[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 170 (Friday, September 2, 2005)]
[Notices]
[Pages 52444-52445]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 05-17483]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

National Park Service


Draft Environmental Impact Statement/General Management Plan: 
Ebey's Landing National Historical Reserve, Island County, WA; Notice 
of Availability

SUMMARY: Pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, 42 
U.S.C. 4332(C), and the Council on Environmental Quality Regulations 
(40 CFR part 1500-1508), the National Park Service has prepared a Draft 
Environmental Impact Statement for the proposed general management plan 
for Ebey's Landing National Historical Reserve (Reserve) located in 
northwestern Washington. In addition to a ``no-action'' alternative 
(which would maintain current management), the Draft EIS describes and 
analyzes two ``action'' alternatives which respond to public concerns 
and issues identified during the scoping process, as well as NPS's 
conservation planning requirements. These alternatives present varying 
management strategies that address visitor use and preservation of 
cultural and natural resources that protect and reflect the rural 
community on Whidbey Island from 19th century exploration and 
settlement in Puget Sound to the present time. The potential 
environmental consequences of each alternative, and mitigation 
strategies, are identified and analyzed; a determination as to the 
``environmentally preferred'' alternative is also provided in the Draft 
EIS.
    Scoping: A Notice of Intent announcing preparation of the Draft EIS 
and general management plan was published in the Federal Register on 
May 22, 2000. Public involvement has included public meetings, 
presentations and meetings with organizations located within the 
Reserve and additional organizations, newsletter mailings, local press 
releases, website postings, and postcards. Preceding the formal EIS 
analysis process, the NPS had organized an interdisciplinary planning 
team to initiate the general management plan process for the Reserve. 
The team included the Reserve's Trust Board and staff, representatives 
from Washington State, Island County and Town of Coupeville, and NPS 
staff from the Pacific West Region Office in Seattle, Washington. The 
purpose of these initial meetings was to help characterize the scale 
and extent of the planning process.
    The formal public scoping efforts began in June 2000 with release 
of a scoping newsletter to approximately 650 people on the Reserve's 
mailing list. In addition, over 2800 newsletters were distributed at 
local public places such as libraries, civic buildings, businesses, and 
parks. The planning team received 36 letters during the official public 
scoping period ending August 15, 2000. In addition, during June 2000, 
three public scoping meetings were held in Seattle, Washington and 
Coupeville, Washington (in total, 141 verbal comments were recorded). 
Individual scoping meetings were also held between August 2000 and 
January 2001 with organizations located within the Reserve to discuss 
issues of mutual interest. Other meetings with other interested 
organizations were also scheduled.
    Proposed Plan and Alternatives: Alternative A constitutes the No-
Action alternative and serves as an environmental baseline to 
facilitate comparisons between the ``action'' alternatives. Alternative 
A assumes that existing programs, facilities, staffing, and funding 
would generally continue at their current levels. The NPS would dispose 
of NPS-owned and managed farms within the Reserve to the private sector 
after placing conservation easements on them.
    Alternative B is the ``agency preferred'' alternative. The 
Reserve's Trust Board, and the NPS, in cooperation with partners, would 
enhance existing programs and resources management, as well as 
administrative, maintenance, and visitor services within the Reserve. 
To maintain and protect the rural landscape, the NPS would continue to 
purchase conservation easements on priority properties based upon a new 
land protection plan. The NPS would exchange NPS-owned farms to private 
farm owners for additional protection on other properties within the 
Reserve. Historic buildings would be rehabilitated to the Secretary of 
the Interior's Standards. The county would be encouraged to develop a 
zoning overlay for the Reserve to aid in land use control. In addition, 
a minor boundary adjustment would be recommended. To orient and inform 
visitors about the Reserve, three gateway kiosks would be developed 
along State Route 20 and a visitor center/contact

[[Page 52445]]

station would be operated within an historic building in Coupeville or 
within the historic district (three development concept plans for three 
sites are included). As documented in the Draft EIS this alternative is 
deemed to be ``environmentally preferred''.
    Alternative C changes the management structure of the Reserve from 
a Trust Board of volunteers to a paid Commission structure. Many 
actions are similar to Alternative B but with some distinctions. 
Approximately five acres of NPS-owned land at Farm II would be retained 
for administrative and maintenance use before exchanging the remaining 
farmland to a private farm owner for additional protection on other 
properties within the Reserve. One of the three gateways would be in a 
historic building in the north of the Reserve. The Reserve would 
partner for a visitor contact facility at a proposed marine science 
center.
    Public Review and Comment: The Draft GMP/EIS has now been released 
for public review, and a limited number of printed copies are available 
upon request (see below). In addition, the document may be reviewed at 
the public library in Coupeville. Also a Draft General Management Plan 
Alternatives Newsletter is being issued concurrently. Written comments 
may be submitted using several methods. Responses are encouraged online 
using the electronic comment form accessed at the NPS Planning, 
Environment and Public Comment System (http://parkplanning.nps.gov/ebla). A postage-paid comment response form is included in the 
Alternatives Newsletter (additional pages may be attached to this form 
as necessary). Written comments may be directly mailed to: Rob Harbour, 
Reserve Manager, Ebey's Landing National Historical Reserve, P.O. Box 
774, 162 Cemetery Road, Coupeville, WA 98239. In addition, oral 
comments may be offered at one of several public workshops to be 
conducted in fall, 2005. Confirmed details on dates, locations and 
times for these workshops will be announced in local newspapers, in the 
Alternatives Newsletter, via the park's website, or may be obtained by 
telephone at (360) 678-6084.
    All written comments must be postmarked or transmitted not later 
than 60 days after the EPA's notice of filing is published in the 
Federal Register (immediately upon confirmation of this date it will be 
announced on the park's website). All comments will become part of the 
public record. If individuals submitting comments request that their 
name or address be withheld from public disclosure, the request will be 
honored to the extent allowable by law. Such requests must be stated 
prominently in the beginning of comments. There also may be 
circumstances in which the NPS will withhold from the record a 
respondent's identity, as allowable by law. As always: The NPS will 
make available to public inspection all submissions from organizations 
or businesses, and from individuals identifying themselves as 
representatives or officials of organizations or businesses; and 
anonymous comments may not be considered.
    Decision: Following the opportunity to review the Draft EIS/GMP, 
all public and agency comments received will be carefully considered in 
preparing the final document. The Final EIS is anticipated to be 
completed during the Fall/Winter 2006 and its availability will be 
similarly announced in the Federal Register and via local and regional 
press media. As a delegated EIS, the official responsible for the final 
decision is the Regional Director, Pacific West Region; subsequently 
the approved plan would be implemented by the Trust Board, Ebey's 
Landing National Historical Reserve, in conjunction with the Reserve 
Manager.

    Dated: May 26, 2005.
Jonathan B. Jarvis,
Regional Director, Pacific West Region.
[FR Doc. 05-17483 Filed 9-1-05; 8:45 am]
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