Federal Register / Vol. 69, No. 248 / Tuesday, December 28, 2004 / Notices 77773

wilderness was designated in 1976, and 

the park does not have an approved 

wilderness management plan. The 

purpose of this draft WBMP EIS is to 

satisfy that requirement and bring ISRO 

into compliance with NPS policies. This 

draft WBMP EIS does not propose any 

changes in wilderness boundaries 

within ISRO, but it does propose 

formalizing and implementing some 

changes in how that wilderness is 

managed. The draft plan proposes 

several alternatives for management 

actions that would achieve the goals of 

wilderness management in the park 

consistent with The Wilderness Act and 

NPS policies. The primary issues being 

addressed in the plan that may result in 

management changes include: managing 

permitting for overnight camping and 

boating in the park, managing organized 

day tours in the park, managing 

campfires, the maintenance or removal 

of fire towers, the maintenance or 

removal of picnic tables in wilderness 

campgrounds, the use of treated lumber 

for trail maintenance, and the 

application of the minimum tool 

decision tree to determining the 

appropriate tools for maintenance, 

research, and other management 

practices within the park’s wilderness. 

Persons wishing to comment may do 

so by any one of several methods. They 

may mail comments to the 

Superintendent, Attn: WBMP, Isle 

Royale National Park, 800 East 

Lakeshore Drive, Houghton, Michigan 

49931, or call the Chief of Resource 

Management at 906–487–9080 extension 

34. They may comment via e-mail to 

isro_wbmp@nps.gov (include name and 

return address in the e-mail message). 

Finally, they may hand-deliver 

comments to park headquarters at 800 

East Lakeshore Drive, Houghton, 

Michigan. 

The NPS practice is to make 

comments, including names and home 

addresses of respondents, available for 

public review during regular business 

hours. Individual respondents may 

request we withhold their home address 

from the record, which we will honor to 

the extent allowable by law. There also 

may be circumstances in which we 

would withhold from the record a 

respondent’s identity, as allowable by 

law. If you wish us to withhold your 

name and/or address, you must state 

this prominently at the beginning of 

your comment. However, we will not 

consider anonymous comments. 

We will make all submissions from 

organizations or businesses, and from 

individuals identify themselves as 

representatives or officials of 

organizations or businesses, available 

for public inspection in their entirety.

Dated: November 5, 2004. 

Ernest Quintana, 

Regional Director, Midwest Region.

[FR Doc. 04–28287 Filed 12–27–04; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4312–92–P

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

National Park Service 

Final Environmental Impact Statement/

Fire Management Plan Point Reyes 

National Seashore Marin County, CA; 

Notice of Approval of Record of 

Decision

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

National Environmental Policy Act of 

1969 (Public Law 91–190, as amended) 

and the implementing regulations 

promulgated by the Council on 

Environmental Quality (40 CFR 1505.2), 

the Department of the Interior, National 

Park Service has prepared, and the 

Regional Director, Pacific West Region 

has approved, the Record of Decision for 

the updated Fire Management Plan for 

Point Reyes National Seashore. The 

formal no-action period was officially 

initiated September 10, 2004, with the 

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s 

Federal Register notification of the 

filing of the Final Environmental Impact 

Statement (EIS). 

Decision: As soon as practicable the 

park will begin to implement as its 

updated Fire Management Plan the 

‘‘Increase Natural Resource 

Enhancement and Expand Hazardous 

Fuel Reduction’’ alternative contained 

in the Draft and Final EIS (also 

described and analyzed as the 

Alternative C). The selected plan 

features a long-term, coordinated 

strategy to restore native plant cover, 

reduce infestations of invasive nonnative plants, increase abundance of 

federally listed species, and protect or 

enhance cultural resources and historic 

scenes. Use of prescribed fire or 

mechanical treatments on up to 3,500 

acres could be undertaken, so as to 

protect high priority areas having 

hazardous fuels (any actions deemed 

essential to occur within Wilderness 

would be executed only after first 

determining the ‘‘minimum tool’’

appropriate to accomplish the necessary 

work). As documented through the EIS 

process, this plan was also deemed to be 

the ‘‘environmentally preferred’’

alternative. 

This course of action and two 

alternatives were identified and 

analyzed in the Final EIS, and 

previously in the Draft EIS (the latter 

was distributed in spring, 2004). The 

full spectrum of foreseeable 

environmental consequences was 

assessed, and appropriate mitigation 

measures identified, for each 

alternative. Beginning with early 

scoping, through the preparation of the 

Draft and Final EIS, several public 

meetings and numerous interagency 

reviews were conducted, and newsletter 

updates were regularly provided (only 

seven written comments responding to 

the Draft EIS were received, with minor 

points raised). Key consultations which 

aided in preparing the Draft and Final 

EIS involved (but were not limited to) 

the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 

National Marine Fisheries Service, 

California Department of Fish and 

Game, State Historic Preservation 

Office, native American Tribes, regional 

air quality management districts, and 

adjoining land managing agencies. Local 

communities, county and city officials, 

and interested organizations were 

contacted extensively during initial 

scoping and throughout the fire 

planning process. 

Copies: Interested parties desiring to 

review the Record of Decision may 

obtain a complete copy by contacting 

the Superintendent, Point Reyes 

National Seashore, Point Reyes, CA 

94956; or via telephone request at (415) 

464–5100.

Dated: October 29, 2004. 

Jonathan B. Jarvis, 

Regional Director, Pacific West Region.

[FR Doc. 04–28293 Filed 12–27–04; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4312–FW–P

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

National Park Service 

General Management Plan, Final 

Environmental Impact Statement, Rio 

Grande Wild and Scenic River, Texas

AGENCY: National Park Service, 

Department of the Interior.

ACTION: Notice of Availability of the 

Final Environmental Impact Statement 

for the General Management Plan, Rio 

Grande Wild and Scenic River. 

SUMMARY: The National Park Service 

announces the availability of the Final 

Environmental Impact Statement for the 

General Management Plan for Rio 

Grande Wild and Scenic River, Texas. 

This is being done pursuant to the 

National Environmental Policy Act of 

1969, 42 U.S.C. 4332(C).

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 

77774 Federal Register / Vol. 69, No. 248 / Tuesday, December 28, 2004 / Notices 

availability of the Final Environmental 

Impact Statement.

ADDRESSES: Copies of the General 

Management Plan and Environmental 

Impact Statement are available from the 

Superintendent, John King, Rio Grande 

Wild and Scenic River, P.O. Box 129, 

Big Bend National Park, TX 79834–

0129, (432) 477–1101. Public reading 

copies of the document will be available 

at the following locations:

Office of the Superintendent, Rio 

Grande Wild and Scenic River, c/o 

Big Bend National Park, 1 

Headquarters Dr., Big Bend National 

Park, TX 79834. 

NPS Intermountain Support Office, 

Planning and Environmental Quality, 

12795 W. Alameda Parkway, 

Lakewood, CO 80228, Telephone: 

(303) 987–6671.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Lou 

Good, Management Assistant, Rio 

Grande Wild and Scenic River, P.O. Box 

129, Big Bend National Park, TX 79834–

0129, 432–477–1103.

Dated: November 3, 2004. 

Steven P. Martin, 

Director, Intermountain Region, National 

Park Service.

[FR Doc. 04–28294 Filed 12–27–04; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4310–KF–P

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

National Park Service 

Decision Notice and Finding of No 

Significant Impact (FONSI) for the 

Proposal To Improve the Arlington 

County, VA Potomac Interceptor Sewer 

System

AGENCY: National Park Service, Interior.

ACTION: Availability of the Decision 

Notice and FONSI for the proposal to 

improve the Arlington County, Virginia 

Potomac Interceptor Sewer System. 

SUMMARY: Pursuant to Council on 

Environmental Quality regulations and 

National Park Service (NPS) policy, the 

NPS announces the availability of the 

Decision Notice and FONSI for the 

Improvements to the Arlington County, 

Virginia Potomac Interceptor Sewer 

System. The Decision Notice and FONSI 

identify Alternative A as selected by the 

NPS for action. It is the preferred and 

environmentally preferred alternative in 

the Environmental Assessment. Under 

this alternative, improvements will be 

made to the existing sewer system 

which will minimize impacts to the 

environment and the community by 

providing additional sewer capacity to 

eliminate sewer overflows, back-ups 

and surcharging, to address the aging 

elements of the system, while 

maintaining continuous service to 

existing users, to provide available 

capacity for future users, and implement 

a cost-effective project that minimizes 

capital and operating costs.

DATES: The Environmental Assessment, 

upon which the decision and FONSI 

were made, was available for public 

comment for 30 days in June—July 

2003. Three responses were received in 

favor of the preferred alternative.

ADDRESSES: The Decision Notice and 

FONSI will be available for public 

inspection Monday through Friday, 8 

a.m. through 4 p.m. at the GWMP 

Headquarters, Turkey Run Park, 

McLean, Virginia. The FONSI can also 

be viewed on the GWMP Web site at 

http://www.nps.gov/gwmp.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The 

Decision Notice and FONSI completes 

the Environmental Assessment process.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms. 

Sarah Koenen (703) 289–2540.

Dated: October 18, 2004. 

Audrey F. Calhoun, 

Superintendent, George Washington 

Memorial Parkway.

[FR Doc. 04–28292 Filed 12–27–04; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4312–52–P

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

National Park Service 

Environmental Statements; Record of 

Decision: Pictured Rocks National 

Lakeshore, MI

AGENCY: National Park Service, 

Department of the Interior.

ACTION: Notice of Availability of a 

Record of Decision on the Final 

Environmental Impact Statement for the 

General Management Plan/Wilderness 

Study, Pictured Rocks National 

Lakeshore. 

SUMMARY: Pursuant to section 102(2)(C) 

of the National Environmental Policy 

Act of 1969, Public Law 91–190, 83 Stat. 

852, 853, as codified as amended at 42 

U.S.C. 4332(2)(C), the National Park 

Service (NPS) announces the 

availability of the Record of Decision 

(ROD) for the General Management 

Plan/Wilderness Study (GMP/WS), 

Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore 

(PIRO), Michigan. The Midwest 

Regional Director has approved the ROD 

for the GMP/WS. Specifically, the NPS 

has selected the preferred alternative as 

described in the Final General 

Management/Wilderness Study/

Environmental Impact Statement 

(FGMP/WS/EIS). Under the selected 

action, the NPS will provide additional 

and more convenient access to 

significant national lakeshore features, 

thus expanding opportunities for visitor 

use in the national lakeshore. Natural 

ecological processes will be allowed to 

occur, and restoration programs will be 

initiated where necessary. Federal lands 

in the Beaver Basin area in the national 

lakeshore (about 16 percent of the 

lakeshore) will be proposed for 

designation as wilderness. Vehicular 

access to Little Beaver Lake campground 

will remain, however structures within 

the proposed wilderness will be 

removed. Other roads in Beaver Basin 

will be closed and converted to trails or 

allowed to revert to natural vegetation. 

To accommodate possible increased use 

and to increase ease of access in the 

portion of the national lakeshore not 

proposed for wilderness, certain roads 

will be upgraded (upgrading portions of 

County Road H–58 will be 

recommended), and a drive-in 

campground in the Miners area and a 

boat-in campsite on Grand Sable Lake 

will be added. Operational facilities will 

be consolidated at the ends of the 

national lakeshore for efficiency. The 

selected action and four other 

alternatives were analyzed in the draft 

and final EIS. The full range of 

foreseeable environmental 

consequences was assessed. 

Among the alternatives the NPS 

considered, the selected action best 

protects PIRO’s natural and cultural 

resources, and its core wilderness 

resource, while also providing a range of 

quality recreational and educational 

experiences. It also meets NPS goals for 

managing the lakeshore, and meets 

national environmental policy goals. 

The preferred alternative will not result 

in the impairment of resources and 

values. 

The ROD includes a statement of the 

decision made, synopses of other 

alternatives considered, the basis for the 

decision, the rationale for why the 

selected action is the environmentally 

preferred alternative, a finding of no 

impairment of park resources and 

values, and an overview of public 

involvement in the decision-making 

process.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Karen Gustin, Superintendent, Pictured 

Rocks National Lakeshore, P.O. Box 40, 

N8391 Sand Point Rd., Munising, MI 

49862–0040, or by calling 906–387–

2607. The official responsible for this 

decision is Ernest Quintana, the 

Regional Director, Midwest Region.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Copies of 

the ROD may be obtained from the 

contact listed above or may be viewed