[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 107 (Thursday, June 4, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Pages 31919-31920]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-13634]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

National Park Service

[NPS-SER-BISC-0017910; PPSESEROC3, PMP00UP05.YP0000]


Final General Management Plan and Final Environmental Impact 
Statement, Biscayne National Park, Florida

AGENCY: National Park Service, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of availability.

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SUMMARY: The National Park Service (NPS) announces the availability of 
a Final Environmental Impact Statement for the General Management Plan 
(Final EIS/GMP) for Biscayne National Park, Florida (national park). 
Consistent with NPS laws, regulations, and policies and the purpose of 
the national park, the Final EIS/GMP will guide the management of the 
area over the next 15 to 20 years.

DATES: The NPS will execute a Record of Decision (ROD) no sooner than 
30 days following publication by the Environmental Protection Agency of 
its Notice of Availability of the Final EIS/GMP in the Federal 
Register.

ADDRESSES: Electronic copies of the Final EIS/GMP will be available 
online at http://parkplanning.nps.gov/BISC. To request a copy, contact 
Morgan Elmer, National Park Service, 12795 W. Alameda Parkway, P.O. Box 
25287, Denver, Colorado 80225-0287, telephone (303) 969-2317. A limited 
number of compact disks and printed copies of the Final EIS/GMP will be 
made available at Biscayne National Park Headquarters, 9700 SW. 328 
Street, Homestead, Florida 33033-5634.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Brian Carlstrom, Superintendent,

[[Page 31920]]

Biscayne National Park, 9700 SW. 328 Street, Homestead, Florida 33033-
5634; telephone (786) 335-3646.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Final EIS/GMP responds to, and 
incorporates agency and public comments received on the Draft EIS/GMP 
and Supplemental Draft EIS/GMP. The Draft EIS/GMP was available for 
public review from August 19, 2011, through October 31, 2011, and the 
Supplemental Draft EIS/GMP was available for public review from 
November 14, 2013, through February 20, 2014.
    Regarding the Draft EIS/GMP, the NPS published newsletters and held 
multiple rounds of public meetings between 2001 and 2011 to keep people 
informed and involved in the planning process. The public was asked to 
provide comments throughout the development of the draft plan through 
three primary avenues--participation in public meetings, responses to 
newsletters, and comments on the NPS planning Web site. During the 
August 2011, public comment period, approximately 18,000 comments were 
received.
    Due to concerns raised on the Draft EIS/GMP, the NPS undertook an 
evaluation process to consider a number of management actions that 
could be enacted to better achieve its objective of providing a 
diversified visitor use experience. Several public meetings were held 
and additional consultations were conducted with federal and state 
authorities, resulting in the release of the Supplemental Draft EIS/
GMP. Approximately 14,000 pieces of correspondence were received on the 
Supplemental Draft EIS/GMP, containing approximately 1,800 comments. 
The NPS responses to substantive agency and public comments are 
provided in Chapter 5 of the Final EIS/GMP, Consultation and 
Coordination section.
    Presented in the Final EIS/GMP is the final NPS preferred 
alternative (alternative 8) as well as alternatives 1 through 5 from 
the 2011 Draft Plan and alternatives 6 and 7 from the 2013 Supplemental 
Plan.
     Alternative 1 (no action) consists of existing park 
management and trends and serves as a basis for comparison in 
evaluating the other alternatives.
     Alternative 2 would emphasize the recreational use of the 
park while providing resource protection as governed by law, policy, or 
resource sensitivity. This concept would be accomplished by providing a 
high level of services, facilities, and access to specific areas of the 
park.
     Alternative 3 would allow all visitors a full range of 
visitor experiences throughout most of the park and would use a permit 
system to authorize a limited number of visitors to access some areas 
of the park. Management actions would provide strong natural and 
cultural resource protection and diverse visitor experiences.
     Alternative 4 would emphasize strong natural and cultural 
resource protection while providing a diversity of visitor experiences. 
Some areas would be reserved for focused types of visitor use. A key 
component of this alternative was a marine reserve zone where fishing 
would be prohibited to enhance the quality and type of visitor 
experience and improve the condition of coral reefs condition by 
increasing its resiliency to other impacts.
     Alternative 5 would promote the protection of natural 
resources, including taking actions to optimize conditions for 
protection and restoration. A permit system would be used in some parts 
of the park to provide specific experiences.
     Similar to alternative 4, alternatives 6 and 7 would 
emphasize strong natural and cultural resource protection while 
providing a diversity of visitor experiences. Alternatives 6 and 7 
include a special recreation zone that would be managed as part of an 
adaptive management strategy to achieve the goal of a healthier coral 
reef ecosystem within the zone to provide a more enjoyable and diverse 
visitor experience, including fishing.
     The final NPS preferred alternative (alternative 8) would 
support strong natural and cultural resources protection while 
providing improved opportunities for quality visitor experiences. This 
alternative is a hybrid of alternatives 4 and 6 and combines the ``no 
fishing'' marine reserve zone with other management zones described in 
alternative 6.
    When approved, the plan will guide the management of the national 
park over the next 15 to 20 years.
    The responsible official for this Final EIS/GMP is the Regional 
Director, NPS Southeast Region, 100 Alabama Street SW., 1924 Building, 
Atlanta, Georgia 30303.

    Dated: May 26, 2015.
Barclay C. Trimble,
Acting Regional Director, Southeast Region.
[FR Doc. 2015-13634 Filed 6-3-15; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4610-JD-P