[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 50 (Thursday, March 14, 2013)]
[Notices]
[Pages 16294-16295]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-05820]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

National Park Service

[NPS-PWR-PWRO-11650; PX.DYOSE0023.00.1]


Draft Environmental Impact Statement for Restoration of the 
Mariposa Grove of Giant Sequoias, Yosemite National Park, Madera, and 
Mariposa Counties, CA

AGENCY: National Park Service, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of availability.

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SUMMARY: Pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 
1969 (42 U.S.C. 4332(2)(C)) and consistent with the National Historic 
Preservation Act (NHPA) of 1966 (16 U.S.C. 470 et seq.), the National 
Park Service has prepared a Draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) 
for the proposed restoration of the Mariposa Grove of giant sequoias in 
Yosemite National Park. This Draft EIS presents three comprehensive 
design alternatives for restoring natural conditions in the Mariposa 
Grove as well as improving visitor experience and access within the 
Grove and at the nearby South Entrance to the park. The National Park 
Service is inviting public review of the document to solicit feedback 
on the proposed alternatives and to hear ideas and concerns for 
consideration in the Final EIS.

DATES: All written comments must be postmarked or transmitted not later 
60 days from the date of publication in the Federal Register of the 
Environmental Protection Agency's notification of availability of the 
Draft EIS. Upon confirmation of this date, announcements will be 
provided on the project Web site (http://www.nps.gov/yose/parkmgmt/mgrove.htm) and via local and regional press media. Public meetings 
will be held during the review period (exact date, location, and times 
to be announced; visit the park's web pages for up-to-date 
information).

ADDRESSES: Written comments may be submitted electronically to http://parkplanning.nps.gov/mariposagrove or by mail to Superintendent, Attn: 
Mariposa Grove DEIS, PO Box 577, Yosemite, CA 95389. Comments may also 
be submitted in person during business hours to the Superintendent's 
Office in the Valley Administration Building or the Office of 
Environmental Planning and Compliance at 5083 Foresta Road, El Portal, 
CA.
    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.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Comprehensive actions are needed to ensure 
that the Mariposa Grove continues to thrive and provide inspiration and 
enjoyment for future generations. The primary goals of this project are 
to restore degraded habitat and natural processes critical to the long-
term health of the Grove and improve the overall visitor experience. 
The Draft EIS presents environmental analysis of three action 
alternatives as well as the No Action Alternative, Alternative 1, which 
serves as a baseline from which effects of the action alternatives can 
be compared. To address the considerable issues facing the Grove and 
its visitors, and consistent with goals outlined in the park's General 
Management Plan for the Mariposa Grove and South Entrance areas, the 
National Park Service has developed three design alternatives that 
include major actions to restore the Grove and improve visitor 
experience. Alternative 2 (South Entrance Hub) is identified as the 
agency-preferred alternative. To allow for comprehensive restoration of 
wetlands, soundscape, and giant sequoia habitat, this alternative would 
relocate public parking from the lower portion of the Grove to the 
park's South Entrance and remove commercial tram operations. A South 
Entrance parking and visitor information hub would become the primary 
departure point for visitors using the park shuttle to the Grove. An 
abandoned road segment would be reopened to allow for more extensive 
restoration of wetlands and sequoia habitat in the lower portion of the 
Grove. Alternative 3 (Grizzly Giant Hub) would relocate public parking 
and visitor information to the vicinity of the Grizzly Giant. This 
alternative would construct a bypass road to the vicinity of the 
Grizzly Giant, which would allow for removal of commercial tram and 
shuttle operations within the Grove and provide for comprehensive 
restoration of wetlands and giant sequoia habitat. Alternative 4 (South 
Entrance Hub with Modified Commercial Tram) would

[[Page 16295]]

relocate the commercial tram staging and operations to the South 
Entrance area and reduce the route and hours of operation to enhance 
sequoia habitat and improve the soundscape and overall visitor 
experience within the Grove. The majority of public parking would be 
relocated to the South Entrance, the primary departure point for 
visitors using the park shuttle to the Grove. Numerous other 
rehabilitation and restoration actions, such as improvement of 
hydrologic flow, project-specific prescribed fire and hazardous fuel 
reduction treatments, soil decompaction, and improvement of visitor 
orientation and interpretation would be components of all of the action 
alternatives to varying degrees.
    For further information, please contact the Office of Environmental 
Planning and Compliance, at (209) 379-1002 to speak with an individual, 
or (209) 379-1365 to leave a voicemail with your name, call-back 
number, and/or address.
    Decision Process: All comments received on the Draft EIS will be 
duly considered in preparing the Final EIS. The Final EIS is expected 
to be available in late Fall 2013. A Record of Decision would be 
prepared not sooner than 30 days after release of the Final EIS. 
Because this is a delegated EIS, the official responsible for approving 
the final plan is the Regional Director, Pacific West Region, National 
Park Service; subsequently the official responsible for implementation 
of the approved plan for restoration of the Mariposa Grove is the 
Superintendent, Yosemite National Park.

    Dated: January 17, 2013.
Christine S. Lehnertz,
Regional Director, Pacific West Region.
[FR Doc. 2013-05820 Filed 3-13-13; 8:45 am]
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