[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 13 (Tuesday, January 21, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 3403-3404]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-01008]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

National Park Service

[NPS-PWR-PWRO-14363; PX.PO137227A.00.1]


Draft Wilderness Management Plan/Environmental Impact Statement, 
Lake Mead National Recreation Area, Nevada/Bureau of Land Management, 
Southern Nevada District

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) and Bureau of Land 
Management (BLM) announce the availability of Draft Wilderness 
Management Plan and Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the NPS 
Lake Mead National Recreation Area and BLM Southern Nevada District 
Office. The jointly prepared Draft Wilderness Management Plan addresses 
management issues, identifies stewardship goals and objectives, 
proposes decision-making guidelines for administrative actions and 
visitor use, and provides guidelines for managing the Jimbilnan, Pinto 
Valley, Black Canyon, Eldorado, Ireteba Peaks, Nellis Wash, Spirit 
Mountain, and Bridge Canyon wilderness areas. The NPS and the BLM 
jointly manage three of these wilderness areas, and five of these areas 
are managed by the NPS. The proposed plan analyzes three alternatives 
for future management and use of the eight wilderness areas. 
Alternative A (no action alternative) reflects current wilderness 
management and serves as a baseline for comparison with the other 
alternatives. No major change would occur in the management of the 
wilderness areas. Alternative B (preferred alternative) generally 
focuses on identifying specific opportunities for access into the areas 
while still protecting the character of the wilderness areas. 
Alternative C provides a higher level of access and visitor use 
management while still protecting the overall character of the 
wilderness areas.

DATES: All written comments must be postmarked or transmitted not later 
than 60 days after the date of publication in the Federal Register of 
the Environmental Protection Agency's notice of filing of the Draft 
EIS. Several public meetings will be hosted mid-way during the public 
review period--the dates, locations and other information about the 
meetings will be announced on http://parkplanning.nps.gov/lake, via 
local and regional press media, and will also be available by 
contacting Lake Mead National Recreation Area and the BLM's Las Vegas 
Field Office.

ADDRESSES: The Draft EIS will be available for public review and 
comment online at http://parkplanning.nps.gov.lake, in the office of 
the Superintendent, Lake Mead National Recreation Area, 601 Nevada Way, 
Boulder City, NV 89005; telephone (702) 293-8920; and the BLM Las Vegas 
Field Office, 4701 North Torrey Pines Drive, Las Vegas, NV 89130; 
telephone (702) 515-5297. You may submit your written comments by one 
of two methods. You may mail comments to Lake Mead National Recreation 
Area, Attn: Draft Wilderness Management Plan/Environmental Impact 
Statement, 601 Nevada Way, Boulder City, NV 89005. You may also comment 
via the internet at http://parkplanning.nps.gov/lake. Comments will 
also be accepted during the public meetings. Bulk 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. All submissions from organizations and businesses, and 
individuals identifying themselves as representatives or officials of 
organizations or businesses, are made available in their entirety.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Jim Holland, Wilderness Planner, 
Lake Mead National Recreation Area, 601 Nevada Way, Boulder City, NV 
89005; [email protected]; telephone (702) 293-8986.
Ms. Sendi Kalcic, Wilderness Specialist, BLM Las Vegas Field Office, 
4701 North Torrey Pines Drive, Las Vegas, NV 89130; [email protected]; 
telephone (702) 515-5297.
Mr. Greg Jarvis, Project Manager, NPS Denver Service Center, 12795 W. 
Alameda Parkway, Lakewood, CO 80228; [email protected]; telephone 
(303) 969-2263.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: During April 2010 a Draft Wilderness 
Management Plan/Environmental Assessment was distributed for public 
review. However, due to issues subsequently raised by rock climbers and 
American Indian tribes, the NPS and BLM agreed to prepare a revised 
Wilderness Management Plan/EIS. Regarding rock climbing management for 
alternatives B and C in the Draft Wilderness Management Plan/EIS, no 
fixed anchors or equipment for climbing activities would be permitted 
in Spirit Mountain Wilderness; all existing fixed anchors and equipment 
would be removed if it can be done without damaging rock faces. In 
Bridge Canyon Wilderness no new fixed anchors or fixed equipment would 
be permitted, with the exception of permitted replacement anchors. 
After an inventory of climbing routes is completed, the NPS would work 
with tribes and partners to reduce the concentration of some of the 
existing bolt-intensive face climbs at certain climbing areas in Bridge 
Canyon Wilderness.
    Other key topics addressed in the Draft Wilderness Management Plan/
EIS include:
     Providing access within the wilderness areas versus 
protecting wilderness characteristics,
     Providing information about the wilderness areas versus 
protecting wilderness characteristics,
     Providing for use of Spirit Mountain while meeting tribal 
needs and concerns,
     Consideration of the kinds of activities and levels of 
visitor use that should be permitted while ensuring cultural resource 
protection,
     The use of climbing equipment (including climbing chalk) 
near sensitive cultural resources (e.g., petroglyphs and pictographs),
     Restoring disturbed areas within the wilderness areas,
     Coordinating interagency management efforts.
    Decision Process: Following due consideration of all comments 
received, a Final EIS will be prepared. Because this is a delegated 
EIS, the officials responsible for a final decision are the NPS 
Regional Director, Pacific West Region, and the BLM State Manager, 
Nevada.


[[Page 3404]]


    Dated: October 25, 2013.
Martha J. Lee,
Acting Regional Director, Pacific West Region, National Park Service.
[FR Doc. 2014-01008 Filed 1-17-14; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4312-FF-P