[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 148 (Tuesday, August 2, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 46321-46322]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-19520]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

National Park Service

[4240-CEBE-409]


Record of Decision

AGENCY: National Park Service, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of Availability of the Record of Decision on the General 
Management Plan/Environmental Impact Statement for Cedar Creek and 
Belle Grove National Historic Park.

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SUMMARY: Pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, as 
amended [42 U.S.C. 4332(2)(C)], the National Park Service (NPS) 
announces the availability of the Record of Decision for the General 
Management Plan/Environmental Impact Statement (GMP/EIS) for Cedar 
Creek and Belle Grove National Historic Park (NHP) in Frederick, 
Shenandoah, and Warren Counties, Virginia. The Regional Director, 
Northeast Region, approved the Record of Decision for the GMP/EIS, 
selecting Action Alternative D, the NPS preferred alternative, as 
described in the Final GMP/EIS issued on January 21, 2011. The Record 
of Decision (ROD) includes a statement of the decision made, a synopsis 
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, and an overview of public involvement in 
the decision-making process. The approved General Management Plan will 
guide long-term management of Cedar Creek and Belle Grove NHP. As soon 
as practicable, the NPS will begin to implement the selected 
alternative.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Diann Jacox, Superintendent, Cedar 
Creek and Belle Grove National Historical Park, 7718 \1/2\; Main 
Street, Middletown, Virginia 22645, (540) 868-9176.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Cedar Creek and Belle Grove NHP was created 
by Congress in December 2002 to help preserve, protect, and interpret a 
nationally significant Civil War landscape and antebellum plantation; 
to tell the rich story of Shenandoah Valley history; to preserve 
historic, natural, cultural, military, and scenic resources; and to 
serve as a focal point within the Shenandoah Valley Battlefields 
National Historic District. Cedar Creek and Belle Grove NHP is a 
partnership park, currently with limited property in federal ownership, 
that works collaboratively with other entities who provide the 
foundation for protecting, preserving, and interpreting park resources 
by virtue of their ownership of significant acreage within the park, 
their commitment to a shared preservation ethic, their willingness to 
provide visitor services and public access, and their consent to manage 
their property as part of the national historical park.
    The approved general management plan provides the NPS and key 
partners with the necessary framework to guide the management of the 
park for the next 15 to 20 years. This is the first general management 
plan for the park; it is intended to be a useful, long-term decision-
making tool, providing a logical and trackable rationale for decisions 
about protection and public use of park resources.
    The Final GMP/EIS presented and evaluated four management 
alternatives developed around the need to define an appropriate role 
for the NPS at the park. Among the alternatives considered, Action 
Alternative D, the selected alternative, best protects the diversity of 
park resources while also maintaining a range of quality visitor 
experiences.

[[Page 46322]]

    The selected alternative will enable visitors to experience the 
park at an NPS developed and managed visitor center and at visitor 
focal areas owned and managed by the NPS and key partners. The NPS and 
the key partners will coordinate interpretive programs at these sites. 
Visitors will access the park via auto-touring routes and an extensive 
system of non-motorized trails that provide opportunities for 
interpretation and recreation, connect focal areas, and tie to 
communities and resources outside the park. The NPS and the key 
partners will develop a coordinated land protection plan focused on 
acquisition of cultural landscapes, sensitive natural resource areas, 
and lands providing connections between NPS and key partner properties. 
The NPS and the key partners will have formal agreements that define 
responsibilities for special projects, programs, events, and specific 
park operations.
    This decision is the result of a public planning process that began 
in 2005. Between 2005 and 2008, prior to the release of the Draft GMP/
EIS, NPS staff met with and briefed representatives from numerous 
agencies and organizations about the GMP and NPS's future plans Cedar 
Creek and Belle Grove NHP. Additional public involvement activities 
followed the release of the Draft GMP/EIS and a detailed analysis of 
public comments received and NPS responses are provided in Appendix F 
of the Final GMP/EIS.
    Copies of the Record of Decision may be obtained from the above 
contact or online at http://parkplanning.nps.gov/cebe.

    Dated: April 15, 2011.
Dennis R. Reidenbach,
Regional Director, Northeast Region, National Park Service.
[FR Doc. 2011-19520 Filed 8-1-11; 8:45 am]
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