Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 51 / Monday, March 17, 1997 / Notices 12663

County, Montana; and (3) That

applications will be accepted by the

Bureau of Land Management, Montana

State Office, for consideration for

royalty relief for these areas effective

upon publication of this Notice.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Randy D. Heuscher, Chief, Branch of

Solid Minerals, telephone 406–255–

2816, Montana State Office, Bureau of

Land Management, P.O. Box 36800,

Billings, Montana 59107–6800.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The ‘‘Fort

Union Region Category 5 Royalty

Reduction Study’’ requested by the State

Director, Montana State Office, Bureau

of Land Management, was completed by

the Northwest Regional Evaluation

Team of the Bureau of Land

Management of the Department of the

Interior in 1991. The geographic area

qualification and the establishment of

the competitive royalty rate under

Category 5 of the ‘‘Royalty Rate

Reduction Guidelines for the Solid

Leasable Minerals’’ have been reviewed,

and are the basis for the following

determinations:

A. Geographic Area Qualification

The Counties of McLean, Mercer, and

Oliver, North Dakota, and Richland

County, Montana, continue to meet the

established five criteria to qualify under

Category 5 for royalty rate differentials

as follows: (1) The Federal Government

is not market dominant in this area; (2)

Federal royalty rates are above the

current market royalty rate for nonFederal rates in the area; (3) Based on

a mine-by-mine examination, it is

apparent that there are instances where

Federal coal can be expected to be

bypassed in the near future due to the

royalty rate differential between Federal

and non-Federal coal; (4) All three

previous criteria considerations have

been found to exist throughout the

region; and (5) A plant-by-plant

analysis, based on actual shipments,

indicates that Powder River Basin coal

is competitive in the area. However, it

has also been shown that a reduction in

the Federal royalty rate would not have

a significant impact on this

competitiveness.

B. Establishment of Competitive

Royalty Rates

The competitive royalty rate of 2.6

percent is established to promote

development of Federal coal reserves

situated in the Counties of McLean,

Mercer, and Oliver, North Dakota, and

Richland County, Montana, that may

otherwise be bypassed in favor of nonFederal coal having a lower royalty rate.

C. Category 5 Reduction in Royalty

Applications

Federal lease-specific applications for

Category 5 Reduction in Royalty for coal

deposits within the Counties in North

Dakota and Montana named above will

be accepted by the Montana State

Office, Bureau of Land Management,

P.O. Box 36800, Billings, Montana

59107–6800 effective upon publication

of this Notice. Applications will be

processed pursuant to the regulations at

43 CFR part 3485 as established by the

‘‘Royalty Rate Reduction Guidelines for

the Solid Leasable Minerals.’’

The geographic area qualification and

the establishment of the competitive

royalty rate under Category 5 of the

‘‘Royalty Rate Reduction Guidelines for

the Solid Leasable Minerals’’ will be

reviewed again and updated 2 years

from the effective date hereof.

Dated: March 6, 1997.

John E. Moorhouse,

Acting State Director.

[FR Doc. 97–6569 Filed 3–14–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4310–DN–P

National Park Service

Notice of Availability of the Record of

Decision for the Development Concept

Plan for the Entrance Area and Road

Corridor, Denali National Park and

Preserve, Alaska

AGENCY: National Park Service, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of availability of the

record of decision for the Development

Concept Plan for the Entrance Area and

Road Corridor, Denali National Park and

Preserve, Alaska.

SUMMARY: The National Park Service

announces the availability of the Record

of Decision (ROD) for the Development

Concept Plan for the Entrance Area and

Road Corridor (‘‘frontcountry’’) of

Denali National Park and Preserve.

The emphasis of the plan is to provide

visitor facilities and services in the

frontcountry to meet a wide range of

visitor needs and interests. Frontcountry

developments will be limited to actions

in which the National Park Service has

traditionally specialized, such as

interpretive centers, environmental

education opportunities, trails, resource

protection programs, and campgrounds.

Improved resource protection will be

integrated with development actions

throughout the frontcountry. The

National Park Service will encourage

the private sector to develop visitor

service facilities (accommodations, food

service, and other commercial services)

outside the park.

A Notice of Intent to prepare an

environmental impact statement (EIS),

published in the Federal Register in

July 1995 (60 FR 37470), formally

initiated the National Park Service

planning and EIS effort for the Entrance

Area and Road Corridor of the park. A

draft and final plan and EIS were

prepared. The final plan and

abbreviated EIS describe and analyze

the environmental impacts of a

proposed action and three other action

alternatives. A no-action alternative also

was evaluated.

The Record of Decision (ROD)

documents the decision of the

Department of the Interior, National

Park Service, regarding the Entrance

Area and Road Corridor plan. This ROD

briefly discusses the background of the

planning effort, states the decision and

discusses the basis for it, describes other

alternatives considered, specifies the

environmentally preferable alternative,

identifies measures adopted to

minimize potential environmental

harm, and summarizes the results of

public involvement during the planning

process.

ADDRESSES: Copies of the ROD are

available on request from:

Superintendent, Denali National Park

and Preserve, Post Office Box 9, Denali

Park, Alaska 99755.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Mike Tranel, Denali National Park and

Preserve. Telephone: (907) 683–9552

FAX: (907) 683–9612.

Dated: March 7, 1997.

Marcia Blaszan,

Acting Regional Director, Alaska.

[FR Doc. 97–6556 Filed 3–14–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4310–70–P

Notice of Availability of the Record of

Decision for the General Management

Plan/Development Concept Plan for

the Klondike Gold Rush National

Historical Park

AGENCY: National Park Service, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of availability of the

record of decision for the General

Management Plan/Development

Concept Plan for the Klondike Gold

Rush National Historical Park

SUMMARY: The National Park Service

announces the availability of the Record

of Decision (ROD) for the General

Management Plan/Development

Concept Plan for the Klondike Gold

Rush National Historical Park.

The plan will provide a

comprehensive plan for meeting the

park’s legislative mandate. The plan in

Alaska includes development concept
12664 Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 51 / Monday, March 17, 1997 / Notices

plans for Dyea and the Chilkoot Trail

and will expand park management,

development, resource (cultural and

natural) protection, and maintenance

components to meet most of the

expected visitor-use increases and

interests in the park. A Klondike History

Research Center will be established, in

cooperation with the city of Skagway

and state of Alaska, to process, study,

conserve, and store historical,

ethnographic, and natural history

artifacts. In Seattle, the plan will

eventually lead to acquiring a

permanent location for the park visitor

center, park offices, and historic

collections. The interpretive focus will

shift with more emphasis toward the

role of the Pacific Northwest in the gold

rush.

A Notice of Intent to prepare an

environmental impact statement (EIS),

published in the Federal Register in

May 1992, formally initiated the

National Park Service planning and EIS

effort for the Klondike Gold Rush

National Historical Park. A draft and

final plan and EIS were prepared. The

final plan and EIS describes a proposed

action for the three Alaska units and one

Seattle unit of the park and three

alternatives (two in Seattle) to provide

additional opportunities for residents

and visitors to enjoy the park units

while protecting the park’s cultural and

natural resources. A no-action

alternative also is evaluated.

The ROD documents the decision of

the National Park Service, regarding the

Klondike Gold Rush National Historical

Park plan. This ROD briefly states the

decision and discusses the basis for it,

describes other alternatives considered,

specifies the environmentally preferable

alternative, and defines a course of

action for implementing the decision,

including mitigating measures.

ADDRESSES: Copies of the ROD are

available on request from:

Superintendent Willie Russell, Klondike

Gold Rush-Seattle, 117 South Main St,

Seattle WA, 98104, telephone: (206)

553–7220, FAX: (206) 553–0614 or

Superintendent Clay Alderson,

Klondike Gold Rush NHP, PO Box 517,

Skagway, AK 99840, telephone: (907)

983–2921, FAX: (907) 983–2046.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jack

Mosby, National Park Service, Alaska

System Support Office. Telephone:

(907) 257–2650 FAX: (907) 257–2510.

Dated: March 7, 1997.

Marcia Blaszna,

Acting Regional Director, Alaska.

[FR Doc. 97–6555 Filed 3–14–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4310–70–P

Notice of Availability of the Record of

Decision for the Development Concept

Plan for South Side Denali, AK

AGENCY: National Park Service, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of availability of the

record of decision for the Development

Concept Plan for South Side Denali,

Alaska.

SUMMARY: The National Park Service

announces the availability of the Record

of Decision (ROD) for the Development

Concept Plan for South Side Denali. The

plan was prepared cooperatively by the

National Park Service, State of Alaska,

Denali Borough, and Matanuska-Susitna

Borough. Ahtna, Inc. and Cook Inlet

Region, Inc., two Native regional

corporations with substantial land

ownership within the planning area,

participated as planning partners

pursuant to the Alaska Native Claims

Settlement Act (ANCSA), Public Law

92–203, Sec. 2(b).

The emphasis of the plan is to

enhance access and recreational

opportunities throughout the south

Denali region for a variety of visitors,

including Alaskans, independent

travelers, and package tour travelers,

while at the same time protecting the

important resource and community

values in the area, including the rural

lifestyle of local residents. Visitor

facilities are planned for the Tokositna

area at the western edge of Denali State

Park near the end of an upgraded and

extended Petersville Road, in the central

development zone of Denali State Park

along the George Parks Highway, at

Chelatna Lake, and in the Dunkle Hills.

Appropriately-sited bicycle and

pedestrian enhancements along the

Petersville Road also are part of the

plan.

In cooperation and where desirable, a

partnership between the National Park

Service, local communities, ANCSA

Native corporations, and the state of

Alaska will develop visitor facilities and

services in the central development

zone of Denali State Park, at Broad Pass,

and in Talkeetna, when the need and

opportunity to do so are established.

Similarly, in cooperation and where

desirable, partnerships for providing

additional visitor services along the

George Parks Highway may be pursued.

A phasing and funding schedule will

be developed by a South Side Denali

Plan Implementation Partnership to be

established by the governor. Phasing

construction of developments will allow

orderly plan implementation over an

established period of time that

compliments funding availability and

addresses visitor needs.

A Notice of Intent to prepare an

environmental impact statement (EIS),

published in the Federal Register in

April 1991 (56 FR 15931), formally

initiated the National Park Service’s

planning and EIS effort for the south

side. Pursuant to the National

Environmental Policy Act of 1969, as

amended, the National Park Service

prepared a draft plan and EIS, published

in 1993; however, a final was never

completed. Instead, a Notice of Intent to

prepare a revised draft EIS was

published in the Federal Register in

October 1995 (60 FR 54705), reinitiating

the planning process for the south side

as a cooperative effort among the major

land managers in the region. A draft and

final plan and EIS were prepared by the

cooperating partners, with the National

Park Service acting as the lead federal

agency. The final plan and EIS describes

and analyzes the environmental impacts

of a proposed action and two other

action alternatives. A no action

alternative also is evaluated.

The Record of Decision (ROD)

documents the decision of the

Department of the Interior, National

Park Service, regarding the South Side

Denali plan. The State of Alaska has

signed this ROD in concurrence with its

findings. This ROD briefly discusses the

background for the planning effort,

states the decision and discusses the

basis for it, describes other alternatives

considered, specifies the

environmentally preferable alternative,

identifies measures adopted to

minimize potential environmental

harm, and summarizes the results of

public involvement during the planning

process.

ADDRESSES: Copies of the ROD are

available on request from:

Superintendent, Denali National Park

and Preserve, Post Office Box 9, Denali

Park, Alaska 99755.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Nancy Swanton, Park Planner, Denali

National Park and Preserve. Telephone:

(907) 257–2651 FAX: (907) 257–2485

Email: Nancy Swanton@nps.gov.

Dated: March 7, 1997.

Marcia Blaszna,

Acting Regional Director, Alaska.

[FR Doc. 97–6557 Filed 3–14–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4310–70–P

Niobrara National Scenic River

Advisory Commission

AGENCY: National Park Service, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of meeting.

SUMMARY: This notice sets the schedule

for the forthcoming meeting of the