[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 132 (Monday, July 12, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Pages 37564-37565]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-17523]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
National Park Service
National Capital Region; Environmental Assessment of Proposed
Land Transfer, Arlington House--The Robert E. Lee Memorial, George
Washington Memorial Parkway to Department of the Army, Arlington
National Cemetery
ACTION: National Park Service, Interior.
ACTION: Notice of availability of an environmental assessment (EA) for
land transfer from National Park Service to Department of Army,
Arlington National Cemetery.
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SUMMARY: Pursuant to the Council of Environmental Quality regulations
and National Park Service policy, the National Park Service has
completed an EA which evaluated the potential impacts of the proposed
land transfer of an area known as Section 29. The EA examines the
environmental and visual impacts of the land transfer on the natural
and historic resources and scenic quality of Arlington House--The
Robert E. Lee Memorial. The National Park Service is soliciting
comments on this EA. These comments will be considered in evaluating it
and in making decisions pursuant to the National Environmental Policy
Act.
DATES: There will be a 45-day public review period for comment on this
document. Comments on the EA should be received no later than August
24, 1999.
ADDRESSES: Comments on the EA should be submitted to Ms. Audrey
Calhoun, Superintendent, National Park Service, George Washington
Memorial Parkway, Turkey Run Park, McLean, Virginia 22101. A limited
number of copies of the EA are available on request. A public reading
copy of the EA will be available at the Arlington County Main Library,
the Headquarters of the George Washington Memorial Parkway and at the
Arlington House--The Robert E. Lee Memorial.
And at the National Park Service web page at: http://www.nps.gov/
gwmp/section29index.htm.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms. Audrey Calhoun, Superintendent,
George Washington Memorial Parkway, McLean, VA 22101, Telephone: (703)
289-2500.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Section 29 is a 24.44 wooded ravine that is
the remaining portion of the historic Custis-Lee estate's forested
grounds at Arlington House--The Robert E. Lee Memorial (Arlington
House). The forested area and the adjacent mansion are administered by
the George Washington Memorial Parkway, a unit of the National Park
Service (NPS), and are located in Arlington National Cemetery (ANC).
The area was part of the historic forest of the Custis-Lee estate and
was transferred from ANC to the NPS in 1975 to maintain the historic
setting of Arlington House in perpetuity.
The Department of the Army recognized that ANC is nearing capacity
and on February 22, 1995 signed an interagency agreement with the
Department of the Interior to transfer a portion of Section 29 to the
cemetery. The agreement divided Section 29 approximately in half, into
the ``Preservation Zone'' and the ``Interment Zone''.
The Preservation Zone consists of approximately 12.5 acres to the
west of Arlington House; that the agreement described as having steep
slopes, a high potential for archeological resources pertaining to
Arlington House, and forest cover which dates to the Lee occupancy and
contributes significantly to the historic setting of Arlington House.
The Interment Zone is a 12-acre area west of the Preservation Zone;
which the agreement described as having no known cultural resources,
slopes that are not steep, and forest cover that is not historically
significant.
Implementation of the agreement required carrying out a study to
consider archeological resources, cultural landscape values, and
National Register eligibility; an environmental analysis of the
transfer under the National Environmental Policy Act; and satisfaction
of the requirements of Section 106 of the National Historic
Preservation Act.
The cultural resources study was contracted and the resulting
cultural investigation report identified the Arlington House Ravine
Site, an archeological site of high integrity containing historic
elements related to the period of the Custis-Lee occupancy and also
prehistoric quarrying and tool making components. It encompasses a
large portion of the project area and is an element that enhances the
National Register of Historic Places listing of the site. The
archeological site is the only recorded Late Archaic period quartzite
quarry on National Park Service land in northern Virginia.
The cultural landscape analysis determined that much of the
existing forest canopy dates to the Custis-Lee occupation and retains
the historic landscape character. A forestry study demonstrated that
the hardwood forest in the Preservation Zone contained trees 220-230
years old. Other portions of the project area forest have grown to
maturity and presently recreate the landscape characteristics that
defined the appearance and significance of the forest historically as a
portion of the Arlington estate. This forest is the same type that once
covered the estate, and regenerated from trees that were present
historically. A representative tree in the southern Interment Zone was
determined to be 258 years old. The forest constitutes the oldest and
largest tract of climax eastern hardwood forest in Arlington County,
Virginia.
Analysis of the resources of Section 29 identified other conditions
that affect the potential for transfer of land. The Interment Zone was
determined to contain significant archeological and cultural landscape
resources, in addition to those of the Preservation Zone. Upon
consideration of these resources, four alternatives were developed.
Alternative 1 retains the highest significance resources to NPS
(The Preferred Alternative): NPS would transfer approximately 9.6
acres, comprising most of the Interment Zone, except for the
southeastern sloped area containing archeological locus 1 and a stream;
and also transferring to ANC the northern tip of the Preservation Zone,
containing two disturbed areas. Alternative 2--retains most resources
to NPS: NPS would transfer 4.3 acres of the Interment Zone between the
ANC old warehouse (maintenance) area and Fort Myer. Alternative 3--
retains the Preservation Zone to NPS and Interment Zone transfers to
ANC: NPS would transfer the 12-acre Interment Zone to ANC and retain
the 12.5-acre Preservation Zone. Alternative 4--All of Section 29 is
retained by NPS (the No Action Alternative): No property would be
transferred from NPS to ANC.
[[Page 37565]]
Public Law 104-201 directed the Secretary of the Interior to
transfer to the Secretary of the Army jurisdiction over the Interment
Zone, which is the plan in Alternative 3. Adoption of any of the other
alternatives would require legislative action to amend the existing
law.
A public meeting on the EA will be held July 21, 1999 at the Women
In Military Service For America Memorial's Education Center from 7:00
p.m. until 9:00 p.m. The Memorial is located on Memorial Drive at the
Gates to Arlington National Cemetery. Parking will be at the Arlington
Cemetery's Visitor Parking Lot. There is a $1.25 fee per hour to park
in the lot.
Dated: July 2, 1999.
Audrey F. Calhoun,
Superintendent.
[FR Doc. 99-17523 Filed 7-9-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-70-P
