[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 223 (Monday, November 21, 2005)]
[Notices]
[Pages 70096-70097]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 05-22946]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

National Park Service


Notice of Availability of a Draft Environmental Impact Statement 
for the Fort King Special Resource Study

SUMMARY: Pursuant to Section 102(2)(c) of the National Environmental 
Policy Act of 1969, the National Park Service (NPS) announces the 
availability of a Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) for the 
Fort King Special Resource Study. The document describes ways that the 
NPS may assist in preserving the Fort King site by outlining four 
management alternatives for consideration by Congress, including a no-
action alternative. The DEIS analyzes the environmental impacts of 
those alternatives considered for the future protection, 
interpretation, and management of the site's cultural resources. The 
37-acre study area is located in the city of Ocala, Marion County, 
Florida.

DATES: There will be a 60-day comment period beginning with the 
Environmental Protection Agency's publication of its notice of 
availability in the Federal Register.

ADDRESSES: Copies of the DEIS are available by contacting Tim 
Bemisderfer, Planning and Compliance Division, Southeast Region, 
National Park Service, 100 Alabama Street, SW., 1924 Building, Atlanta, 
Georgia 30303. An electronic copy of the DEIS is available on the 
Internet at http://www.nps.gov/sero/planning.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Tim Bemisderfer, 404-562-3124, 
extension 693.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The NPS held a series of community and 
stakeholder meetings in 2002 and 2003 to gather advice and feedback on 
desired outcomes of the study. The meetings assisted the NPS in 
developing alternatives for managing associated cultural and natural 
resources and creating interpretive and educational programs. Responses 
from the meetings were incorporated into the four alternatives 
described in the study. Alternative A is the no-action alternative. For 
the purposes of this study, it is assumed that the Fort King site would 
continue to be owned and managed cooperatively by the city of Ocala, 
Marion County, and the Ocala Chapter of the Daughters of the American 
Revolution. The site would remain predominantly undeveloped, public 
access would be restricted, and the site's archaeological resources 
would be protected and preserved in an undisturbed condition. Under 
Alternative B, the site's archaeological resources would be preserved 
and interpreted in-situ. Alternative B, takes a conservative approach 
to site development that favors a simple and low cost implementation 
strategy. Under Alternative C, existing site infrastructure would be 
used as a base to quickly and efficiently provide public access and 
interpretive services. Alternative C favors a development strategy that 
builds upon a modest initial investment that can be expanded

[[Page 70097]]

over time as additional funding and resources are secured.
    Under Alternative D, Fort King would highlight the site's strong 
association with nationally significant historical events and 
interpretive themes. Alternative D takes an aggressive approach to site 
development. Its larger initial investment in cultural landscape 
rehabilitation and visitor service infrastructure is intended to 
quickly establish the name recognition and credibility necessary to 
attract higher profile partners and compete for private and public 
financing.
    It is the practice of the NPS to make comments, including names and 
home addresses of respondents, available for public review during 
regular business hours. Anonymous comments will not be considered. We 
will make 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. However, individual respondents may request that we withhold 
their names and addresses from the public record, and we will honor 
such requests to the extent allowed by law. If you wish to withhold 
your name/address, you must state that request prominently at the 
beginning of your comment.
    The responsible official for the DEIS is Patricia A. Hooks, 
Regional Director, Southeast Region, National Park Service, 100 Alabama 
Street, SW., 1924 Building, Atlanta, Georgia 30303.

    Dated: October 11, 2005.
Patricia A. Hooks,
Regional Director, Southeast Region.
[FR Doc. 05-22946 Filed 11-18-05; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4312-52-M