[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 8 (Wednesday, January 13, 2010)]
[Notices]
[Pages 1802-1803]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-443]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

National Park Service


Termination of the Environmental Impact Statement for the General 
Management Plan, Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument

AGENCY: National Park Service, Department of the Interior.

ACTION: Notice of termination of the Environmental Impact Statement for 
the General Management Plan, Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument, 
New Mexico.

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SUMMARY: The National Park Service (NPS) is terminating the 
Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the Gila Cliff Dwellings 
General Management Plan because it has determined that an Environmental 
Assessment (EA) is the more appropriate National Environmental Policy 
Act compliance document. A Notice of Intent to prepare the EIS for the 
Gila Cliff Dwellings General Management Plan was published on April 16, 
2008 (Federal Register Vol. 73, No. 74). Scoping conducted for the plan 
indicated that there were no significant impacts or controversy 
identified by the public. A preliminary impact analysis indicated that 
the alternatives have limited potential to result in significant/major 
effects on the human environment as they focus on different ways of 
protecting resources, providing appropriate visitor experiences, and 
addressing joint NPS/Forest Service operations. For these reasons the 
NPS determined the proposal would not require an EIS.

[[Page 1803]]


DATES: The request to terminate the Environmental Impact Statement and 
proceed with an Environmental Assessment was approved by the Chief of 
the NPS Environmental Quality Division on November 4, 2009. The draft 
general management plan and Environmental Assessment is expected to be 
distributed for a 30 day public comment period early in 2011 and a 
decision is expected be made in the fall of 2011. The NPS will notify 
the public by mail, Web site, and other means, and will include 
information on where and how to obtain a copy of the GMP/EA, how to 
comment on the plan, and the dates of the public comment period.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Steve Riley, Superintendent, Gila 
Cliff Dwellings National Monument, HC 68 Box 100, Silver City, NM 
88061. Telephone (575) 536-9461.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In place of the EIS, the NPS will prepare an 
Environmental Assessment (EA) that analyzes four alternatives (no-
action and three action alternatives) that look at different ways of 
protecting resources, providing appropriate visitor experiences, and 
addressing joint NPS/Forest Service operations:

--Alternative 1 (No-Action) would continue the present management 
direction.
--Alternative 2 would emphasize and expand high-quality visitor 
services and experiences by providing more comprehensive interpretation 
of the Gila Headwaters area and its 2,000 years of human occupation.
--Alternative 3 would enhance visitor understanding and enjoyment of 
the Gila Headwaters' natural and cultural heritage by providing a more 
unified management approach to the two units of the monument.
--Alternative 4 would forge more personal connections between visitors 
and the ancient cultures and wilderness character of the monument.

    Dated: November 12, 2009.
Michael D. Snyder,
Director, Intermountain Region, National Park Service.
[FR Doc. 2010-443 Filed 1-12-10; 8:45 am]
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