2614 Federal Register / Vol. 74, No. 10 / Thursday, January 15, 2009 / Notices 

project components were considered 

that were consistent with the purpose 

and need, which is to mine and 

transport coal for sale at competitive 

prices to help supply the energy needs 

of the United States. Alternatives to 

project components were included for 

detailed analysis if they were found to 

be practical, feasible, reduced 

environmental impacts, and/or 

addressed public and agency concerns. 

A wide range and variety of alternatives 

were examined, resulting in the 

following alternative project 

components that are analyzed in detail: 

grade separated railroad crossing at 

Mesa County Road (CR) M.8; noiseless 

grade crossings at CR M.8 and CR 10; 

construction of an electric transmission 

line along CR 16 crossing BLM and 

private lands north of the Highline 

Canal; construction of an electric 

transmission line along CR 16 to the 

Highline Canal and then along section 

lines to avoid as many private land 

parcels as possible; and construction of 

an electric transmission line along CR 

14 to just north of the Highline Canal 

and then northwesterly and north to 

join the proposed railroad alignment 

east of SH 139. 

Required consultations are in progress 

or have been completed, including 

consultations with tribal governments 

and the State Historic Preservation 

Officer, as required by the National 

Historic Preservation Act; consultations 

with the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service as 

required by the Endangered Species Act; 

and consultations with the USACE as 

required by the Clean Water Act. 

Raul Morales, 

Grand Junction Associate Field Manager. 

[FR Doc. E9–769 Filed 1–14–09; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4310–JB–P 

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR 

National Park Service 

General Management Plan and 

Environmental Impact Statement, Big 

Thicket National Preserve, Texas 

AGENCY: National Park Service, 

Department of the Interior. 

ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare an 

environmental impact statement for the 

general management plan (GMP), Big 

Thicket National Preserve. 

SUMMARY: Pursuant to the National 

Environmental Policy Act of 1969, 42 

U.S.C. 4332(2)(C), the National Park 

Service (NPS) is preparing an 

environmental impact statement for a 

general management plan for Big 

Thicket National Preserve, Texas. The 

environmental impact statement will be 

approved by the Director, Intermountain 

Region. 

The general management plan will 

prescribe the resource conditions and 

visitor experiences that are to be 

achieved and maintained in the 

Preserve over the next 15 to 20 years. 

The clarification of what must be 

achieved according to law and policy 

will be based on review of the Preserve’s 

purpose, significance, special mandates, 

and the body of laws and policies 

directing park management. Based on 

determinations of desired conditions, 

the general management plan will 

outline the kinds of resource 

management activities, visitor activities, 

and development that would be 

appropriate in the future. A range of 

reasonable management alternatives 

will be developed through this planning 

process and will include, at a minimum, 

a no-action and a preferred alternative. 

The NPS is required to prepare a GMP 

for all NPS units. A GNP was completed 

for Big Thicket National Preserve in 

1980. The 1980 GMP does not address 

lands added to the Preserve since 1993 

or current NPS park planning standards 

or NPS management policies. 

Issues to be addressed will include 

but are not limited to the following: The 

management of lands added to the 

Preserve since the original GMP in 1980; 

visitor use and resource management 

issues; access to and within the 

Preserve; and changes in land use 

patterns and their impact on natural and 

cultural resources in the Preserve. 

A scoping newsletter will be prepared 

that describes the issues identified to 

date. Copies of the newsletter may be 

obtained in June from Todd Brindle, 

Superintendent, Big Thicket National 

Preserve, 6044 FM 420, Kountze, Texas 

77625, Phone: 409–951–6802, the park 

Web site http://www.nps.gov/bith, or on 

the Planning, Environment, and Public 

Comment (PEPC) website at http:// 

parkplanning.nps.gov/bith. 

DATES: Any comments on the scope of 

issues to be addressed in the plan 

should be submitted no later than 180 

days after publication of this notice. In 

addition to the newsletter, public 

meetings regarding the general 

management plan will be held during 

the scoping period. Specific dates, 

times, and locations will be made 

available in the local media, on the 

National Park Service Planning, 

Environment, and Public Comment 

(PEPC) Web site), or by contacting the 

Superintendent of Big Thicket National 

Preserve. 

ADDRESSES: Information will be 

available for public review and 

comment online at http:// 

parkplanning.nps.gov/bith, in the office 

of the Superintendent, Todd Brindle, 

6044 FM 420, Kountze, Texas 77625, 

Phone: 409–951–6802. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Todd Brindle, Superintendent, 6044 FM 

420, Kountze, Texas 77625, Phone: 409– 

951–6802 or by e-mail at 

BITH_Superintendent@nps.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Public and 

agency involvement will be solicited at 

several key steps in the planning 

process including initial scoping, 

alternatives development, and the draft 

plan. If you wish to comment on any 

issues associated with the plan, you 

may submit your comments to the 

planning team by any one of several 

methods. You may mail comments to 

Big Thicket National Preserve, Office of 

the Superintendent, 6044 FM 420, 

Kountze, Texas 77625. You may also 

comment via the Internet at http:// 

parkplanning.nps.gov/bith. Finally, you 

may hand deliver comments to the 

preserve headquarters at 6044 FM 420, 

Kountze, Texas 77625. Before including 

your address, phone number, e-mail 

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. In personal identifying 

information from public review, we 

cannot guarantee that we will be able to 

do so. In addition, we will make all 

submissions from organizations or 

businesses, and from individuals 

identifying themselves as 

representatives or officials of 

organizations or businesses, available 

for public inspection in their entirety. 

Dated: September 3, 2008. 

Michael D. Snyder, 

Director, Intermountain Region, National 

Park Service. 

Editorial Note: This document was 

received in the Office of the Federal Register 

on January 9, 2009. 

[FR Doc. E9–583 Filed 1–14–09; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4312–CB–M 


jlentini on PROD1PC65 with NOTICES