[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 169 (Wednesday, September 2, 2009)]
[Notices]
[Pages 45467-45468]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E9-21192]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

National Park Service


Draft General Management Plan/Wilderness Management Plan/Draft 
Environmental Impact Statement, Apostle Islands National Lakeshore, WI

AGENCY: Department of the Interior, National Park Service.

ACTION: Notice of availability of the Draft General Management Plan/
Wilderness Management Plan/Draft Environmental Impact Statement, 
Apostle Islands National Lakeshore, WI.

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SUMMARY: Pursuant to Section 102(2)(C) of the National Environmental 
Policy Act of 1969 (42 U.S.C. 4332(2)(C)), the National Park Service 
(NPS) announces the availability of the Draft General Management Plan 
(GMP)/Wilderness Management Plan (WMP)/Environmental Impact Statement 
(EIS) for Apostle Islands National Lakeshore, Wisconsin.
    This document provides a framework for management of Apostle 
Islands National Lakeshore and the Gaylord Nelson Wilderness, including 
its resources, visitors, and facilities, for the next 15-20 years. The 
document describes four alternatives for management of the park, 
including a no-action alternative, and analyzes the environmental 
impacts of those alternatives.
    The NPS preferred alternative would focus on providing 
opportunities for more people to have an island experience. Additional 
transportation opportunities would be sought to encourage visitors to 
come to Sand, Basswood, and Oak Islands. Some additional visitor 
facilities would be developed on these islands. There would be no 
change in the number of public docks in the park, but some docks would 
be relocated, improved, or expanded. The Bayfield Visitor Center would 
be moved closer to the water to improve contact with visitors and to be 
located with an operations center. The Little Sand Bay Visitor Center 
would be replaced with a visitor contact station. A new ranger station 
and accessible beach ramp would be developed at Meyers Beach. Two light 
stations would be restored or rehabilitated, similar to the Raspberry 
Island light station. The wilderness area would continue to be managed 
as it is now, with the exception of the Oak Island group campsite being 
removed and the site restored.

[[Page 45468]]


DATES: There will be a 60-day public review period for comments on this 
document. Comments on the GMP/WMP/EIS must be received no later than 60 
days after the Environmental Protection Agency publishes its notice of 
availability in the Federal Register. Public open houses will be held 
at Bayfield and Madison, Wisconsin, and in Duluth and the Twin Cities, 
Minnesota. Specific dates, times, and locations will be announced in 
the local media, on the Internet at http://www.nps.gov/apis, and will 
also be available by contacting the park's headquarters at 715-779-
3398, extension 102.

ADDRESSES: Copies of the GMP/WMP/EIS will be available for public 
inspection online at http://parkplanning.nps.gov/apis, by e-mail 
message at [email protected], or by request by writing to Mr. Jim 
Nepstad, Chief of Planning and Resource Management, Apostle Islands 
National Lakeshore, Route 1, Box 4, Bayfield, WI 54814; telephone: 715-
779-3398, extension 102. The document can be picked up in person at the 
park's headquarters at 415 Washington Avenue, Bayfield, WI.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Persons wishing to comment may do so by any 
one of several methods. They may attend the open houses noted above. 
They may comment via the NPS Planning, Environment and Public Comment 
Web site at http://parkplanning.nps.gov/apis. They may mail comments to 
Mr. Jim Nepstad, Chief of Planning and Resource Management, Apostle 
Islands National Lakeshore, Route 1, Box 4, Bayfield, WI 54814. 
Finally, they may hand-deliver comments to the park headquarters at 415 
Washington Avenue, Bayfield, WI.
    Before including your address, telephone number, electronic mail 
address, or other personal identifying information in your comments, 
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 comments to withhold your personal 
identifying information from public review, we cannot guarantee that we 
will be able to do so.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Jim Nepstad, Chief of Planning and 
Resource Management Apostle Islands National Lakeshore, Route 1, Box 4, 
Bayfield, WI 54814; telephone 715-779-3198, extension 102; or e-mail at 
[email protected].

    Dated: July 2, 2009.
David N. Given,
Acting Regional Director, Midwest Region.
[FR Doc. E9-21192 Filed 9-1-09; 8:45 am]
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