[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 24 (Tuesday, February 5, 2013)]
[Notices]
[Pages 8189-8190]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-02482]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

National Park Service

[NPS-SERO-GUIS-10929; 5017-7129-409]


Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for 
Personal Watercraft Use at Gulf Islands National Seashore, Florida and 
Mississippi

AGENCY: National Park Service, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of Intent.

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SUMMARY: Pursuant to Section 102(2)(c) of the National Environmental 
Policy Act of 1969, 42 U.S.C. 4332(2)(C), the National Park Service 
(NPS) is preparing an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) to analyze 
the impacts of Personal Watercraft (PWC) use at Gulf Islands National 
Seashore (GUIS).
    Personal Watercraft use emerged at GUIS in the 1980s and was 
permitted in units of the national park system under the same 
regulations as other motorized watercraft. However, on March 21, 2000, 
the NPS published a regulation governing PWC use within all units of 
the national park system (65 FR 15077, codified at 36 CFR 3.24). This 
regulation prohibits PWC use in all national park units unless the NPS 
determines that this type of water-based recreational activity is 
appropriate for the specific park unit based on the legislation 
establishing that park, the park's resources and values, other visitor 
uses of the area, and overall management objectives.
    In 2004, the NPS prepared an Environmental Assessment (EA) for a 
special regulation to allow continued PWC use at GUIS. The purpose of 
the EA was to evaluate a range of alternatives and strategies for the 
management of PWC use at GUIS to ensure the protection of park 
resources and values, while offering recreational opportunities as 
provided for in the GUIS enabling legislation, purpose, mission, and 
goals. A Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) was signed on January 
25, 2006. The NPS published the final regulation for PWC use at GUIS in 
the Federal Register on May 4, 2006 (71 FR 26232).
    On May 15, 2008, a lawsuit was filed claiming that the PWC EA was 
deficient and violated NEPA, the NPS Organic Act, and the 
Administrative Procedure Act. On July 8, 2010, the U.S. District Court 
for the District of Columbia found that the impact analysis in the EA 
was inadequate. The court did not vacate the current PWC rule at GUIS, 
but remanded the case to the NPS ``so that it may have an opportunity 
to provide adequate reasoning for its conclusions.'' The special 
regulation remains in effect at GUIS and PWC are currently still 
allowed to operate under the restrictions identified in the park's 
special regulation. At this time, the NPS intends to address the 
deficiencies identified by the court by preparing an EIS for PWC use at 
GUIS, which will include supplemental documentation, impact analyses 
not present in the earlier EA, and may include additional alternatives.

DATES: Interested individuals, organizations, and agencies are 
encouraged to provide written comments regarding the scope of issues to 
be addressed in the EIS. The NPS will accept comments from the public 
for 60 days from the date that this Notice of Intent is published in 
the Federal Register or 15 days after the last public scoping meeting, 
whichever is later. NPS intends to hold public scoping meetings on the 
PWC EIS in the vicinity of GUIS, including both the Florida (Gulf 
Breeze/Pensacola Beach Area) and Mississippi (Ocean Springs/Biloxi/
Pascagoula Area) Districts during this scoping period. Specific dates, 
times, and locations will be made available in the local media and on 
the NPS's Planning, Environment and Public Comment (PEPC) Web site at 
http://parkplanning.nps.gov/guis-PWC-EIS. The scoping meetings will 
also be announced via a park press release and through email 
notification to the individuals and organizations on the park's mailing 
list. The NPS will provide additional opportunities for the public to 
provide written comments upon publication of the draft EIS.

ADDRESSES: Information will be available for public review online at 
http://parkplanning.nps.gov/guis-PWC-EIS and in the office of the 
Superintendent, 1801 Gulf Breeze Parkway, Gulf Breeze, FL 32563.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Daniel Brown, Superintendent, Gulf 
Islands National Seashore, 1801 Gulf Breeze Parkway, Gulf Breeze, FL 
32563; telephone (850) 916-3023.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: If you wish to comment during the scoping 
process, you may use any one of several methods. The preferred method 
for submitting comments is on the NPS PEPC Web site at http://parkplanning.nps.gov/guis-PWC-EIS. You may also mail or hand-deliver 
your

[[Page 8190]]

comments on the PWC EIS to the Superintendent, Gulf Islands National 
Seashore, 1801 Gulf Breeze Parkway, Gulf Breeze, FL 32563. Oral 
statements and written comments will also be accepted during scheduled 
public meetings. Comments will not be accepted by fax, email, or in any 
other method than those specified above. Comments in any format (hard 
copy or electronic) submitted on behalf of others will not be accepted. 
Before including your address, phone number, email 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 can 
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.
    The responsible official for this Notice of Intent is the Regional 
Director, Southeast Region, NPS, 100 Alabama Street SW., 1924 Building, 
Atlanta, Georgia 30303.

    Dated: January 11, 2013.
Gordon Wissinger,
 Acting Regional Director, Southeast Region.
[FR Doc. 2013-02482 Filed 2-4-13; 8:45 am]
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