Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 19 / Wednesday, January 29, 1997 / Notices 4325

that will specifically describe the action

for which we are requesting input.

4. Instructions on NOI To Prepare and

EIS

Federal Agencies and State and local

governments and other interested

parties are requested to send their

written comments on the scope of the

EIS, significant issues which should be

addressed, and alternatives that should

be considered to the Regional

Supervisor, Leasing and Environment,

Gulf of Mexico OCS Region, at the

address stated under ‘‘Description of

Area.’’ Comments should be enclosed in

an envelope labeled ‘‘Comments on the

NOI to Prepare an EIS on the proposed

1998–2001 Lease Sales in the Western

Gulf of Mexico.’’ Comments on the NOI

should be submitted no later than 45

days from publication of this Notice.

Scoping meetings will be held in

appropriate locations to obtain

additional comments and information

regarding the scope of the EIS.

Dated: January 23, 1997.

Cynthia Quarterman,

Director, Minerals Management Service.

[FR Doc. 97–2210 Filed 1–28–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4310–MR–M

National Park Service

General Management Plan; Final

Environmental Impact Statement;

Manzanar National Historic Site;

Record of Decision

Summary: Pursuant to Section

102(2)(C) of the National Environmental

Policy Act of 1969 (Pub. L. 91–190 as

amended), and specifically to

regulations promulgated by the Council

on Environmental Quality at 40 CFR

1505.2, the National Park Service,

Department of the Interior, has

approved a Record of Decision (ROD)

for the Final General Management Plan

and Environmental Impact Statement,

Manzanar National Historic Site,

California.

The National Park Service will

implement the proposed plan as

identified in the Final Environmental

Impact Statement, dated August, 1996.

Copies of the Record of Decision and

final environmental impact statement

may be obtained by writing to the

Superintendent, Manzanar National

Historic Site, P.O. Box 426,

Independence, CA. 93526–0426 or by

calling the park at (619) 878–2932.

Dated: January 8, 1997.

Stanley T. Albright,

Field Director, Pacific West Area.

[FR Doc. 97–2072 Filed 1–28–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4310–70–P

Rock Creek Tennis Stadium Record of

Decision

Summary

Pursuant to § 102(2)(C) of the National

Environmental Policy Act (42 U.S.C.

4332 et seq.) and the regulations

promulgated by the Council of

Environmental Quality (40 CFR 1505.2),

the Department of the Interior, National

Park Service, has prepared a Record of

Decision on the Final Environmental

Impact Statement for the Rock Creek

Tennis Center and Associated

Recreation Fields, Washington, D.C.,

(FES 950286). This Record of Decision

is a concise statement of what decisions

were made, what alternatives were

considered, the basis for the decision,

and the mitigating measures developed

to avoid or minimize environmental

impacts.

Background

The purpose of the Environmental

Impact Statement (EIS) was to examine

impacts related to the activities at the

tennis center and surrounding fields so

those impacts could be considered in

making a decision regarding future

management of the Rock Creek Park

Tennis Center and associated recreation

fields. Currently, two major professional

tennis tournaments a year may be held

at the stadium under the auspices of the

Washington Tennis Foundation. The

Washington Tennis Foundation, as well

as other groups and organizations, has

asked to use the tennis center for a

variety of activities.

Decision

The National Park Service will

implement alternative 2, the preferred

alternative, with two modifications.

Alternative 2 allows for one

professional tennis tournament to be

held annually at the tennis center.

Amateur and league tennis and public

court use and instruction would

continue. This alternative assumes that

the professional tournament would be

operated in accordance with the Interim

Operating Plan between the National

Park Service and the Washington Tennis

Foundation and existing regulations (36

CFR 7.96) with regard to limited

commercial activities at the tennis

center.

The modifications to alternative 2 are

as follows. First, the National Park

Service will retain management

authority to consider allowing a second

large-scale tennis event on a case-bycase basis under certain circumstances

(but only when such an event would

generate a significant amount of funding

in advance for tennis programs for

youth, seniors and special populations).

Second, the National Park Service will

retain management authority to consider

allowing parking on the grass

recreational field south of Morrow Drive

(the south field) on a trial basis in

varying configurations provided that

weather and field conditions permit and

provided that recreational opportunities

on the field remain and can be

satisfactorily segregated.

In order to implement this decision,

previous agreements with the

Washington Tennis Foundation that

allow a second tournament would be

superseded by a new agreement

restricting the use of the center to one

annual professional tournament. The

Washington Tennis Foundation would

not have any contractual rights to a

second tournament. As part of the new

agreement, the National Park Service

would seek funding or reimbursement

from the Washington Tennis

Foundation for repairs of structural

defects and/or accessibility

modifications to the tennis stadium.

The annual professional tennis

tournament would last approximately

20 days—7 days for the setup of

equipment and facilities, 8 days of

tournament play, and 5 days for

takedown of equipment and facilities.

Attendance would be limited to 7,500

spectators per session.

In addition to restrictions for parking

on the fields that were incorporated into

alternative 2, the mitigation measures

adopted are improving uses of remote

parking lots and a shuttle bus system,

attempting to restrict on-street parking,

and prohibiting concurrent events at

both the Rock Creek Tennis Center and

the Carter Barron Amphitheatre.

Alternatives Considered

Four alternatives were dismissed from

further analysis in the EIS. Changing the

jurisdiction of stadium management

from the National Park Service to

another governmental entity such as the

District of Columbia and operating all

stadium activities under a concession

contract were eliminated because these

alternatives would not alter the

magnitude of the impacts. Creating a

recreational use zone encompassing the

stadium and fields with distinct

operational policies and objectives, and

limiting the attendance levels and

duration of stadium activities were

incorporated into the alternatives as

mitigation measures, where appropriate,