[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 13 (Tuesday, January 21, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 3403-3404]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-01008]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
National Park Service
[NPS-PWR-PWRO-14363; PX.PO137227A.00.1]
Draft Wilderness Management Plan/Environmental Impact Statement,
Lake Mead National Recreation Area, Nevada/Bureau of Land Management,
Southern Nevada District
AGENCY: National Park Service, Interior.
ACTION: Notice of availability.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: Pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, 42
U.S.C. 4332(2)(C), the National Park Service (NPS) and Bureau of Land
Management (BLM) announce the availability of Draft Wilderness
Management Plan and Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the NPS
Lake Mead National Recreation Area and BLM Southern Nevada District
Office. The jointly prepared Draft Wilderness Management Plan addresses
management issues, identifies stewardship goals and objectives,
proposes decision-making guidelines for administrative actions and
visitor use, and provides guidelines for managing the Jimbilnan, Pinto
Valley, Black Canyon, Eldorado, Ireteba Peaks, Nellis Wash, Spirit
Mountain, and Bridge Canyon wilderness areas. The NPS and the BLM
jointly manage three of these wilderness areas, and five of these areas
are managed by the NPS. The proposed plan analyzes three alternatives
for future management and use of the eight wilderness areas.
Alternative A (no action alternative) reflects current wilderness
management and serves as a baseline for comparison with the other
alternatives. No major change would occur in the management of the
wilderness areas. Alternative B (preferred alternative) generally
focuses on identifying specific opportunities for access into the areas
while still protecting the character of the wilderness areas.
Alternative C provides a higher level of access and visitor use
management while still protecting the overall character of the
wilderness areas.
DATES: All written comments must be postmarked or transmitted not later
than 60 days after the date of publication in the Federal Register of
the Environmental Protection Agency's notice of filing of the Draft
EIS. Several public meetings will be hosted mid-way during the public
review period--the dates, locations and other information about the
meetings will be announced on http://parkplanning.nps.gov/lake, via
local and regional press media, and will also be available by
contacting Lake Mead National Recreation Area and the BLM's Las Vegas
Field Office.
ADDRESSES: The Draft EIS will be available for public review and
comment online at http://parkplanning.nps.gov.lake, in the office of
the Superintendent, Lake Mead National Recreation Area, 601 Nevada Way,
Boulder City, NV 89005; telephone (702) 293-8920; and the BLM Las Vegas
Field Office, 4701 North Torrey Pines Drive, Las Vegas, NV 89130;
telephone (702) 515-5297. You may submit your written comments by one
of two methods. You may mail comments to Lake Mead National Recreation
Area, Attn: Draft Wilderness Management Plan/Environmental Impact
Statement, 601 Nevada Way, Boulder City, NV 89005. You may also comment
via the internet at http://parkplanning.nps.gov/lake. Comments will
also be accepted during the public meetings. Bulk comments in any
format (hard copy or electronic) submitted on behalf of others will not
be accepted.
Before including your address, phone number, email 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. All submissions from organizations and businesses, and
individuals identifying themselves as representatives or officials of
organizations or businesses, are made available in their entirety.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Jim Holland, Wilderness Planner,
Lake Mead National Recreation Area, 601 Nevada Way, Boulder City, NV
89005; [email protected]; telephone (702) 293-8986.
Ms. Sendi Kalcic, Wilderness Specialist, BLM Las Vegas Field Office,
4701 North Torrey Pines Drive, Las Vegas, NV 89130; [email protected];
telephone (702) 515-5297.
Mr. Greg Jarvis, Project Manager, NPS Denver Service Center, 12795 W.
Alameda Parkway, Lakewood, CO 80228; [email protected]; telephone
(303) 969-2263.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: During April 2010 a Draft Wilderness
Management Plan/Environmental Assessment was distributed for public
review. However, due to issues subsequently raised by rock climbers and
American Indian tribes, the NPS and BLM agreed to prepare a revised
Wilderness Management Plan/EIS. Regarding rock climbing management for
alternatives B and C in the Draft Wilderness Management Plan/EIS, no
fixed anchors or equipment for climbing activities would be permitted
in Spirit Mountain Wilderness; all existing fixed anchors and equipment
would be removed if it can be done without damaging rock faces. In
Bridge Canyon Wilderness no new fixed anchors or fixed equipment would
be permitted, with the exception of permitted replacement anchors.
After an inventory of climbing routes is completed, the NPS would work
with tribes and partners to reduce the concentration of some of the
existing bolt-intensive face climbs at certain climbing areas in Bridge
Canyon Wilderness.
Other key topics addressed in the Draft Wilderness Management Plan/
EIS include:
Providing access within the wilderness areas versus
protecting wilderness characteristics,
Providing information about the wilderness areas versus
protecting wilderness characteristics,
Providing for use of Spirit Mountain while meeting tribal
needs and concerns,
Consideration of the kinds of activities and levels of
visitor use that should be permitted while ensuring cultural resource
protection,
The use of climbing equipment (including climbing chalk)
near sensitive cultural resources (e.g., petroglyphs and pictographs),
Restoring disturbed areas within the wilderness areas,
Coordinating interagency management efforts.
Decision Process: Following due consideration of all comments
received, a Final EIS will be prepared. Because this is a delegated
EIS, the officials responsible for a final decision are the NPS
Regional Director, Pacific West Region, and the BLM State Manager,
Nevada.
[[Page 3404]]
Dated: October 25, 2013.
Martha J. Lee,
Acting Regional Director, Pacific West Region, National Park Service.
[FR Doc. 2014-01008 Filed 1-17-14; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4312-FF-P