[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 187 (Wednesday, September 27, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 56549-56550]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E6-15437]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
National Park Service
Notice of Availability of the Draft South Florida and Caribbean
Parks Exotic Plant Management Plan/Draft Environmental Impact
Statement, Big Cypress National Preserve, FL; Biscayne National Park,
FL; Canaveral National Seashore, FL; Dry Tortugas National Park, FL;
Everglades National Park, FL; Buck Island Reef National Monument, VI;
Christiansted National Historic Site, VI; Salt River Bay National
Historic Park and Ecological Preserve, VI; and Virgin Islands National
Park, VI
AGENCY: National Park Service, Department of the Interior.
SUMMARY: Pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of
1969, 42 U.S.C. 4332(2)(C), the National Park Service (NPS) announces
the availability of a Draft South Florida and Caribbean Parks Exotic
Plant Management Plan/Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) for
Big Cypress National Preserve, Florida, Biscayne National Park,
Florida, Canaveral National Seashore, Florida, Dry Tortugas National
Park, Florida, Everglades National Park, Florida, Buck Island Reef
National Monument, Virgin Islands, Christiansted National Historic
Site, Virgin Islands, Salt River Bay National Historic Park and
Ecological Preserve, Virgin Islands, and Virgin Islands National Park,
Virgin Islands.
DATES: There will be a 60-day public review period for comments on this
document. Comments on the DEIS must be received no later than 60 days
after the Environmental Protection Agency publishes its notice of
availability in the Federal Register.
ADDRESSES: Copies of the DEIS are available on the World Wide Web by
accessing http://parkplanning.nps.gov/EVER, by request by writing to
Sandra Hamilton, Environmental Quality Division, National Park Service,
Academy Place, P.O. Box 25287, Denver, CO 80225, by phone (303-969-
2068), or the document can be picked-up in person at the participating
parks' headquarters.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Sandra Hamilton, Environmental Quality
Division, National Park Service,
[[Page 56550]]
Academy Place, P.O. Box 25287, Denver, Colorado 80225, phone (303-969-
2068).
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In accordance with the Federal Noxious Weed
Act of 1974, as amended (7 U.S.C. 280 et seq.), the United States
government has designated certain plants as noxious weeds; many of
these are exotic plant species. Approximately 1,200 exotic plant
species in Florida and the Caribbean have become established in natural
areas, and as many as 4% of those exotic plant species have displaced
native species. Exotic plants compete aggressively with native plants
and are often at an advantage because they have little or no predatory
control. Among other problems, exotic plants displace native species,
alter native species proportion, degrade or reduce available habitat
for threatened and endangered species, consume nutrients, alter fire
patterns, reduce recreational opportunities and clog waterways.
The purpose of this DEIS is to (1) provide a programmatic plan to
manage and control exotic plants in nine parks in south Florida and the
Caribbean; (2) promote restoration of native species and habitat
conditions in ecosystems that have been invaded by exotic plants', and
(3) protect park resources and values from adverse effects resulting
from exotic plant presence and control activities. The DEIS evaluates a
range of reasonable alternatives for managing exotic plants in nine
parks in south Florida and the Caribbean.
Three alternatives are examined: Alternative A, No Action, Continue
Current Management; Alternative B, New Framework For Exotic Plant
Management: Increased Planning, Monitoring, and Mitigation; and
Alternative C, New Framework for Exotic Plant Management: Increased
Planning, Monitoring, and Mitigation, with an Emphasis on Active
Restoration of Native Plants. The NPS preferred alternative is
Alternative C; the ``environmentally preferred'' alternative is also
Alternative C.
At the end of the EIS planning process, the record of decision
announces which alternative has been selected to guide future
management of exotic plants in the nine parks.
Persons wishing to comment may do so by posting comments on the
World Wide Web at http://parkplanning.nps.gov/EVER or mailing comments
to Sandra Hamilton, Environmental Quality Division, National Park
Service, Academy Place, P.O. Box 25287, Denver, CO 80225. Our practice
is to make comments, including names, home addresses, home phone
numbers, and e-mail addresses of respondents, available for public
review. Individual respondents may request that we withhold their names
and/or home addresses, etc., but if you wish us to consider withholding
this information you must state this prominently at the beginning of
your comments. In addition, you must present a rationale for
withholding this information. This rationale must demonstrate that
disclosure would constitute a clearly unwarranted invasion of privacy.
Unsupported assertions will not meet this burden. In the absence of
exceptional, documentable circumstances, this information will be
released. We will always make submissions from organizations or
businesses, and from individuals identifying themselves as
representatives of or officials of organizations or businesses,
available for public inspection in their entirety.
Authority: The authority for publishing this notice is 40 CFR
1506.6.
The responsible official for this DEIS is the Regional Director for
the Southeast Region, Patricia A. Hooks.
Dated: June 30, 2006.
Patricia A. Hooks,
Regional Director, Southeast Region.
[FR Doc. E6-15437 Filed 9-26-06; 8:45 am]
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