16888 Federal Register / Vol. 74, No. 69 / Monday, April 13, 2009 / Notices 

submit comments anytime during the 

comment period. 

Public Availability of Comments 

Before including your address, phone 

number, e-mail address, or other 

personal identifying information in your 

comment, you should know that your 

entire comment—including your 

personal identifying information—may 

be made publicly available at any time. 

While you may 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. 

Dated: March 3, 2009. 

Charles M. Wooley, 

Acting Regional Director, U.S. Fish and 

Wildlife Service, Fort Snelling, Minnesota. 

[FR Doc. E9–8380 Filed 4–10–09; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4310–55–P 

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR 

National Park Service 

General Management Plan; Hawaii 

Volcanoes National Park Hawaii; 

Notice of Intent To Prepare an 

Environmental Impact Statement 

SUMMARY: In accord with section 

102(2)(C) of the National Environmental 

Policy Act of 1969 (42 U.S.C. 4321, et 

seq.), the National Park Service (NPS) is 

undertaking a conservation planning 

and environmental impact analysis 

process for updating the General 

Management Plan (GMP) for Hawaii 

Volcanoes National Park. The new GMP 

will include a wilderness eligibility 

assessment for the recently accessioned 

Kahuku District to evaluate if lands are 

potentially eligible for wilderness 

designation, as required by NPS 

Management Policies 2006 for newly 

acquired lands. The GMP will also 

outline a commercial services strategy to 

identify the appropriate role of 

commercial operators in helping the 

park provide opportunities for visitor 

use and enjoyment. An Environmental 

Impact Statement (EIS) will be prepared 

concurrently with the GMP. The GMP is 

intended to set forth the basic 

management philosophy for this unit of 

the National Park System and provide 

the strategies for addressing issues and 

achieving identified management 

objectives for that unit. The GMP serves 

as a ‘‘blueprint’’ to guide management of 

natural and cultural resources and 

visitor use during the next 15–20 years. 

One or more development concept 

plans, which guide more detailed, sitespecific preservation and development, 

may also be included with the GMP. 

Consistent with NPS Planning 

Program Standards, the updated GMP 

will: (1) Describe the park’s purpose, 

significance, and primary interpretive 

themes; (2) identify the fundamental 

resources and values of the park, its 

other important resources and values, 

and describe the condition of these 

resources; (3) describe desired 

conditions for cultural and natural 

resources and visitor experiences 

throughout the park; (4) develop 

management zoning to support these 

desired conditions; (5) develop 

alternative applications of these 

management zones to the park’s 

landscape (i.e. zoning alternatives); (6) 

address user capacity; (7) analyze 

potential boundary modifications; (8) 

ensure that management 

recommendations are developed in 

consultation with interested 

stakeholders and the public and 

adopted by NPS leadership after an 

adequate analysis of the benefits, 

environmental impacts, and economic 

costs of alternative courses of action; (9) 

develop cost estimates implementing 

each of the alternatives; and (10) 

identify and prioritize subsequent 

detailed studies, plans and actions 

needed to implement the updated GMP. 

Scoping Process: The purpose of 

scoping outreach efforts is to elicit early 

public comment regarding issues and 

concerns, the nature and extent of 

potential environmental impacts (and as 

appropriate, mitigation measures), and 

preliminary alternatives which should 

be considered for the plan update. 

Through the outreach activities planned 

in the scoping phase, the NPS welcomes 

information and suggestions from the 

public regarding resource protection, 

visitor use, and land management. This 

notice formally initiates the public 

scoping comment phase for the EIS 

process. Questions to be asked during 

public scoping include: (1) What do you 

value most about Hawaii Volcanoes 

National Park? (2) What do you think 

are the important issues facing the park? 

(3) Imagine you are visiting Hawaii 

Volcanoes National Park 20 years from 

now: Describe what you would like to 

experience. (4) Do you feel that the 

purpose and significance statements 

capture the essence of Hawaii Volcanoes 

National Park? (5) Other comments or 

concerns you would like to share? 

All scoping comments must be 

postmarked or transmitted no later than 

June 30, 2009. You may submit your 

comments electronically through the 

NPS Planning, Environment and Public 

Comment Web site http:// 

parkplanning.nps.gov/havo (select the 

General Management Plan from the list 

of projects). If it is more convenient, or 

if you do not have access to a computer, 

you can hand-deliver your comments 

(see below) or send your written 

comments to: General Management 

Plan, Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, 

Attn: Cindy Orlando, Superintendent, 

Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, P.O. 

Box 52, Hawaii National Park, HI 

96718–0052. 

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. 

Starting in late April a series of open 

houses will be hosted on Hawaii Island 

(including Hilo, Volcano, Naalehu and 

Kailua-Kona), one on Maui, and one on 

Oahu in Honolulu. Detailed information 

including times and specific locations 

for these meetings will be posted on the 

GMP Web site http://www.nps.gov/ 

havo/parkmgmt/plan.htm. All attendees 

will be given the opportunity to ask 

questions and provide comments to the 

planning team. The GMP Web site will 

provide the most up-to-date information 

regarding the project, including project 

description, planning process updates, 

meeting notices, reports and documents, 

and useful links associated with the 

project. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Hawaii 

Volcanoes National Park (park) was 

established in 1916 and is operating 

with a 30-plus year-old Master Plan 

written in 1975. Numerous major 

changes have occurred in NPS 

management, policy, land ownership, 

and practices that directly affect the 

park. The park needs a comprehensive 

management document that will address 

these changes and further develop 

strategies to protect, maintain or restore 

resources and address visitor access, 

services, and development. The 

following issues are among those to be 

addressed in updating the GMP: 

Park Visitation and Visitor 

Facilities—Approximately 1.6 million 

people visit the park each year. Since 

1983, lava flows have destroyed a 

number of facilities including a visitor 

center, campground, ranger residences, 

and have covered cultural sites, trails, 

and miles of highway. Changes in 

volcanic activity and gas emissions 

require creative management to protect 

visitor health and safety, while 

encouraging access and promoting 

outstanding visitor experiences. 

Federal Register / Vol. 74, No. 69 / Monday, April 13, 2009 / Notices 16889 

Transportation, Circulation, and 

Congestion—Current transportation 

options and infrastructure do not meet 

the needs of many visitors and result in 

congestion at several popular 

destinations, including sections of 

Crater Rim Drive such as Thurston Lava 

Tube (Nahuku). Volcanic events have 

led to closures of park roads and may 

continue to disrupt established travel 

patterns. The location, capacity, and 

condition of park roads, parking lots, 

trails, and other infrastructure should be 

evaluated in relation to visitor needs as 

well as resource protection goals. 

Natural Resource Preservation, 

Restoration, and Research—The park is 

home to an amazing diversity of life, 

including 54 species that are Federally 

listed as threatened or endangered. 

Invasive species are an overriding 

concern at the park—they degrade 

natural ecosystems, reduce the richness 

of flora and fauna, and threaten the 

survival of the park’s unique 

biodiversity. There is an on-going need 

for adequate staffing, funding, and 

facilities. Improving the capacity of the 

park to protect its native plants, 

animals, and natural processes requires 

innovative management. The park is 

also home to pioneering research 

studies and an active research 

community. The GMP will explore 

opportunities for the park to continue to 

expand its capacity to preserve and 

perpetuate natural resources through 

stewardship and research activities. A 

separate EIS effort was initiated in 2008 

that is specifically focused on managing 

non-native ungulates and consequent 

restoration of native ecosystems and 

cultural resources affected by ungulates. 

Cultural Resource Protection and 

Management—The park has many 

significant cultural landscapes, historic 

structures, archeological sites, 

ethnographic resources, and museum 

collections. There are also many places 

in the park that are culturally significant 

to Native Hawaiians and are used for 

ongoing traditional use. Managing these 

resources presents challenges—such as 

protection from visitor impacts, 

weathering, and vandalism, as well as 

insuring funding for preservation and 

education. Incorporating Native 

Hawaiian values and ongoing traditional 

use into future park planning will be 

addressed. 

Climate Change—Global climate 

change may potentially lead to changes 

in local weather patterns, wildfire 

frequency, distribution of plant and 

animal communities, hurricane 

frequency, sea level, and increased 

avian disease. Pro-active planning and 

management actions can help the park 

adjust to climate change, interpret 

changing conditions to the public, 

reduce the effects on park resources, 

operations and visitors, and reduce 

emissions from park operations to the 

extent feasible and possible. 

Sustainable Operations and 

Facilities—Managing a park sitting 

astride two active volcanoes presents 

many challenges. Volcanic activity has 

destroyed a number of operational and 

maintenance facilities. Today, the 

remaining facilities are scattered 

throughout the park, often in outdated 

structures that were not intended for 

these uses and may not be sustainable 

or efficient. The uncertainty of future 

volcanic activity and concerns about 

health and safety require operational 

and emergency procedures that are 

flexible and responsive to changing 

conditions. 

Partnership Development— 

Partnerships, both inside and outside 

park boundaries, have greatly expanded 

the park’s capacity to fulfill its mission 

and greatly enhance the quality of 

services provided. The park is currently 

working with private entities, various 

governmental agencies and non-profit 

organizations in local, regional, and 

landscape level conservation 

partnerships, such as the park’s 

involvement in the Three Mountain 

Alliance and their close relationship 

with Hawaiian Volcano Observatory and 

the Pacific Island Ecosystem Research 

Center. Non-profit organizations also 

provide a range of services within the 

park, including visitor guided tours and 

educational programs, and cultural and 

natural resource service projects. 

Business Relationships—Commercial 

service operators provide a range of 

visitor amenities within the park, 

including food service and lodging, 

guided tours and educational programs. 

The GMP will explore how the park can 

improve visitor experiences by 

promoting commercial services that are 

necessary and appropriate to support 

visitor needs. 

Park Boundary—Activities adjacent to 

the park’s boundaries have the potential 

to impact sensitive park resources. 

Planning for the next 15–20 years 

prompts pro-active thinking about best 

protecting the park’s fundamental 

resources and values. In addition, the 

Olaa rainforest area is managed by the 

NPS, but is not part of the official park 

boundary. The GMP will consider any 

potential for recommendations for 

boundary changes. 

Kahuku District—The park increased 

significantly in 2003 when the 116,000 

acre Kahuku area was acquired. There 

are currently no visitor facilities at 

Kahuku and highway access needs to be 

analyzed. Resource inventory and 

monitoring has begun. Planning for the 

Kahuku District is essential for 

developing a cohesive vision for the 

entire park. Also, a wilderness 

eligibility assessment for the Kahuku 

District, as required by NPS 

management policy, will be included in 

the GMP. The park currently contains 

131,542 acres of Congressionally 

designated Wilderness. A separate 

Wilderness Management Plan will be 

prepared following completion of the 

GMP update. 

Decision Process: Following the 

scoping phase and consideration of 

public concerns and other agency 

comments, a Draft EIS will be prepared 

and released for public review. 

Availability of the forthcoming Draft 

EIS/GMP will be formally announced in 

the Federal Register, as well as through 

local and regional news media, direct 

mailing to the project mailing list, and 

via the Internet. Following due 

consideration of all agency and public 

comment as may be received, a Final 

EIS will be prepared; at this time it is 

anticipated that the final proposed plan 

will be available in 2013. As a delegated 

EIS, the official responsible for the final 

decision on the proposed plan is the 

Regional Director, Pacific West Region. 

Subsequently, the official responsible 

for implementation of the approved 

plan is the Superintendent, Hawaii 

Volcanoes National Park. 

Dated: February 19, 2009. 

Jonathan B. Jarvis, 

Regional Director, Pacific West Region. 

[FR Doc. E9–8192 Filed 4–10–09; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 

DEPARTNENT OF THE INTERIOR 

National Park Service 

Resource Protection Study, Record of 

Decision, Curecanti National 

Recreation Area, Colorado 

AGENCY: National Park Service, 

Department of the Interior. 

ACTION: Notice of Availability of a 

Record of Decision on the Final 

Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) 

for the Resource Protection Study, 

Curecanti National Recreation Area. 

SUMMARY: Pursuant to the National 

Environmental Policy Act of 1969, 42 

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

Service (NPS) announces the 

availability of the Record of Decision for 

the Resource Protection Study, 

Curecanti National Recreation Area, 

Colorado. On December 4, 2008, the 

Regional Director, Intermountain 

Region, approved the Record of