Document ID: FAA-2010-0687-0001
Agency: faa
Document Type: Rule
Title: Intent to Prepare an Environmental Assessments and Requests for Public Scoping Comments: Air Tour Management Plan Program at Petrified Forest National Park
Posted Date: 2010-07-01T04:00Z

[Federal Register: July 1, 2010 (Volume 75, Number 126)]
[Notices]               
[Page 38169-38170]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr01jy10-131]                         

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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Aviation Administration

 
Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Assessment and 
Request for Public Scoping Comments for the Air Tour Management Plan 
Program at Petrified Forest National Park

AGENCY: Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).

ACTION: Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Assessment and To 
request public scoping comments.

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SUMMARY: The FAA, with National Park Service (NPS) as a cooperating 
agency, has initiated development of an Air Tour Management Plan (ATMP) 
for Petrified Forest National Park (Petrified Forest), pursuant to the 
National Parks Air Tour Management Act of 2000 (Pub. L. 106-181) and 
its implementing regulations (14 CFR Part 136, Subpart B, National 
Parks Air Tour Management). The objective of the ATMP is to develop 
acceptable and effective measures to mitigate or prevent the 
significant adverse impacts, if any, of commercial air tour operations 
on the natural resources, cultural resources, and visitor experiences 
of a national park unit and any Tribal lands within or abutting the 
park. It should be noted that the ATMP has no authorization over other 
non-air-tour operations such as military and general aviation 
operations. In compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 
1969 (NEPA) and FAA Order 1050.1E, an Environmental Assessment (EA) is 
being prepared.
    In April 2010, the NPS and FAA held a two-day kickoff meeting at 
Petrified Forest; minutes may be found at: http://parkplanning.nps.gov/
projectHome.cfm?parkId=88&projectId=30802.
    The purpose of the kickoff meeting was for the FAA and NPS to have 
the opportunity to share information regarding environmental and other 
issues to consider in the development of an ATMP. Materials presented 
at the meeting included information on: park resources; the acoustical 
environment at Petrified Forest; current and historical air tour 
operations; and representative air tour flight paths. In addition, 
Petrified Forest staff provided information regarding sensitive park 
resources, Tribal concerns, and tourism patterns.
    The FAA and NPS are now inviting the public, agencies, Tribes, and 
other interested parties to provide comments, suggestions, and input on 
the scope of issues to be addressed in the environmental process.

DATES: By this notice, the FAA is requesting comments on the scope of 
the EA for the ATMP at Petrified Forest. Comments must be submitted by 
August 2, 2010.

FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT: Keith Lusk--Mailing address: P.O. Box 
92007, Los Angeles, California 90009-2007. Telephone: (310) 725-3808. 
Street address: 15000 Aviation Boulevard, Lawndale, California 90261.
    Written comments on the scope of the EA should be submitted 
electronically via the electronic public comment form on the NPS 
Planning, Environment and Public Comment System at: http://
parkplanning.nps.gov/projectHome.cfm?parkId=88&projectId=30802, or sent 
to the mailing address above.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: A public scoping packet that describes the 
project in greater detail is available at:
     http://parkplanning.nps.gov/
projectHome.cfm?parkId=88&projectId=30802.
     Alpine Public Library.
     Flagstaff City-Coconino Public Library.
     Northern Arizona University Library-Cline Library.
     Gallup Public Library.
     Holbrook Public Library.
     Northland Pioneer College Library.
     Larson Public Memorial Library.
     New Mexico State University Library.
     Painted Cliffs Welcome Center.
     Painted Desert Visitor Center.
     Phoenix Public Library.
     Casa Malpais Visitor Center and Museum.
     Apache County Library District Office.
     Navajo Community College Library-Tsaile Campus.
     Tucson-Pima County Public Library.
     Roxanne Whipple Memorial Library-Winslow.
    Notice Regarding FOIA: Individuals may request that their name and/
or address be withheld from public disclosure. If you wish to do this, 
you must state this prominently at the beginning of your comment. 
Commentators using the Web site can make such a request by checking the

[[Page 38170]]

box ``keep my contact information private.'' Such requests will be 
honored to the extent allowable by law, but you should be aware that 
pursuant to the Freedom of Information Act, your name and address may 
be disclosed. We will make all submissions from organizations, 
businesses, and from individuals identifying themselves as 
representatives or officials of organizations or businesses available 
for public inspection in their entirety.

    Issued in Hawthorne, CA on June 23, 2010.
Keith Lusk,
Program Manager, Special Programs Staff, Western-Pacific Region.
[FR Doc. 2010-16077 Filed 6-30-10; 8:45 am]
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