[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 63 (Friday, April 3, 2009)]
[Notices]
[Pages 15298-15299]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E9-7483]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

National Park Service


Jackson Hole Airport Use Agreement Extension, Draft Environmental 
Impact Statement, Grand Teton National Park, WY

AGENCY: National Park Service, Department of the Interior.

ACTION: Notice of Availability of the Draft Environmental Impact 
Statement for the Jackson Hole Airport Use Agreement Extension, Grand 
Teton National Park.

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SUMMARY: Pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, 42 
U.S.C. 4332(2)(C), the National Park Service announces the availability 
of a Draft Environmental Impact Statement for the Jackson Hole Airport 
Use Agreement Extension for Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming. This 
effort addresses a request from the Jackson Hole Airport Board to amend 
the use agreement between the Department of the Interior and the 
Airport Board in order to ensure that the airport remains eligible for 
funding through the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). The proposal 
would allow the agreement to be amended to provide two additional 10-
year options that could be exercised by the Board, the first in 2013 
and the second in 2023. By exercising these options, the Board would 
ensure that the airport remains eligible for Airport Improvement 
Program grants from the FAA, upon which commercial airports are 
dependent. These grants provide funds for projects such as maintenance 
of the runway and taxiways, purchase of capital equipment such as 
snowplows and fire engines, and other projects necessary for the 
airport to retain its certification as a commercial airport. Without 
such funds, the airport would at some point be unable to retain its 
certification and all commercial air service would be terminated.
    Alternatives considered in the EIS include Alternative 1: No 
Action--The airport would continue operations under the existing 
agreement which currently has an expiration date of April 27, 2033; and 
Alternative 2: Extend Agreement--Jackson Hole Airport Board proposal to 
extend the agreement for an additional two 10-year terms, bringing the 
expiration date to April 27, 2053. Alternative 2 is the Preferred 
Alternative.
    The Jackson Hole Airport is located on 533 acres of land within 
Grand Teton National Park. The airport operates under the terms and 
conditions of a 1983 agreement between the Department of the Interior 
and the Jackson Hole Airport Board. The 1983 agreement was for a 
primary term of 30 years, with options for two 10-year extensions, both 
of which have been exercised. The agreement also includes a provision 
that further extensions, amendments, or modifications could be 
negotiated by the parties on mutually satisfactory terms, and that the 
parties agree that upon expiration of the agreement, a mutually 
satisfactory extension could be negotiated.
    In November 2006, a scoping notice soliciting public comments was 
circulated describing the purpose and need for the project. Based on 
comments received and subsequent data gathered, the National Park 
Service determined the preparation of an EIS was warranted and a Draft 
EIS was prepared. The Notice of Intent to prepare an EIS was published 
in the Federal Register on August 9, 2007.

DATES: The National Park Service will accept comments on the Draft 
Environmental Impact Statement from the public for 60 days after the 
date the Environmental Protection Agency publishes a 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/GRTE, in the office of the 
Superintendent, Mary Gibson Scott, Grand Teton National

[[Page 15299]]

Park, PO Drawer 170, Moose, Wyoming 83012-0170, (307) 739-3411 and at 
the Teton County Public Library, Jackson, Wyoming.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Gary Pollock, Grand Teton National 
Park, PO Drawer 170, Moose, Wyoming 83012-0170, (307) 739-3428.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: If you wish to comment, you may submit your 
comments by any one of several methods. You may mail comments to the 
office of the Superintendent, Grand Teton National Park, PO Drawer 170, 
Moose, Wyoming 83012-0170. You may also comment via the Internet at 
http://parkplanning.nps.gov/GRTE. Finally, you may hand-deliver 
comments to the office of the Superintendent, Grand Teton National 
Park, Administrative Offices Building, Moose, Wyoming 83012-0170. 
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.

    Dated: January 26, 2009.
John T. Crowley,
Acting Regional Director, Intermountain Region, National Park Service.
 [FR Doc. E9-7483 Filed 4-2-09; 8:45 am]
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