64734 Federal Register / Vol. 71, No. 213 / Friday, November 3, 2006 / Notices 

and need special assistance, such as 

sign language interpretation or other 

reasonable accommodations, should 

contact the BLM as provided above. 

Dated: October 30, 2006. 

Lewis M. Brown, 

District Manager. 

[FR Doc. E6–18577 Filed 11–2–06; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4310–GG–P 

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR 

National Park Service 

Draft Environmental Impact Statement 

and Environmental Impact Report; 

Giacomini Wetlands Restoration 

Project, Point Reyes National 

Seashore, Marin County, CA; Notice of 

Availability 

Summary: Pursuant to § 102(2)(C) of 

the National Environmental Policy Act 

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

and the Council on Environmental 

Quality Regulations (40 CFR part 1500–

1508), the National Park Service, 

Department of the Interior, has prepared 

a Draft Environmental Impact Statement 

identifying and evaluating the no action 

alternative and four action alternatives 

for restoration activities in Giacomini 

Wetlands. When approved, the project 

planning will guide the NPS in 

restorating lands at the headwaters of 

Tomales Bay, Marin County, California. 

Because some of the proposed project 

area includes state, county and private 

lands, the Draft Environmental Impact 

Statement also includes information as 

required by the California 

Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) for a 

Draft Environmental Impact Report 

(DEIR). The California State Lands 

Commission is the CEQA lead agency 

for this project. The potential impacts of 

a ‘‘no action’’ alternative and four 

‘‘action’’ alternatives are assessed and, 

where appropriate, mitigation measures 

are applied to reduce the intensity of the 

potential effect or to avoid the potential 

effect. Three other preliminary 

alternatives were considered but 

rejected because they did not achieve 

the objectives of the restoration plan or 

were infeasible. 

Planning Background 

Point Reyes National Seashore is a 

unit of the National Park Service (NPS) 

that is located in Marin County, 

California. It was established by 

Congress on September 13, 1962, ‘‘to 

save and preserve, for the purpose of 

public recreation, benefit, and 

inspiration, a portion of the diminishing 

seashore of the United States that 

remains undeveloped’’ (Pub. L. 87–657). 

A large portion of Tomales Bay 

watershed lands were acquired by the 

NPS in the 1960s and 1970s for 

establishment of two neighboring 

parks—Point Reyes National Seashore 

(Seashore) and Golden Gate National 

Recreation Area (GGNRA). In 1980, the 

boundary for GGNRA was expanded to 

include the Giacomini Ranch and the 

eastern portion of Tomales Bay. The 

Giacomini Ranch falls within the north 

district of the GGNRA, which is 

administered by the Seashore. 

The Seashore is proposing to restore 

wetlands at a historic coastal salt marsh 

site known as the Waldo Giacomini 

Ranch in Tomales Bay, an embayment 

that borders the Seashore to the north. 

The property was diked in 1946 and has 

been used by the Waldo Giacomini 

Family as a dairy since then. The action 

is being considered now by the Seashore 

because funds were recently received to 

purchase the property. At least a portion 

of the funding for the purchase came 

from the California Department of 

Transportation (Caltrans), which was 

under obligation to the California 

Coastal (CCC) to mitigate for impacts 

resulting from the Lone Tree road repair 

conducted in the early 1990s. The CCC 

eventually allowed Caltrans to fulfill 

mitigation obligations by making funds 

available to the NPS to purchase, 

restore, and manage an alternative 

wetland site. These funds were spent in 

2000 to purchase a portion of the 563- 

acre historic coastal salt marsh. While 

the NPS is obligated under its agreement 

with Caltrans and CCC to mitigate only 

a total of 3.6 acres, the NPS believes that 

the potential value of the historic salt 

marsh is significant not only to the 

Seashore and its resource conservation 

objectives, but to the Tomales Bay 

watershed ecosystem as a whole. 

Tomales Bay was recently declared 

impaired for sediment, nutrients, and 

fecal coliform by the San Francisco 

Regional Water Quality Control Board 

under Section 303(d) of the Clean Water 

Act. Coastal wetlands act as both a food 

source and filtering system for estuarine 

and marine systems, and the loss of 

these wetlands in many parts of the bay 

has contributed to this designation. The 

diking of the Giacomini Ranch, a deltaic 

land feature at the head of Tomales Bay, 

resulted in the loss of a large percentage 

of the coastal tidal wetlands, which 

restoration as proposed will return. 

The project purpose and goals reflect 

a broad ecosystem-level approach to 

restoration. The project purpose is to 

restore natural hydrologic processes 

within a significant portion of the area, 

thereby promoting restoration of 

ecological processes and functions. 

Three goals were developed to support 

the overall purpose: (1) Restore natural, 

self-sustaining tidal, fluvial (streamflow), and groundwater hydrologic 

processes in a significant portion of the 

area, thereby enabling reestablishment 

of some of the ecological processes and 

functions associated with wetland and 

riparian areas, such as water quality 

improvement, floodwater storage, food 

chain support, and wildlife habitat. (2) 

Pursue a watershed-based approach to 

restoration in that restoration planning 

will emphasize opportunities to 

improve ecological conditions within 

the entire Tomales Bay watershed, not 

just in the Project Area itself. (3) To the 

extent possible, incorporate 

opportunities for the public to 

experience and enjoy the restoration 

process as long as opportunities do not 

conflict with the project’s purpose or 

with NPS, CSLC, or other agency 

legislation or policies. 

For these reasons, the Seashore 

proposes to restore natural hydrologic 

and ecological processes on most or all 

of the 563-acre property, and several 

courses of action for accomplishing this 

restoration that encompass a full range 

of hydrologic options are being 

considered. These include: removal of 

all levees and berms, partial removal of 

levees and berms, lowering height of 

levees and berms, and installation of 

tidegates or culverts. The alternatives 

developed may be changed and/or 

refined based on public input and their 

ability to meet NPS and public 

objectives. 

Proposed Giacomini Wetlands 

Restoration Plan 

Alternative C (Preferred Alternative)—

Full Restoration of the Giacomini Ranch 

East and West Pastures and Restoration 

of Olema Marsh, with Moderate Public 

Access. This alternative involves 

complete removal of levees in both the 

West and East Pasture, increasing tidal 

channel creation, grading, and 

revegetation. In addition, the project 

boundary for this alternative has been 

expanded to include Olema Marsh, 

which is located south of the Giacomini 

Ranch and White House Pool and is 

owned by Audubon Canyon Ranch 

(ACR) and the NPS. Olema Marsh and 

the Giacomini Ranch once formed an 

integrated tidal wetland complex. In 

Alternative C, there would be an 

adaptive restoration approach proposed 

for Olema Marsh that would include a 

phased approach to shallow channel 

excavation, vegetated berm removal, 

and potential replacement of Levee 

Road and Bear Valley Road culverts in 

the future should initial restoration 

efforts not achieve the desired degree of 

success. Public access components of 

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Federal Register / Vol. 71, No. 213 / Friday, November 3, 2006 / Notices 64735 

Alternative C include the southern 

perimeter path and two spur trails on 

the eastern perimeter of the Giacomini 

Ranch. 

Alternative to Proposed Plan 

Under the ‘‘baseline’’ No Action 

Alternative, levees, tidegates, and 

culverts in the Giacomini Ranch will 

remain. An 11-acre area will be restored 

on the northeast corner of the east 

pasture to satisfy mitigation 

requirements for impacts caused by Cal 

Trans to aquatic habitat from a road 

repair on State Route 1 in Marin County 

in exchange for the NPS receiving 

monies to purchase and restore the 

Giacomini Ranch. The remainder of the 

levees in the East Pasture and West 

Pasture would remain, although there 

would be no levee maintenance. Under 

the No Action Alternative only, there is 

potential for limited grazing, with 

consultation conducted under a separate 

compliance process. Olema Marsh 

would not be restored, and there would 

be no new public access facilities. 

Alternative A 

Limited Restoration of the Giacomini 

Ranch East Pasture Only with Expanded 

Public Access, Including Culverted 

Earthen Fill Trail on Eastern 

Perimeter—Alternative A would involve 

selective breaching of the East Pasture 

levee, while levees and tidegates in the 

West Pasture would not be removed. A 

limited amount of tidal channel 

creation, creek bank grading, and 

revegetation would also be performed in 

the East Pasture. Most of the actions 

under this alternative focus on removal 

agricultural infrastructure such as filling 

of ditches, ripping of compacted roads, 

fence removal, and removal of pumps, 

pipelines, and concrete spillways, as 

well as removal of ranch buildings. As 

part of the public access, the southern 

perimeter trail would include a 

prefabricated bridge across Lagunitas 

Creek, near the old summer dam 

location across from White House Pool 

County Park. The bridge design would 

place footings outside of the active 

channel, thereby reducing effects on 

hydrologic processes. Future extension 

of the southern perimeter trail, in 

collaboration with the County of Marin, 

would connect White House Pool 

County Park with a path along Sir 

Francis Drake that would either run 

alongside Sir Francis Drake Boulevard 

or move off the road at the southern end 

of the unrestored West Pasture onto a 

low-elevation boardwalk that would 

join back with Sir Francis Drake 

Boulevard in Inverness Park. The other 

infrastructure constructed would be a 

culverted berm through trail on the 

eastern perimeter of the East Pasture. 

Alternative B 

Moderate Restoration of the 

Giacomini Ranch East Pasture and 

Limited Restoration of the West Pasture 

with Expanded Public Access, Including 

Boardwalk Trail on Eastern Perimeter. 

This alternative would completely 

remove the East Pasture levees and 

create several breaches in the West 

Pasture levee, as well as remove the 

tidegate on Fish Hatchery Creek. There 

would be no activities undertaken with 

Olema Marsh. Most of the new public 

access facilities would continue to be 

limited to the eastern and southern 

perimeters of the East Pasture, including 

construction of the pedestrian access 

bridge across Lagunitas Creek near the 

old summer dam, and a planning area 

for continuation of the southern 

perimeter trail to Inverness Park. The 

culverted-earthen fill portion of the 

eastern perimeter through-trail in 

Alternative A is replaced with a 

boardwalk in Alternative B. On the West 

Pasture north levee, a viewing area 

would replace the existing informal 

trail. 

Alternative D (Environmentally 

Preferred Alternative) 

Extensive Restoration of the 

Giacomini Ranch East Pasture, Full 

Restoration of the West Pasture, and 

Restoration of Olema Marsh with 

Limited Public Access. This alternative 

is very similar to Alternative C with no 

changes in the West Pasture. The very 

southern end of the East Pasture would 

be excavated to bring elevations down 

to intertidal elevations. Tomasini Creek 

would be fully realigned into one of its 

historic channel alignments, and the 

Mesa Road culverts on Tomasini Creek 

would be replaced to improve hydraulic 

connectivity, creek flow, and passage of 

salmonid species. As with Alternative 

C, there would be an adaptive 

restoration approach proposed for 

Olema Marsh that would include a 

phased approach to shallow channel 

excavation, vegetated berm removal, 

and potential replacement of Levee 

Road and Bear Valley Road culverts in 

the future should initial restoration 

efforts not achieve the desired degree of 

success. Public access components 

would include an improved spur trail 

leading to the edge of the Dairy Mesa 

and an improved spur trial on the 

southern perimeter following the 

existing alignment of the informal social 

path, but no bridge. On the eastern 

perimeter, a spur trail would be created 

on the historic railroad grade that would 

extend the existing Tomales Bay Trail. 

Actions Common to All Alternatives 

There are a series of activities 

common to all alternatives. These 

actions include discontinuation of 

agricultural land management on the 

property. Removal of general 

agricultural infrastructure and buildings 

would be conducted on upland areas. In 

addition, the Giacomins would remove 

all personal property from the premises, 

including worker housing trailers near 

Mesa Road. Water rights to Lagunitas 

Creek, acquired as part of the transfer of 

ownership would be dedicated to instream flow. Sediment transport and 

deposition from Fish Hatchery Creek 

and the 1906 Drainage regularly affect 

private residences and property adjacent 

to the project area. The Seashore 

proposes to continue to perform 

maintenance of the downstream portion 

of these creeks on an annual or periodic 

basis as needed to ensure that sediment 

deposition does not elevate flood risk to 

adjacent properties. finally, the NPS 

will be working with the USGS on a 

project to expand the tidewater goby 

population within the southern portions 

of Tomales Bay. 

Scoping Summary 

On September 23, 2002, a Notice of 

Intent (NOI) to prepare an 

Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) 

and to conduct public scoping was 

published in the Federal Register, 

initiating the environmental impact 

analysis process for the proposed 

wetlands restoration project. On 

September 25, 2002, a copy of the NOI 

and scoping information was sent to 45 

adjacent landowners to the project site 

and 163 persons and organizations on a 

public review request list maintained by 

the Seashore. On October 4, 2002, the 

NOI was distributed to the Governor’s 

Office of Planning and Research State 

Clearinghouse for distribution to 

interested state agencies (due to delays 

at the State Clearinghouse in 

distributing the NOI, the EIS scoping 

period for state agencies was extended 

to December 5, 2002). On october 2, 

2002, a press release announcing public 

scoping was distributed to the Point 

Reyes Light, Marin Independent Journal, 

and Press Democrat, as well as 28 other 

media outlets, including newspapers, 

radio stations, and television stations. 

The press release was also posted on the 

Seashore’s website. A notice of the 

public scoping was printed in the Point 

Reyes Light newspaper on October 3, 

2002. The Seashore also mailed 1,380 

notices announcing the public Advisory 

Commission meeting on October 19, 

2002, would consider the Giacomini 

Wetlands Restoration project as an 

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64736 Federal Register / Vol. 71, No. 213 / Friday, November 3, 2006 / Notices 

agenda item. The 45-day public scoping 

period for the EIS closed November 8, 

2002. 

Public comments were heard at a 

public information meeting at the Point 

Reyes Dance palace at the October 19, 

2002, Advisory Commission meeting at 

the Point Reyes Dance Palace where 

approximately 30 to 40 members of the 

public attended. The Point Reyes Light 

published an account of the meeting on 

October 24, 2002. The public meeting 

featured a short overview of the planned 

restoration process, the environmental 

planning process, a brief history and 

summary of the project location, and 

potential benefits and impacts of 

restoration. At the end of the 

presentation, the meeting was opened 

for public comment, with nine members 

of the public providing comments. The 

topics covered by the public comments 

included issues around public access, 

land use planning, hydrology, 

alternatives and project planning. In 

addition to the public meeting, 

approximately 86 individuals or private 

organizations mailed, faxed, or e-mailed 

comments regarding the proposed 

project. commenting organizations 

include the Environmental Action 

Committee of West Marin, Marin 

County Bicycle Coalition, Access4bikes, 

Manzanal Homeowners Association, 

and Audubon Canyon Ranch. the 

Seashore and CSLC also received 

comments from the CCC; CalTrans; 

North Marin Water District (NMWD); 

Marin County Department of Parks, 

Open Space, and Cultural Services; 

Marin County Department of Public 

Works; and the State of California 

Department of Food and Agriculture 

and the County Supervisor for the 

Fourth District, Steve Kinsey. After 

scoping closed, a staff report was 

prepared summarizing comments 

received during initial scoping. 

Following agreement by the California 

State Lands Commission (CSLC) to act 

as the lead CEQA agency, a Notice of 

Preparation for preparation of a joint 

EIS/EIR was prepared by CSLC, the lead 

CEQA agency, and distributed to the 

State Clearinghouse, which circulated 

the Notice of Preparation between May 

29 and June 30, 2003. The public 

scoping period for the joint EIS/EIR 

closed on June 30, 2003. 

Since the initial scoping phase 

concluded, the Seashore has held two 

additional public workshops to update 

interested parties with regard to 

conceptual project alternatives and 

public access alternatives. The Seashore 

has summarized results of public 

feedback, and incorporated this 

information into the final proposed 

project alternatives. All written and oral 

comments are documented in the 

project’s administrative record. 

Commenting on the Draft EIS/EIR 

A public workshop on the proposed 

plan will be held during late winter 

2006/07 at the Point Reyes National 

Seashore Red Barn Classroom 

(confirmed date and other workshop 

details will be advertised by direct 

mailing as well as a notice placed in the 

local newspapers). All interested 

individuals, organizations, and agencies 

will be encouraged to provide new 

comments, suggestions, and additional 

information (earlier scoping comments 

need not be resubmitted); all written 

comments must be postmarked not later 

than 60 days following publication in 

the Federal Register by EPA of their 

notice of filing of the availability of the 

Draft EIS/EIR (as soon as this date can 

be confirmed it will be announced on 

the park’s Web site, and included in the 

workshop mailing). Questions at this 

time regarding the Giacomini Wetlands 

Restoration planning process or 

inquiries about the workshop should be 

addressed to the Superintendent either 

by mail (see Addresses below) or by 

telephone at (415) 464–5100. 

Please note that our practice is to 

make comments, including names, 

home addresses, home phone numbers, 

and e-mail addresses of respondents, 

available for public review. Individual 

respondents may request that we 

withhold their names and/or home 

addresses, etc., but if you wish us to 

consider withholding this information 

you must state this prominently at the 

beginning of your comments. In 

addition, you must present a rationale 

for withholding this information. This 

rationale must demonstrate that 

disclosure would constitute a clearly 

unwarranted invasion of privacy. 

Unsupported assertions will not meet 

this burden. In the absence of 

exceptional, documentable 

circumstances, this information will be 

released. We will always make 

submissions from organizations or 

businesses, and from individuals 

identifying themselves as 

representatives of or officials of 

organizations or businesses, available 

for public inspection in their entirety. 

Addresses: Copies of the Draft EIS/EIR 

may be obtained from the 

Superintendent, Point Reyes National 

Seashore, Point Reyes, CA 94956, Attn: 

Giacomini Wetlands Restoration, or by 

e-mail request to: 

pore_planning@nps.gov (in the subject 

line, type: Giacomini Wetlands 

Restoration). The document will be sent 

directly to those who have requested it, 

and also posted on the Internet at the 

park’s Web page (http://www.nps.gov/ 

pore/parkmgmt/planning); and both the 

printed document and digital version on 

compact disk will be available at the 

park headquarters and local libraries. 

Decision 

Following careful analysis of public 

and agency comment on the Draft EIS/ 

EIR, it is anticipated at this time that the 

final EIS/EIR would be available in 

spring of 2007. As a delegated EIS, the 

official responsible for the final decision 

is the Regional Director, Pacific West 

Region, A Record of Decision would not 

be signed sooner than 30 days following 

release of the Final EIS/EIR; notice of 

the decision will be posted in the 

Federal Register and announced in local 

and regional newspapers. Following 

approval of the Giacomini Wetlands 

Restoration Plan, the official responsible 

for undertaking the restoration effort 

will be the Superintendent, Point Reyes 

National Seashore. 

Dated: September 1, 2006. 

Jonathan B. Jarvis, 

Regional Director, Pacific West Region. 

[FR Doc. 06–9001 Filed 11–2–06; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4312–FW–M 

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR 

National Park Service 

General Management Plan/Draft 

Environmental Impact Statement, 

Valley Forge National Historical Park, 

Pennsylvania 

AGENCY: National Park Service, 

Department of the Interior. 

ACTION: Notice of Availability of the 

Draft Environmental Impact Statement 

for the General Management Plan, 

Valley Forge National Historical Park. 

SUMMARY: Pursuant to the National 

Environmental Policy Act of 1969, 42 

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

Service announces the availability of a 

Draft Environmental Impact Statement 

for the General Management Plan for 

Valley Forge National Historical Park, 

Pennsylvania. 

DATES: The National Park Service will 

accept comments on the Draft 

Environmental Impact Statement from 

the public through 60 days from the 

date of publication of this notice in the 

Federal Register. Public meetings will 

be scheduled during the comment 

period. Interested persons may check 

the park Web site at http:// 

www.nps.gov/vafo for date, time, and 

place. 

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