14418 Federal Register / Vol. 77, No. 47 / Friday, March 9, 2012 / Notices 

The areas described contain 

approximately 35,551.84 acres in 

Elmore County. 

Boise Meridian, Idaho 

T. 4 S., R. 12 E., 

Secs. 16 to 22, inclusive; 

Secs. 27 to 30, inclusive. 

T. 5 S., R. 12 E., 

Secs. 4 and 6. 

The areas described contain 

approximately 8,312.02 acres in 

Gooding County. The Blair Fire 

motorized vehicle closure will support 

several post-fire stabilization and 

rehabilitation objectives as set forth in 

the environmental assessments for the 

2005 Boise District Fire Emergency 

Stabilization and Rehabilitation Plan 

and the 2005 Shoshone and Burley 

Normal Fire Rehabilitation Plan: (1) 

Allow burned areas to re-establish a 

vegetative cover, which protects the soil 

from erosion and provides for moisture 

retention; (2) allow seeded shrub, forb, 

and grass species to become established; 

(3) allow remaining plants to recover 

from the effects of the fire; and (4) help 

slow the spread of noxious weeds. In 

addition, the closure will help ensure 

the long-term viability of slickspot 

peppergrass, a species listed as 

threatened under the Endangered 

Species Act. Slickspots, which provide 

potential habitat for slickspot 

peppergrass, are particularly susceptible 

to damage from motorized vehicles 

under post-fire conditions. 

The closure will also help ensure the 

long-term viability of habitat for wildlife 

populations in the area by protecting 

key year-round sage-grouse habitat and 

crucial winter habitat for mule deer, 

which suffered significant losses in the 

Blair Fire. For the duration of the 

closure, cross-country motorized use is 

prohibited. The BLM, Walker Reservoir, 

and Lower Hog Creek roads that access 

the burn area will be open from June 1 

through December 31, 2012, and from 

June 1 through September 5, 2013. At all 

times, the area will be open for 

mechanized vehicles, pedestrians, 

equestrian riders, and other nonmotorized transport. 

The BLM will post closure signs at 

main entry points to the closed areas 

and/or other locations on-site. This 

closure will be posted in the Boise 

District and Twin Falls District BLM 

offices. Maps of the affected area and 

other documents associated with this 

closure are available at 3948 

Development Avenue, Boise, Idaho 

83705 and 2536 Kimberly Road, Twin 

Falls, Idaho 83301. 

Under the authority of Section 303(a) 

of the Federal Land Policy and 

Management Act of 1976 (43 U.S.C. 

1733(a)), 43 CFR 8360.0–7, and 43 CFR 

8364.1, the BLM will enforce the 

following rules within the Blair Fire 

closure: 

Motorized vehicles may not be used 

in the closed area except during the 

stated periods and over the designated 

routes described above. 

Exemptions: The following persons 

are exempt from this order: Federal, 

State, and local officers and employees 

in the performance of their official 

duties; members of organized rescue or 

fire-fighting forces in the performance of 

their official duties; and persons with 

written authorization from the BLM. 

Penalties: Any person who violates 

the above rule may be tried before a 

United States Magistrate and fined no 

more than $100,000, imprisoned for no 

more than 12 months, or both. Violators 

may also be subject to the enhanced 

fines provided for in 18 U.S.C. 3571. 

Authority: 43 CFR 8364.1. 

Ruth Miller, 

Shoshone Field Manager. 

Matthew McCoy, 

Acting Four Rivers Field Manager. 

[FR Doc. 2012–5707 Filed 3–8–12; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4310–GG–P 

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR 

National Park Service 

[NPS–ROMO–1201–8979; 1526–0002–630] 

Grand Ditch Breach Restoration Draft 

Environmental Impact Statement, 

Rocky Mountain National Park, CO 

AGENCY: National Park Service, 

Department of the Interior. 

ACTION: Notice of Availability of the 

Draft Environmental Impact Statement 

for the Grand Ditch Breach Restoration, 

Rocky Mountain National 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 Grand Ditch Breach Restoration, 

Rocky Mountain National Park, 

Colorado. The purpose of this 

environmental impact statement is to 

guide management actions in the park to 

restore the hydrological processes, 

ecological services, and wilderness 

character of the area in the Upper 

Kawuneeche Valley impacted by the 

2003 Grand Ditch breach. The National 

Park Service is obligated by law and 

policy to maintain and restore, to the 

extent possible, the natural conditions 

and processes in park units (NPS 

Management Policies 2006, section 

4.1.5). The following objectives for 

restoring the area impacted by the 2003 

Grand Ditch breach are identified in the 

environmental impact statement: restore 

appropriate stream and groundwater 

processes, restore appropriate native 

plant communities, restore the stability 

of the hillside below the breach site, 

restore wilderness character, restore 

wildlife habitat, restore aquatic habitat, 

and restore water quality in the affected 

area and downstream. Five alternatives 

are being considered: Alternative A, 

‘‘the no action alternative,’’ would 

continue current management activities 

within the impacted area, following 

existing management policies and NPS 

guidance. Alternative B, minimal 

restoration, would emphasize less 

intensive management activity to restore 

portions of the impacted area. This 

alternative would focus actions on areas 

that are unstable and present a high 

potential of continued degradation of 

existing ecosystem resources and 

services. Management activities would 

be conducted using hand tools to reduce 

impact on wilderness character. This 

alternative would include stabilization 

of zone 1A, the road-cut hillside 

immediately below the Grand Ditch, 

under one of two stabilization options. 

Alternative C, high restoration, would 

involve more intensive management 

actions over large portions of the 

impacted area. This alternative would 

focus actions on unstable areas that 

present a high to moderate potential of 

continued degradation of existing 

ecosystem resources and services. 

Restoration methods would be used to 

stabilize banks, slopes, and disturbed 

areas; to improve channel stability in 

portions of Lulu Creek and the Colorado 

River; and to reduce sediment transport 

over a larger portion of the project area. 

This alternative would involve the use 

of heavy equipment and possibly 

reusing excavated debris for restoration 

and stabilization actions both within 

and between zones. This alternative 

would include stabilization of zone 1A 

under one of two stabilization options. 

Alternative D, the preferred alternative, 

would emphasize the removal of large 

debris deposits in the alluvial fan area 

and in the Lulu City wetland. Actions 

would be conducted to stabilize limited 

areas of unstable slopes and banks 

throughout the upper portions of the 

restoration area. Hydrology through the 

Lulu City wetland would be restored in 

the historical central channel through 

removal of large deposits of debris, 

relying on the historical channel to 

transport river flow. Small-scale 

motorized equipment would be 

employed for stabilization and 


srobinson on DSK4SPTVN1PROD with NOTICES
Federal Register / Vol. 77, No. 47 / Friday, March 9, 2012 / Notices 14419 

revegetation activities, while larger 

equipment would be employed for 

excavation of large debris deposits and 

reconfiguration of the Colorado River 

through the Lulu City wetland. This 

alternative would include stabilization 

of zone 1A under the preferred option, 

option 1. Alternative E, maximum 

restoration, would involve extensive 

management activity and use of 

motorized equipment over large 

portions of the impacted area to restore 

the damage. Engineered solutions would 

be used to stabilize banks and slopes to 

approximate pre-breach contours and to 

reduce transport of sediments over a 

larger portion of the impacted area. 

Extensive changes would be made to the 

Colorado River channel to route the 

river to its historical alignment through 

the center of the Lulu City wetland. To 

facilitate movement of heavy 

mechanized equipment and excavated 

debris from the wetland to upland 

disposal areas, a temporary haul road 

would be constructed. This alternative 

would include stabilization of zone 1A 

under one of two stabilization options. 

All action alternatives would have 

substantial beneficial impacts to 

wilderness character; surface and 

groundwater hydrology; stream channel, 

floodplain and wetland morphology and 

function; water quality; riparian and 

wetland communities; aquatic habitat; 

visitor experience; and long-term 

resource productivity. 

DATES: The National Park Service will 

accept comments on the Draft 

Environmental Impact Statement from 

the public for 60 days after the date the 

Environmental Protection Agency 

publishes this Notice of Availability. No 

public meetings are scheduled at this 

time. 

ADDRESSES: Information will be 

available for public review and 

comment online at http:// 

parkplanning.nps.gov/romo, in the 

office of the Superintendent, Vaughn 

Baker, 1000 US Highway 36 Estes Park, 

CO 80517–8397, 970–586–1200 and 

from the Public Information Office, 

Rocky Mountain National Park, 1000 US 

Highway 36, Estes Park, Colorado 

80517–8397. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Public Information Office, Rocky 

Mountain National Park, 1000 US 

Highway 36, Estes Park, Colorado 

80517–8397, (970) 586–1206, 

romo_information@nps.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: If you 

wish to comment on any other issues 

associated with the Grand Ditch Breach 

Restoration EIS, you may submit your 

comments by any one of several 

methods. You may mail comments to: 

Superintendent, Rocky Mountain 

National Park, Estes Park, CO 80517– 

8397. You may also comment via the 

Internet at http://parkplanning.nps.gov/ 

romo. You can email comments to 

romo_superintendent@nps.gov. Finally, 

you may hand-deliver comments to: 

Rocky Mountain National Park 

Headquarters, 1000 US Highway 36, 

Estes Park, Colorado 80517–8397 or to 

Kawuneeche Visitor Center, Rocky 

Mountain National Park, 16018 

Highway 34, Grand Lake, CO 80447. 

Before including your address, phone 

number, email 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. 

Dated: November 23, 2011. 

John Wessels, 

Director, Intermountain Region. 

[FR Doc. 2012–5696 Filed 3–8–12; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4310–D8–P 

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR 

National Park Service 

[NPS–NCR–NACA–0112–9309; 3086–SYM] 

Notice of Meeting, National Capital 

Memorial Advisory Commission 

AGENCY: National Park Service, Interior. 

ACTION: Notice of meeting. 

SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that 

the National Capital Memorial Advisory 

Commission (the Commission) will 

meet at the National Building Museum, 

Room 312, 401 F Street NW., 

Washington, DC, on Thursday, March 

29, 2011, at 1 p.m., to consider matters 

pertaining to commemorative works in 

the District of Columbia and its 

environs. 

DATES: Thursday, March 29, 2012. 

ADDRESSES: National Building Museum, 

Room 312, 401 F Street NW., 

Washington, DC 20001. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms. 

Nancy Young, Secretary to the 

Commission, by telephone at (202) 619– 

7097, by email at 

nancy_young@nps.gov, by telefax at 

(202) 619–7420, or by mail at the 

National Capital Memorial Advisory 

Commission, 1100 Ohio Drive SW., 

Room 220, Washington, DC 20242. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The 

Commission was established by Public 

Law 99–652, the Commemorative Works 

Act (40 U.S.C. Chapter 89 et seq.), to 

advise the Secretary of the Interior (the 

Secretary) and the Administrator, 

General Services Administration, (the 

Administrator) on policy and 

procedures for establishment of, and 

proposals to establish, commemorative 

works in the District of Columbia and its 

environs, as well as such other matters 

as it may deem appropriate concerning 

commemorative works. 

The Commission examines each 

memorial proposal for conformance to 

the Commemorative Works Act, and 

makes recommendations to the 

Secretary and the Administrator and to 

Members and Committees of Congress. 

The Commission also serves as a source 

of information for persons seeking to 

establish memorials in Washington, DC, 

and its environs. 

The members of the Commission are 

as follows: 

Director, National Park Service. 

Administrator, General Services 

Administration. 

Chairman, National Capital Planning 

Commission. 

Chairman, Commission of Fine Arts. 

Mayor of the District of Columbia. 

Architect of the Capitol. 

Chairman, American Battle Monuments 

Commission. 

Secretary of Defense. 

The purpose of the meeting is to 

review the design concept for the 

Vietnam Veterans Memorial Visitor 

Center. The meeting will begin at 1 p.m. 

and is open to the public. Persons who 

wish to file a written statement or testify 

at the meeting or who want further 

information concerning the meeting 

may contact Ms. Nancy Young, 

Secretary to the Commission. Before 

including your address, phone number, 

email 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. 

Dated: February 7, 2012. 

Stephen E. Whitesell, 

Regional Director, National Capital Region. 

[FR Doc. 2012–5693 Filed 3–8–12; 8:45 a.m.] 

BILLING CODE 4312–JK–P 


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