Federal Register / Vol. 74, No. 163 / Tuesday, August 25, 2009 / Notices 42915 

District composed of tent cabins 

surrounding a single-story bathroom 

building. 

• Removal of Dream Lake Dam and 

allowing the area to revert to a riparian/ 

wetland complex. 

Alternative 3 includes: 

• Restoration of Warner Valley fen 

through selective damming of ditches. 

• Creating a concession housing and 

service center outside the Drakesbad 

Historic District composed of a twostory dormitory building with 

bathrooms. 

• Reconstruct Dream Lake Dam to 

Bureau of Reclamation engineering 

standards. 

Scoping and Public Involvement: A 

preliminary scoping effort for the 

Warner Valley comprehensive plan was 

initiated on June 1, 2004, with posting 

of a request at the Drakesbad Guest 

Ranch Lodge for comments about 

potential future management options for 

the upper valley area. Public meetings 

for the Warner Valley Comprehensive 

Site Plan were held during June 13–15, 

2005, in Red Bluff, Chester, and 

Vacaville. Meeting announcements were 

printed in the Red Bluff Daily News, 

Chester Progressive, Redding Record 

Searchlight, and the Sacramento Bee (20 

additional media outlets, including 

newspaper, radio stations, and 

television stations were also notified). 

The formal scoping phase was initiated 

on June 24, 2005, with publication in 

the Federal Register of the Notice of 

Intent to prepare an EIS. Approximately 

700 public scoping announcements 

were distributed including details of 

date, time, and location of the public 

open houses. These outreach activities 

elicited information from individuals, 

agencies, and organizations which aided 

the alternatives formulation and 

environmental impact analysis 

processes. 

Previously, public scoping meetings 

were held for the Dream Lake Dam 

Management Plan during November 4– 

7, 2002, in the Chico, Red Bluff, 

Redding, and Chester. The same media 

outlets mentioned above were notified. 

Formal public scoping for the original 

Dream Lake Dam Management Plan was 

initiated on April 4, 2003, with 

publication of a Notice of Intent to 

prepare an EIS in the Federal Register. 

This initial conservation planning effort 

was expanded into the broader Warner 

Valley Comprehensive Site Plan as it 

became apparent that separate planning 

projects would be more time consuming 

to accomplish. All comments obtained 

throughout the extended scoping effort 

have been fully considered in preparing 

this DEIS. 

Comments: The DEIS will be sent to 

affected Federal, Tribal, State, and local 

government agencies, to interested 

parties, and all those requesting copies 

(specify compact disc or paper format). 

The document will be available at park 

headquarters and at local public 

libraries, and will also be posted on the 

Lassen Volcanic National Park Web site 

(http://www.nps.gov/lavo) and on the 

NPS Planning, Environment and Public 

Comment Web site (http:// 

parkplanning.nps.gov/lavo). All written 

comments must be postmarked or 

transmitted not later than November 21, 

2009. Periodically updated project 

information will be announced via 

regional and local press media and 

posted on the project Web sites. 

Written comments may be submitted 

by letter to Lassen Volcanic National 

Park, Warner Valley DEIS, P.O. Box 100, 

Mineral, CA 96063 (or may be 

transmitted electronically to http:// 

parkplanning.nps.gov/lavo). Public 

meetings will be hosted in Chester, 

Anderson and Vacaville during 

September 2–9, 2009; details including 

time and location will be posted on the 

Lassen Volcanic National Park Web site 

(see above). Questions regarding status 

of project planning may be directed to 

Sean Eagan (530.595.4444 ext 5176 or 

via e-mail sean_eagan@nps.gov). 

All comments are maintained in the 

project’s administrative record and will 

be available for public review at Lassen 

Volcanic National Park Headquarters. 

Before including your address, phone 

number, e-mail 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 comments 

to withhold your personal identifying 

information from public review, we 

cannot guarantee that we will be able to 

do so. 

Decision Process: Following careful 

analysis of all comments as may be 

forthcoming in response to the DEIS, at 

this time it is anticipated that the Final 

EIS would be completed in November 

2009. The availability of the final 

document will be similarly announced 

in the Federal Register, and also 

publicized via local and regional press 

media, direct mailings, and Web site 

postings. No sooner than thirty days 

after the distribution of the Final EIS a 

Record of Decision may be executed. As 

a delegated EIS the approving official 

responsible for the final decision is the 

Regional Director, Pacific West Region. 

Subsequently, the official responsible 

for implementing the approved 

Comprehensive Site Plan will be the 

Superintendent, Lassen Volcanic 

National Park. 

Dated: May 13, 2009. 

Jonathan B. Jarvis, 

Regional Director, Pacific West Region. 

[FR Doc. E9–20437 Filed 8–24–09; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4312–60–P 

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR 

National Park Service 

General Management Plan; City of 

Rocks National Reserve, Cassia 

County, ID; Notice of Intent to Prepare 

an Environmental Impact Statement 

SUMMARY: In accordance with § 102(2) 

(C) of the National Environmental 

Policy Act of 1969 (42 U.S.C. 4321, et 

seq.), the National Park Service (NPS) is 

undertaking a conservation planning 

and environmental impact analysis 

process for creating a new General 

Management Plan (GMP) for City of 

Rocks National Reserve (Reserve), 

Idaho. A Land Protection Plan would 

accompany the GMP and provide 

priorities for both cultural and natural 

resource protection needs. The Land 

Protection Plan is particularly needed to 

guide future land acquisition strategies 

for this unit of the National Park System 

due to the complex ownership of 

private, state, and federal land. The 

GMP is intended to serve as a 

‘‘blueprint’’ to guide management of 

natural and cultural resources and 

visitor use during the next 15–20 years. 

One or more development concept 

plans, which guide more detailed, sitespecific preservation and development, 

may also be included with the GMP. 

Consistent with NPS Planning Program 

Standards, the new GMP will: (1) 

Describe the Reserve’s purpose, 

significance, and primary interpretive 

themes; (2) identify the fundamental 

resources and values of the Reserve, its 

other important resources and values, 

and describe the condition of these 

resources; (3) describe desired 

conditions for cultural and natural 

resources and visitor experiences 

throughout the Reserve; (4) develop 

management zoning to support these 

desired conditions; (5) develop 

alternative applications of these 

management zones to the Reserve’s 

landscape (i.e. zoning alternatives); (6) 

address user capacity; (7) analyze 

potential boundary modifications; (8) 

ensure that management 

recommendations are developed in 

consultation with interested 

stakeholders and the public and 

adopted by NPS leadership after an 

adequate analysis of the benefits, 


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42916 Federal Register / Vol. 74, No. 163 / Tuesday, August 25, 2009 / Notices 

environmental impacts, and economic 

costs of alternative courses of action; (9) 

develop cost estimates implementing 

each of the alternatives; and (10) 

identify and prioritize subsequent 

detailed studies, plans and actions that 

may be needed to implement the 

updated GMP. 

Scoping Process: The purpose of this 

scoping outreach effort is to elicit early 

public feedback regarding issues and 

concerns, nature and extent of potential 

environmental impacts (and appropriate 

mitigations), and GMP alternatives 

which should be addressed in the 

preparing the EIS. Through the outreach 

activities planned during the scoping 

phase, the NPS will compile suggestions 

from the public regarding resource 

protection, visitor use, and land 

management—questions to be posed 

will include: (1) What is most valued 

about City of Rocks National Reserve? 

(2) What are the important issues facing 

the Reserve? (3) Imagining a visit to City 

of Rocks National Reserve 20 years from 

now, describe what you would like to 

experience. (4) Do the purpose and 

significance statements capture the 

essence of City of Rocks National 

Reserve? 

All scoping comments must be 

postmarked or transmitted not later that 

November 15, 2009. Comments may be 

transmitted electronically through the 

NPS Planning, Environment, and Public 

Comment Web site http:// 

parkplanning.nps.gov/ciro. If it is more 

convenient, written comments may be 

sent to: General Management Plan, Attn: 

Wallace Keck, Superintendent, City of 

Rocks National Monument, P.O. Box 

169, Almo, Idaho 83312. Before 

including your address, phone number, 

e-mail 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. 

Beginning in mid-September, a series 

of public meetings will be hosted in 

Almo, Burley, Pocatello, Boise, and 

Ketchem, Idaho. Detailed information 

including dates, times, and specific 

locations for these meetings will be 

posted on the GMP Web site at http:// 

www.nps.gov/ciro/parkmgmt/plan.htm. 

All attendees will be given the 

opportunity to ask questions and 

provide comments to the planning team. 

The GMP Web site will provide the 

most up-to-date information regarding 

the project, including project 

description, planning process updates, 

meeting notices, reports and documents, 

and useful links associated with the 

project. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The 

Reserve was established in 1988 and is 

operating with an outdated 1994 

comprehensive management plan 

(CMP). Production of a new GMP to 

replace the CMP is required by 

Cooperative Agreement between the 

National Park Service and Idaho Parks 

and Recreation Department, as well as a 

joint 2009 Operation Plan and 

Guidelines for Management of the 

Reserve. Major changes have occurred 

in NPS management, policy, land 

ownership, and practices that directly 

affect the Reserve. The preliminary 

spectrum of issues to be addressed in 

the GMP are as follows: 

Cultural Resource Protection and 

Preservation: The Reserve was 

established ‘‘to preserve and protect the 

significant historical and cultural 

resources’’ related to the California Trail 

which passed through the City of Rocks 

between 1843–1882. These resources 

include emigrant inscriptions, trail ruts, 

and landscape characteristics that 

contributed to prominence of City of 

Rocks along the trail. The Reserve also 

manages other cultural resources related 

to Native Americans in the area before 

the California Trail era, and 

homesteading and ranching which postdate the California Trail. These 

resources include archeological sites, 

remnants of homesteads, as well as 

archival and museum objects. The GMP 

will explore various preservation 

treatment options, management 

strategies, and design guidelines for the 

protection of a wide variety of cultural 

resources. Some cultural sites, such as 

Boise-Kelton Stage Station, are located 

on private land within the Reserve and 

contain important historic remnants of 

the California Trail or homesteading 

period. Managing cultural resources on 

both private and public land presents 

challenges, such as protection from 

vandalism, weathering, and impacts 

from visitor use and livestock grazing. 

Natural Resource Protection: The 

Reserve is home to a diversity of plant 

and animal life, as well as the dramatic 

granite rock formations. Invasive 

species, visitor activities, and grazing 

can impact these resources. The GMP 

will explore management needed for 

natural resource protection. In addition, 

the GMP will re-evaluate management 

of the City of Rocks Research Natural 

Area (RNA), status which was inherited 

from the BLM and USFS when the 

Reserve was established. This 312-acre 

area within the Reserve was designated 

for its outstanding natural features, 

natural processes, natural diversity, and 

ecological values. It contains unique 

geologic formations and the northern 

limit of the pinyon-juniper forest type in 

North America. As part of the GMP 

process, current status of RNA resources 

will be reviewed, and a determination 

will be made as to which recreational 

uses, if any, might be appropriate within 

the RNA, whether the RNA designation 

should remain, and whether other areas 

of the Reserve with biological diversity 

should be considered for such 

designation. 

Soundscape/Natural Quiet: Natural 

sounds are a fundamental resource of 

the Reserve, once referred to as the 

‘‘Silent City of Rocks’’. Military and 

commercial overflights, especially at 

night, have an impact on both visitor 

experience and wildlife. Reserve 

operations and visitor activities can also 

contribute to the deterioration of the 

natural soundscape. Baseline acoustical 

monitoring has recently been conducted 

to measure and record the sounds of the 

Reserve. The GMP will present 

recommendations to maintain natural 

sounds and natural quiet. 

Air Quality and Night Skies: Air 

quality in and around southern Idaho is 

some of the most pristine in the nation, 

but it has shown steady deterioration 

over the last ten years. Pristine airsheds 

are a fundamental resource of the 

Reserve and visitor surveys indicate that 

air quality and scenic vistas are among 

the most highly valued characteristics of 

the Reserve. Southern Idaho is also one 

of the best places in the U.S. for viewing 

night skies. The GMP will evaluate ways 

to protect viewsheds, particularly vistas 

associated with the California National 

Historic Trail that bisects the Reserve, 

and to protect the night sky in and 

around the Reserve. 

Climate Change: The potential effects 

of global climate change may include 

changes in temperature, precipitation, 

evaporation and snowpack rate, local 

weather patterns, wildfire frequency, 

and plant communities. Planning and 

management actions will allow the 

Reserve to minimize its greenhouse gas 

emissions, adapt to climate change, and 

interpret changing conditions. The GMP 

will provide guidance on how the 

Reserve will assess, respond to, and 

interpret the impacts of global climate 

change on resources. 

Operations/Facilities: The Reserve has 

an on-going need for staffing, funding, 

and facilities. The visitor center 

proposed in the 1994 CMP has yet to be 

constructed on leased BLM land near 

the Almo entrance into the Reserve—an 

opportunity exists to develop an 

interagency visitor center that would 


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Federal Register / Vol. 74, No. 163 / Tuesday, August 25, 2009 / Notices 42917 

meet needs of the Reserve, the adjacent 

Castle Rocks State Park, and 

neighboring land managing agencies. 

Also, there are insufficient employee 

housing options on either Reserve 

administered land or in the local 

community. The GMP will guide 

planning for these facilities. 

Visitor Experience: Visitors come to 

the Reserve to enjoy the scenery, and to 

climb, hike, and recreate in other ways. 

Visitation to the Reserve is increasing, 

and the demographics of visitors are 

trending to younger adult visitors (25– 

35 years) and smaller group sizes. As 

the visiting population shifts, their 

interests and preferred activities may 

also change. The GMP will use current 

visitor survey data to comprehensively 

address available visitor facilities, 

activities, and programs. Day use and 

camping will be evaluated taking into 

consideration camping opportunities on 

adjacent public and private lands. A 

comprehensive look at the trail system 

with associated parking, picnicking, and 

trailheads will be completed as part of 

the GMP. The GMP will also provide 

guidance on other recreational uses, 

such as hunting and equestrian use, 

including locating staging areas and any 

related facilities. 

Evaluation of Boundaries: The 

National Parks and Recreation Act of 

1978, as amended, requires that GMPs 

consider adequacy of existing 

boundaries. When the Reserve was 

established, it was assumed that the 

private lands and associated ranching 

within the boundary would remain part 

of the Reserve. Since then, many of the 

landowners have opted to sell their land 

to the NPS. Planning for these acquired 

lands will be addressed in the GMP. The 

GMP will also determine if any changes 

to the boundary are appropriate based 

on resource protection, visitor use, and 

land management needs. National 

Historic Landmark and National Natural 

Landmark boundaries that overlay the 

Reserve are configured differently from 

each other and neither covers the entire 

Reserve. Also, the Cassia County 

Historic Preservation Zone does not 

cover the entire Reserve, and therefore 

may not fully protect the cultural and 

natural resources and presents some 

management challenges. The GMP will 

consider recommendations for these 

boundaries so that they might be 

consistent with the extent of the Reserve 

boundary. 

Transportation/Circulation: Access 

and transportation within and through 

the Reserve includes motorized use and 

people on foot, horses, and bicycles. 

Parking is available in both day use and 

overnight camping areas, but overflow 

parking often takes place on roadsides, 

creating safety concerns and causing 

erosion. Staging areas for equestrian use 

have similar issues. Some visitors 

merely pass through the Reserve on 

scenic drives along the City of Rocks 

road. City of Rocks Backcountry Byway 

is an unpaved road that runs through 

the Reserve; this route also has erosion 

issues, due to seasonal weather 

conditions and alignment on 

disintegrating granite soils. The road is 

currently managed by Cassia County, 

which poses some challenges for 

Reserve staff when maintenance is 

needed. The GMP will recommend 

appropriate road maintenance 

standards, including identifying 

appropriate practices for drainage and 

erosion control along the Byway. The 

GMP will also examine an array of 

potential management options for the 

City of Rocks Backcountry Byway, and 

consider all forms of motorized and 

non-motorized transportation and 

evaluate circulation patterns, parking, 

and other transportation options. 

Decision Process: Upon conclusion of 

the scoping phase and following due 

consideration of public concerns and 

comments from other agencies, a Draft 

EIS\GMP will be prepared and released 

for public review. Availability of the 

forthcoming Draft EIS for public review 

and written comment will be formally 

announced in the Federal Register, as 

well as through local and regional news 

media, direct mailing to the project 

mailing list, and via the Internet. 

Following careful consideration of all 

agency and public comment as may be 

received, a Final EIS will be prepared; 

at this time it is anticipated that the 

final plan will be available in 2013. As 

a delegated EIS, the official responsible 

for the final decision on the proposed 

plan is the Regional Director, Pacific 

West Region, National Park Service. 

Subsequently, the official responsible 

for implementation of the approved 

GMP would be the Superintendent, City 

of Rocks National Reserve. 

Dated: July 13, 2009. 

Patricia L. Neubacher, 

Acting Regional Director, Pacific West Region. 

[FR Doc. E9–20438 Filed 8–24–09; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4312–DB–P 

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR 

National Park Service 

New Merced Wild and Scenic River 

Comprehensive Management Plan; 

Yosemite National Park; Madera and 

Mariposa Counties, CA; Notice of 

Extension of Public Scoping Period for 

Environmental Impact Statement 

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

National Environmental Policy Act of 

1969 (Pub. L. 91–190 as amended), the 

National Park Service, Department of 

the Interior, will prepare a Draft 

Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) 

for a Comprehensive Management Plan 

which will guide future management of 

the Merced River corridor in Yosemite 

National Park during the next 10–15 

years. The Notice of Intent to prepare 

the EIS was published in the Federal 

Register on June 30, 2009 (with a 60-day 

public scoping period originally set to 

conclude on August 29, 2009). In 

deference to general public interest 

expressed to date by interested 

individuals, local entities, and 

concerned organizations, the scoping 

period has been extended. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Any 

individual, organization, agency, or 

other interested parties are encouraged 

to provide written comments—any 

further responses must now be 

postmarked or transmitted no later than 

December 4, 2009. Comments already 

provided in response to the June 30, 

2009 Notice of Intent need not be 

resubmitted. All written responses 

should be addressed to the 

Superintendent, Attn: Merced River 

Plan, P.O. Box 577, Yosemite National 

Park, CA 95389, or may be sent via the 

Internet to yose_planning@nps.gov or 

submitted via FAX to (209) 379–1294. 

Before including your address, phone 

number, e-mail address, or other 

personal identifying information, 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. 

Public meetings originally planned to 

be hosted during late July and August 

will be rescheduled for September– 

October. To request meeting details 

(pending confirmation) or to be 

included on the Comprehensive 

Management Plan mailing list, contact 

the park at the address or e-mail noted 

above, or via telephone at (209) 379– 

1365. 


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