[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 211 (Wednesday, October 31, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 54775-54777]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-23807]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

National Park Service

[NPS-PWR-PWRO-26857; PPWONRADE2, PMP00EI05.YP0000]


Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for 
a General Management Plan Amendment, Point Reyes National Seashore and 
North District of Golden Gate National Recreation Area, Marin County, 
California

AGENCY: National Park Service, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of intent.

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SUMMARY: The National Park Service (NPS) is preparing a General 
Management Plan Amendment (GMP Amendment) and Environmental Impact 
Statement (EIS) for all lands currently under agricultural lease/
permits within Point Reyes National Seashore and the north district of 
Golden Gate National Recreation Area.

DATES: The NPS requests that comments be submitted by November 30, 
2018. Open houses will be announced in local media.

ADDRESSES: Information will be available for public review online at 
http://parkplanning.nps.gov/POREGMPA and in the Office of the 
Superintendent, 1 Bear Valley Road, Point Reyes Station, CA 94956 (415-
464-5120, telephone). You may submit your comments by any one of 
several methods. You may comment online at http://parkplanning.nps.gov/POREGMPA. You may mail or hand deliver comments to the Superintendent, 
Point Reyes National Seashore, 1 Bear Valley Road, Point Reyes Station, 
CA 94956. Written comments will also be accepted at the public open 
houses.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Melanie Gunn, Outreach Coordinator, 
Point Reyes National Seashore, 1 Bear Valley Road, Point Reyes Station, 
CA 94956 (415-464-5131, telephone).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Pursuant to the National Environmental 
Policy Act of 1969, 42 U.S.C. 4332(2)(C) (NEPA), and the terms of a 
Settlement Agreement approved by the U.S. District Court for the 
Northern District of California on July 14, 2017 (Resource Renewal 
Institute et al., v. National Park Service, Case No. 16-cv-00688-SBA 
(KAW) (N.D. Cal.)) (Agreement), the NPS is preparing an EIS for lands 
currently leased for ranching within Point Reyes National Seashore and 
the north district of Golden Gate National Recreation Area (planning 
area). In preparing the EIS, the NPS will follow all applicable laws 
and policies and will comply with the terms of the Agreement. The 
Agreement requires the EIS to address the statutory elements for 
General Management Plans, unless inapplicable, and to consider three 
specific alternatives. The EIS will amend the 1980 GMP for the planning 
area.
    This notice also terminates the GMP EIS process for Point Reyes 
National Seashore initiated by the NPS on October 14, 1997 (62 FR 
53336), updated on May 24, 1999 (64 FR 28008), and expanded to include 
the north district of Golden Gate National Recreation Area lands on 
February 3, 2000 (65 FR 5365-5366).

Background

    Legislation authorizing the establishment of Point Reyes National 
Seashore (Point Reyes or Seashore) was enacted in 1962 (16 U.S.C. 459c) 
for the purpose of preserving ``a portion of the diminishing seashore 
of the United States that remains undeveloped.'' The Seashore includes 
more than 71,000 acres of beaches, coastal cliffs and headlands, marine 
terraces, coastal uplands, forests, and includes all tide and submerged 
lands to 0.25 miles offshore. The Seashore administers an additional 
15,000 acres of the north district of Golden Gate National Recreation 
Area (Golden Gate NRA) under a Regional Directive for Management. 
Congress established Golden Gate NRA in 1972 and expanded it in 1980 to 
include lands within the planning area. The Golden Gate NRA legislation 
directs the NPS ``to preserve for public use and enjoyment certain 
areas of Marin and San Francisco Counties, California, possessing 
outstanding natural, historic, scenic, and recreational values . . . 
.'' and to ``preserve the recreation area, as far as possible, in its 
natural setting, and protect it from development and uses which would 
destroy the scenic beauty and natural character of the area.'' 16 
U.S.C. 460bb.
    Specific provisions of both the Point Reyes and Golden Gate NRA 
enabling legislation (16 U.S.C. 459c-5 and 460bb-2(j)) authorize the 
issuance of lease/special use permits (lease/permits) for agricultural, 
ranching, or dairying purposes. Approximately 28,000 acres of National 
Park Service lands, including 18,000 acres of Point Reyes National 
Seashore and 10,000 acres within the north district of Golden Gate 
National Recreation Area, are currently utilized for beef and dairy 
ranching under agricultural lease/permits.
    In the spring of 2014, the NPS initiated development of a Ranch 
Comprehensive Management Plan to address high priority management needs 
associated with the approximately 28,000 acres of active beef and dairy 
ranching on NPS lands within Point Reyes and the north district of 
Golden Gate NRA. The planning effort also addressed concerns related to 
the expansion of free-range tule elk into the park ranch lands, as well 
as other issues including lease duration, succession, and ranch 
operational flexibility and diversification.
    In February 2016, litigation was brought against the NPS related to 
the ranch planning process and the ongoing use of lands within the 
planning area for ranching and dairying. The plaintiffs and the NPS, 
together with the ranchers and the County of Marin, entered into 
settlement negotiations in an effort to resolve the litigation. As 
referenced in the Supplementary Information section above, a multi-
party Agreement was approved by the U.S. District Court on July 14, 
2017. Per the Agreement, the NPS agreed that in lieu of the Ranch 
Comprehensive Management Plan, the NPS would prepare a GMP Amendment 
and EIS addressing the management of the lands currently leased for 
ranching

[[Page 54776]]

within the Seashore and the north district of Golden Gate NRA.

Purpose and Need

Purpose

    The purpose of the EIS for the General Management Plan Amendment is 
to establish guidance for the preservation of natural and cultural 
resources and the management of infrastructure and visitor use within 
the planning area. The alternatives evaluated in the EIS will also 
address the future management of tule elk and leased ranch lands.

Need

    Action is needed at this time to address the park's highest 
priority planning issues which include the management of approximately 
28,000 acres of land currently leased for ranching. Action is also 
needed to comply with the terms of the Agreement which requires that 
the GMP Amendment and EIS be completed on or before July 14, 2021.

Alternatives

    The Agreement requires the NPS to give full consideration to and 
disclose the impacts of three alternatives: (1) No ranching; (2) no 
dairy ranching; and (3) reduced ranching. These alternatives must not 
be conditioned on the discretionary termination of agricultural lease/
permits by ranchers. The Agreement expressly preserves the NPS's right 
to give full consideration to other potential action alternatives. It 
also allows the NPS to consider agricultural diversification, increased 
operational flexibility, the promotion of sustainable operational 
practices, succession planning, and similar ranch management practices 
as part of any action alternative, except the no ranching alternative. 
Each of the action alternatives considered in the EIS must also address 
the four statutorily required elements for GMPs, to the extent 
applicable. These elements are: Measures to preserve park resources, 
guidance regarding the types and levels of public use and development, 
discussion of visitor carrying capacities, and potential external 
boundary modifications.

Elements Common to All Action Alternatives

    The NPS would identify opportunities to improve the visitor 
experience in the planning area such as enhanced trail connections, 
improved signage, and new interpretive waysides. The NPS would identify 
broad management strategies that would be undertaken to preserve park 
resources, as well as indicators and standards to guide visitor 
carrying capacities. The NPS has done some initial boundary analysis 
and does not expect to propose any external boundary modifications 
under any of the alternatives.
    Proposed Action--Based on the purpose and need for action, the NPS 
proposed action includes the Elements Common to All Action Alternatives 
and the following additional elements:
     Issue agricultural lease/permits with 20 year terms to 
existing ranch families to continue beef and dairy operations on 
approximately 27,000 acres within the planning area.
     The proposed action would include opportunities for 
operational flexibility and diversification, establish approximately 
900 acres of resource protection buffers, and provide programmatic 
review of best management practices.
     Implement a land management framework on ranch lands 
allowing for different intensities of land use depending on the zone 
(ranch core, pasture, and range). Diversification activities (e.g. 
poultry) would be allowed in the ranch core zone. Pasture areas would 
allow for some increased pasture management activities. Range areas 
would be dedicated to livestock grazing.
     Take actions to minimize elk-related impacts including: 
Hazing, fence repair and modification, water development, habitat 
improvement, and other measures as appropriate. The Drakes Beach free-
range tule elk herd would be managed at a level compatible with 
authorized ranching operations. The NPS would manage within that range 
using translocation outside of the park if practicable, or agency-
managed lethal removal methods. Additionally, the NPS will evaluate 
management of tule elk from the Limantour free-range herd if they 
affect ranchlands.
    The proposed action represents one alternative that will be 
considered during the EIS process, and it will be further developed and 
refined throughout the process. In addition to the proposed action, the 
NPS is considering the following additional alternative concepts.
    No Action--This alternative is required by NEPA and would continue 
the issuance of short-term agricultural lease/permits for ongoing 
activities, with limited management of free-range tule elk affecting 
park ranch lands, consistent with current management. This alternative 
would continue to maintain existing operations, management of park 
resources and visitor use generally at current levels. The NPS would 
maintain the existing Seashore boundary. Under this alternative, beef 
and dairy ranching operations would continue to be authorized on 
approximately 27,000 acres within the planning area under 5 and 10 year 
agricultural lease/permits.

Action Alternatives

    Continued Ranching and Removal of the Drakes Beach Tule Elk Herd--
Existing ranch families would be authorized to continue beef and dairy 
operations under agricultural lease/permits as described in the 
proposed action. Under this alternative, the Drakes Beach tule elk herd 
would be removed using translocation outside of the park if 
practicable, or agency-managed lethal methods. The NPS would continue 
to manage the Limantour herd as in the proposed action. Under this 
alternative, approximately 27,000 acres of beef and dairy ranching 
operations would be authorized under agricultural lease/permits within 
the planning area.
    Reduced Ranching and Management of the Drakes Beach Tule Elk Herd--
A reduced ranching alternative is required by the Agreement. Under this 
alternative, cessation of grazing operations would occur on 
approximately 7,500 acres within the planning area. The areas 
identified for closure to grazing would minimize the overall impact to 
the Point Reyes Peninsula Dairy Ranches Historic District and Olema 
Valley Dairy Ranches Historic District. Most of the areas identified 
for closure do not have developed complexes or permitted residential 
uses. For areas remaining in agricultural use, agricultural lease/
permits would be offered as described under the proposed action. Tule 
elk would be managed consistent with the actions described in the 
proposed action but under population targets commensurate with the 
level of ranching operations in this alternative. Under this 
alternative, approximately 19,500 acres of beef and dairy ranching 
operations would be authorized under agricultural lease/permits within 
the planning area.
    No Dairy Ranching and Limited Management of the Drakes Beach Tule 
Elk Herd--A no dairy ranching alternative is required by the Agreement. 
Under this alternative, all beef cattle grazing operations would 
continue. The six active dairies within Point Reyes would cease 
operations. Dairy operators would be eligible to convert operations to 
beef cattle grazing over a period of 5 years. For areas remaining in 
agricultural use, agricultural lease/permits would be offered as 
described above for the proposed action. The NPS would take

[[Page 54777]]

limited action to manage the geographic extent of all free-range tule 
elk, but only where management is needed to support other resource 
protection and park goals. Under this alternative, approximately 27,000 
acres of beef grazing operations would be authorized under agricultural 
lease/permits within the planning area.
    No Ranching and Expansion of Tule Elk in the Planning Area--A no 
ranching alternative is required by the Agreement. Under this 
alternative, ranching in all areas of the Seashore and the north 
district of Golden Gate NRA would cease. With the exception of the two 
locations with life-estates, most operations would be phased out over a 
period of 5 years. The NPS anticipates many of the areas and their 
associated facilities would be converted and offered for public not-
for-profit education, research and outdoor experiential activities and 
other public recreation and visitor opportunities. The EIS will 
evaluate these actions at the programmatic level. The NPS would take 
limited action to manage the geographic extent of the free-range tule 
elk herd, but only where management is needed to support other resource 
protection and park goals.
    Each of the action alternatives will also include the Elements 
Common to All Action Alternatives. The alternative concepts and 
management tools under consideration may change based upon input 
received during public scoping and throughout the development of the 
EIS. The NPS will also consider other alternatives that are suggested 
during the scoping period, as appropriate. The NPS will not select an 
alternative for implementation until after a final EIS is completed.

Public Comment

    How to Provide Comments--During the scoping period, maps and other 
project information will be available on the project's website (http://parkplanning.nps.gov/POREGMPA). Public open houses will be conducted to 
provide an opportunity for the public to share their comments and learn 
more about activities within the planning area. Details regarding the 
exact times and locations of these meetings will be announced on the 
project website and through local and regional media. The meetings will 
also be announced through email notification to individuals and 
organizations on the initial distribution list.
    If you wish to comment on the purpose, need, preliminary 
alternatives, or on any other issues associated with development of the 
draft GMP Amendment EIS, you may submit your comments by any one of 
several methods. The preferred method for commenting is online at 
http://parkplanning.nps.gov/POREGMPA. You may also mail or hand deliver 
comments to the Superintendent, Point Reyes National Seashore, 1 Bear 
Valley Road, Point Reyes Station, CA 94956. Written comments will also 
be accepted at the public open houses. Comments will not be accepted by 
fax, email, or by any method other than those specified above. Bulk 
comments in any format (hard copy or electronic) submitted on behalf of 
others will not be accepted.
    Public Availability of Comments--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.

    Authority: 40 CFR 1501.7.

    Dated: October 19, 2018.
Colin Smith,
Acting Regional Director, Pacific West Region, National Park Service.
[FR Doc. 2018-23807 Filed 10-30-18; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4312-52-P