[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 118 (Wednesday, June 21, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 40330-40331]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-13141]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

National Park Service

[NPS-WASO-NPS0035983; 23XP103905--PPWONRADE2-PMP00EI05.YP0000]


Programmatic Environmental Assessment for Use of Electric 
Bicycles in the National Park System

AGENCY: National Park Service, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of availability; request for comment.

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SUMMARY: The National Park Service (NPS) announces the availability of 
a programmatic environmental assessment (PEA) that evaluates, on a 
nationwide scale, use of electric bicycles (e-bikes) within the 
National Park System. We invite comments from the public and local, 
State, Tribal, and Federal agencies.

DATES: We will accept comments received or postmarked on or before 
11:59 p.m. ET on July 21, 2023.

ADDRESSES: 
    Document availability: The PEA is available online at: https://parkplanning.nps.gov/e-bikes.
    Comment Submission: You may submit written comments by one of the 
following methods:
     Electronically: https://parkplanning.nps.gov/e-bikes.
     Mail or hand deliver to: Electric Bicycle Programmatic EA, 
National Park Service, 1849 C Street NW, MS-2472 Washington, DC 20240.
    Instructions: Comments will not be accepted by fax, email, or in 
any way other than those specified above. Comments delivered on 
external electronic storage devices (flash drives, compact discs, etc.) 
will not be accepted. Bulk comments in any format (hard copy or 
electronic) submitted on behalf of others will not be accepted.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jay Calhoun, Chief, Division of 
Regulations, Jurisdiction, and Special Park Uses, National Park 
Service; [email protected]; (202) 513-7112.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On December 2, 2020, the NPS promulgated a 
final rule (rule) governing use of e-bikes within the National Park 
System (85 FR 69175). On May 24, 2022, the U.S. District Court for the 
District of Columbia issued an opinion finding that the NPS had 
improperly relied upon a categorial exclusion to comply with the 
National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) for the rule. The Court 
remanded the rule to the NPS and directed the NPS to conduct additional 
NEPA analysis for the rule. Pub Emps. For Env't Responsibility v. Nat'l 
Park Serv., 605 F. Supp. 3d 28 (D.D.C. 2022). The rule remains in place 
pending the outcome of the required NEPA analysis. The PEA has been 
prepared consistent with the Court's May 24, 2022 opinion.
    The PEA evaluates the environmental impacts, on a nationwide scale, 
of a no-action alternative and the proposed action (the rule). The no-
action alternative assumes that the rule has not been promulgated and 
that there is no nationwide policy about the use of e-bikes. Under the 
no-action alternative, superintendents would have no specific authority 
to allow e-bike use in System units and no policy direction about how 
to use existing authorities to manage e-bikes. This would result in 
inconsistent management of e-bikes use across the National Park System. 
In most System units, visitors would likely be allowed to use e-bikes 
on public roads and parking lots where motor vehicle use is allowed. In 
some System units, e-bike use also could occur on administrative roads 
and trails. Under the proposed action (the rule), e-bikes are defined 
uniformly and subject to a standard set of operating requirements, 
while superintendents have the discretion to allow e-bike use in 
National Park System units on a case-by-case basis, on public roads, 
parking lots, administrative roads, and trails where traditional 
bicycle use is allowed. The proposed action has been identified as the 
NPS preferred alternative. The PEA analyzes impacts to soils, 
vegetation, visitor use and experience, and wildlife.

Availability of Public Comments

    You may submit comments by one of the methods shown under 
ADDRESSES. Before including your address, phone

[[Page 40331]]

number, email address, or other personal identifying information in 
your comment, you should be aware that your entire comment, including 
the 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 we would be able to do so.

Lauren S. Imgrund,
Associate Director, Partnerships and Civic Engagement.
[FR Doc. 2023-13141 Filed 6-20-23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4312-52-P