[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 29 (Monday, February 12, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Pages 5407-5408]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-2953]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
National Park Service
Deer Management Plan and Environmental Assessment; Fire Island
National Seashore, NY
ACTION: Notice of intent.
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SUMMARY: The National Seashore, working cooperatively with the public
and with other agencies, had begun a process to develop three separate
deer management plans tailored to unique problems and needs at each of
three sites: the William Floyd Estate in Mastic Beach, the Wilderness
Area of Fire Island National Seashore (from Smith Point west to Watch
Hill), and the western end of the Seashore (from Watch Hill to the Fire
Island Lighthouse). The management planning process involved the
formation of task groups and included public scoping meetings. This
process would have culminated with a National Environmental Policy Act
(NEPA), Environmental Assessment.
Based on the results of the first five scoping meetings and the
controversies that were apparent in the meetings, the National Park
Service, Fire Island National Seashore has decided to dismiss the task
groups, bypass the Environmental Assessment process, and go directly to
a NEPA, Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) process.
Further scoping meetings, for the same three areas, are being
planned. The Seashore will continue to invite participants from the
past task groups, and are hereby inviting all other
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interested parties, to all future scoping meetings. Please be advised
that these future meetings will be announced through the local media.
ADDRESSES: Inquiries on future meeting dates should be submitted to the
Superintendent, Fire Island National Seashore, 120 Laurel Street,
Patchogue, NY 11772, telephone (516) 289-4810.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: As at many locations in the Northeast,
increasing populations of white-tailed deer are causing concern about
impacts to the natural resource values of the Seashore as well as the
various kinds of impacts within the communities that are integral with
Seashore property. To devise the safest, most practical, and least
disruptive plans, the Seashore is seeking the input of all parties
affected by the issue, such as the residents of Fire Island and Mastic
Beach communities and managers of public lands also bordering the
Seashore. For example, both the Robert Moses State Park and the Smith
Point County Park (both located on Fire Island) have been asked to
participate in the planning process.
The focus of each of the public scoping meetings will be to discuss
NPS and other local issues pertaining to deer in each of the three
management areas; to begin to define the problems, and to set
management planning objectives. When the issues and objectives have
been delineated, the next step is development of management
alternatives for resolving the issues and meeting objectives.
The NEPA EIS document will describe each management alternative (as
developed through the scoping meetings), state the Seashore's preferred
alternative and analyze the impacts of each alternative. This document,
as a Draft EIS, will be made available for public review by subsequent
notice in the Federal Register, and through the local media.
Members of the National Seashore's staff will participate in all
the scoping meetings to answer questions specific to white-tailed deer,
park operational issues related to deer, park management objectives,
alternative development or any other aspect of the deer management
planning process.
For further information, please contact the superintendent at 516-
289-4810 or by writing to: Superintendent, Fire Island National
Seashore, 120 Laurel Street, Patchogue, New York 11772.
Jack Hauptman,
Superintendent.
[FR Doc. 96-2953 Filed 2-9-96; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-70-M
