[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 123 (Wednesday, June 26, 2013)]
[Notices]
[Page 38359]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-15265]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

National Park Service

[NPS-MWR-EFMO-13214; PPMWMWROW2/PPMPSAS1Y.YP0000]


Notice of Availability of a Record of Decision on the Final 
General Management Plan/Environmental Impact Statement, Effigy Mounds 
National Monument, Iowa

AGENCY: National Park Service, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of availability.

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SUMMARY: The National Park Service (NPS) announces the availability of 
the Record of Decision (ROD) for the Final General Management Plan/
Environmental Impact Statement (GMP/EIS), Effigy Mounds National 
Monument (Monument), Iowa.

ADDRESSES: Copies of the ROD are available by request by writing to 
Superintendent, Effigy Mounds National Monument, 151 Highway 76, 
Harpers Ferry, Iowa 52146-7519. The document is also available on the 
internet at the NPS Planning, Environment, and Public Comment Web site 
at: http://www.parkplanning.nps.gov/efmo.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Superintendent James Nepstad at the 
address above, by telephone at 563-873-3491 or email at [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The NPS has issued a ROD for the Final GMP/
EIS; on May 29, 2013, the Regional Director for the Midwest Region 
approved the ROD. As soon as practicable, the NPS will begin to 
implement the selected alternative, which was identified as the 
preferred alternative (Alternative B) in the EIS.
    In the preferred alternative, a large portion of the Monument would 
be zoned as backcountry, a virtual research center would be created to 
collect and share information on mound research and preservation, and 
access to the South Unit of the Monument would be improved by 
connecting the Yellow River bridge and trail to the trails in the South 
Unit. This alternative was also determined to be the environmentally 
preferable alternative. The preferred alternative and two others were 
analyzed in the GMP/EIS.
    In reaching its decision to select the preferred alternative, the 
NPS considered the purposes for which the Monument was established, and 
other laws and policies that apply to lands within the Monument. The 
NPS also carefully considered public comments received during the 
planning process.
    To determine the preferred alternative, the planning team evaluated 
three draft alternatives that had been reviewed by the public. To 
minimize the influence of individual biases and opinions, the team used 
an objective analysis process called ``Choosing by Advantages.'' 
Alternative B best preserves the outstanding representative examples of 
significant phases of prehistoric Indian moundbuilding cultures in the 
American Midwest and the wildlife and natural values within the 
Monument, two of the three purposes for which the Monument was 
established. Alternative B also achieves this higher level of 
protection through the management zoning and more limited trail 
development. Finally, Alternative B provides broader access to mound 
research and digitized portions of the collections through the 
development of the virtual research center, thereby better fulfilling 
the third purpose (scientific study and appreciation) for which the 
Monument was established.

    Dated: May 24, 2013.
Michael T. Reynolds,
Regional Director, Midwest Region.
[FR Doc. 2013-15265 Filed 6-25-13; 8:45 am]
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