[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 113 (Monday, June 15, 2009)]
[Notices]
[Pages 28273-28274]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E9-13883]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

National Park Service


General Management Plan; Devils Postpile National Monument; Mono 
County, CA; Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact 
Statement

SUMMARY: In accordance with 102(2)(C) of the National Environmental 
Policy Act of 1969, the National Park Service--in cooperation with Inyo 
National Forest--is undertaking a conservation planning and 
environmental impact analysis process for creating a new General 
Management Plan (GMP) for Devils Postpile National Monument (monument), 
California. 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 will serve as a ``blueprint'' to 
guide management of natural and cultural resources and visitor use 
during the next 15-20 years.
    In addition to identifying an ``environmentally preferred'' 
alternative, one or more development concept plans, which guide more 
detailed, site-specific preservation and development, may also be 
included with the GMP. The GMP will also include an eligibility 
assessment for wild and scenic river designation for the upper Middle 
Fork San Joaquin River, as required by NPS Management Policies 2006 for 
rivers and river segments in the National Park System.
    The National Park Service (NPS) will serve as lead agency and the 
U.S. Forest Service shall assume the role of cooperating agency in 
preparing the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS). Devils Postpile 
National Monument is working in cooperation with the Inyo National 
Forest on this GMP so as to seamlessly address visitor opportunities 
within the valley (such as facilities, transit, and overall visitor 
experience) and resource management issues in the upper Middle Fork San 
Joaquin River watershed (such as watershed management, biodiversity, 
and response to climate change). For any actions that the Forest 
Service determines would be necessary to be undertaken on Forest 
Service lands, the Forest Service would approve appropriate compliance 
separately.
    Background Information: Devils Postpile National Monument was 
established in 1911 by presidential proclamation. The 798-acre monument 
rests along the Middle Fork San Joaquin River on the Sierra Nevada's 
western slope and was established to preserve the columnar formation, 
Devils Postpile, and 101-foot Rainbow Falls. The formation Devils 
Postpile ranks as one of the world's finest examples of columnar 
jointing. Its columns tower 60 feet high and display an unusual 
symmetry. The monument also preserves natural mountain scenery and 
serves as a portal to the High Sierra backcountry. Both the John Muir 
Trail and Pacific Crest Trail pass through the monument.
    Originally administered by the U.S. Forest Service, the monument 
was transferred to the national park system in 1934. After the 
transfer, the monument was managed as a satellite unit first by 
Yosemite and then by Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks before 
becoming an independent unit of the national park system. Congress also 
included 747 acres of the monument in the Ansel Adams Wilderness in 
1984, consequently over 90% of the monument is designated as 
Wilderness.
    The National Park Service oversees the 798-acre Devils Postpile 
National Monument, while the U.S. Forest Service manages the lands 
surrounding the monument. These two Federal agencies work as partners 
to manage public lands in this area. Access to Devils Postpile is 
primarily via a mandatory bus system managed by the Forest Service. 
Hiking trails wind seamlessly in and out of the monument and onto the 
adjacent national forest. Both agencies are also responsible for 
wilderness areas. The Devils Postpile trailhead provides one of three 
main access points to the Pacific Crest and John Muir trails as well as 
portals to the Ansel Adams and John Muir Wildernesses. Wilderness 
permits for the national forest may be obtained through the monument.
    Preliminary Issues: A comprehensive management plan that provides a 
broad, long-term vision for management of Devils Postpile National 
Monument has never been developed. Management direction was previously 
provided through Yosemite and Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks. 
Programmatic strategies to protect, maintain or restore resources and 
address visitor access, services, and development specific to the 
monument are needed.
    Consistent with NPS Planning Program Standards, this GMP will: (1) 
Describe the monument's purpose, significance, and primary interpretive 
themes; (2) identify the fundamental resources and values of the 
monument, 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 
monument; (4) develop management zoning to support these desired 
conditions; (5) develop alternative applications of these management 
zones to the monument'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 for implementing each of the 
alternatives; and (10) identify and prioritize subsequent detailed 
studies, plans and actions that may be needed to implement the GMP, 
including further wild and scenic river planning or Wilderness 
management planning that may be required.
    Scoping Process: The purpose of this scoping outreach effort is to 
elicit early public feedback regarding potential issues and concerns, 
the nature and extent of potential environmental impacts (and as 
appropriate, mitigation measures), and alternative concepts which 
should be addressed in developing the monument's first plan. Through 
the outreach activities planned in the scoping phase, the NPS welcomes 
information and suggestions from the

[[Page 28274]]

public regarding resource protection, visitor use, and land management. 
All scoping comments must be postmarked or transmitted by September 25, 
2009.
    Comments may be provided online through the NPS Planning, 
Environment and Public Comment Web site http://parkplanning.nps.gov/depo. If it is more convenient, or if you do not have access to a 
computer, written comments may also be addressed to: General Management 
Plan, Devils Postpile National Monument, Attn: Deanna Dulen, 
Superintendent, P.O. Box 3999, Mammoth Lakes, California 93546. Before 
including your address, phone number, e-mail address, or other personal 
identifying information in your comment, you should be 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.
    During the summer of 2009, the NPS, in cooperation with the Inyo 
National Forest, will host two rounds of public open houses in Mammoth 
Lakes, California. These open houses are planned for July 8 and July 9, 
2009 and for September 9 and September 10, 2009. Detailed information 
including times, specific locations and directions for these meetings 
will be posted on the GMP project Web site at http://parkplanning.nps.gov/depo. 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 updates, meeting 
notices, reports and documents, and useful links associated with the 
planning process.
    Decision Process: Following the scoping phase and consideration of 
public concerns and other agency comments, a Draft EIS/GMP will be 
prepared and released for public review (at this time anticipated to 
occur in summer 2011). Availability of the forthcoming Draft EIS/GMP 
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 http://www.nps.gov/depo/parkmgmt/plan.htm.
    Following due consideration of all agency and public comment, a 
Final EIS will be prepared (at this time the final plan is expected to 
be available in 2012). As a delegated EIS, the official responsible for 
the final decision on the proposed plan is the Regional Director, 
Pacific West Region, National Park Service. Subsequently, the official 
responsible for implementation of the approved plan is the 
Superintendent, Devils Postpile National Monument.

    Dated: May 13, 2009.
Jonathan B. Jarvis,
Regional Director, Pacific West.
[FR Doc. E9-13883 Filed 6-12-09; 8:45 am]
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