[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 79 (Wednesday, April 24, 2013)]
[Notices]
[Page 24232]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-09675]
[[Page 24232]]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
National Park Service
[NPS-AKR-DENA-11706; PPAKAKROZ4, PPMPSAS1Y.YP0000]
Record of Decision for the Denali Park Road Final Vehicle
Management Plan and Environmental Impact Statement for Denali National
Park and Preserve
AGENCY: National Park Service, Interior.
ACTION: Notice of availability.
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SUMMARY: Pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969
(NEPA), 42 U.S.C. 4332(2)(C), the National Park Service (NPS) announces
the availability of a Record of Decision (ROD) for the Vehicle
Management Plan and Environmental Impact Statement for Denali National
Park and Preserve. The Vehicle Management Plan addresses management of
all motorized vehicles on the restricted section of the Denali Park
Road (Mile 15-Mile 90). This plan amends the vehicle management aspect
of the park's General Management Plan (GMP). The NPS will propose a
modification to the current park-specific regulations in order to
implement these amendments. The NPS selected Alternative D (NPS
Preferred Alternative), which offers visitors the opportunity to have a
high-quality experience using a transportation system that offers
predictability, efficiency, and variety. The ROD details the background
of the project, the decision made (selected alternative), other
alternatives considered, the basis for the decision, the
environmentally preferable alternative, measures adopted to minimize
environmental harm, and public involvement in the decision making
process.
ADDRESSES: Copies of the ROD will be available in an electronic format
online at the NPS Planning, Environmental and Public Comment Web site
at http://parkplanning.nps.gov/dena. Hard copies and compact discs of
the plan/FEIS are available on request by contacting: Miriam Valentine,
Chief of Planning, Denali National Park and Preserve, P.O. Box 9,
Denali Park, Alaska, 99755, or by telephone at (907) 733-9102.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Miriam Valentine, Chief of Planning,
Denali National Park and Preserve, P.O. Box 9, Denali Park, Alaska
99755, or by telephone at (907) 733-9102.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Vehicle management on the Denali Park Road,
the primary means of access into Denali National Park and Preserve, has
been based on a GMP from 1986 and the Entrance Area and Road Corridor
Development Plan (a GMP amendment) completed in 1997.
The purpose of this Vehicle Management Plan is to provide specific
direction for improved vehicle management on the restricted section of
the Denali Park Road for approximately the next 20 years. The plan
describes how the NPS will manage vehicle use on the Park Road in order
to provide visitors with an opportunity for a high-quality experience
while protecting wilderness resources and values, scenic values,
wildlife, and other park resources; and maintaining the unique
character of the Park Road.
The Notice of Availability for the draft plan/environmental impact
statement was published in the Federal Register on August 1, 2011 (FR
45848). Public meetings were held in Denali Park (August 23, 2011);
Fairbanks (August 31, 2011); and Anchorage (September 7, 2011).
Approximately 61 people attended the meetings. Additionally, park staff
were invited by stakeholder groups to discuss the draft plan at their
regular meetings. Park staff attended and presented at approximately
six stakeholder meetings.
The initial 60-day public comment period, August 1 through
September 30, 2011, was extended to October 31, 2011, in response to
numerous requests from the public and organizations. 324 pieces of
correspondence were received, containing 889 comments, during the 90-
day comment period.
A preferred alternative was not identified in the draft plan to
allow for refinement of the existing alternatives based on public
input. The preferred alternative in the final plan addresses many of
the comments and concerns that were received on the draft plan. The
Notice of Availability for the final plan/environmental impact
statement was published in the Federal Register on July 29, 2012 (FR
39253).
The NPS selected Alternative D (NPS Preferred Alternative). With
the implementation of this alternative the number of vehicles, their
schedules, and behavior will be managed to meet visitor demand while
maintaining standards for desired resource conditions and visitor
experience. Several times each season, key indicators will be monitored
to assess the success of current traffic levels, behavior, and patterns
to determine whether the set standards are being met.
Comprehensive monitoring will also be conducted at regular
intervals to specifically address the impacts of traffic on wildlife,
wilderness, and the visitor experience. A Before-After Control Impact
(BACI) study will be conducted within the first five years of the
plan's implementation to affirm the selection of key indicators and to
distinguish impacts due to changes in current traffic patterns and
traffic levels. Data from long-term inventory and monitoring programs
may also be used to evaluate whether changes in the resource condition
are occurring.
In addition to managing for desired conditions, the maximum level
of vehicle use on the restricted section of the Park Road will be 160
vehicles per 24-hour period. This limit includes all motor vehicles
counted westbound at the Savage River Check Station. The 160-vehicle
limit is derived from traffic model simulation results and extensive
scientific research on visitor preferences and resource condition.
Dated: February 14, 2013.
Joel L. Hard,
Deputy Regional Director, Alaska.
[FR Doc. 2013-09675 Filed 4-23-13; 8:45 am]
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