[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 244 (Thursday, December 19, 2013)]
[Notices]
[Pages 76855-76856]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-30257]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

National Park Service

[NPS-SERO-FOPU-13991; PX.P0072916D.OO.1]


Record of Decision for the General Management Plan/Wilderness 
Study, Fort Pulaski National Monument, Georgia

AGENCY: National Park Service, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of availability.

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SUMMARY: Pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, 42 
U.S.C. 4332(2)(C), the National Park Service (NPS) announces the 
availability of the Record of Decision (ROD) for the General Management 
Plan/Wilderness Study (GMP/WS) for Fort Pulaski National Monument 
(national monument). On September 30, 2013, the Regional Director, 
Southeast Region, approved the ROD for the project.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Superintendent Melissa Memory, Fort 
Pulaski National Monument, Box 30757, U.S. Hwy 80 East Savannah GA 
31410-0757; telephone (912) 786-5787.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The NPS evaluated three alternatives for 
managing use and development of the national monument in the GMP/WS/
FEIS, Alternative A--no action Alternative, and two action 
Alternatives. The preferred alternative (Alternative B) from the GMP/
WS/FEIS

[[Page 76856]]

is the alternative selected for implementation. Alternative B 
emphasizes to a high degree the restoration, preservation, and 
interpretation of historic landscapes and viewsheds of the site (by 
selected removal of vegetation) for the purpose of providing visitors a 
greater understanding of the siege and reduction of Fort Pulaski in 
1862. The visitor center parking lot will be removed and the site 
returned to the approximate landscape condition that existed during the 
principal period of significance (April 1862). The visitor center 
parking lot will be relocated to a site near the visitor center but 
outside the viewshed from the top of the fort. The relocated parking 
lot will be just as near to the visitor center and just as accessible 
as the current one. The national monument proposes to construct a 
visitor center annex designed for park visitors, school groups, and 
staff. This structure will be designed to be technologically current 
and environmentally friendly and sustainable. In addition to having 
telecommunications network capabilities, it will provide connections 
for computers, technical, and audio/visual equipment. This, in addition 
to the space itself, will make the building ideal for both educational 
and interpretive programs, lectures, public presentations, staff 
meetings, staff training, and video conferencing. As part of the 
general management plan process, the National Park Service conducted a 
wilderness eligibility assessment to determine whether any lands at 
Fort Pulaski National Monument are eligible for inclusion in the 
national wilderness preservation system. This assessment identified 
approximately 4,500 acres of eligible land within the monument 
boundary. Under the preferred alternative, all lands identified as 
eligible in the wilderness eligibility assessment are proposed for 
designation as wilderness, except for those lands within 100 feet of 
the edge of the right-of-way of U.S. Highway 80. If finalized and 
approved by Congress, this proposal will result in approximately 4,500 
acres of salt marsh receiving permanent protection as wilderness.
    The selected action will provide a comprehensive monument-wide 
approach to resource and visitor use management. Specific management 
zones detailing acceptable resource conditions, visitor experience, use 
levels, appropriate activities and development will be applied to 
monument lands consistent with this concept. The selected action will 
continue most current cultural and natural resource management and 
preservation activities as well as visitor programs and opportunities. 
The GMP will guide the management of the monument over the next 20+ 
years.
    The responsible official for this FEIS/GMP is the Regional 
Director, NPS Southeast Region, 100 Alabama Street SW., 1924 Building, 
Atlanta, Georgia 30303.

    Dated: November 18, 2013.
Sherri L. Fields,
Deputy Regional Director, Southeast Region.
[FR Doc. 2013-30257 Filed 12-18-13; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-JD-P