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National Capital Region; Environmental Assessment of Proposed Land Transfer, Arlington House--The Robert E. Lee Memorial, George Washington Memorial Parkway to Department of the Army, Arlington National Cemetery

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 [Federal Register: July 12, 1999 (Volume 64, Number 132)]
[Notices]               
[Page 37564-37565]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr12jy99-111]                         

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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

National Park Service

 
National Capital Region; Environmental Assessment of Proposed 
Land Transfer, Arlington House--The Robert E. Lee Memorial, George 
Washington Memorial Parkway to Department of the Army, Arlington 
National Cemetery

ACTION: National Park Service, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of availability of an environmental assessment (EA) for 
land transfer from National Park Service to Department of Army, 
Arlington National Cemetery.

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SUMMARY: Pursuant to the Council of Environmental Quality regulations 
and National Park Service policy, the National Park Service has 
completed an EA which evaluated the potential impacts of the proposed 
land transfer of an area known as Section 29. The EA examines the 
environmental and visual impacts of the land transfer on the natural 
and historic resources and scenic quality of Arlington House--The 
Robert E. Lee Memorial. The National Park Service is soliciting 
comments on this EA. These comments will be considered in evaluating it 
and in making decisions pursuant to the National Environmental Policy 
Act.

DATES: There will be a 45-day public review period for comment on this 
document. Comments on the EA should be received no later than August 
24, 1999.

ADDRESSES: Comments on the EA should be submitted to Ms. Audrey 
Calhoun, Superintendent, National Park Service, George Washington 
Memorial Parkway, Turkey Run Park, McLean, Virginia 22101. A limited 
number of copies of the EA are available on request. A public reading 
copy of the EA will be available at the Arlington County Main Library, 
the Headquarters of the George Washington Memorial Parkway and at the 
Arlington House--The Robert E. Lee Memorial.
    And at the National Park Service web page at: http://www.nps.gov/
gwmp/section29index.htm.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms. Audrey Calhoun, Superintendent, 
George Washington Memorial Parkway, McLean, VA 22101, Telephone: (703) 
289-2500.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Section 29 is a 24.44 wooded ravine that is 
the remaining portion of the historic Custis-Lee estate's forested 
grounds at Arlington House--The Robert E. Lee Memorial (Arlington 
House). The forested area and the adjacent mansion are administered by 
the George Washington Memorial Parkway, a unit of the National Park 
Service (NPS), and are located in Arlington National Cemetery (ANC). 
The area was part of the historic forest of the Custis-Lee estate and 
was transferred from ANC to the NPS in 1975 to maintain the historic 
setting of Arlington House in perpetuity.
    The Department of the Army recognized that ANC is nearing capacity 
and on February 22, 1995 signed an interagency agreement with the 
Department of the Interior to transfer a portion of Section 29 to the 
cemetery. The agreement divided Section 29 approximately in half, into 
the ``Preservation Zone'' and the ``Interment Zone''.
    The Preservation Zone consists of approximately 12.5 acres to the 
west of Arlington House; that the agreement described as having steep 
slopes, a high potential for archeological resources pertaining to 
Arlington House, and forest cover which dates to the Lee occupancy and 
contributes significantly to the historic setting of Arlington House. 
The Interment Zone is a 12-acre area west of the Preservation Zone; 
which the agreement described as having no known cultural resources, 
slopes that are not steep, and forest cover that is not historically 
significant.
    Implementation of the agreement required carrying out a study to 
consider archeological resources, cultural landscape values, and 
National Register eligibility; an environmental analysis of the 
transfer under the National Environmental Policy Act; and satisfaction 
of the requirements of Section 106 of the National Historic 
Preservation Act.
    The cultural resources study was contracted and the resulting 
cultural investigation report identified the Arlington House Ravine 
Site, an archeological site of high integrity containing historic 
elements related to the period of the Custis-Lee occupancy and also 
prehistoric quarrying and tool making components. It encompasses a 
large portion of the project area and is an element that enhances the 
National Register of Historic Places listing of the site. The 
archeological site is the only recorded Late Archaic period quartzite 
quarry on National Park Service land in northern Virginia.
    The cultural landscape analysis determined that much of the 
existing forest canopy dates to the Custis-Lee occupation and retains 
the historic landscape character. A forestry study demonstrated that 
the hardwood forest in the Preservation Zone contained trees 220-230 
years old. Other portions of the project area forest have grown to 
maturity and presently recreate the landscape characteristics that 
defined the appearance and significance of the forest historically as a 
portion of the Arlington estate. This forest is the same type that once 
covered the estate, and regenerated from trees that were present 
historically. A representative tree in the southern Interment Zone was 
determined to be 258 years old. The forest constitutes the oldest and 
largest tract of climax eastern hardwood forest in Arlington County, 
Virginia.
    Analysis of the resources of Section 29 identified other conditions 
that affect the potential for transfer of land. The Interment Zone was 
determined to contain significant archeological and cultural landscape 
resources, in addition to those of the Preservation Zone. Upon 
consideration of these resources, four alternatives were developed.
    Alternative 1 retains the highest significance resources to NPS 
(The Preferred Alternative): NPS would transfer approximately 9.6 
acres, comprising most of the Interment Zone, except for the 
southeastern sloped area containing archeological locus 1 and a stream; 
and also transferring to ANC the northern tip of the Preservation Zone, 
containing two disturbed areas. Alternative 2--retains most resources 
to NPS: NPS would transfer 4.3 acres of the Interment Zone between the 
ANC old warehouse (maintenance) area and Fort Myer. Alternative 3--
retains the Preservation Zone to NPS and Interment Zone transfers to 
ANC: NPS would transfer the 12-acre Interment Zone to ANC and retain 
the 12.5-acre Preservation Zone. Alternative 4--All of Section 29 is 
retained by NPS (the No Action Alternative): No property would be 
transferred from NPS to ANC.

[[Page 37565]]

    Public Law 104-201 directed the Secretary of the Interior to 
transfer to the Secretary of the Army jurisdiction over the Interment 
Zone, which is the plan in Alternative 3. Adoption of any of the other 
alternatives would require legislative action to amend the existing 
law.
    A public meeting on the EA will be held July 21, 1999 at the Women 
In Military Service For America Memorial's Education Center from 7:00 
p.m. until 9:00 p.m. The Memorial is located on Memorial Drive at the 
Gates to Arlington National Cemetery. Parking will be at the Arlington 
Cemetery's Visitor Parking Lot. There is a $1.25 fee per hour to park 
in the lot.

    Dated: July 2, 1999.
Audrey F. Calhoun,
Superintendent.
[FR Doc. 99-17523 Filed 7-9-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-70-P

 
 

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