[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 220 (Thursday, November 14, 2013)]
[Notices]
[Pages 68469-68470]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-27283]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

National Park Service

[NPS-PWR-PWRO-13759; PX.PD00421E.00.1]


Draft General Management Plan/Wilderness Study/Environmental 
Impact Statement, Channel Islands National Park, Ventura and Santa 
Barbara Counties, California

AGENCY: National Park Service, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of availability.

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SUMMARY: The National Park Service announces the availability of a 
Draft General Management Plan (GMP)/Wilderness Study/Environmental 
Impact Statement (EIS) for Channel Islands National Park. The document 
identifies and analyzes three alternatives. Alternative 1 (no action 
alternative) reflects current management direction and serves as a 
baseline for comparison with the other alternatives. Existing 
facilities, resource programs, and visitor opportunities would continue 
as they are. Currently the park is not designated as wilderness. 
Alternative 2 emphasizes ecosystem preservation, restoration, and 
preservation of large expanses in relatively pristine resource 
conditions. Resource stewardship including ecosystem preservation and 
restoration, and preservation of natural landscapes, cultural 
landscapes, archeological resources, and historic structures would 
continue to be emphasized. Increased recreational opportunities would 
be provided for visitors to enjoy and appreciate the park. Alternative 
3 (agency-preferred) emphasizes resource stewardship, while also 
placing more attention on expanding education and recreational 
opportunities and accommodations to provide diverse visitor experiences 
on the islands. Both Alternative 2 and Alternative 3 propose 66,675 
acres of the park be recommended to Congress for designation as 
wilderness, primarily on Santa Rosa and Santa Cruz islands.

DATES: All comments on the Draft EIS must be postmarked or transmitted 
not later than 60 days after the date the Environmental Protection 
Agency publishes notice of filing and release of the EIS in the Federal 
Register. The National Park Service will hold several public meetings 
during the comment period--the date, time, and location of the meetings 
will be announced on http://parkplanning.nps.gov/chis, in local and 
regional press media, and will also be available by contacting Channel 
Islands National Park.

ADDRESSES: Information will be available for public review and comment 
online at http://parkplanning.nps.gov.chis, and in the office of the 
Superintendent, Channel Islands National Park, 1901 Spinnaker Dr., 
Ventura, CA 93001, (805) 658-5702. You may submit comments by one of 
two methods: Mail or hand-deliver comments to Channel Islands National 
Park, Attn: DEIS--GMP/Wilderness Study (address above), or you may 
submit comments via the Web site noted above. 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.

[[Page 68470]]


FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Russell Galipeau, Superintendent, 
Channel Islands National Park, 1901 Spinnaker Dr., Ventura, CA 93001; 
[email protected]; (805) 658-5702.
    Mr. Greg Jarvis, Project Manager, NPS Denver Service Center, 12795 
W. Alameda Parkway, Lakewood, CO 80228, (303) 969-2263.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The park includes five remote islands 
spanning 2,228 square miles of land and sea. Updating the park's 1995 
general management plan (GMP) is needed to provide clear direction for 
resource preservation and visitor experience over the next 20 to 40 
years. The updated GMP will provide a framework for proactive decision 
making, which will allow managers to effectively address future 
opportunities and problems, such as resource, operational, 
administrative, and visitor use issues facing the park. The updated GMP 
will serve as the basis for future detailed management documents, such 
as five-year strategic plans and implementation plans. In addition, the 
wilderness study component will determine if eligible portions of the 
park should be proposed for wilderness designation.
    The following issues are the key topics addressed by the GMP/
Wilderness Study:
     Access to the islands. Access across the sea to the 
islands is expensive and difficult. The islands are only accessible by 
park concessioner boats and planes or private boats. The issue this 
plan needs to answer is whether more opportunities for public access 
should be provided to the islands.
     Access on Santa Rosa Island. This issue addresses the 
question of the level and type of access that should be provided to 
visitors. Santa Rosa is a relatively large island. When most visitors 
are dropped off at Bechers Bay they are now faced with walking long 
distances to see the 53,000-acre island.
     Type and level of recreation development that is 
appropriate on the islands. This issue addresses the question of the 
appropriate balance of developments that should be provided for 
visitors (i.e., general types and intensities of development needed to 
provide for public enjoyment of the park, while minimizing impacts on 
park resources). The updated GMP will also address $14.5 million of 
deferred maintenance needs and will consider additional opportunities 
to provide commercial services to improve the visitor experience on the 
islands.
     Providing sustainable park operations. This issue focuses 
on whether existing administrative and operational facilities are 
functioning effectively and efficiently, and meeting the needs of both 
park staff and visitors. Managing aging, temporary employee housing on 
the islands is one key issue to resolve.
     Designation of wilderness. To fulfill the requirements of 
the park's enabling legislation and the Wilderness Act of 1964, the NPS 
must determine whether any lands in the park should be proposed for 
inclusion in the National Wilderness Preservation System.
    Decision Process: Following due consideration of all comments 
received, a Final EIS will be prepared. As a delegated EIS, the 
official responsible for approval of the final GMP is the Regional 
Director, Pacific West Region. Subsequently the official responsible 
for implementing the approved GMP and for monitoring results is the 
Superintendent, Channel Islands National Park. In addition, the results 
of the wilderness study will be forwarded to the NPS Director for 
consideration, who then may forward to Secretary of the Interior, who 
may concur or revise the wilderness proposal, and in turn may forward 
the recommendation to Congress.

    Dated: September 13, 2013.
Patricia L. Neubacher,
Acting Regional Director, Pacific West Region.
[FR Doc. 2013-27283 Filed 11-13-13; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4312-FF-P