[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 42 (Wednesday, March 4, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Pages 11685-11686]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-04485]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

National Park Service

[NPS-PWR-PWRO-16730; PPPWLAKES1/PPMPSAS1Z.YP0000]


Final Environmental Impact Statement/Wilderness Management Plan, 
Lake Mead National Recreation Area, Nevada/Bureau of Land Management, 
Southern Nevada District

AGENCIES: National Park Service and Bureau of Land Management, 
Interior.

ACTION: Notice of availability.

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SUMMARY: The National Park Service (NPS) and Bureau of Land Management 
(BLM) announce the availability of the Final Environmental Impact 
Statement (Final EIS) for the Wilderness Management Plan for the 
Jimbilnan, Pinto Valley, Black Canyon, Eldorado, Ireteba Peaks, Nellis 
Wash, Spirit Mountain, and Bridge Canyon Wilderness Areas at Lake Mead 
National Recreation Area and adjacent public lands. The jointly 
prepared Wilderness Management Plan describes three alternatives for 
consideration. Alternative A (no-action alternative) continues the 
current management of the wilderness areas and serves as a

[[Page 11686]]

baseline for comparison with the other action alternatives. Alternative 
B (preferred alternative) generally focuses on protecting the character 
of the wilderness areas while providing a few more opportunities for 
access into several areas. Alternative C provides a higher level of 
access and visitor use management while still protecting the overall 
character of the wilderness areas. The Final EIS also analyzes the 
potential environmental consequences of each of the alternatives, 
including potential impacts to soils, vegetation, terrestrial wildlife, 
threatened, endangered, and special status species, natural soundscape, 
wilderness character, archeological resources, ethnographic resources, 
visitor use and experience, and public safety.

DATES: The National Park Service will execute a Record of Decision 
(ROD) no sooner than 30 days following Federal Register publication by 
the Environmental Protection Agency of its notice of filing and 
availability of the Final EIS.

ADDRESSES: The Final EIS is available for public inspection at http://parkplanning.nps.gov.lake, and in the office of the Superintendent, 
Lake Mead National Recreation Area, 601 Nevada Way, Boulder City, NV 
89005; telephone (702) 293-8920.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Jim Holland, Park Planner, Lake 
Mead National Recreation Area, 601 Nevada Highway, Boulder City, NV 
89005 (702) 293-8986.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The proposed Wilderness Management Plan 
addresses public issues and concerns, identifies goals, objectives, and 
decision-making guidelines for administrative actions and visitor use, 
and provides guidelines for managing the Jimbilnan, Pinto Valley, Black 
Canyon, Eldorado, Ireteba Peaks, Nellis Wash, Spirit Mountain, and 
Bridge Canyon wilderness areas in Nevada. These areas were designated 
as units of the National Wilderness Preservation System through the 
Clark County Conservation of Public Land and Natural Resources Act 
(Pub. L. 107-282) in 2002. The NPS and BLM jointly manage the Eldorado, 
Ireteba Peak, and the Spirit Mountain wilderness areas; the other five 
wilderness areas are managed by the NPS.
    During April 2010, a draft wilderness management plan/environmental 
assessment was distributed for public review. However, due to issues 
subsequently raised by rock climbers and American Indian tribes, the 
NPS and BLM determined it would be appropriate to prepare an 
Environmental Impact Statement. The Notice of Intent was published in 
the Federal Register on February 12, 2012. The Draft EIS for the 
Wilderness Management Plan was published in January 2014, with a public 
review and comment period extending from January 17 through March 23, 
2014. Public meetings were held in Henderson, NV; Boulder City, NV; and 
Bullhead City, AZ. Overall approximately 269 written comments were 
received.
    The primary issues addressed in the Final EIS for the Wilderness 
Management Plan are as follows:
    <bullet> Providing for use of Spirit Mountain by the general public 
while meeting tribal needs and concerns.
    <bullet> Managing rock climbing in the wilderness areas, 
particularly placement or removal of fixed anchors for rock-climbing 
activities, and managing ``bolt-intensive face climbs.''
    <bullet> The use of climbing equipment (including climbing chalk) 
near sensitive cultural resources (e.g., petroglyphs and pictographs).
    <bullet> Access to several of the wilderness areas, including 
losing vehicle access to areas listed in the plan, illegal off-road 
access, and motorized or climbing ascents of Spirit Mountain.
    Decision Process: The Record of Decision will be executed not 
sooner than 30 days after release of the Final EIS. As a delegated EIS 
process, the official responsible for final approval of the Wilderness 
Management Plan is the Regional Director, Pacific West Region, NPS. 
Subsequently the officials responsible for implementing the approved 
Wilderness Management Plan are the Superintendent, Lake Mead National 
Recreation Area, and the BLM State Director, Nevada.

    Dated: February 10, 2015.
Patricia L. Neubacher,
Acting Regional Director, Pacific West Region, National Park Service.
[FR Doc. 2015-04485 Filed 3-3-15; 8:45 am]
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