69786 Federal Register / Vol. 65, No. 224 / Monday, November 20, 2000 / Notices

impressed on the bank, shelving,

changes in the character of soil,

destruction of terrestrial vegetation, the

presence of litter and debris, or other

appropriate means that consider the

characteristics of the surrounding

areas.’’

This regulatory definition will be

used by the NPS for measuring the

extent of the River Protection Overlay

and the river corridor boundaries. The

river corridor boundaries established by

this Plan begin at the ordinary high

water mark (as defined by the U.S.

Army Corps of Engineers in 33 CFR

Section 328.3) and extend one-quarter

mile on each side of the river, except in

the El Portal Administrative Site where

the boundary extends out to the 100-

year floodplain or the extent of the River

Protection Overlay, whichever is

greater. Similarly, the River Protection

Overlay will be measured beginning

from the ordinary high water mark.

The Record of Decision is also being

revised to clarify statements in the FEIS

regarding the process to be used for

fulfilling the requirements of § 7 of the

Wild and Scenic Rivers Act. The

Merced River Plan/FEIS includes

statements that ‘‘Water resources

projects that have a direct and adverse

effect on the values for a designated

river must either be redesigned and

resubmitted for a subsequent § 7

determination, abandoned, or may

proceed following written notification

of the Secretary of the Interior and the

United States Congress.’’ This statement

inaccurately summarized the intent of

the NPS. The following process will be

used by the NPS for projects requiring

§ 7 review. Water resources projects

found to have a direct and adverse effect

on the values of this designated river

will be redesigned and resubmitted for

a subsequent § 7 determination or

abandoned. In the event that a project

can not be redesigned to avoid direct

and adverse effects on the values for

which the river was designated, the NPS

will either abandon the project or will

advise the Secretary of the Interior in

writing and report to Congress in

writing in accordance with § 7(a) of the

Act .

The NPS has reviewed these revisions

to determine whether there are any new

or different impacts associated with

these clarifications. The clarification

with regard to the § 7 process does not

diminish or change the NPS’s

obligations to comply with § 7 of the

Act, nor does it modify the steps to be

followed by the NPS in evaluating

whether a project would have a direct

and adverse affect on river values. The

clarification with regard to the

definition of ordinary high water is

intended to more accurately reflect the

regulatory definition of that term. This

clarification does not alter the extent of

the river corridor boundaries, and it

does not change the use of the River

Protection Overlay as a tool to protect

areas immediately adjacent to the river.

Because these revisions are minor

clarifications and do not result in

changes to the management elements

contained in Alternative 2, they do not

result in substantial changes relevant to

environmental concerns. These

modifications are also not in response to

significant new information.

Copies: Interested parties desiring to

obtain a copy of the Revised Record of

Decision may contact the

Superintendent, Yosemite National

Park, P.O. Box 577, Yosemite, California

95389 (or via telephone request at (209)

372–0201). The complete document will

also be posted on the Yosemite National

Park Webpage (http://www.nps.gov/

yose/planning).

Dated: November 3, 2000.

John J. Reynolds,

Regional Director, Pacific West.

[FR Doc. 00–29550 Filed 11–17–00; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4310–70–P

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

National Park Service

Furnace Creek Water Management

Plan, Death Valley National Park, Inyo

County, California; Notice of Intent to

Prepare an Environmental Impact

Statement

SUMMARY: Pursuant to §102(2)(c) of the

National Environmental Policy Act of

1969 (Pub. L. 91–190) and Council on

Environmental Quality regulations (40

CFR 1502.9(c)), the National Park

Service intends to prepare an

Environmental Impact Statement for a

water management plan for the Furnace

Creek area in Death Valley National

Park. The overall purpose of the plan is

to provide for maintaining a sustainable

water source meeting appropriate

human use needs in the Furnace Creek

area, while also protecting unique

natural resource values in the area.

Upgrading the water supply system is

necessary because the existing system is

subject to water quality problems. In

addition, due to fluctuations in water

volumes delivered by the current

system, it does not provide a reliable

supply of water.

Background: The objectives of the

Furnace Creek Water Management Plan

include developing a water collection

strategy which will: (i) Serve the potable

and non-potable Furnace Creek area

human use water needs, including the

NPS, the AmFac Inn and Ranch Resort,

and the Timbisha Shoshone Tribe; (ii)

provide for protecting existing

biological resource values in the

Travertine-Texas Springs area, as well

as facilitating potential restoration of

riparian and aquatic habitats, in a

manner compatible with addressing

existing governmental obligations to

provide water according to extant

amounts.

The current Furnace Creek water

collection system was built in the mid1970’s and is nearing the end of its

useful life span. The need for replacing

this collection system now arises

because the current infrastructure

undergoes unpredictable fluctuations in

the volume of water available for human

use, and produces a quality of water that

occasionally makes it difficult to

achieve state water drinking standards.

Since the facilities were originally

constructed, inventories of waterdependent plants and animals and the

discovery of several new endemic

species in the local springs have created

greater awareness of the biological value

of local wetland and riparian habitats.

In addition, completion of this EIS

process is consistent with both the

existing and draft revision of the park

General Management Plan, as well as

legislation regarding the Timbisha

Shoshone Homeland.

Planning and Public Involvement:

During the forthcoming conservation

planning and environmental impact

analysis process, alternatives and any

requisite mitigation measures will be

developed that will identify a

reasonable range of options for

providing a reliable and safe water

supply system for Furnace Creek. The

process will be conducted in

consultation with State and local

governments, organizations, Tribes, and

interested members of the public. The

Furnace Creek Water Management Plan

will be prepared by the NPS; its

anticipated that cooperating agencies for

preparation of the EIS will be identified

within 60 days of publication of this

Notice in the Federal Register. The

public will be invited to participate

from the outset of the scoping process

through completion of the draft and

final EIS. To initiate this collaboration,

three scoping meetings will be held

during winter, 2001 as follows: January

30 (Pahrump), January 31 (Death Valley

National Park), and February 1

Federal Register / Vol. 65, No. 224 / Monday, November 20, 2000 / Notices 69787

(Independence). The exact locations and

times of the meetings (or scheduling of

any additional meetings) will be

announced via regional and local news

media.

Future Information: Information about

development and status of the Furnace

Creek Water Management Plan will be

distributed via mailings, the Death

Valley National Park Webpage (http://

www.nps.gov/deva/planning), and

regional and local news media. To

request being added to the mailing list,

please leave your name and address on

the voice mail telephone at (760) 786–

3256 or write to the address below.

Interested individuals, organizations,

and agencies wishing to provide any

written comments on new issues or

concerns should respond to:

Superintendent, Attn: Furnace Creek

Water Management Plan, Death Valley

National Park, CA 92328. All such

comments must be postmarked on or

before March 14, 2001. If individuals

submitting comments request that their

name or/and address be withheld from

public disclosure, it will be honored to

the extent allowable by law. Such

requests must be stated prominently in

the beginning of the comments. There

also may be circumstances wherein the

NPS will withhold a respondent’s

identity as allowable by law. As always:

NPS will make available to public

inspection all submissions from

organizations or businesses and from

persons identifying themselves as

representatives or officials of

organizations and businesses; and,

anonymous comments may not be

considered.

Decision Process: Availability of the

Draft EIS for review and comment will

be announced by formal Notice in the

Federal Register, through local and

regional news media, the Park’s

Webpage, and direct mailing. At this

time the Draft EIS is anticipated to be

available for public review and

comment in autumn 2001. Comments

on the Draft EIS will be fully considered

as an aid in preparing a Final EIS as

appropriate. At this time it is

anticipated that the Final EIS will be

completed in summer 2002. It is

anticipated that notice of an approved

Record of Decision will be published in

the Federal Register in winter 2002. The

official responsible for the decision is

the Regional Director, Pacific West

Region, National Park Service; the

official responsible for implementation

is the Superintendent, Death Valley

National Park.

Dated: November 7, 2000.

Patricia L. Neubacher,

Acting Regional Director, Pacific West.

[FR Doc. 00–29553 Filed 11–17–00; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4310–70–P

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

National Park Service

Notice of Availability of the Vacation

Cabin Site Policy at Lake Mead

National Recreation Area

AGENCY: National Park Service, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of Availability.

SUMMARY: The National Park Service

announces publication of the Vacation

Cabin Site policy at Lake Mead National

Recreation Area.

Comments: Written comments were

made on the draft revision, with a

closing date of September 1, 2000. Only

one comment was received on the draft

revision, that the policy regarding

approved exotic plants for use within

the recreation area was confusing. The

National Park Service has clarified the

language regarding exotic plant species.

ADDRESSES: The Vacation Cabin Site

policy is available on the Internet at

http://www.nps.gov/lame/concessions/

vcs.html. Requests for copies should be

sent to Superintendent, Lake Mead

National Recreation Area, 601 Nevada

Highway, Boulder City, Nevada 89005.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Concessions Program Management at

702/293–8923.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Cabin site

lease extensions are expiring in 2000

and 2001. New permits will be issued

for a five year period, the maximum

length of time allowed by law. This

policy will become part of the permit.

There are three vacation cabin site

areas within Lake Mead National

Recreation Area: Stewart Point (54

sites), located along Lake Mead in

Nevada, approximately two miles

northeast of Rogers Spring; Temple Bar

(32 sites), located along Lake Mead in

Arizona, approximately one mile

southeast of Temple Bar Resort; and

Katherine (35 sites), located along Lake

Mohave in Arizona, approximately two

miles north of Katherine Landing.

Dated: November 2, 2000.

William K. Dickinson,

Acting Superintendent, Lake Mead National

Recreation Area.

[FR Doc. 00–29551 Filed 11–17–00; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4310–70–P

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Reclamation

Glen Canyon Adaptive Management

Work Group (AMWG) and Glen Canyon

Technical Work Group (TWG);

Correction

AGENCY: Bureau of Reclamation,

Interior.

ACTION: Notice of Public Meetings;

Correction.

SUMMARY: The Bureau of Reclamation

published a notice of public meetings in

the Federal Register of October 19, 2000

(65 FR 62750), concerning meetings of

the Glen Canyon Adaptive Management

Work Group (AMWG) and Glen Canyon

Technical Work Group (TWG). The

document contained incorrect dates.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Randall Peterson, telephone (801) 524–

3758; faxogram (801) 524–3858; E-mail

at: rpeterson@uc.usbr.gov

Correction

In the Federal Register of October 19,

2000, in the FR Doc. 00–26934, on page

62750, in the first column, correct the

‘‘Dates and Location’’ caption to read:

DATES AND LOCATION: The AMWG will

conduct two public meetings as follows:

Phoenix, Arizona—January 11–12,

2001. The meeting will begin at 9:30

a.m. and conclude at 4:00 p.m. on the

first day and begin at 8 a.m. and

conclude at 12 noon on the second day.

The meeting will be held at the Bureau

of Indian Affairs—Western Regional

Office, 2 Arizona Center, Conference

Rooms A and B (12th Floor), 400 North

5th Street, Phoenix, Arizona.

Dated: November 15, 2000.

Eluid L. Martinez,

Commissioner, Bureau of Reclamation.

[FR Doc. 00–29657 Filed 11–17–00; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4310–MN–P

DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE

Notice of Lodging of Consent Decree

Under the Comprehensive

Environmental Response,

Compensation, and Liability Act

Notice is hereby given that on

November 9, 2000, a proposed Consent

Decree in United States v. 150 Acres of

Land, More or Less, Civil Action No.

5:95 CV 1009, was lodged with the

United States District Court for the

Northern District of Ohio.

The Consent Decree settles an action

brought under Section 107 of the

Comprehensive Environmental

Response, Compensation and Liability