[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 139 (Thursday, July 21, 2022)]
[Notices]
[Page 43595]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2022-15524]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Aviation Administration


Termination of the Preparation of an Air Tour Management Plan at 
Everglades National Park, Florida

AGENCY: Federal Aviation Administration.

ACTION: Notice of Termination of the Preparation of Air Tour Management 
Plan.

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SUMMARY: The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), in cooperation with 
the National Park Service (NPS) (together, the agencies), announces 
that it has discontinued its preparation of the Air Tour Management 
Plan (ATMP) for commercial air tour operations over Everglades National 
Park in Florida because the sole air tour operator with interim 
operating authority (IOA) for the park voluntarily surrendered its Part 
135 operating certificate and is no longer authorized to conduct tours 
over the park. In addition, the voluntary agreements between the 
operator and the agencies for Biscayne National Park and Big Cypress 
National Preserve have been terminated and the operator will be deleted 
from the FAA's records of authorized commercial air tour operators.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Keith Lusk, Program Manager, AWP-1SP, 
Federal Aviation Administration, Western-Pacific Region, 777 South 
Aviation Boulevard, Suite 150, El Segundo, California 90245. Telephone: 
(424) 405-7017.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In a September 3, 2020 Federal Register 
notice (85 FR 55060), the FAA in cooperation with the National Park 
Service (NPS) provided notice of its intent to complete Air Tour 
Management Plans (ATMPs) for 23 National Park System units. The 
agencies began developing ATMPs for these parks, including Everglades 
National Park, pursuant to the National Parks Air Tour Management Act 
of 2000 (Pub. L. 106-181) and its implementing regulations contained in 
14 CFR part 136, subpart B, National Parks Air Tour Management.
    In a July 29, 2021 Federal Register notice (86 FR 40897), the FAA, 
in cooperation with the NPS, announced public meetings and the 
availability of proposed ATMPs for four National Park System units, 
including Everglades National Park. The agencies posted the draft ATMP 
for Everglades National Park on their respective websites and took 
comments over a 30-day period on the NPS Planning, Environment, and 
Public Comment System website. The agencies conducted a public meeting 
for the proposed ATMP for Everglades National Park on August 19, 2021.
    On April 13, 2022, the sole operator with interim operating 
authority (IOA) for Everglades National Park voluntarily surrendered 
its Part 135 certificate. This certificate is required by the FAA for 
an operator that provides air transportation of persons or property for 
compensation or hire. Upon surrender of a Part 135 certificate, all 
authorizations given to an operator through its Operations 
Specifications are cancelled, including IOA to conduct commercial air 
tours over a park. In this case, the operator also had IOA for Biscayne 
National Park, Big Cypress National Preserve and Dry Tortugas National 
Park. Given that the operator is no longer authorized to conduct air 
tours over any of these parks, the operator will be deleted from the 
FAA's records of authorized commercial air tour operators.
    As the sole operator conducting commercial air tours over 
Everglades National Park has voluntarily surrendered its operating 
certificate and no longer has the authority to conduct air tours over 
the park, an ATMP is no longer required or needed at this time. 49 
U.S.C. 40128(b)(1)(A). Therefore, the FAA, in cooperation with the NPS, 
has discontinued its preparation of an ATMP for Everglades National 
Park.
    The FAA and the NPS had also previously entered into voluntary 
agreements for the conduct of commercial air tours over Big Cypress 
National Preserve and Biscayne National Park with this same operator 
under 49 U.S.C. 40128(b)(7). This notice also announces that both of 
these voluntary agreements have been terminated due to the operator's 
voluntary surrender of its operating certificate and with it, its 
authority to conduct air tours over both Big Cypress National Preserve 
and Biscayne National Park.

    Issued in El Segundo, California, on July 15, 2022.
Keith Lusk,
Program Manager, Special Programs Staff, Western-Pacific Region.
[FR Doc. 2022-15524 Filed 7-20-22; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-13-P