26204 Federal Register / Vol. 61, No. 102 / Friday, May 24, 1996 / Notices

administrative and ranch access

following relinquishment by Otero

County, management of fire for

maximum fire suppression and use of

prescribed fire, and fencing of the ACEC

boundary.

The Sacramento Escarpment ACEC is

located 2 miles south of Alamogordo,

New Mexico along the west face of the

Sacramento Mountains. This area is

currently a designated ACEC for the

management of visual resources. This

RMP Amendment proposes to expand

the area to provide for increased

protection and management of visual

resources and an endangered and

sensitive plant community. The existing

ACEC would be expanded to encompass

5,245 acres. Management actions

proposed in the Preferred Alternative

include: limitations or exclusion of new

realty actions (2920 permits), exclusion

of rights-of-way, acquisition of access

easements and private land inholdings

within the ACEC from a willing seller,

closure to all forms of mineral

development, improvement and

protection of riparian areas, permitting

of existing spring developments,

management under Visual Resource

Management Classes I and II, limitation

of off-road vehicle use to designated

roads and trails, closure of

approximately 5 miles of redundant

roads and trails (including closure of

approximately 1⁄4 mile of road in San

Andres Canyon, except for

administrative and ranch pipeline

maintenance access), management of

fire for conditional least-cost

suppression with no surface disturbance

in Visual Class I or arroyo areas.

Prescribed fire could be used for

vegetation management, if needed.

Cornudas Mountain is located 60

miles southeast of Alamogordo, New

Mexico and near the Texas border. The

area was nominated to protect and

manage visual resources, cultural

resources, and sensitive plants. The

total area to be considered is

approximately 850 acres. Management

activities proposed in the Preferred

Alternative include: exclusion of the

area from authorization of rights-of-way,

permitting of other realty actions subject

to protective stipulations, closure to all

forms of mineral development, closure

to vegetation sales, management of

barbary sheep, designation of a BLM

sensitive species, management as Visual

Resource Management Class I,

limitation of off-road vehicle use to

designated roads and trails, allowing

public access to portions of the ACEC by

permit, closure to camping, closure to

the establishment of new roads and

trails, fire management for conditional

least-cost suppression with no surface

disturbance and no use of slurry or

blading in certain areas.

Alamo Mountain is located 61 miles

southeast of Alamogordo, New Mexico

and near the Texas border. The area was

nominated to protect and manage visual

and cultural resources. The total area to

be considered is approximately 2,210

acres. Management actions proposed in

the Preferred Alternative include:

exclusion of the area from authorization

of rights-of-way, permitting of other

realty actions subject to protective

stipulations, closure to all forms of

mineral development, closure to

vegetation sales, management of barbary

sheep, designation of a BLM sensitive

species, management as Visual Resource

Management Class I, closure of the area

to off-road vehicle use, establishment of

a vehicle parking area, closure to

camping in portions of the ACEC, fire

management for conditional least-cost

suppression with no surface disturbance

and no use of slurry or blading in

certain areas.

Wind Mountain is located 64 miles

southeast of Alamogordo, New Mexico

and near the Texas border. The area was

nominated to protect and manage visual

resources, cultural resources, and

unique and sensitive plants and

animals. Total area to be considered is

approximately 2,706 acres. Management

actions proposed in the Preferred

Alternative include: exclusion of the

area from authorization of rights-of-way,

permitting of other realty actions subject

to protective stipulations, closure to all

forms of mineral development (subject

to valid existing rights), closure to

vegetation sales, management of barbary

sheep, designation of a BLM sensitive

species, management as Visual Resource

Management Class I, limitation of offroad vehicle use to existing roads and

trails, fire management for conditional

least-cost suppression with no surface

disturbance and no use of slurry or

blading in certain areas.

The Alkali Lakes area is located 80

miles southeast of Alamogordo, New

Mexico and near the Texas border. This

area was nominated to protect and

manage endangered and sensitive plants

and the plant community in which they

occur. The total area considered is

approximately 6,359 acres. Management

actions proposed in the Preferred

Alternative include: exclusion of the

area from authorization of rights-of-way,

permitting of other realty actions subject

to protective stipulations, acquisition of

State trust land through a cooperative

land exchange, closure to all forms of

mineral development, closure to

vegetation sales, continued management

as Visual Resource Management Class

IV, limitation of off-road vehicle use to

within 30 feet of the center line of

designated roads and trails, closure to

camping and the use of campfires, fire

management for conditional least-cost

suppression with no surface disturbance

and no use of vehicular equipment off

of established roads and trails.

Public participation has occurred

throughout the RMP Amendment

process. A Notice of Intent was filed in

the Federal Register (Vol. 59, No. 73,

Page 18151–18152) on April 15, 1994.

Since that time, several public meetings,

mail-outs, and group briefings were

conducted to solicit comments and

ideas, or familiarize various groups with

the proposal and the BLM planning

process. Comments presented

throughout the process have been

considered in the analysis. Comments

received during this 60-day comment

period will be considered in preparation

of the Proposed White Sands RMP

Amendment and supporting EA. Single

copies of the draft White Sands RMP

Amendment/preliminary FONSI and

supporting EA for the Otero County

ACECs may be obtained from the BLM

Las Cruces District Office, 1800

Marquess, Las Cruces, New Mexico

88005. Public reading copies are

available for review at the BLM State

Office, 1474 Rodeo Rd., Santa Fe, New

Mexico, and public and university

libraries in Las Cruces, Santa Fe, and

Albuquerque, New Mexico, and El Paso,

Texas.

Dated: May 20, 1996.

Josie Banegas,

Acting District Manager, Las Cruces.

[FR Doc. 96–13094 Filed 5–23–96; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4310–VC–P

National Park Service

Notice of Intention To Extend Existing

Concession Contracts

SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that

the National Park Service intends to

extend the following concession

contract and permit for a period of

approximately two (2) years through

December 31, 1998:
Federal Register / Vol. 61, No. 102 / Friday, May 24, 1996 / Notices 26205

Concessioner Park Service provided Contract

expiration

Acadia Corporation .................................... Acadia National Park ................................ Full-service restaurant and gift shops ...... 12/31/96

Kentucky Carriage & Livery ...................... Acadia National Park ................................ Stable, carriage rides ............................... 12/31/96

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The

National Park Service does not intend to

renew these contracts for an extended

period until sufficient planning can be

conducted to determine the future

direction for concession services at this

site. The necessary planning may affect

the future of these operations, and may

take as long as 2 years to complete.

Until planning is completed, it is not in

the best interest of the National Park

Service to enter into long term

concession contracts for these

operations. These extensions may be for

a lesser period should planning issues

be resolved and a renewal process

conducted which results in the award of

new long term concession contracts.

The existing concessioners have

performed their obligations to the

satisfaction of the Secretary and,

pursuant to the provisions of Section 5

of the Act of October 9, 1965 (79 Stat.

969; 16 U.S.C. 20) are entitled to

preference in the extension of their

contracts. This means that the extension

will be awarded to the party submitting

the best offer, provided that if the best

offer was not submitted by the existing

concessioner, then the existing

concessioner will be afforded the

opportunity to match the best offer. If

the existing concessioner agrees to

match the best offer, then the extension

will be awarded to the existing

concessioner. If the existing

concessioner does not agree to the terms

of the extension, the right of preference

shall be considered to have been

waived, and the extension will then be

awarded to the party submitting the best

responsive offer.

Because of the limited term of the

proposed extensions, the National Park

Service is not encouraging the

submission of offers by anyone but the

incumbents in response to this proposal,

but plans to do so at the time the

contracts are renewed for a longer term.

However, as required by law, the

National Park Service will consider and

evaluate all offers received in response

to this notice. Anyone interested in

obtaining further information about the

proposed extensions should contact:

Lynne Koser, National Park Service, 15

State Street, Boston, MA 02190;

Telephone (617) 223–5209 no later than

15 days following publication of this

notice to obtain a prospectus outlining

the requirements of the proposed

extension.

Dated: May 7, 1996.

Chrysandra L. Walter,

Acting Field Director Northeast Field Area.

[FR Doc. 96–13049 Filed 5–23–96; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4310–70–M

Redwood National and State Parks

Environmental Impact Statement/

General Management Plan

SUMMARY: In accordance with

§ 102(2)(C) of the National

Environmental Policy Act of 1969

(Public Law 91–190), the Redwood

National and State Parks are initiating

environmental impact analysis

processes to identify and assess

potential impacts of alternative

management concepts for future

management of the four Redwood

National and State Park units that

comprise this park complex. Notice is

hereby given that the National Park

Service will prepare a draft

environmental impact statement and

general management plan (DEIS/GMP).

The National Park Service has invited

California Department of Parks and

Recreation (CDPR) to be a cooperating

agency in the DEIS/GMP effort.

Following publication of this Notice,

CDPR will issue a Notice of Preparation

to initiate a complementary draft

environmental impact report (EIR)

effort. The official responsible for the

EIR is Donald W. Murphy, Director,

California Department of Parks and

Recreation.

The Redwood National and State

Parks will jointly identify and analyze a

range of alternatives so as to evaluate

differing management options for

resource protection, visitor use, access,

operations, facility development, and

land protection for the area. As a

conceptual framework for formulating

these alternatives, the purposes of the

parks and associated significant cultural

and natural resources, major visitor

experiences, and management objectives

will be specified.

COMMENTS: All interested persons,

organizations, and agencies wishing to

provide initial scoping comments or

suggestions on the DEIS/GMP may send

such information to the

Superintendents, Redwood National

and State Parks, 1111 Second Street,

Crescent City, CA 95531. All such

comments should be received no later

than July 23, 1996. All persons who

respond will be provided timely

information about the complementary

California State Park EIR efforts.

In addition, several public scoping

sessions will be held after publication of

this Notice, affording an additional early

comment opportunity. Dates for these

meetings (and locations) are: June 17

(Brookings), June 18 (Crescent City),

June 19 (Klamath), June 20 (Eureka), and

June 21 (Orick). Full details on times

and locations of these sessions may be

obtained by contacting the

Superintendents at the above address or

via telephone at (707) 464–6101.

DECISION: The subsequent availability of

both the DEIS/GMP and EIR will be

announced by formal Notice and via

local and regional news media. The

DEIS/GMP is anticipated to be

completed and available for public

review in 1998. The final environmental

impact statement and general

management plan (FEIS/GMP) are

expected to be completed approximately

one year later. A Record of Decision will

be published in the Federal Register not

sooner than thirty (30) days after

distribution of the FEIS/GMP

documents. The responsible official is

Stanley T. Albright, Field Director,

Pacific West Area, National Park

Service.

Dated: May 10, 1996.

Patricia Neubacher,

Acting Field Director, Pacific West Area.

[FR Doc. 96–13048 Filed 5–23–96; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4310–70–P

Notice of Intent to Repatriate Cultural

Items in the Possession of the Hubbell

Trading Post National Historic Site,

National Park Service, Ganado, AZ

AGENCY: National Park Service.

ACTION: Notice.

Notice is hereby given under the

Native American Graves Protection and

Repatriation Act, 25 U.S.C. 3005 (a)(2),

of the intent to repatriate cultural items

in the possession of the Hubbell Trading

Post National Historic Site, National

Park Service, Ganado, AZ which meet

the definition of ‘‘sacred objects’’ under

Section 2 of the Act.

The nineteen items consist of one

hide pollen bag; three stone fetishes;