[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 52 (Monday, March 19, 2007)]
[Notices]
[Pages 12828-12829]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 07-1311]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

National Park Service

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Highway Administration


Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for 
the Foothills Parkway Section 8B, Great Smoky Mountains National Park

AGENCIES: National Park Service; and Federal Highway Administration.

ACTION: Notice of Intent to Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement 
for the Foothills Parkway Section 8B, Great Smoky Mountains National 
Park.

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SUMMARY: Pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, 42 
U.S.C. 4332(2)(C), the National Park Service (NPS) and the Federal 
Highway Administration, Eastern Federal Lands Highway Division will 
serve as joint lead agencies in the preparation of an Environmental 
Impact Statement (EIS) for the Foothills Parkway Section 8B, Great 
Smoky Mountains National Park, Tennessee. Section 8B is located in 
Sevier and Cocke Counties, Tennessee. This effort will analyze the 
impacts of alternatives for this section of the Foothills Parkway.
    The public scoping process for this EIS has been initiated with 
issuance of this notice. The purpose of the scoping process is to 
elicit public comment regarding the full spectrum of public issues and 
concern that should be addressed in the EIS process, including a 
suitable range of alternatives, the nature and extent of potential 
environmental impacts, and appropriate mitigation strategies.
    A suitable range of alternatives will be considered along with the 
no-action alternative, including, but not limited to construction of a 
road through this section of the Parkway corridor, construction of a 
trail instead of a road, and construction of a combination road and 
trail.
    A scoping newsletter will be prepared in spring 2007 that will 
detail the issues identified to date. Copies of the newsletter when 
available may be obtained from the NPS Planning, Environment, and 
Public Comment (PEPC) Web site: http://parkplanning.nps.gov.

DATES: Beginning in spring 2007, public information meetings will be 
held in the vicinity of Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The 
location, date, and time of the meetings and deadlines for written 
comments will be announced via local and regional media. Announcements 
will also be placed on the following Web sites: http://parkplanning.nps.gov and http://www.efl.fhwa.dot.gov. All interested 
individuals, organizations, and agencies are invited to attend these 
meetings to comment verbally or provide written comments and 
suggestions during the scoping period.

ADDRESSES: Information will be available for public review and comment 
online at http://parkplanning.nps.gov and in the office of the 
Superintendent, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, 107 Park 
Headquarters Road, Gatlinburg, Tennessee 37738, Telephone: 865-436-
1207.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: National Park Service, Foothills 
Parkway Section 8B EIS, Attention: Superintendent, Great Smoky 
Mountains National Park, 107 Park Headquarters Road, Gatlinburg, 
Tennessee 37738. Telephone: 865-436-1207.
    Federal Highways, Eastern Federal Lands Highway Division, Jack Van 
Dop, Environmental Specialist, Federal Highway Administration, 21400

[[Page 12829]]

Ridgetop Circle, Sterling, Virginia 20166. Telephone: 703-404-6282.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: If you wish to comment on the scoping 
newsletter or on any other issues associated with this action, you may 
mail or hand-deliver comments to the address listed above, or you may 
comment via the NPS PEPC Web site. 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.
    The authority for publishing this notice is contained in 40 CFR 
1506.6.
    The responsible officials for this EIS are Patricia A. Hooks, 
Regional Director, Southeast Region, National Park Service, 100 Alabama 
Street, SW., 1924 Building, Atlanta, Georgia 30303, and Donald R. 
Tuggle, Director of Program Administration, Federal Highways 
Administration, Eastern Federal Lands Highway Division, 21400 Ridgetop 
Circle, Sterling, Virginia 20166.

    Dated: January 17, 2007.
Patricia A. Hooks,
Regional Director, Southeast Region.
    Dated: January 11, 2007.
Donald R. Tuggle,
Director of Program Administration, FHWA-EFLHD.
[FR Doc. 07-1311 Filed 3-16-07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-8A-P