58792 Federal Register / Vol. 65, No. 191 / Monday, October 2, 2000 / Notices

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

National Park Service

Record of Decision; Final General

Management Plan/Environmental

Impact Statement; Whitman Mission

National Historic Site, Washington

ACTION: Notice of approval of record of

decision.

SUMMARY: Pursuant to Section 102(2)(C)

of the National Environmental Policy

Act of 1969, as amended, and the

regulations promulgated by the Council

on Environmental Quality (40 CFR

1505.2), the Department of the Interior,

National Park Service, has prepared a

Record of Decision on the Final General

Management Plan/Environmental

Impact Statement for Whitman Mission

National Historic Site in Washington.

DATES: The Record of Decision was

recommended by the Superintendent of

Whitman Mission National Historic

Site, concurred by the Deputy Regional

Director, Pacific West Region, and

approved by the Acting Regional

Director, Pacific West Region, on August

25, 2000.

ADDRESSES: Inquiries regarding the

Record of Decision or the

Environmental Impact Statement should

be submitted to the Superintendent,

Whitman Mission National Historic

Site, Route 2, Box 247, Walla Walla, WA

99362; telephone: (509) 522–6360.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The text of

the Record of Decision follows: The

Department of the Interior, National

Park Service (NPS), has prepared this

Record of Decision (ROD) on the final

Environmental Impact Statement (EIS)

for the General Management Plan (GMP)

for Whitman Mission National Historic

Site, Washington. This ROD is a

statement of the decision made, other

alternatives considered, public

involvement in the decision making

process, the basis for the decision, the

environmentally preferable alternative,

and measures to minimize

environmental harm.

Decision (Selected Action)

Whitman Mission National Historic

Site (NHS) will implement Alternative

C, identified as the action that best

satisfies the Site and NPS missions, as

well as the Site’s long-term management

objectives. Some actions remain

consistent with those presented in the

draft EIS. Others were modified in the

final EIS to respond to public comments

and concerns. The selected action

recognizes both the need to protect

natural and cultural resources and to

provide appropriate opportunities for

visitors and area residents.

Specific actions to be implemented

under the selected action are

summarized below:

The foundations of the original

structures on the Mission Grounds will

be delineated three-dimensionally to

enhance visitor experience and

education. Also on the Mission

Grounds, the existing lawn will be

removed and substituted with native

grasses. The overall setting for the

visitor experience of Memorial Hill and

the Great Grave will be preserved as

memorial and contemplative.

Reconstructed wagon ruts and the

placement of the pioneer wagon on the

Oregon Trail will be maintained. In

addition, NPS will take measures to

formally sign the trail within the NHS

with the official Oregon National

Historic Trail logo, and will encourage

congressional action to designate the

Whitman Mission Route as an officially

recognized branch of the Oregon Trail.

Native vegetation will be planted and

sustained along Doan Creek, the oxbow

of the Walla Walla River, and irrigation

ditch. An integrated pest management

plan will be prepared and implemented

to address the plant, animal and insect

pests within the NHS. The asphalt

riprap lining along the bank at Mill

Creek within the NHS will be removed

and the bank will be revegetated.

The overall interpretation of the

Mission Grounds will be enhanced,

including the connection between the

Mission Grounds and the former

location of the Walla Walla River (river

oxbow area). Existing audio sound box

exhibits located on the Mission

Grounds, Memorial Hill, and the Great

Grave will be removed to address

problems of noise distractions to visitors

and will be replaced with other

interpretive media. A new interpretive

audio-visual program will be developed

for use in the auditorium to replace both

the 1976 movie and the 1978 slide

program. Public access will be provided

to the research library and archives for

research work, projects, and inquiry

about the Whitmans, mission life, the

Cayuse people, and other topics related

to Whitman Mission.

A new unpaved nature loop trail will

be developed south of the Mission

Grounds. This unpaved pedestrian trail

will provide opportunities for selfguided nature walks with corresponding

interpretive wayside exhibits and

educational materials about the flora

and fauna of this riparian area and the

natural forces of the changing Walla

Walla River.

A range of general improvements will

be made to the visitor center building.

The visitor center and museum will be

named and signed ‘‘Waiilatpu Visitor

Center’’ to reflect its Cayuse name.

Various remodeling projects will

provide needed space for the public.

Additional restroom space will be

constructed adjacent to the existing

public restroom. Additional exhibit and

administrative space will be

constructed. The selected action also

includes a development concept plan

that includes reconfiguring the main

parking lot, adding a group shelter to

the picnic area, adding several

improvements to the visitor center

entry, and construction of additional

administrative space on the existing

administrative wing. Reconfiguring the

pedestrian access to the Oregon Trail

and the Mission Grounds is also

included.

Acquisition of conservation

easements on properties adjacent to the

national historic site will be encouraged

on a voluntary basis by a non-profit land

trust or other entity.

Other Alternatives Considered

Alternative A—The no-action

alternative represents the continuation

of existing conditions, including

addressing any effects of activities

impacting cultural resources through

the Section 106 compliance process, in

accordance with federal law. The

overall scene of the NHS for the visitor

would continue to be preserved as

contemplative and reflective, in part

due to the ‘‘park-like’’ treatment of the

Mission Grounds. The NHS would be

managed to promote the historic scene

and to continue to allow natural

processes to occur on land and river

environs as long as they do not

adversely affect the cultural resources

and existing public facilities. No change

to current administrative facilities

would be forthcoming.

Alternative B—This alternative

represents a minimum level of

improvements regarding visitor facilities

and interpretation in order to make the

visitor experience more rewarding and

informative. Included in Alternative B

would be the establishment of native

grasses within the Mission Grounds to

be more historically accurate and to

help delineate the outline of the original

building foundations, removing audio

sound boxes and enhancing overall

interpretation, moving two building

walls within the visitor center to

maximize exhibit space, enlarging

restrooms, reconfiguring existing

administrative space, improving access

to Memorial Hill for the mobility

impaired, expanding multi-lingual

opportunities, reconfiguring parking

space, and encouraging protection of the

Federal Register / Vol. 65, No. 191 / Monday, October 2, 2000 / Notices 58793

surrounding historic scene by Walla

Walla County.

Alternative D—This alternative has

many of the same general actions as

Alternative C. In addition, at the

Mission Grounds dirt paths would be

established, the historic fence alignment

would be re-established, and the

orchard would be enlarged to be closer

to its historic size. Archeological

research would be conducted to try to

determine the exact location of the

Whitman sawmill site. Cattle would

again be grazed in the pasture and

oxbow area to approximate the historic

scene. A replicated Cayuse village

would be located on the Walla Walla

River floodplain.

Adjacent to the maintenance area, a

new administrative building would be

constructed and administrative

functions moved out of the visitor

center creating additional space for

interpretive functions, association sales

area and exhibit space. Finally, to

protect the foreground viewshed and

enable the NPS to acquire and hold

conservation easements, a boundary

adjustment of approximately 450 acres

would be recommended for

congressional authorization.

Actions common to all alternatives

include keeping the required occupancy

in the existing park residence, providing

a photographic panoramic of the view

from Memorial Hill for mobilityimpaired visitors, coordinating with the

staff of other Oregon Trail sites,

completing a baseline inventory for the

NHS, developing a Whitman Mission

NHS Friends group, re-establishing

Doan Creek, and planting native plants

at the NHS when non-historic

ornamental trees and shrubs die.

Basis for Decision

After careful consideration of public

comments throughout the planning

process, including comments on the

draft EIS, the selected action best

accomplishes the legislated purpose of

the Monument and balances the

statutory mission of the NPS to provide

long-term protection of the Monument’s

resources and significance, while

allowing for appropriate levels of visitor

use and appropriate means of visitor

enjoyment. The selected action also best

accomplishes identified management

goals and desired future conditions,

with the fewest environmental impacts.

Environmentally Preferable Alternative

The alternative which causes the least

damage to the cultural and natural

environment, and that best protects,

preserves, and enhances resources is

Alternative C.

Measures To Minimize Environmental

Harm

All practicable measures to avoid or

minimize environmental impacts that

could result from implementation of the

selected action have been identified and

incorporated into the selected action.

Implementation of the selected action

would avoid any adverse impacts on

wetlands and any endangered or

threatened species, or that would result

in the destruction or adverse

modification of critical habitat of such

species.

Public Involvement

Public comment has been requested,

considered, and incorporated

throughout the planning process in

numerous ways. A Notice of Intent to

prepare an EIS was published in the

Federal Register on September 20, 1996

(vol. 61, no. 184, page 49481). In early

August 1996, NPS produced a one-page

newsletter that was made available to

visitors at the NHS. The purpose of the

letter was to inform visitors about the

upcoming planning process and to

provide an opportunity for the visitors

to get on the NHS’s mailing list. In

October a comprehensive four-page

newsletter was produced and

distributed to 510 individuals on the

NHS’s mailing list. Additional copies

were distributed throughout Walla

Walla at public buildings including

colleges, universities, clubs, libraries,

and civic buildings. The purpose of that

newsletter was to explain the planning

process and encourage public

participation in the process.

In addition, advertisements were

published on October 20 and October 22

in both the daily Walla Walla Union

Bulletin newspaper and the weekly

Buyline newspaper, informing readers

about the planning process including

the dates, times, and location of the

public meetings.

Two public scoping meetings were

held in October 1996 in Walla Walla,

WA, to assist in identifying issues to be

addressed in the GMP/EIS. A total of 9

people attended the two meetings. In

December 1996, a third meeting was

held in Mission, OR. This meeting was

with members of the Cultural Resources

Committee of the Confederated Tribes of

the Umatilla Indian Reservation

(CTUIR). Another meeting with the

CTUIR was held in April 1998, in

Mission, OR, for the purpose of briefing

the committee on a preliminary range of

alternatives. The NPS received 6 written

comments during the scoping period.

More than 250 copies of the draft

GMP/EIS were mailed to government

agencies, organizations and interested

individuals in August 1999. In addition,

the document was posted on the

Internet and mailed to local libraries in

the Walla Walla area. The EPA Notice

of Availability was published in the

Federal Register on September 3, 1999

(vol. 64, no. 171, pg. 48394). A Notice

of Availability was also published by

NPS on September 3 (vol. 64, no. 171,

pg. 48419). In addition, advertisements

in the Buyline and Union Bulletin in

Walla Walla, and in the Confederated

Umatilla Journal in Mission, OR,

announced the release of the draft GMP/

EIS stating times, location, and dates of

the September 1999 public workshops.

A total of 3,000 newsletters were

printed that included a summary of the

draft plan and information on the

scheduled public workshops. Each

newsletter included a postage-paid

response form for people to use in

submitting comments concerning the

plan. Newsletters were also made

available at the NHS visitor center and

the Chamber of Commerce in Walla

Walla.

Two public workshops were held in

Walla Walla, WA, on September 29, and

in Mission, OR, on September 30, 1999.

In addition, a meeting with adjacent

landowners was held on September 28,

in Walla Walla. The purpose of the

workshops was to offer the public an

opportunity to meet with the NPS

planning staff and discuss the draft

GMP/EIS. More than 70 people attended

the workshops.

The final GMP/EIS was released to the

public on May 30, 2000. The EPA

Notice of Availability of the final GMP/

EIS was published in the Federal

Register on June 16, 2000 (vol. 65, no.

117, pg. 37780); the NPS also published

a Notice of Availability in the Federal

Register on June 20, 2000 (vol. 65, no.

119, pg. 38300) and placed the

document on the park website.

Consultation with the U.S. Fish and

Wildlife Service, National Marine

Fisheries Service, Washington State

Historic Preservation Office, and the

Advisory Council for Historic

Preservation was conducted as part of

the planning process.

The public comment period closed on

November 12, 1999, but any comments

received at the park by November 26

were included. A total of 28 pieces of

written correspondence were received

from government agencies, businesses,

special interest groups and individuals.

Of these, 16 were letters from

individuals and agencies, 7 e-mail

responses through the Internet, and 5

response forms from the newsletter. The

final GMP/EIS included a summary of

the comments received at the public

workshops and a summary of the

58794 Federal Register / Vol. 65, No. 191 / Monday, October 2, 2000 / Notices

comments received from written

responses. All 28 pieces of written

correspondence were included in the

final document.

Dated: September 21, 2000.

Rory D. Westberg,

Superintendent, Columbia Cascades Support

Office, Pacific West Region.

[FR Doc. 00–25253 Filed 9–29–00; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4310–70–P

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

National Park Service

Kaloko-Honokohau National Historical

Park Advisory Commission; Notice of

Meeting

Notice is hereby given in accordance

with the Federal Advisory Committee

Act that a meeting of the Na Hoapili o

Kaloko Honokohau, Kaloko-Honokohau

National Historical Park Advisory

Commission will be held at 9 a.m.,

October 27, 2000 at the King

Kamehameha’s Kona Beach Hotel,

Kulana Huli Honua Room, Kailua-Kona,

Hawaii.

The agenda will include the

following: FY2000 budget status,

replacement of Commission vacancies,

scheduling of future meetings, progress

of GMP, status of MOA, long range goals

of Na Hoapili Advisory Commission,

status of halau at Kaloko pond, kuapa

repairs and funding, cultural festival for

2000, and the plans for the Cultural

Learning Center.

This meeting is open to the public. It

will be recorded for documentation and

transcribed for dissemination. Minutes

of the meeting will be available to the

public after approval of the full

Advisory Commission. A transcript will

be available after November 27, 2000.

For copies of the minutes, contact

Kaloko-Honokohau National Historical

Park at (808) 329–6881.

Dated: September 20, 2000.

Geraldine K. Bell,

Superintendent, Kaloko-Honokohau National

Historical Park.

[FR Doc. 00–25251 Filed 9–29–00; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4310–70–M

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

National Park Service

Notice of Intent To Repatriate Cultural

Items in the Possession of the

Haffenreffer Museum of Anthropology,

Brown University, Bristol, RI

AGENCY: National Park Service, Interior.

ACTION: Notice.

Notice is hereby given under the

Native American Graves Protection and

Repatriation Act, 43 CFR 10.10 (a)(3), of

the intent to repatriate cultural items in

the possession of the Haffenreffer

Museum of Anthropology, Brown

University, Bristol, RI that meet the

definition of ‘‘unassociated funerary

object’’ under Section 2 of the Act.

This notice is published as part of the

National Park Service’s administrative

responsibilities under NAGPRA, 43 CFR

10.2 (c). The determinations within this

notice are the sole responsibility of the

museum, institution, or Federal agency

that has control of these cultural items.

The National Park Service is not

responsible for the determinations

within this notice.

The 180 cultural items consist of

beads, lithic arrowheads, bottles,

spoons, other metal objects and

fragments, mat and blanket fragments, a

pipe, and pipe fragments.

Around 1918, Rudolf Haffenreffer

began collecting Burr’s Hill human

remains and objects by purchase from

local collectors and by exchange with

the Museum of the American Indian

(Heye Foundation).

Burr’s Hill is believed to be located on

the southern border of Sowams, a

Wampanoag village. Sowams is

identified in historic documents of the

17th and 18th centuries as a

Wampanoag village, and was ceded to

the English in 1653 by Massasoit and

his eldest son Wamsutta (Alexander).

Based the presence of European trade

goods and types of cultural items, these

cultural items have been dated to

between A.D. 1600–1710. Based on

accession records and condition of the

cultural items, these cultural items have

been determined to be grave goods.

Based on the above-mentioned

information, officials of the Haffenreffer

Museum of Anthropology have

determined that, pursuant to 43 CFR

10.2 (d)(2)(ii), these 180 cultural items

are reasonably believed to have been

placed with or near individual human

remains at the time of death or later as

part of the death rite or ceremony and

are believed, by a preponderance of the

evidence, to have been removed from a

specific burial site of a Native American

individual. Officials of the Haffenreffer

Museum of Anthropology also have

determined that, pursuant to 43 CFR

10.2 (e), there is a relationship of shared

group identity that can be reasonably

traced between these items and the

Wampanoag Repatriation Confederation,

representing the Wampanoag Tribe of

Gay Head (Aquinnah), the Mashpee

Wampanoag (a non-Federally

recognized Indian group), and the

Assonet Band of the Wampanoag Nation

(a non-Federally recognized Indian

group). This notice has been sent to

officials of the Wampanoag Repatriation

Confederation, representing the

Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head, the

Mashpee Wampanoag (a non-Federally

recognized Indian group), and the

Assonet Band of the Wampanoag Nation

(a non-Federally recognized Indian

group), the Narragansett Indian Tribe of

Rhode Island, and the Council of Seven/

Royal House of Pokanoket/Pokanoket

Tribe/Wampanoag Nation (a nonFederally recognized Indian group).

Representatives of any other Indian tribe

that believes itself to be culturally

affiliated with these unassociated

funerary objects should contact Thierry

Gentis, NAGPRA Coordinator,

Haffenreffer Museum of Anthropology,

Mount Hope Grant, Bristol, RI 02805,

telephone (401) 253–8388, facsimile

(401) 253–1198, before November 1,

2000. Repatriation of these unassociated

funerary objects to the Wampanoag

Repatriation Confederation,

representing the Wampanoag Tribe of

Gay Head, the Mashpee Wampanoag (a

non-Federally recognized Indian group),

and the Assonet Band of the

Wampanoag Nation (a non-Federally

recognized Indian group) may begin

after that date if no additional claimants

come forward.

Dated: September 21, 2000.

John Robbins,

Assistant Director, Cultural Resources

Stewardship and Partnerships.

[FR Doc. 00–25128 Filed 9–29–00; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4310–70–F

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

National Park Service

Notice of Intent To Repatriate Cultural

Items in the Possession of the Rhode

Island Historical Society, Providence,

RI

AGENCY: National Park Service.

ACTION: Notice.

Notice is hereby given under the

Native American Graves Protection and

Repatriation Act, 43 CFR 10.10 (a)(3), of

the intent to repatriate cultural items in

the possession of the Rhode Island

Historical Society, Providence, RI that

meet the definition of ‘‘unassociated

funerary object’’ under Section 2 of the

Act.

This notice is published as part of the

National Park Service’s administrative

responsibilities under NAGPRA, 43 CFR

10.2 (c). The determinations within this

notice are the sole responsibility of the

museum, institution, or Federal agency