8362 Federal Register / Vol. 73, No. 30 / Wednesday, February 13, 2008 / Notices 

5. Appointment terms: Members are 

appointed for 4–year terms and 

incumbent members may be 

reappointed for 2–year terms. 

6. The Review Committee’s work is 

completed during public meetings. The 

Review Committee normally meets faceto-face two times per year, and each 

meeting is normally two or three days. 

The Review Committee may also hold 

one or more public teleconferences of 

several hours duration. 

7. Compensation: Review Committee 

members are compensated for their 

participation in Review Committee 

meetings. 

8. Reimbursement: Review Committee 

members are reimbursed for travel 

expenses incurred in association with 

Review Committee meetings. 

9. Additional information regarding 

the Review Committee, including the 

Review Committee’s charter, meeting 

protocol, and dispute resolution 

procedures, is available on the National 

NAGPRA program Website, http:// 

www.nps.gov/history/nagpra/ (click 

‘‘Review Committee’’ in the menu on 

the right). 

10.The terms ‘‘Indian tribe,’’ ‘‘Native 

Hawaiian organization,’’ and 

‘‘traditional religious leader’’ have the 

same definitions as given in 43 CFR 

10.2. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: C. 

Timothy McKeown, Designated Federal 

Officer, Native American Graves 

Protection and Repatriation Review 

Committee, National NAGPRA Program, 

National Park Service, 1849 C Street NW 

(2253), Washington, DC 20240; 

telephone (202) 354–2206; email 

TimlMcKeown@nps.gov. 

C. Timothy McKeown, 

Designated Federal Officer, 

Native American Graves Protection and 

Repatriation Review Committee. 

[FR Doc. E8–2573 Filed 2–12–08; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4312–50–S 

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR 

National Park Service 

Protecting and Restoring Native 

Ecosystems by Managing Non-Native 

Ungulates Hawaii Volcanoes National 

Park, Hawaii; Notice of Intent To 

Prepare an Environmental Impact 

Statement 

SUMMARY: In accord with § 102(2)(C) of 

the National Environmental Policy Act 

of 1969 (Pub. L. 91–90), the National 

Park Service is undertaking a 

conservation planning and 

environmental impact analysis process 

for a Non-native Ungulate Management 

Plan for Hawaii Volcanoes National 

Park. The purpose of the plan is to 

refine the strategies for managing nonnative ungulates that supports long-term 

ecosystem protection, recovery and 

restoration of native vegetation and 

other natural resources, and protects 

and preserves cultural resources. Nonnative ungulate management is needed 

to address unacceptable impacts of nonnative ungulates, which result in the 

loss of native ecosystems, especially 

native plant and animal communities; 

the loss of sensitive endemic species, 

including state and federally listed 

species; and the loss of irreplaceable 

cultural resources. The park also needs 

to update non-native ungulate 

management in order to address NPS 

Management Policies 2006, § 4.4.4, 

Management of Exotic Species, which 

states that non-native species will not be 

allowed to displace native species if 

displacement can be prevented. 

Background Information; Ungulates, 

or mammals with hooves, are an issue 

of concern throughout the State of 

Hawaii because of these are non-native 

species which have detrimental impacts 

on native diversity and ecosystems. 

Non-native species are those that do not 

naturally occur in the ecosystem and 

were introduced into the environment 

from elsewhere. Goats, European pigs, 

sheep, and cattle were introduced to the 

Hawaiian Islands in the late eighteenth 

century and have become feral. Mouflon 

sheep were introduced to Hawaii Island 

in the twentieth century as a game 

animal. Populations of non-native 

ungulates have proliferated in Hawaii 

because of an equable climate, abundant 

food sources, vegetation poorly adapted 

to herbivorous mammals, and lack of 

predators. 

Because the ecosystems of the 

Hawaiian Islands evolved without large 

mammalian herbivores, they are 

particularly vulnerable to the effects of 

non-native ungulates. Non-native 

ungulates cause habitat degradation and 

population decline for native Hawaiian 

species. They impact native species 

through browsing, stripping bark, 

destroying habitat, and inhibiting 

regeneration. Non-native ungulates 

increase soil disturbance and erosion, 

and foster the spread of non-native 

plants. 

Non-native ungulates also have the 

potential to affect cultural resources at 

the park, which include archeological 

sites, cultural landscapes, and 

ethnographic resources. Digging and 

rooting could impact archeological sites 

through ground disturbance. Alterations 

in the ecosystem of an area could 

impact the characteristics that 

contribute to its designation as a 

cultural landscape. Traditional uses of 

native peoples could be impacted by the 

loss of native plant and animal 

communities important to their culture. 

The park was created in 1916, and has 

been addressing populations of nonnative species, including ungulates, 

since the 1920s. However, the park’s 

most recent EIS addressing non-native 

ungulate control was completed 30 

years ago. Consequently the new EIS/ 

plan will address non-native ungulate 

management in the context of NPS 

policies updated in 2006, recent park 

land acquisition, new invasive species 

challenges, and currently available 

strategies for managing ungulates. 

Scoping Process: Hawaii Volcanoes 

National Park and the National Park 

Service (NPS) are eliciting early public 

comment regarding the full spectrum of 

issues and public concerns, the nature 

and extent of potential environmental 

impacts (and as appropriate, mitigation 

measures), and all feasible management 

alternatives which should be considered 

by the planning team in preparing a 

Draft EIS/plan. Through outreach 

activities planned in the scoping phase, 

the NPS welcomes relevant information 

and suggestions from the public. 

Publication of this Notice formally 

initiates the public scoping phase for 

the EIS process. 

All written scoping comments must 

be postmarked or transmitted not later 

than May 19, 2008. Written comments 

may be sent to: Cindy Orlando, 

Superintendent, Hawai’i Volcanoes 

National Park, P.O. Box 52, Hawai’i 

National Park, HI 96718-0052. 

Alternatively, comments may also be 

transmitted electronically through the 

NPS Planning, Environment and Public 

Comment project Web site at http:// 

parkplanning.nps.gov/HAVO. Before 

including your address, phone number, 

e-mail address, or other personal 

identifying information in your 

comment, you would be aware that your 

entire comment—including your 

personal identifying information—may 

be made publicly available at any time. 

While you can ask us to withhold your 

personal identifying information from 

public review, we cannot guarantee that 

we will be able to do so. 

At this time, it is expected that public 

meetings will be hosted in the towns of 

Hilo (April 29), Na’alehu (April 30), and 

Kona (May 1). All meetings will be 

conducted in an open house format 

from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. Detailed 

information regarding the meetings will 

be included in an announcement posted 

on the project Web site, and also 

publicized in direct mailings and via 


rwilkins on PROD1PC63 with NOTICES
Federal Register / Vol. 73, No. 30 / Wednesday, February 13, 2008 / Notices 8363 

local and regional press media. All 

attendees will be given the opportunity 

to ask questions and provide comments 

to the planning team. The Web site 

noted above will provide the most upto-date information regarding the 

project, including project description, 

planning process updates, meeting 

reports and documents, and 

informational links associated with the 

project. 

Decision Process: Following the 

scoping phase and due consideration of 

public concerns and other agency 

comments, a Draft EIS for the Nonnative Ungulate Management Plan will 

be prepared and released for public 

review. Availability of the forthcoming 

Draft EIS for pubic review and written 

comment will be formally announced 

through the publication of a Notice of 

Availability in the Federal Register, as 

well as through local and regional news 

media, direct mailing to the project 

mailing list, and via the internet at the 

project Web site. At this time it is 

expected that the Draft EIS/plan may be 

available for public release during 

summer-fall, 2009. Following due 

consideration of all agency and public 

comment as may be forthcoming after 

release of the draft document, a Final 

EIS will be prepared. As a delegated 

EIS, the official responsible for the final 

decision on the proposed non-native 

ungulate management plan is the 

Regional Director, Pacific West Region, 

National park Service. Subsequently, 

the official directly responsible for 

implementation of the approved plan 

would be the Superintendent, Hawai’i 

Volcanoes National Park. 

Dated: December 3, 2007. 

Jonathan B. Jarvis, 

Regional Director, Pacific West Region. 

[FR Doc. 08–628 Filed 2–12–08; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4310–KU–M 

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR 

Bureau of Reclamation 

Change of Use for the Mark Twain 

Recreation Area Lake Access, New 

Melones Lake, Tuolumne County, CA 

AGENCY: Bureau of Reclamation, 

Interior. 

ACTION: Notice of change in use of 

public access. 

SUMMARY: The Bureau of Reclamation’s 

New Melones Recreation Resource 

Office will change public use of the 

Mark Twain Recreation Area Lake 

Access, located within a special use 

area, near the Park Administration and 

Visitor Center at new Melones Lake. The 

public use will change from launching 

of trailered boats of any size to 

launching of small boats by hand only. 

Boats will be limited to canoes, kayaks, 

rowboats, skiffs, or small boats with up 

to a ten horsepower motor that can be 

hand carried. With this change in use, 

vehicles, including motorcycles, will no 

longer be permitted to drive to the 

water’s edge to launch boats or for other 

purposes. The location of vehicle access 

will vary due to fluctuating water level 

of the lake, irregularity of the shoreline 

and eroded nature of the former 

roadway which is used for lake access. 

However, Reclamation intends to 

manage vehicle access to allow public 

vehicles to within approximately 100–

200 feet of the water. Other authorized 

recreation activities will not be affected. 

This change in use will serve to enhance 

public safety and water quality, while 

providing for recreation and protection 

of cultural and natural resources in the 

area. 

EFFECTIVE DATES: The change of use will 

become effective April 1, 2008 and 

continue indefinitely. 

ADDRESSES: A map of the proposed 

change is available at Reclamation’s 

New Melones Lake Visitor Center, 

located at 6840 Studhorse Flat road, 

Sonora, California 95370. The Visitor 

Center is open to the public from 10 

a.m. and 4 p.m., Wednesday through 

Sunday. The map is also on the New 

Melones Web site at: http:// 

www.usbr.gov/mp/ccao/field_offices/ 

new_melones/index.html. To have a 

map mailed to you, fax your request to 

209–536–9652 or send your request to 

the address above, Attention: Mark 

Twain Change of Use Map Request. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Bureau of Reclamation, Mid-Pacific 

Region, Public Affairs Office, at 916–

978–5100, or contact Peggi Brooks, 

Resource Manager, New Melones 

Recreation Resource Office via e-mail at 

pbrooks@mp.usbr.gov or by telephone at 

209–536–9094. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This 

action is being taken under 43 CFR part 

423 to protect public safety and prevent 

additional resource degradation. 

Reclamation will change public use of 

the Mark Twain Recreation Area Lake 

Access, located within a special use area 

near the Park Administration and 

Visitor Center at New Melones Lake. 

The public use will change from 

launching of trailered boats of any size 

to launching of small boats by hand 

only. Boat launching will be limited to 

canoes, kayaks, rowboats, skiffs, or 

small boats with up to a ten horsepower 

motor that can be hand carried. With 

this change in use, vehicles, including 

motorcycles, will no longer be permitted 

to drive to the water’s edge to launch 

boats or for other purposes. The location 

of vehicle access will vary due to 

fluctuation water level of the lake, 

irregularity of the shoreline, and eroded 

nature of the former roadway which is 

used for lake access. However 

Reclamation intends to manage vehicle 

access to allow public vehicles to within 

approximately 100–200 feet of the 

water. Boats entering the Mark Twain 

cove from the lake will be required to 

comply with the posted ‘‘No Wake’’

zone to provide for public safety. 

Presently this area is being used for 

shoreline fishing, swimming, hiking and 

launching of boats of all sizes via 

trailers and by hand. These multi-use 

activities have caused visitor conflict 

issues in addition to health and safety 

hazards to the public. The narrow 

access roadway to the Mark Twain 

Recreation Area Lake Access is via old 

State Highway 49 which ends directly at 

the reservoir. Below gross pool level, the 

former road is severely degraded with 

uneven pavement, steep drop-offs, ruts 

and gullies making it unsafe for 

launching of trailered vessels. 

Unrestricted vehicle access to the 

water’s edge has resulted in illegal 

dumping of refuse and hazardous 

materials into the lake, jeopardizing 

water quality, and public health. 

Cultural and natural resources in this 

area are also being damaged by vehicles 

traveling illegally off-road and wave 

erosion due to operation of boats at high 

speeds. In addition, during periods of 

peak use the design capacity of this area 

is often exceeded, making it unsafe to 

operate vehicles, restricting access for 

emergency medical services, and 

endangering visitors. This congestion is 

causing visitors to park on the adjacent 

State Highway 49 road shoulders in an 

unsafe manner. 

The Mark Twain Recreation Area 

Lake Access will remain open to other 

authorized public recreational activities 

including but not limited to fishing, had 

launching of boats under ten 

horsepower, wildlife viewing, hiking, 

and sightseeing. Public foot and bicycle 

access will not be impeded. 

Reclamation will implement the 

change of use by placing vehicle barriers 

across the roadway to restrict public 

vehicle access to approximately 100–

200 feet away from the water’s edge. 

The exact placement of barriers will 

vary depending on lake elevation and 

physical constraints which could 

impact public safety and/or resource 

protection. Removable locking posts 

will be installed at different elevations 

to allow for emergency access. The 

public will be notified of the changes 


rwilkins on PROD1PC63 with NOTICES