[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 36 (Friday, February 22, 2013)]
[Notices]
[Pages 12352-12353]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-04129]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

National Park Service

[NPS-PWR-PWRO-11651;PPPWOLYMS1]


Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for 
the Wilderness Stewardship Plan, Olympic National Park, Clallam, Grays 
Harbor, Jefferson and Mason County, WA

AGENCY: National Park Service, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of Intent.

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SUMMARY: In accordance with Sec.  102(2)(C) of the National 
Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (Pub. L. 91-190) Olympic National Park 
is initiating the conservation planning and environmental impact 
analysis process required to inform consideration of alternative 
strategies for the future management of the Olympic Wilderness. In 
November 1988, Congress designated about 95% (876,669 acres) of park 
lands as the Olympic Wilderness. Through this planning process a 
Wilderness Stewardship Plan (WSP) and Environmental Impact Statement 
(EIS) will be developed to provide guidance and direction to meet the 
requirements of the Wilderness Act of 1964 and 2006 NPS Management 
Policies, as well as to implement actions identified in the park's 2008 
General Management Plan (GMP). This process will include identifying 
and analyzing a range of alternatives for achieving wilderness 
stewardship objectives and conducting wilderness eligibility studies 
for areas identified in the GMP Record of Decision (2008). The WSP will 
identify standards, conditions, and thresholds to preserve wilderness 
character, protect cultural and natural resources, and adhere to 
legally mandated management and preservation requirements.

DATES: All comments must be postmarked or transmitted not later than 
April 23, 2013.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: When Olympic National Park approved the 
Record of Decision for the GMP/Final EIS in August 2008 (the approved 
GMP is available at http://parkplanning.nps.gov/documentsList.cfm?projectID=10233), the final plan provided broad 
direction for wilderness stewardship at the park, with the overarching 
vision to ensure that the park's wilderness resources and character are 
valued, enjoyed, protected, preserved, and restored for the benefit of 
current and future generations. The GMP committed to development of a 
detailed WSP for specific management actions for wilderness based on 
the desired conditions and strategies prescribed in the GMP. 
Accordingly, the WSP will provide detailed guidance on a variety of 
topics including, but not limited to: wildlife management, cultural 
resource management, trail maintenance, trail bridges, and other 
necessary infrastructure in wilderness, day use and overnight use in 
wilderness, wilderness permitting, use of campfires, proper food 
storage, human waste management, stock use, group and party size, 
camping and camp areas, ecological restoration and rehabilitation in 
wilderness, scientific research activities, and commercial services.
    To inform development of the WSP, the park will host a series of 
public scoping meetings, which are expected to occur in Clallam, 
Jefferson, Grays Harbor, Kitsap, and Mason Counties, and the greater 
Seattle area during January through March 2013. Confirmed

[[Page 12353]]

details on dates, times, and locations of these meetings will be 
published in a newsletter, announced via local and regional newspapers, 
and posted online on the wilderness plan Web site http://parkplanning.nps.gov/olymwild. The purpose of the public scoping 
meetings is to obtain pertinent environmental information, as well as 
to identify park stakeholder issues and concerns that should be 
addressed in the WSP. After the public scoping period is complete and 
the NPS has reviewed and considered all comments, a scoping report will 
be prepared and posted on the wilderness plan Web site; also, printed 
copies may be obtained by contacting the park (see contact information 
below).
    Following the scoping phase, the wilderness planning team will 
develop preliminary alternatives for wilderness stewardship. The 
preliminary range of alternatives will be released for public review 
and comment prior to the park's determination or development of the 
agency-preferred alternative. Notification of the opportunity to review 
and comment on the preliminary alternatives will be published in local 
and regional newspapers, announced via direct mailings from the park, 
and posted online at the wilderness plan Web site.
    Following the preliminary alternatives outreach effort, the park 
will undertake preparation of the Draft EIS. The complete range of 
stewardship alternatives (including a ``no action'' baseline 
alternative) will be identified and analyzed, potential environmental 
consequences of each alternative (and appropriate conservation and 
mitigation strategies) will be assessed, and both the ``environmentally 
preferred'' course of action and ``agency preferred'' alternative will 
be identified.
    The status of the overall EIS process will be updated periodically 
on the wilderness plan Web site. If you would like to be added to the 
project mailing list, you may mail or fax your request to the address 
or number noted above. Please indicate if you prefer to receive a 
printed or compact disk copy of the Draft EIS when it is released, or 
if you only wish to receive a notice that the document is available for 
review on the wilderness plan Web site.
    How to Provide Scoping Comments: To ensure your information is 
fully considered, please provide your response either electronically at 
the wilderness plan Web site http://parkplanning.nps.gov/olymwild, or 
you may mail or fax your written comments to Superintendent Sarah 
Creachbaum, Olympic National Park, Attn: Wilderness Stewardship Plan, 
600 East Park Ave., Port Angeles, WA 98362, Fax (360) 565-3015. Written 
comments may also be hand-delivered at any of the public scoping 
meetings. Comments in any format (written or electronic) submitted by 
an individual or organization on behalf of another individual or 
organization 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 
request in your comment that your personal identifying information be 
withheld from public review, the NPS cannot guarantee that we would be 
able to do so.
    Decision Process: After the analysis of all responses and 
information received during the scoping period, a Draft EIS will be 
prepared (at this time, release of the document is expected to occur 
during Winter 2014). Subsequently, a Final EIS will be prepared after 
consideration of all comments received. Thereafter, but not sooner than 
30 days after the release of the Final EIS, a Record of Decision will 
be prepared. Because this is a delegated EIS, the official responsible 
for final approval of the WSP/EIS is the Regional Director, Pacific 
West Region. Thereafter, the official responsible for implementation of 
the approved wilderness plan is the Superintendent, Olympic National 
Park.

    Dated: February 7, 2013.
Christine S. Lehnertz,
Regional Director, Pacific West Region.
[FR Doc. 2013-04129 Filed 2-21-13; 8:45 am]
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