[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 50 (Monday, March 16, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Pages 13615-13616]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-05976]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

National Park Service

[NPS-IMR-CARE-17202; PPWONRADE2, PMP00EI05.YP0000]


Environmental Impact Statement for a Livestock Grazing and 
Trailing Management Plan at Capitol Reef National Park, Utah

AGENCY: National Park Service, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of intent.

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SUMMARY: The National Park Service (NPS) is preparing an Environmental 
Impact Statement for a Livestock Grazing and Trailing Management Plan 
(plan/EIS) for Capitol Reef National Park, Utah.

DATES: Interested individuals, organizations, and agencies are 
encouraged to provide written comments regarding the scope of issues to 
be addressed in the plan/EIS. To be most helpful to the planning 
process,

[[Page 13616]]

the NPS requests comments be submitted by May 15, 2015. The NPS intends 
to hold public open house meetings on the Livestock Grazing and 
Trailing Management Plan EIS in Torrey, Utah, in Hanksville, Utah, and 
via webinar during this scoping period. Specific dates, times, and 
locations will be made available via a press release to local media, a 
public scoping newsletter to be mailed or emailed to interested 
parties, and on the NPS's Planning, Environment and Public Comment 
(PEPC) Web site at http://parkplanning.nps.gov/care_lgtmp _eis. The NPS 
will provide additional opportunities for the public to offer written 
comments upon publication of the draft EIS.

ADDRESSES: Information will be available for public review online at 
http://parkplanning.nps.gov/care_lgtmp_eis; and in the Capitol Reef 
National Park offices at 52 W. Headquarters Drive, Torrey, UT 84775.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Contact Terry Fisk, Capitol Reef 
National Park Chief Resource Management and Science, or Leah McGinnis, 
Capitol Reef National Park Superintendent, at HC 70 Box 15, Torrey, UT 
84775, or by telephone at (435) 425-4100.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The fundamental purpose of the national park 
system is the conservation of our nation's natural and cultural 
heritage on park lands for the enjoyment of current and future 
generations. In some cases, Congress has mandated or authorized the 
continuation of pre-existing uses on park lands in the legislation 
establishing or authorizing a park unit, while still recognizing that 
the National Park Service (NPS) must manage such uses consistent with 
its overarching conservation mission.
    This conservation mission extends to all units of the national park 
system, including Capitol Reef National Park (Park), where Congress 
directed the Secretary of the Interior, to allow certain activities to 
continue on park lands under Public Law 92-207 and 100-446. Currently, 
two of the 19 livestock grazing permits that existed prior to the 
establishment of the Park--the Hartnet and Sandy 3 allotments--are 
still active. In addition, eight pre-existing stock trails used by 7 
permittees still cross the Park: Jones Bench, Grey Bench/Cathedral 
Valley, Highway 24, Oak Creek, Pleasant Creek, Notom Road, Divide 
Canyon and Dry Bench. The legislation for the park directs that 
livestock grazing permittees who legally used park lands when the Park 
was established may continue the practice during their lifetimes and 
the lifetimes of their children who were born on or before 
establishment of the park. The legislation for the Park also directs 
that livestock trailing be allowed to continue in perpetuity across the 
Park on traditional courses used by owners and operators of cattle 
herds prior to December 18, 1971.
    Historically, the NPS relied on the Bureau of Land Management to 
permit and manage livestock grazing in the Park. However, between 2000 
and 2010, the NPS assumed sole management responsibility for the two 
active grazing allotments in the Park. As a result, the NPS is 
preparing a plan/EIS to provide guidance to the Park and its permit 
holders to promote the shared conservation and stewardship of the 
Park's natural resources, ecological processes, and cultural resources 
while still permitting livestock grazing and trailing in accordance 
with the Park's enabling legislation. A plan is needed because the park 
currently lacks a comprehensive approach for managing livestock grazing 
and trailing in a manner that addresses the potential impacts of these 
activities on the Park's resources, including plants and animals listed 
under the Endangered Species Act and cultural resources protected under 
the National Historic Preservation Act.
    The NPS is the lead agency in this planning and EIS process. Other 
agencies with special expertise have accepted an invitation or 
requested to be cooperating agencies in the plan and EIS process, 
including the Bureau of Land Management; Emery County, Utah; Garfield 
County, Utah; Wayne County, Utah; and the State of Utah.
    The Park has already held preliminary discussions with technical 
specialists from these cooperating and other agencies and its permit 
holders. Through these discussions, the park has identified potential 
practices and tools that will be evaluated, along with any others that 
are identified through the public scoping process, to create 
alternatives for a long-term livestock grazing and trailing management 
plan. The practices and tools identified initially range from increased 
collaboration and communication with permittees, adjacent land 
managers, and visitors; to phased, adaptive implementation (based on 
monitoring results for desired resource and range conditions) of 
constructed improvements (e.g., fencing) and active livestock 
management practices (e.g., ongoing, ``hands-on'' management including 
potential adjustments to timing, duration, intensity, and distribution 
of grazing and trailing).
    The NPS has prepared a scoping newsletter that provides more 
information regarding the scope of the Livestock Grazing and Trailing 
Management Plan EIS, including the initial practices and tools under 
consideration. The newsletter has been distributed to interested 
parties and will be posted, along with other scoping materials, to the 
NPS PEPC Web site at http://parkplanning.nps.gov/care_lgtmp_eis.
    If you wish to comment during the scoping process, the preferred 
method for submitting comments is on the NPS PEPC Web site at http://parkplanning.nps.gov/care_lgtmp_eis. You may also mail comments to 
Capitol Reef National Park at HC 70 Box 15, Torrey, UT 84775, or hand-
deliver them to 52 W. Headquarters Drive, Torrey, UT 84775.
    Comments will also be accepted during public meetings; however, 
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.

    Dated: February 24, 2015.
Sue E. Masica,
Regional Director, Intermountain Region, National Park Service.
[FR Doc. 2015-05976 Filed 3-13-15; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4312-CB-P