[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 203 (Friday, October 21, 2022)]
[Notices]
[Page 64130]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2022-22889]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Aviation Administration


Notice of Availability for Proposed Voluntary Agreement at Statue 
of Liberty National Monument and Governors Island National Monument

AGENCY: Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), Transportation.

ACTION: Notice of availability.

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SUMMARY: The FAA, in cooperation with the National Park Service (NPS), 
has initiated development of a voluntary agreement pursuant to the 
National Parks Air Tour Management Act of 2000 (the Act) and its 
implementing regulations. The Act allows the FAA and NPS to enter into 
voluntary agreements with commercial air tour operators. A voluntary 
agreement manages commercial air tour operations over a national park 
by establishing conditions for the conduct of the commercial air tour 
operations. Implementation of a voluntary agreement helps protect park 
resources and the visitor experience without compromising aviation 
safety or the air traffic control system. This notice announces the 
public availability of the proposed voluntary agreement for Statue of 
Liberty National Monument and Governors Island National Monument 
(collectively referred to as the Parks).

DATES: Comments must be received on or before 30 days from this notice.

ADDRESSES: Comments will be received on the NPS Planning, Environment 
and Public Comment System (PEPC) website. The PEPC website for the 
Parks is: https://parkplanning.nps.gov/NYHarborAirTours.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Keith Lusk, Special Programs Staff, 
Federal Aviation Administration, Western-Pacific Region Headquarters, 
777 S. Aviation Boulevard, Suite 150, El Segundo, CA 90245, telephone: 
(424) 405-7017, email: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The FAA is issuing this notice pursuant to 
the National Parks Air Tour Management Act of 2000 (Pub. L. 106-181 
(https://www.govinfo.gov/link/plaw/106/public/181?link-type=html)) and 
its implementing regulations contained in title 14, Code of Federal 
Regulations, part 136, subpart B, National Parks Air Tour Management. 
The Act requires that commercial air tour operators conducting or 
intending to conduct commercial air tours over a unit of the National 
Park system apply to the FAA for operating authority before engaging in 
that activity. The Act further requires the FAA and the NPS to 
establish an air tour management plan (ATMP) for each National Park 
System unit for which one or more applications has been submitted, 
unless that unit is exempt from this requirement. As an alternative to 
an ATMP, the FAA and the NPS may enter into a voluntary agreement with 
a commercial air tour operator who has applied to conduct commercial 
air tour operations over a national park including an operator that has 
interim operating authority for the park or a new entrant commercial 
air tour operator. Voluntary agreements must address the management 
issues necessary to protect the resources and visitor use of the park 
without compromising aviation safety or the air traffic control system. 
A voluntary agreement may also include conditions for the conduct of 
air tour operations and provisions to ensure the stability of and 
compliance with the voluntary agreement. Each voluntary agreement 
reflects the provisions and conditions appropriate for the particular 
national park to which the agreement applies.
    A single voluntary agreement covers both Parks. Part 135 operators 
who have been granted interim operating authority for the Parks are 
included in this voluntary agreement and operators who apply for 
authority to conduct tours of the Parks will also be considered as part 
of the application process. Information on how to apply for authority 
is presented in the Frequently Asked Questions document that is 
available on the PEPC website shown above.
    Written comments on the proposed voluntary agreement can be 
submitted via PEPC. Comments will not be accepted by fax, email, or any 
other way than those specified above. All written comments become part 
of the official record. 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.

    Issued in El Segundo, CA, on October 18, 2022.
Keith Lusk,
Program Manager, Special Programs Office, Western-Pacific Region.
[FR Doc. 2022-22889 Filed 10-20-22; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-13-P