[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 205 (Monday, October 25, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Page 57481]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-27702]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
National Park Service
Environmental Impact Statement; Notice of intent; Big Cypress
National, Florida
AGENCY: National Park Service, Interior.
ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare a draft environmental impact
statement for the general management plan addendum for the Big Cypress
National Preserve Addition, Florida.
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SUMMARY: Big Cypress National Preserve, located in south central
Florida, was established in 1974. The preserve's boundary was expanded
in 1988 by PL 100-301 (Big Cypress National Preserve Addition Act) to
include 147,280 acres of land northeast of the original preserve and a
strip of land along the western boundary. Known as the Addition, these
lands increased the area of the original preserve by approximately 30
per cent. The current General Management Plan (GMP) for the preserve,
which was already under preparation when PL 100-301 was approved, does
not address the management of the addition lands. Consequently, an
Addendum to the GMP will be prepared for the Addition.
Under the provisions of the National Environmental Policy Act, the
National Park Service (NPS) will prepare an Environmental Impact
Statement (EIS) to assess the impacts of alternative management
concepts for a General Management Plan Addendum for the Addition to Big
Cypress National Preserve.
The purpose of a General Management Plan Addendum is to set forth a
clearly defined direction for resource preservation and visitor use for
the addition lands. The General Management Plan Addendum/Environmental
Impact Statement will evaluate the environmental impacts of a range of
alternatives to address distinct management issues for the Addition,
such as resource protection, visitor use, and development.
Participation throughout the planning process will be encouraged
and facilitated by various means, such as public meetings and
newsletters. The NPS will conduct public scoping meetings to explain
the planning process and to solicit opinion about issues to address in
the GMP/EIS. Notification of all such meetings will be announced in the
local press and in NPS newsletters. This notice will also serve as an
additional scoping method. Persons who may be interested in or affected
by the GMP/EIS are invited to participate in the scoping process by
responding to this notice with written or e-mail comments.
DATES: Written comments concerning the GMP Addendum/EIS should be
received no later than December 27, 1999.
ADDRESSES: Written comments concerning the GMP/EIS or requests to be
added to the project mailing list should be sent to: Mr. Wally Hibbard,
Superintendent, Big Cypress National Preserve, HCR 61, Box 110,
Ochopee, FL 34141.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ellen Hand, GMP Planning Coordinator,
at the above address or at telephone number (941) 695-2000 ext. 318, or
Bicygmp@nps.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Commenters should be aware that National
Park Service practice is to make comments, including names and home
addresses of respondents, available for public review during regular
business hours. Individual commenters may request that we withhold
their home address from the planning record, which we will honor to the
extent allowable by law. There also may be circumstances in which we
would withhold from the planning record a respondent's identity, as
allowable by law. If you wish us to withhold your name and/or address,
you must state this prominently at the beginning of your comment. We
will make all submissions from organizations or businesses, and from
individuals identifying themselves as representatives or officials of
organizations or businesses, available for public inspection in their
entirety.
Dated: October 15, 1999.
W. Thomas Brown,
Regional Director, Southeast Region.
[FR Doc. 99-27702 Filed 10-22-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-70-M
