[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 13 (Thursday, January 20, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 3652-3653]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-1085]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

National Park Service

[8145-8B90-SZM]


Dog Management Plan/Environmental Impact Statement, Golden Gate 
National Recreation Area, California

AGENCY: National Park Service.

ACTION: Notice of Availability of a Draft Environmental Impact 
Statement for the Dog Management Plan, Golden Gate National Recreation 
Area.

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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 (NPS) is releasing a 
Draft Environmental Impact Statement for the Dog Management Plan (Draft 
Plan/EIS), Golden Gate National Recreation Area (GGNRA), California. 
Current dog management in GGNRA is based on a number of factors. Areas 
covered by the GGNRA Citizens' Advisory Commission's 1979 pet policy 
are managed in accordance with the June 2, 2005, decision by U.S. 
District Court for the Northern District of California (U.S. vs. 
Barley, Kieselhorst, and Sayad) affirming that the NPS may not enforce 
the NPS-wide regulation requiring on-leash walking of pets (36 CFR 
2.15(a)(2)) in areas that were included in the 1979 pet policy until 
notice and comment rulemaking under Section 1.5(b) is completed. A 
Notice of Proposed Rulemaking will be published for notice and comment 
after comments on the Draft Plan/EIS have been received, evaluated, and 
addressed. A final rule will be published after the Final Plan/EIS has 
been published and a Record of Decision signed.
    The purpose of the Draft Plan/EIS is to provide a clear, 
enforceable policy to determine the manner and extent of dog use in 
appropriate areas of GGNRA. This plan will promote the following 
objectives: preserve and protect natural and cultural resources and 
natural processes, provide a variety of visitor experiences, improve 
visitor and employee safety, reduce user conflicts, and maintain GGNRA 
resources and values for future generations.
    The Draft Plan/EIS evaluates impacts of six alternatives for dog 
management in 21 areas of GGNRA. The range of alternatives includes the 
consensus recommendations of the GGNRA Negotiated Rulemaking Committee 
for Dog Management, the 1979 Pet Policy, 36 CFR 2.15, and voice-control 
dog walking. The preferred alternative combines site-specific 
treatments from multiple action alternatives and allows for a balanced 
range of visitor experiences, including areas that prohibit dogs and 
areas that allow on-leash and voice-control dog walking. It includes 
the following key elements: the Negotiated Rulemaking Committee's 
consensus agreements; on-leash and/or voice-control dog walking in 
certain, specific areas of GGNRA where impacts to sensitive resources 
and visitor experience are minimized; no dogs in areas of GGNRA where 
impacts are unacceptable and cannot be mitigated; a compliance-based 
management strategy measuring compliance in on-leash and voice-control 
dog walking areas which directs a range of management responses, 
including further restrictions or elimination of a use where compliance 
is not achieved; permits for more than three dogs in limited areas of 
GGNRA; and new lands closed to dog walking, but opened for on-leash dog 
walking by compendium if certain criteria are met.

DATES: The NPS will accept comments on the Draft Plan/EIS for 90 days 
following publication by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) of 
their notice of availability of the Draft Plan/EIS. After the EPA 
notice has been published, the NPS will schedule four open-house style 
public meetings during the comment period. Dates, times, and locations 
of these meetings will be announced in press releases, e-mail 
announcements and on the project website at http://parkplanning.nps.gov/goga.

ADDRESSES: Copies of the Draft Plan/EIS will be available for public 
review at http://parkplanning.nps.gov/goga. A limited number of printed 
copies will be available at Park Headquarters, Fort Mason, Building 
201, San Francisco, CA 94123, or a copy may be requested, as long as 
supplies last, from Frank Dean, General Superintendent, at the address 
noted above. Copies will also be available at local libraries in San 
Mateo, San Francisco and Marin Counties, as well as in Berkeley and 
Oakland.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: If you wish to comment electronically, you 
may submit your comments online by visiting http://parkplanning.nps.gov/goga, clicking on open for comment, clicking on 
Dog Management Plan/EIS, and then clicking on Comment on Document. If 
you wish to submit written comments (e.g. in a letter), you may send 
them by U.S. Postal Service or other mail delivery service or hand-
deliver them to: Frank Dean, General Superintendent, Golden Gate 
National Recreation Area, Fort Mason, Building 201, San Francisco, CA 
94123. Oral statements and written comments will also be accepted 
during the hearing-style public meetings. Comments will not be accepted 
by fax, e-mail, or in any other way than those specified above. Bulk 
comments in any format (hard copy or electronic) submitted on behalf of 
others will not be accepted. 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 may 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.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Shirwin Smith, Management Assistant, 
Golden Gate National Recreation Area, Fort Mason, Building 201, San 
Francisco, CA 94123 (415) 561-4947.


[[Page 3653]]


    Dated: December 7, 2010.
George J. Turnbull,
Acting Regional Director, Pacific West Region.
[FR Doc. 2011-1085 Filed 1-19-11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4312-FN-P