[Federal Register Volume 69, Number 217 (Wednesday, November 10, 2004)]
[Notices]
[Pages 65220-65222]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 04-24984]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

National Park Service


Environmental Impact Statement Availability

AGENCY: National Park Service, Interior.

ACTION: The National Park Service announces the availability of the 
Record of Decision for the Final Environmental Impact Statement for 
Saratoga National Historical Park General Management Plan.

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SUMMARY: In September 2004, the Regional Director, Northeast Region, 
National Park Service approved the Record of Decision (ROD) of the 
Final Environmental Impact Statement for Saratoga National Historical 
Park General Management Plan. The ROD is a statement of the background 
of the project, the decision made, synopsis of the other alternatives 
considered, the basis for the decision, the environmentally preferable 
alternative, a summary of measures to minimize environmental harm, and 
an overview of the public involvement in the decisiomaking process. The 
ROD is now available from the National Park Service.

Decision (Selected Action)

    After thorough analysis and extensive public involvement, the 
National Park Service will implement Alternative D (the Preferred 
Alternative identified in the Draft and abbreviated Final Environmental 
Impact Statements) to help guide management of Saratoga National 
Historical Park. Alternative D was selected because it supports the 
purpose and significance of the park, and minimizes impacts on the 
park's resources while providing for public use and enjoyment of those 
resources.
    Alternative D: Focus on the Burgoyne Campaign seeks to improve 
visitor understanding of the events that led to the 1777 British 
surrender by providing a more complete and logical depiction of these 
events. This approach also includes--secondary to the strategic 
factors--interpretation of the efforts to commemorate the military 
events and opportunities to reflect on their meaning. Additionally, 
Alternative D enables the park to expand its partnerships with other 
Burgoyne Campaign--related sites and regional entities in the 
Champlain-Hudson and Mohawk valleys.

Other Alternatives Considered

    Three additional alternatives were considered analyzed for impacts 
on the environment. They are summarized below. Alternative D was formed 
by combining elements of alternatives B and C.
    Alternative A: Focus on Current Management Objectives allowed for 
incremental action toward existing objectives with minimum change to 
the park's current management philosophy and physical conditions. This 
concept would have entailed no significant expansion of the park's 
participation in regional initiatives over the current situation. 
Alternative A served as the ``no-action'' alternative required by the 
National Environmental Policy Act.
    Alternative B: Focus on the Battles, Siege, and Surrender 
concentrated on improving visitor understanding of the events that led 
to the 1777 British surrender at Saratoga by providing a more complete 
and logical depiction of these events. It rehabilitated key landscape 
features to help the visitor understand conditions faced by the armed 
forces and how landscape conditions were used and manipulated to serve 
tactical needs. This concept also enabled park staff to work with 
regional partners in developing outreach initiatives.
    Alternative C: Focus on the Park as Memorial Grounds presented the 
park as a memorial landscape that had been commemorated in numerous 
ways over generations, from the erection of monuments, to the 
establishment of State and Federal parkland, to contemporary efforts to 
link important sites through regional heritage initiatives. This 
approach preserved and enhanced interpretation of key landscape 
features to help the visitor understand the military events of 1777 and 
the efforts to commemorate those events. Moreover, this alternative 
envisioned the park as an important gateway to the regional initiatives 
of the Champlain-Hudson and Mohawk valleys.

Decision Rationale

    The major Federal laws and policies that apply to Federal agency 
actions in the General Management Plan are the National Park Service 
Organic Act and General Authorities Act, the public laws creating and 
augmenting Saratoga

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National Historical Park, the National Parks and Recreation Act of 
1978, the National Environmental Policy Act, and related provisions of 
the National Park Service Management Policies 2001. The management 
action selected complies with the requirements of Federal law, 
including those statutes listed above.
    The potential impacts of the alternatives were identified and 
evaluated. An analysis of impacts was included in the Draft 
Environmental Impact Statement. The planning team based the impact 
analysis and conclusions largely on the review of existing research and 
studies, information provided by experts in the National Park Service 
and other agencies and organizations, and the professional judgment of 
the staff of Saratoga National Historical Park. Where possible, 
locations of sensitive resources were compared with the locations of 
proposed developments and modifications. The analysis was qualitative 
in nature. Where necessary and appropriate in all the alternatives, the 
planning team proposed mitigating measures to minimize or avoid 
impacts. Impacts were categorized as direct, indirect, or cumulative 
and were characterized by type, duration, and intensity.
    After a review of potential impacts, the team concluded that 
Alternative D best protects contributing resources, while enhancing 
public access to those resources. Overall, Alternative D provides the 
greatest number of beneficial impacts in comparison to the other 
alternatives. Alternative D was also selected as the environmentally 
preferred alternative as it causes the least damage to the biological 
and physical environment, while best protecting, preserving, and 
enhancing historic, cultural, and natural resources.

Consultation

    Consultation and coordination with appropriate federal and state 
agencies were conducted throughout the preparation of the General 
Management Plan. Regarding historic properties of significance to 
Indian tribes, consultation with the Stockbridge Munsee Band of Mohican 
Indians was initiated in February 2001 and continued throughout the 
planning process via mailings of newsletters, the draft plan, and the 
Final Environmental Impact Statement. Regarding cultural resources, 
consultation with the New York State Historic Preservation Officer was 
initiated in January 2001 and continued throughout the process via 
mailings of newsletters, an advance copy of the draft plan, the actual 
draft plan, and the Final Environmental Impact Statement. The State 
Historic Preservation Officer responded with formal comments on the 
draft plan and concluded that the National Park Service made a 
convincing case for the selection of Alternative D as the Preferred 
Alternative. The National Park Service will continue 106 consultation 
with the New York State Historic Preservation Officer on specific 
actions, as outlined on page 210 of the Draft Environmental Impact 
Statement.

Description of Public Involvement in the Decisionmaking Process

    Public scoping for the plan was initiated in March 2000 when the 
planning team held two public sessions. At these meetings, team members 
discussed the purpose and significance statements and the park's goals 
with the participants. Also in March 2000, the team invited over 30 
scholars and resource specialists to define the park's interpretive 
themes.
    The team followed the scoping sessions with a newsletter in August 
2000, which highlighted comments received from the public and reported 
on the status of planning. The newsletter was distributed to over 700 
people and was also made available on the park's Web site.
    The team then developed three alternatives, which, along with the 
interpretive themes, were presented in the second newsletter, published 
in the autumn of 2001. This newsletter was distributed to over 1,000 
people and was posted on the park's Web site.
    In addition to publishing the newsletter, the planning team sought 
public input at three meetings with various stakeholder groups. In July 
2001, the team presented the preliminary alternatives to area planners 
and to local and county officials. In October 2001, stakeholders 
provided input at a meeting that focused on treatment of the Schuyler 
Estate. A meeting in April 2002 addressed the feasibility of developing 
a regional visitor center in Old Saratoga. Throughout the process, the 
superintendent kept local, county, and State officials informed on the 
progress of the plan, and consulted with them on specific issues.
    Input from these sources made it apparent that a new alternative, 
combining favored elements of the initial concepts, was desirable. In 
response, the planning team developed ``Alternative D,'' as the 
Preferred Alternative.
    Alternative D was highlighted in the Draft General Management Plan/
Draft Environmental Impact Statement, made available for a 60-day 
public review period starting in January 2004. Some 2000 draft plan 
summary newsletters were distributed. The full draft plan was 
distributed to a list of nearly 60 recipients, which included the U.S. 
Environmental Protection Agency, the New York State Historic 
Preservation Officer, the Stockbridge Munsee Band of Mohican Indians, 
and other agencies and organizations. Both the summary newsletter and 
the full draft plan were made available on the Internet and at area 
libraries. On January 22, 2004, the team held a public open house at 
the park visitor center, which was attended by some 45 people. Over the 
course of the public comment period, a total of 32 written comments 
were received. The team carefully reviewed all responses and 
incorporated substantive comments in the Final Environmental Impact 
Statement for the General Management Plan.
    The consensus of the public comment period was that National Park 
Service was pursuing the correct path for the park in Alternative D, 
the Preferred Alternative. Comments from individuals and public 
agencies did not require the National Park Service to add other 
alternatives, significantly alter existing alternatives, or make 
changes to the impact analysis of the effects of any alternative. Thus, 
an abbreviated format was used for the responses to comments in the 
final Environmental Impact Statement, in compliance with the 1978 
implementing regulations (40 CFR 1503.4[c]) for the National 
Environmental Policy Act.
    In August 2004, the abbreviated Final Environmental Impact 
Statement was made available to the public for a 30-day ``no-action 
period,'' which concluded on September 2, 2004. The Final Environmental 
Impact Statement was distributed to a list of nearly 100 recipients, 
which included the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the New York 
State Historic Preservation Officer, the Stockbridge Munsee Band of 
Mohican Indians, and other agencies, organizations, officials, and 
individuals.

Conclusion

    Alternative D, the selected action, provides the most comprehensive 
and proactive strategy among the alternatives considered for meeting 
the National Park Service's purposes, goals, and objectives for 
managing Saratoga National Historical Park in accordance with 
Congressional direction, Federal laws, and National Park Service 
Management Policies. The selection of Alternative D, as reflected by 
the analysis contained in the Final Environmental Impact Statement 
would not result in the impairment of park

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resources or values and would allow the National Park Service to 
conserve park resources and provide for their enjoyment by these and 
future generations.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Superintendent, Saratoga National 
Historical Park, 648 Route 32, Stillwater, New York 12170-1604, 
telephone (518) 664-9821.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Copies of the Record of Decision may be 
obtained from the Superintendent listed above.

    Dated: September 23, 2004.
Robert W. McIntosh,
Associate Regional Director, Planning & Partnerships, Northeast Region.
[FR Doc. 04-24984 Filed 11-9-04; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4312-52-P