[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 173 (Thursday, September 6, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 54922-54923]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-21955]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

National Park Service

[NPS-NER-HPPC-10580; 4350-HAMP-409]


Record of Decision for the General Management Plan/Final 
Environmental Impact Statement, Hampton National Historic Site, 
Maryland

AGENCY: National Park Service, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of availability.

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SUMMARY: Pursuant to 102 (2)(c) of the National Environmental Policy 
Act of 1969 (NEPA), the National Park Service (NPS) announces the 
availability of the Record of Decision for the Final General Management 
Plan and Environmental Impact Statement (GMP/EIS), Hampton National 
Historic Site, Maryland. As soon as practicable, the NPS will begin to 
implement the preferred alternative as contained in the Final GMP/EIS 
issued by the NPS on March 23, 2012, and summarized in the Record of 
Decision. Copies of the Record of Decision may be obtained from the 
contact listed below or online at the park's Web site (http://www.nps.gov/hamp) or the NPS Planning, Environment, and Public Comment 
(PEPC) Web site (http://parkplanning.nps.gov/hamp).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Tina Orcutt, Superintendent, Hampton 
National Historic Site, 535 Hampton Road, Towson, Maryland 21286-1397, 
telephone (410) 823-1309 ext. 101.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On April 23, 2012, the Regional Director of 
the NPS's Northeast Region signed the Record of Decision selecting 
Alternative 3 as the approved General Management Plan (GMP) for Hampton 
National Historic Site (NHS). 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

[[Page 54923]]

resources and values, a listing of measures to minimize environmental 
harm, and an overview of public involvement in the decision-making 
process.
    The selected alternative, Alternative 3--Broadening the Hampton 
Experience, was identified as the agency's preferred alternative in the 
Final GMP/EIS. Under this alternative, the visitor experience will be 
expanded to include the entire story of the park, from its beginnings 
in the 18th century to its heyday in the 19th century, and through the 
changes of activity and ownership in the 20th century. It will broaden 
the stories to include all those who lived and worked at the mansion, 
the plantations, and related Ridgely family enterprises. It will 
provide visitor services and accommodate park operations within the 
historic and modern buildings existing on the property, including a new 
collections storage building and a small visitor contact building in 
the Support Zone on the mansion side of the property.
    Modern and historic buildings will be rehabilitated to provide for 
visitor services--orientation, group programming, restrooms and 
bookstore--along with limited storage, and administrative and 
partnership offices, all within walking distance of the mansion. While 
this approach could disperse interpretation and administrative 
functions throughout the park, every effort will be made to group these 
operational functions near one another to enhance the `campus feeling,' 
encourage organizational efficiency, and minimize their intrusion into 
the historic scene.
    The modular buildings currently housing administrative and partner 
offices will be removed. One critical feature missing from the 
landscape and essential to the visitor experience, the corn crib, will 
be reconstructed, if Department of the Interior/NPS documentation needs 
are met in accordance with the Secretary of the Interior's Standards 
for the Treatment of Historic Properties, and used for interpretation 
on the farm side. Relocation of the modern entrance drive on the 
mansion side and changes to the access road to the farm will provide 
safer access to new visitor orientation areas on both sides of Hampton 
Lane.
    Exhibits, media, programs, and scholarship will reflect the breadth 
of lives and events experienced by all of Hampton's residents and 
workers, free and enslaved, and will connect those stories with 
visitors' lives today. Park boundaries will remain unchanged, although 
minor adjustments will be considered through donation and willing 
seller acquisitions.
    The NPS selected Alternative 3 because it best fulfills the 
purposes of the park and conveys the greatest number of beneficial 
results in comparison with the other alternatives. The selected 
alternative will expand the visitor experience to include the entire 
story of the park and would broaden the stories to include all those 
who lived and worked at the estate. It will provide visitor services 
and accommodate park operations, including group activities and tours, 
while preserving park resources. Partnerships will enhance relevance of 
the park to local visitors and better enable the NPS to respond to 
concerns of local residents, preservation organizations, academics, and 
the general public about how the park is managed. Overall, the selected 
alternative provides the highest degree of protection of the park's 
natural and cultural resources and it provides the most exceptional 
opportunities for visitors. In addition, the selected alternative 
offers the best value balancing costs against improvements to 
preservation and visitor services.
    This planning process was initiated in 1998 and included extensive 
involvement with key stakeholders, agencies, resource experts, and 
members of the public. Information was disseminated through newsletters 
and press releases, and all interested parties were provided with 
opportunities to provide input and feedback during public meetings, 
workshops, and document review periods. The Draft GMP/EIS was available 
for public and agency review from October 11, 2010, through December 
24, 2010, with three public open houses were held in November 2010. The 
Final GMP/EIS responded to, and incorporated, agency and public 
comments received on the Draft GMP/EIS. No changes were made to the 
alternatives or to the impact analysis presented in the Draft GMP/EIS; 
therefore, Alternative 3 remained the NPS Preferred Alternative and the 
environmentally preferred alternative in the Final GMP/EIS.

    Dated: August 1, 2012.
Michael A. Caldwell,
Acting Regional Director, Northeast Region, National Park Service.
[FR Doc. 2012-21955 Filed 9-5-12; 8:45 am]
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