67168 Federal Register / Vol. 69, No. 220 / Tuesday, November 16, 2004 / Notices 

The No Action alternative is the same 

alternative as was discussed in the 1996 

Implementation EIS; that is, no dam 

removal would take place. Because the 

dams would remain, water and flooding 

mitigation would not be needed. 

Scoping. Public scoping for the SEIS 

took place in September and October 

2002, and six comment letters resulting 

in twelve comments were received. All 

scoping comments are addressed in the 

SEIS (in chapter 5, Consultation and 

Coordination). In addition to public 

scoping, the park and its cooperating 

agencies have also consulted with the 

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and 

NOAA Fisheries to provide protection 

and restoration for bull trout and 

chinook salmon. 

Comments: This Supplement to the 

1996 Implementation EIS is now 

available for public review. Interested 

persons and organizations wishing to 

express any concerns or comments 

should send written comments to Dr. 

Brian Winter, Elwha Project Manager, at 

826 East Front Street, Ste. A, Port 

Angeles, WA 98362; telephone inquiries 

may be directed to (360) 565–1320. 

Faxed or electronic transmittals will be 

accepted also (electronic comments 

should be sent to 

Brian_Winter@nps.gov, and faxes may 

be sent to (360) 565–1325). 

Because several public meetings have 

already taken place on the 1996 

Implementation EIS (and the prior 

Programmatic EIS for dam removal), no 

additional public meeting for this 

supplement to discuss mitigation 

measures is anticipated. Therefore, 

written comments are the only vehicle 

for making your opinions and concerns 

known and a part of the record for this 

SEIS process. The following options are 

available: you may request a summary 

of the SEIS, a full paper copy of the 

SEIS, a CD of the SEIS and/or a CD of 

the full 1996 Implementation EIS which 

the subject document supplements. 

Those who commented during prior 

scoping processes will receive a full 

SEIS and a CD of the FEIS, as will 

agencies and others on the park mailing 

list (see chapter 5 of the SEIS). Please 

specify which of these documents/CDs 

you would like to receive when calling, 

e-mailing or faxing the Elwha Project 

Management Office. Finally, both the 

SEIS and 1996 Implementation EIS will 

be posted on the Elwha project Web site 

at http://www.nps.gov/olym/elwha/

home.htm.

All written comments must be 

postmarked no later than 60 days from 

the date the Environmental Protection 

Agency publishes its notice of filing in 

the Federal Register. Immediately upon 

confirmation of this date it will be 

posted on the park’s Web site and 

announced via local and regional media. 

Please keep in mind that decisions or 

facts in the 1996 implementation EIS 

are not subject to public comment at 

this time. The 1996 Implementation EIS 

is being made available for background 

information only, and no response to 

comments made on the 1996 

Implementation EIS during this 60-day 

review period will be forthcoming in the 

final SEIS. In other words, decisions 

associated with dam removal and 

sediment management have already 

been made and the information on 

which they were made has already been 

publicly reviewed—comments should 

be confined to information provided in 

the SEIS only. Be sure to include your 

complete name and address along with 

your comments. Please note that names 

and addresses of people who comment 

become part of the public record. If 

individuals commenting request that 

their name or/and address be withheld 

from public disclosure, it will be 

honored to the extent allowable by law. 

Such requests must be stated 

prominently in the beginning of the 

comments. There also may be 

circumstances wherein the NPS will 

withhold from the record a respondent’s 

identity, as allowable by law. As always: 

the NPS will make available to public 

inspection all submissions from 

organizations or businesses and from 

persons identifying themselves as 

representatives or officials of 

organizations and businesses; and, 

anonymous comments may not be 

considered.

Dated: September 13, 2004. 

Patricia L. Neubacher, 

Acting Regional Director, Pacific West Region.

[FR Doc. 04–25356 Filed 11–15–04; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4312–JK–P

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

National Park Service 

Final Star-Spangled Banner National 

Historic Trail Study Report 

Environmental Impact Statement; 

Maryland, District of Columbia, and 

Virginia

AGENCY: National Park Service, 

Department of the Interior.

ACTION: Notice of Availability of the 

final environmental impact statement 

for the Star-Spangled Banner National 

Historic Trail Study. 

SUMMARY: Pursuant to the National 

Environmental Policy Act of 1969, 42 

U.S.C. 4332(C), the National Park 

Service announces the availability of the 

final Environmental Impact Statement 

for the Star-Spangled Banner National 

Historical Trail Study.

DATES: The National Park Service will 

execute a Record of Decision (ROD) no 

sooner than 30 days following 

publication by the Environmental 

Protection Agency of the notice of 

availability of the Final Environmental 

Impact Statement.

ADDRESSES: Information will be 

available for public inspection from the 

Northeast Region, National Park Service, 

200 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia, PA 

19106 or at http://www.nps.gov/phso/

jstarspan/.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

William Sharp, Project Manager, 

Northeast Region, 215–597–1655 or 

william_sharp@nps.gov.

Dated: August 20, 2004. 

Marie Rust, 

Regional Director, Northeast Region, National 

Park Service.

[FR Doc. 04–25433 Filed 11–15–04; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4312–52–M

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

National Park Service 

General Management Plan, Record of 

Decision, Big Bend National Park, TX

AGENCY: National Park Service, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of Availability of a 

Record of Decision on the Final 

Environmental Impact Statement for the 

General Management Plan, Big Bend 

National Park. 

SUMMARY: Pursuant to § 102(2)(C) of the 

National Environmental Policy Act of 

1969, 83 Stat. 852, 853, codified as 

amended at 42 U.S.C. 4332(2)(C), the 

National Park Service (NPS) announces 

the availability of the Record of 

Decision for the General Management 

Plan/Environmental Impact Statement 

for Big Bend National Park, Texas. On 

September 13, 2004, the Director, 

Intermountain Region approved the 

Record of Decision for the project. As 

soon as practicable, the NPS will begin 

to implement the General Management 

Plan, described as the Preferred 

Alternative contained in the Final 

Environmental Impact Statement issued 

July 9, 2004. In the preferred alternative, 

a new visitor center will be built at 

Panther Junction to provide room for 

interpretive media to adequately 

interpret key aspects of the park’s 

stories and to help visitors plan their 

stays. The space in the headquarters 

building vacated by the visitor center 

function will be redesigned for staff 

offices. A storage warehouse, 

Federal Register / Vol. 69, No. 220 / Tuesday, November 16, 2004 / Notices 67169

bunkhouse, and employee residence 

will also be built at Panther Junction. 

The natural resources and collection 

management building should 

adequately provide for the collection 

storage needs for the duration of this 

plan. If additional storage collection 

space is needed, the other new storage 

areas will be evaluated to accommodate 

this need. One employee residence and 

one employee bunkhouse will be 

removed from Chisos Basin to reduce 

human water use at the area. At Rio 

Grande Village the RV campground will 

be enlarged by about 40% in area, with 

no more than 30 total sites. Cottonwood 

Campground campsites will be 

relocated away from bank cave-in areas, 

and a new egress road will be 

constructed. Fifteen percent of park 

personnel will be moved to gateway 

communities where offices and 

residences will be built or leased. This 

course of action and two alternatives 

were analyzed in the Draft and Final 

Environmental Impact Statements. The 

full range of foreseeable environmental 

consequences was assessed, and 

appropriate mitigating measures 

identified. The full Record of Decision 

includes a statement of the decision 

made, synopses of other alternatives 

considered, the basis for the decision, a 

description of the environmentally 

preferable alternative, a finding on 

impairment of park resources and 

values, a listing of measures to 

minimize environmental harm, an 

overview of public involvement in the 

decisionmaking process, and a 

statement of findings. 

Basis for Decision 

In reaching its decision to select the 

preferred alternative, NPS managers 

considered the purposes for which the 

park was established and other laws and 

policies that apply to lands in the park, 

including the NPS Organic Act, 

National Environmental Policy Act, NPS 

Director’s Order 12 (Conservation 

Planning, Environmental Impact 

Analysis, and Decisionmaking), and the 

NPS Management Policies 2001. The 

NPS also carefully considered public 

comments received during the planning 

process. 

To develop a preliminary preferred 

alternative, the planning team evaluated 

the alternatives that had been reviewed 

by the public. The alternatives were 

tested against the decision points and 

issues identified by the public and park 

to determine their relative advantages. 

The following conclusions were 

reached: 

• The preferred alternative includes 

more actions that are beneficial to the 

cultural and natural resources than 

other alternatives. 

• The preferred alternative will 

enhance the visitor’s experience by 

providing multiple opportunities for 

visitors to make intellectual and 

emotional connections to the park. 

Enhanced interpretation, programs, and 

activities will enable visitors to link 

tangible resources with the intangible 

meanings and significance of the park. 

The proposed development will provide 

opportunities for the interpretive 

division to fully address the various 

themes and complexities of the park. 

Findings on Impairment 

The NPS has determined that 

implementation of the proposal will not 

constitute an impairment to Big Bend 

National Park’s resources and values. 

This conclusion is based on a thorough 

analysis of the environmental impacts 

described in the Environmental Impact 

Statement, the public comments 

received, relevant scientific studies, and 

the professional judgment of the 

decision-maker guided by the direction 

in the NPS Management Policies. 

Overall, the plan results in benefits to 

park resources and values and 

opportunities for their enjoyment, and it 

does not result in their impairment.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: John 

H. King, Big Bend National Park, P.O. 

Box 129, Big Bend National Park, TX 

79834–0129, (915) 477–2251.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Copies of 

the Record of Decision may be obtained 

from the contact listed above.

Dated: November 8, 2004. 

Bernard C. Fagan, 

Deputy Chief, NPS Office of Policy .

[FR Doc. 04–25354 Filed 11–15–04; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4312–52–P

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

National Park Service 

National Park System Advisory Board; 

Meeting

AGENCY: National Park Service, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of meeting.

Notice is hereby given in accordance 

with the Federal Advisory Committee 

Act, 5 U.S.C. Appendix, that the 

National Park System Advisory Board 

will meet November 29–30, 2004, in 

Coral Gables, Florida. On November 29, 

the Board will tour Everglades National 

Park and will be briefed regarding 

environmental, education and 

partnership programs of Everglades 

National Park and Big Cypress National 

Preserve. The Board will convene its 

business meeting on November 30 at 9 

a.m., e.s.t., in the Prado Room of The 

Biltmore Hotel, 1200 Anastasia Avenue, 

Coral Gables, Florida 33134, telephone 

305–445–1926. The meeting will be 

adjourned at 4:30 p.m. The Board will 

be addressed by National Park Service 

Director Fran Mainella and will receive 

the reports of its Education Committee, 

Partnerships Committee, National 

Landmarks Committee, Director’s 

Council, and National Parks Science 

Committee. The Board also will receive 

reports on national park philanthropic 

issues and the HealthierFeds Physical 

Activity Challenge. 

Other officials of the National Park 

Service and the Department of the 

Interior may address the Board, and 

other miscellaneous topics and reports 

may be covered. The order of the agenda 

may be changed, if necessary, to 

accommodate travel schedules or for 

other reasons. 

The Board meeting will be open to the 

public. Space and facilities to 

accommodate the public are limited and 

attendees will be accommodated on a 

first-come basis. Anyone may file with 

the Board a written statement 

concerning matters to be discussed. The 

Board also may permit attendees to 

address the Board, but may restrict the 

length of the presentations, as necessary 

to allow the Board to complete its 

agenda within the allotted time. 

Anyone who wishes further 

information concerning the meeting, or 

who wishes to submit a written 

statement, may contact Mr. Loran 

Fraser, Office of Policy, National Park 

Service; 1849 C Street, NW., Room 7250; 

Washington, DC 20240; telephone 202–

208–7456. 

Draft minutes of the meeting will be 

available for public inspection about 12 

weeks after the meeting, in room 7252, 

Main Interior Building, 1849 C Street, 

NW., Washington, DC.

Dated: November 8, 2004. 

Bernard Fagan, 

Deputy Chief, Office of Policy.

[FR Doc. 04–25434 Filed 11–15–04; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4312–52–P

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

National Park Service

Notice of Intent to Repatriate a Cultural 

Item: Heard Museum, Phoenix, AZ

AGENCY: National Park Service, Interior.

ACTION: Notice.

Notice is here given in accordance 

with the Native American Graves 

Protection and Repatriation Act