[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 147 (Monday, August 1, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 45848-45849]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-19310]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
National Park Service
Draft Environmental Impact Statement on a Denali Park Road
Vehicle Management Plan for Denali National Park and Preserve
AGENCY: National Park Service, Interior.
ACTION: Notice of availability of the Draft Environmental Impact
Statement on a Denali Park Road Vehicle Management Plan for Denali
National Park and Preserve.
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SUMMARY: The National Park Service announces the availability of a
Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) on a Denali Park Road
Vehicle Management Plan for Denali National Park and Preserve. The
document describes and analyzes the environmental impacts of a no
action alternative and two action alternatives for management of
vehicle use on the Denali Park Road. This notice
[[Page 45849]]
announces the public comment period, the locations of public meetings,
and solicits comments on the DEIS.
DATES: Comments on the DEIS must be received no later than September
30, 2011.
ADDRESSES: Written comments on the DEIS should be submitted to Miriam
Valentine, Park Planner, Denali National Park and Preserve, P.O. Box
588, Talkeetna, AK 99676.
Submit comments electronically through the NPS Planning,
Environment and Public Comment system (PEPC) at http://parkplanning.nps.gov. The DEIS may be viewed and retrieved at this Web
site as well. Hard copies of the DEIS are available by request from the
aforementioned address. See Supplementary Information for the locations
of public meetings.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Miriam Valentine, Park Planner, Denali
National Park and Preserve, [email protected], Telephone: 907-
733-9102.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The purpose of the DEIS is to analyze the
effects of the alternatives for managing vehicle use along the Park
Road in Denali National Park. Since the mid-1920s, visitors have been
able to travel the approximately 90-mile Park Road on buses operated by
the park concessioner. Starting in 1972, when private vehicle traffic
was restricted beyond mile 15 of the road, visitors have used the
mandatory visitor transportation system. The present approach for
managing vehicles on the Park Road is based on the park's 1986 general
management plan, which established a seasonal limit of 10,512 vehicles
beyond mile 15 between approximately Memorial Day and a week after
Labor Day. As tourism in Alaska has increased, so have demands for
visits along the Park Road. This plan evaluates how to manage vehicle
use, while continuing to provide high quality visitor experience,
opportunities to view wildlife in natural habitats and to access the
park's wilderness. The Denali Park Road Vehicle Management Plan is
intended to guide park managers over the next 20 years with management
of vehicles on the Park Road. The DEIS considers a reasonable range of
alternatives based on management objectives, park resources and values,
and public input.
Alternative A: (No Action): This alternative would continue current
management of vehicle use on the Park Road. In addition to a seasonal
limit of 10,512 vehicles past mile 15, there would continue to be
specific seasonal and daily limits to tour buses, shuttle buses,
inholder traffic, professional photographer vehicles, NPS
administrative vehicles and other categories of vehicles.
Alternative B: This alternative would use an adaptive management
framework for vehicle use based on indicators and standards for visitor
experiences and resource protection. While adhering to these standards,
management would maximize seating on all transit and tour vehicles to
offer the largest number of visitors the opportunity to travel the Park
Road. This adaptive management framework would include options for
reducing or scheduling non-bus traffic to allow for additional visitor
use.
Alternative C: This alternative would use an adaptive management
framework for vehicle use based on indicators and standards for visitor
experiences and resource protection. While adhering to these standards,
management would promote a wide variety of visitor opportunities that
would include brief experiences in the park's entrance area, short
visits along segments of the Park Road, special interest tours, and
multiday experiences in the park's backcountry. This adaptive
management framework would include options for reducing or scheduling
non-bus traffic to allow for additional visitor use.
At this time, the NPS does not have a preferred alternative, and
public comment is sought to inform selection of a preferred alternative
in the final EIS.
Public meetings are scheduled in Alaska at the following locations:
Anchorage, Fairbanks, and Denali National Park. The specific dates and
times of the public meetings will be announced in local media.
If you include your address, phone number, e-mail address, or other
personal identifying information in your comment, you should be aware
that your entire comment--including your 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 that we will be
able to do so.
Dated: May 6, 2011.
Sue E. Masica,
Regional Director, Alaska.
[FR Doc. 2011-19310 Filed 7-29-11; 8:45 am]
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