[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 199 (Monday, October 15, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Page 62528]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-25099]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

National Park Service

[NPS-MWR-MORU-10496; 6065-4000-409]


Termination of Environmental Impact Statement for the General 
Management Plan, Mount Rushmore National Memorial, South Dakota

AGENCY: National Park Service, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of Termination of Environmental Impact Statement.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: The National Park Service (NPS) is terminating the preparation 
of an environmental impact statement (EIS) for the Mount Rushmore 
National Memorial General Management Plan (GMP) and will be preparing 
an Environmental Assessment (EA) instead.

DATES: The draft GMP EA is expected to be distributed for public 
comment in the fall of 2012. Specific dates, times, and locations will 
be announced on the Internet at the NPS Planning, Environment, and 
Public Comment Web site (http://www.parkplanning.nps.gov/moru), at the 
park Web site (http://www.nps.gov/moru), and will also be available by 
contacting park staff at the address below.

ADDRESSES: Mount Rushmore National Memorial, 13000 Hwy 244 Bldg 31 
Suite 1, Keystone, South Dakota 57751; telephone, (605) 574-2523.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Contact Superintendent Schreier at the 
address above, by telephone at (605) 574-3131, or by email at [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: We, the NPS, have determined that an EA 
rather than an EIS is the appropriate level of environmental 
documentation for the GMP. Preliminary analysis of alternatives showed 
there was no potential for significant impacts to park resources and 
values and no concerns or issues were expressed during the public 
scoping process for the GMP that have the potential for controversial 
impacts. For these reasons the NPS determined the proposal would not 
constitute a major federal action requiring an EIS. A notice of intent 
to prepare the EIS for the GMP was published in the November 26, 2008, 
Federal Register (Volume 73, Number 229). Publication of the notice was 
followed with public meetings held in Rapid City, Hot Springs, and 
Keystone, South Dakota, in December 2008.
    We intend to issue an EA that considers the following two 
alternatives and their related impacts:
    No-action alternative: Continue the present management direction as 
guided by the 1980 GMP.
    Preferred alternative: Relocate emergency operations and park 
maintenance operations to increase safety and operational 
effectiveness; rehabilitate an existing overflow parking lot as a 
picnic/day use area; make trail and observation platform improvements 
consistent with Architectural Barriers Act Accessibility Standards 
(ABAAS); and redesign concession dining facilities to accommodate 
growth in visitation. The preferred alternative would result in 
beneficial changes in the safety, operations, visitor experience, and 
accessibility within the memorial.

    Dated: May 31, 2012.
Michael T. Reynolds,
Regional Director, Midwest Region.
[FR Doc. 2012-25099 Filed 10-12-12; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-F2-M