trailer that serves as the 
temporary visitor center at American Camp would be removed, the site 
restored to natural conditions, and a new enlarged visitor center would 
be constructed north of the redoubt. The new visitor center would 
include space for a collections study room for natural and cultural 
resource items, including a portion of the military-era collections. 
The existing road to the redoubt off Pickett's Lane would be removed 
and converted to a trail. The cultural landscapes would be enhanced to 
aid visitor understanding and interpretation through a variety of 
techniques. The prairie would be restored to native plant species. Off-
island interpretation would be enhanced through partnerships. The park 
would propose boundary adjustments at both sites to include important 
natural and cultural resources related to the purpose of the park.
    Alternative C is the agency-preferred alternative as it would 
broaden the scope of resource management and interpretation programs to 
emphasize connections and interrelationships between the park's natural 
and cultural resources. New facilities, trails and

[[Page 65396]]

programs provide opportunities for visitors to understand the 
importance of the park's natural resources in defining the cultural 
landscapes and influencing the settlement and historic events of San 
Juan Island. At English Camp, the Crook house would be retained, 
stabilized, and used as an exterior exhibit while the hospital would be 
rehabilitated and opened to the public for interpretation. The 1979 
double-wide trailer that serves as the temporary visitor center at 
American Camp would be removed and replaced with a permanent, enlarged 
visitor center at the existing site, allowing for improved exhibits and 
staff space. A collections study room for natural and cultural resource 
items, including a portion of the military-era collections would be 
relocated to the park. Additional buildings would be open to the public 
for interpretation as well as research and academic study. As in 
Alternative B, the existing road to the redoubt would be removed and 
converted to a trail and the prairie would be restored to native plant 
species. Historic buildings from the encampment period still existing 
on the island would be repatriated back to their original locations 
within the camps. Off-island interpretation would be enhanced through 
partnerships. Finally, the park would also propose adjusting the 
boundary at both sites to include important natural and cultural 
resources related to the purpose of the park. Alternative C is deemed 
to be the ``environmentally preferred'' alternative.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: A Notice of Intent announcing preparation of 
the DEIS and general management plan was published in the Federal 
Register on February 5, 2003. The public scoping phase formally began 
in March 2003 when the NPS produced and distributed an initial 
newsletter announcing onset of the planning process and soliciting 
feedback on issues to be addressed in the plan. The newsletter was 
directly mailed to the park's 216 person mailing list. In addition, 
4,000 copies of the newsletter were inserted into The Journal of the 
San Juan Islands newspaper, which reaches approximately 3,000 island 
residents and approximately 1,000 residents off-island. An additional 
2,500 copies were distributed to area libraries, civic buildings, 
business, churches, museums, universities, communities, dignitaries and 
elected officials. The newsletter was also placed on the park's Web 
site to reach a wider audience.
    Three public workshops were held in April 2003, with two in Friday 
Harbor, Washington and one in Seattle, Washington. Presentations about 
the mission of the National Park Service and purpose and significance 
of San Juan Island National Historical Park were followed by small 
group work sessions that allowed people to present and discuss issues, 
experiences, and ideas for the park. Approximately thirty-nine people 
attended the San Juan Island workshops, and an additional four 
participated in the Seattle workshop. Eighteen written responses were 
also collected during the scoping period.
    A second newsletter was produced in November 2003 summarizing the 
comments received, written and oral, during the scoping period. The 
comments covered a broad range of issues, concerns, personal 
experiences, and recommendations for the park. When compiled, over 224 
different comments or ideas were represented. The comments can be 
broadly organized in the following topics: Resource preservation and 
management; visitor experience and services; park facilities, 
operations, management and maintenance; and park administration and 
planning. Though many new actions and ideas were suggested by the 
public during this comment period, no new issues were identified.
    On January 14, 2008, the NPS mailed 315 copies of the draft GMP/EIS 
to agencies, governmental representatives, organizations, and 
interested individuals. Copies of the draft GMP/EIS were placed in the 
Friday Harbor and Anacortes public libraries for public review. The 
draft GMP/EIS was also placed on the park's Planning, Environment, and 
Public Comment webpage, and linked to the park's home page, allowing 
people to access the document and comment electronically. The park's 
Notice of Availability was published in the Federal Register on January 
28, 2008, providing details of the release of the draft GMP/EIS for 
public review; the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) notice of 
filing appeared on January 18, 2008. All comments received through 
March 24, 2008, were included in the official record.
    A total of 2,000 newsletters were printed containing a summary of 
the draft GMP noting the public meetings and how individuals could 
obtain a full copy of the draft GMP/EIS. Each newsletter included a 
postage-paid return form for public comments. Newsletters were 
distributed to libraries, civic buildings, businesses, churches, 
museums, universities, communities, nonprofit organizations, and 
elected officials. The newsletter was also placed on the park's Web 
site and on the Planning, Environment, and Public Comment Web Site. An 
electronic public comment form was provided through this Web site.
    Nine press releases were distributed and four newspapers--the 
Journal of the San Juan Islands, the Anacortes American, the Skagit 
Valley Herald, and the Bellingham Herald--placed advances in their 
papers and their online Web sites announcing the locations, times, and 
dates for the public workshops. The San Juan Islander, an online 
newspaper, also announced the public workshops.
    In February 2008, the NPS planning team held three open houses in 
Anacortes, Washington and Friday Harbor, Washington. The purpose of the 
meetings was to provide an opportunity for the public to meet with the 
NPS planning team to discuss the draft GMP/EIS, clarify information, 
ask questions, and provide comments. Approximately 95 people attended 
the meetings and over one hundred comments were recorded during the 
sessions.
    At the close of the public comment period, the NPS received a total 
of 30 pieces of written correspondence, including letters from 
agencies, organizations and individuals; ``return forms'' from the 
draft summary newsletter; electronic Web site comments and e-mails to 
the park. Comments were grouped into eleven broad categories, and of 
those categories, four major areas of emphasis emerged from the 
comments: alternative, resource preservation, visitor experience, and 
land protection/boundary. In addition, the EPA expressed environmental 
concerns about potential impacts to air and water quality, and 
requested additional data on current water and air quality within the 
park and mitigation strategies for air and water quality impacts. The 
FEIS has been updated with additional information to address EPA 
concerns, and contains responses to all substantive comments received 
from the public.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Interested persons and organizations 
may obtain the Final EIS/GMP or request further information by 
contacting Peter Dederich, Superintendent, San Juan Island National 
Historical Park, 650 Mullis Street, Suite 100, Friday Harbor, 
Washington 98250; or via telephone at (360) 378-2240. A limited number 
of additional hard copies of this report are available from the mailing 
address above. In addition, the final GMP/EIS is available in hard copy 
at the public library in Friday Harbor, Washington and electronically 
at the Planning,

[[Page 65397]]

Environment, and Public Comment Web site http://parkplanning.nps.gov/sajh.
    Decision Process: Following the 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 of the approved GMP would be 
subsequently published. As a delegated EIS, the official responsible 
for the final decision is the Regional Director, Pacific West Region; 
subsequently the official responsible for implementation will be the 
Superintendent, San Juan Island National Historical Park.

    Dated: July 27, 2008.
George J. Turnbull,
Acting Regional Director.
 [FR Doc. E8-26128 Filed 10-31-08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-46-P