[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 138 (Tuesday, July 19, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 42727-42728]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-18149]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

National Park Service

[NPS-NCR-MANA-0411-7316; 3840-SZM]


 Notice of Availability of a Record of Decision on the Final 
Environmental Impact Statement for the General Management Plan, 
Manassas National Battlefield Park

AGENCY: National Park Service, Interior.

SUMMARY: Pursuant to Sec.  102(2)(C) of the National Environmental 
Policy Act of 1969, 83 Stat. 852, 853, codified as amended at 42 U.S.C. 
4332(2)(C), the National Park Service (NPS) announces the availability 
of the Record of Decision for the Final Environmental Impact Statement 
for the General Management Plan (FEIS/GMP), Manassas National 
Battlefield Park, Virginia.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ed W. Clark, Superintendent, Manassas 
National Battlefield Park, at Manassas National Battlefield Park, 12521 
Lee Highway, Manassas, Virginia 20109-2005, by telephone at (703) 754-
1861, or by e-mail at EdWClark @NPS.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On January 25, 2011, the Regional Director 
of the National Capital Region, NPS, approved the Record of Decision 
for the project. As soon as practicable, the NPS will begin to 
implement the Preferred Alternative contained in the FEIS/GMP issued on 
September 19, 2008. The following course of action will occur under the 
Alternative B, the selected alternative.
    Alternative B is the NPS-selected alternative. Under this 
alternative, the park would focus on interpreting the two battles of 
Manassas as distinct military events. This alternative has been 
modified from the Alternative B presented in the FEIS/GMP as discussed 
below. The initial stop in the park will be a new visitor center; where 
visitors will receive their first orientation to the battlefield. The 
interpretive information will focus on putting the two battles into 
context. Visitors will receive a more thorough orientation to each 
battle from two visitor contact areas--Henry Hill for First Manassas 
and Brawner Farm for Second Manassas. From these access points, 
visitors may explore the many historic sites associated with each event 
throughout the park. The experience for each battle will be distinct, 
with stand-alone visitor areas and automobile tour routes. Separate, 
chronological automobile and bicycle tours will be developed for each 
battle. In this alternative, the rehabilitation of the historic 
landscape will be critical to visitor understanding of the events and 
military tactics associated with each battle. Development of a visitor 
center near Stone Bridge was discussed as part of Alternative C in the 
FEIS/GMP. By including it in the selected alternative, the NPS believes 
the park can provide a more comprehensive approach to interpretation of 
both battles that will enhance the visitor experience. It should be 
noted that while Alternative C places the visitor center near Stone 
Bridge, future planning and compliance may determine a more appropriate 
location for such a facility. The new visitor center will provide 
context for the battles of First and Second Manassas battles; the 
visitor contact station at Henry Hill will continue its sole focus on 
the battle of First Manassas, while the visitor contact station at 
Brawner Farm will focus solely on the battle of Second Manassas. Given 
its location within the cultural landscape and space limitations, 
expanding the interpretive focus at Henry Hill is not feasible. By 
constructing a new visitor center the park can more effectively achieve 
the management goals of the park. Site-specific analysis, compliance 
with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and Section 106 of 
the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA) will be conducted as 
appropriate before development of the new visitor center. As part of 
this planning effort, due to the sensitive nature of the cultural 
landscape and resources in the park, the NPS will explore a range of 
alternatives regarding the potential site of the new facility (both 
inside and outside of the park boundaries), and would seek sites that 
minimize impacts to park resources especially those resources related 
to the two battles. In addition, the NPS will consider the operational 
needs of the park and how a new visitor center could meet those needs 
more efficiently (i.e., office space, interpretation, cooperative 
agreements, curatorial requirements, and utilization of the current 
visitor facilities within the park); potentially allowing for a 
reduction in the size of the current visitor facilities within the park 
in the future.
    Full implementation of this alternative assumes the completion of 
the Manassas National Battlefield Park Bypass (Bypass). The Bypass will 
permit the removal of heavy commuter and commercial truck traffic from 
the portions of U.S. Route 29 and VA Route 234 that run through the 
park. Through traffic will be further limited with the addition of 
controlled access points. Visitors will experience a battlefield 
landscape that resembles its wartime appearance. Key interpretive views 
will be preserved and re-created to help visitors understand how the 
battles unfolded and the importance of certain locations. Wartime 
structures will be preserved and other historic structures will be 
retained to mark the site of wartime buildings.

Key Actions

    Under the selected alternative, the following actions will occur: 
Separate automobile and bike paths will be developed for each battle. 
The NPS will upgrade current trails and interpretive media along the 
First Manassas and Second Manassas hiking trails as necessary. New 
portions of the Second Manassas hiking trail will be created as 
necessary. Because of safety concerns posed by the high traffic volumes 
on U.S. Route 29 and VA Route 234, separate automobile and bicycle tour 
routes will not be implemented until the completion of the Bypass. Once 
the Bypass is completed, through traffic will be limited in the park 
with the addition of controlled access facilities at the park's four 
main entry points.
    A new visitor center will be constructed, designed as the initial 
stop and primary orientation point for the park. The visitor contact 
station at Henry Hill will focus entirely on First Manassas.
    The battle of Second Manassas visitor contact station will be 
located at Brawner Farm. The site will be open for year-round 
visitation once necessary improvements have been completed.
    The cultural landscape will reflect conditions in 1861-1862 in 
several key areas of the park through a combination of tree removal, 
clearing, and reforestation. The cleared areas will be managed as 
grassland communities (or in a few instances as shrub communities) that 
will provide desirable habitat and restore historic vistas for 
visitors. Maintaining the historic appearance of some of these areas 
with a lawnmower or other machinery may be prohibited because of 
terrain. In those cases, following appropriate compliance, other 
approved methods will be utilized to maintain the landscape. Prescribed 
fire may be considered as a potential management tool; however, this 
will require extensive compliance to ensure that it be used safely and 
have the expected results. The park staff will continue to

[[Page 42728]]

work cooperatively with neighboring jurisdictions related to 
rehabilitation of the historic scene. In addition, plans detailing how 
the various landscapes will be managed will be developed prior to the 
implementation of any rehabilitation activities. The following 
rehabilitation activities have been identified; the highest priority 
tasks are listed first:
     Approximately 45 acres of woods along the west side of 
Chinn Ridge will be cleared and replaced with open fields and 
grasslands to reestablish the view between the ridge and the site of 
the New York Monuments.
     Approximately 35 acres of trees will be removed from 
Matthews Hill and the open fields will be rehabilitated.
     Trees will be thinned at the top of the slope along the 
east side of the Chinn Ridge to reestablish the view between Chinn 
Ridge and Henry Hill while minimizing the amount of vegetation removed. 
The riparian buffer along Chinn Branch will be retained.
     Approximately 15 acres of land on Stuart's Hill that is 
currently open space will be reforested.
     Approximately 20 acres of land that is currently open 
space south of Stuart's Hill will be reforested.
     Approximately 20 acres along the north-central portion of 
Dogan Ridge will be reforested, and a small area of 3 acres along the 
curve of the Sudley-Manassas Road will be cleared and managed as open 
fields.
     To the north of the Matthews Hill area, an area of 
approximately 25 acres will be reforested.
     An additional 5 acres of land along Bull Run to the west 
of Poplar Ford will be reforested.
     The current Stuart's Hill clearing will be expanded by 
approximately 30 acres to the east. The clearing will restore the view 
from General Lee's headquarters toward Centreville during the Second 
Battle of Manassas.
     The historic landscape around the Cundiff House will be 
rehabilitated to wartime conditions. Approximately 40 acres of trees 
will be removed and converted to grassland and/or scrubland.
    The NPS will continue to preserve historic structures and features, 
including those that date from the battles, such as Stone House, L. 
Dogan House, Thornberry House, and the Unfinished Railroad. Buildings 
and structures that do not date from the battles, but are historic or 
mark the site of wartime structures, will be stabilized and 
rehabilitated to function as important interpretive sites or will be 
maintained for park uses. These structures include the Brawner Farm 
House, Henry House, J. Dogan House, Pringle House, and Stone Bridge.
    In addition to continuing to protect these structures, the NPS will 
initiate several actions:
     Complete work necessary to support year round visitation 
of the Brawner Farm House as part of the Second Battle of Manassas tour 
route.
     Explore a range of options to support interpretation of 
the Robinson House ruins from the Civil War period.
     Preserve and stabilize the J. Dogan House. This 
preservation effort will include removing nonconforming structural 
elements such as siding, and removing the nonconforming modern garage.
     As part of the Bypass, the existing U.S. Route 29 Bridge 
over Bull Run will be removed to eliminate modern intrusions from the 
battlefield landscape and to return the site to a more historic 
appearance. In addition, a new bridge will be constructed to allow 
continued access along U.S. Route 29. The new location will be chosen 
so there will be fewer impacts to the cultural landscape.
    In the selected alternative, a boundary adjustment to the park will 
be necessary to include the four tracts of land; the Davis Tract, the 
Stonewall Memory Garden Tract, the Conservation Trust Parcel, and the 
Dunklin Monument. These tracts are described in detail in the FEIS and 
in the Record of Decision. This adjustment will require Congressional 
action to amend the existing boundary.
    Implementation of each of these specific actions will require 
additional site-specific planning and compliance with NHPA and NEPA.
    The Preferred Alternative and two other alternatives were analyzed 
in the Draft Environmental Impact Statement on the General Management 
Plan (DEIS/GMP) and FEIS/GMP. The full range of foreseeable 
environmental consequences was assessed, and appropriate mitigating 
measures were identified.
    The Record of Decision includes a statement of the decision made, 
synopses of other alternatives considered, the basis for the decision, 
a description of the environmentally preferable alternative, a finding 
on impairment of park resources and values, a listing of measures to 
minimize environmental harm, an overview of public involvement in the 
decision-making process, and comments received on the DEIS/GMP.
    Copies of the Record of Decision may be obtained from the contact 
listed above or online at http://parkplanning.nps.gov/MANA.

     Dated: April 19, 2011.
Woody Smeck,
Acting Regional Director, National Capital Region.
[FR Doc. 2011-18149 Filed 7-18-11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4312-49-P