Fire Management Plan, Environmental Impact Statement, Grand Canyon National Park, AZ
Note: EPA no longer updates this information, but it may be useful as a reference or resource.
[Federal Register: September 16, 2003 (Volume 68, Number 179)]
[Notices]
[Page 54243-54244]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr16se03-74]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
National Park Service
Fire Management Plan, Environmental Impact Statement, Grand
Canyon National Park, AZ
AGENCY: National Park Service, Department of the Interior.
ACTION: Notice of Intent to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement
for a Fire Management Plan for Grand Canyon National Park.
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SUMMARY: Pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, 42
U.S.C. 4332 (C), the National Park Service is preparing an
Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the Fire Management Plan (FMP)
for Grand Canyon National Park. This effort will result in a new
wildland fire management plan that meets current policies, provides a
framework for making fire-related decisions, and serves as an
operational manual. Development of a new fire plan is compatible with
the broader goals and objectives presented in Grand Canyon National
Park's 1995 General Management Plan (GMP).
The Environmental Impact Statement process will identify and
evaluate the environmental impacts of several alternatives for fire
management in the park. Alternatives will address resource protection,
potential resource impacts, and various mitigation practices necessary
or desirable to minimize adverse impacts to resource conditions.
Alternatives to be considered will include no-action, and a reasonable
range of alternatives that meet the project objectives, including
various combinations of fire suppression, wildland fire use, prescribed
fire, and mechanical treatments. The Environmental Impact Statement
process will be conducted in consultation with the U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service, the Arizona State Historic Preservation Office,
natural resource management agencies, affiliated American Indian
tribes, and other interested Federal, state, and local agencies.
Attention will also be given to resources outside the boundaries that
affect the integrity of Grand Canyon.
Issues are expected to include protection of cultural resources,
protection of plant and wildlife habitats, effects on native and non-
native species, protection of threatened and endangered species and
their habitats, protection of other natural resources, wildland urban
interface, fire in proposed wilderness, protection of park neighbors'
property, reducing impacts to park visitors, protection of life and
property, protection of air quality, effects on tourism, and changes in
landscape-scale vegetation patterns.
The public involvement process will include distribution of a
scoping document requesting public input and comment. Several public
meetings will be held in locations surrounding the park. The scoping
document will describe the project in general, identify preliminary
issues, and include specific meeting dates and locations. Information
can be obtained from Dan Oltrogge, FMP Project Leader, Grand Canyon
National Park, P.O. Box 129, Grand Canyon, AZ 86023, 928-638-7822.
DATES: The Park Service will accept comments from the public through
November 17, 2003.
ADDRESSES: Information will be available for public review and comment
in the office of the FMO, Dan Oltrogge, Grand Canyon National Park,
P.O. Box 129, Grand Canyon, Arizona 86023; 928-638-7822.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dan Oltrogge, FMP Project Leader,
Grand Canyon National Park (928) 638-7822 or go to the Grand Canyon
Compliance Web site at http://www.nps.gov/grca/compliance.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: If you wish to comment on the scoping
document, you may submit your comments by any one of several methods.
You may mail comments to FMP Project, Grand Canyon National Park, P.O.
Box 129, Grand Canyon, Arizona 86023. You may also comment via
electronic mail (e-mail) to GRCA_FMP@nps.gov. Please submit e-mail
comments as a text file avoiding the use of special characters and any
form of encryption. Please also include your name, e-mail address, and
return mailing address in your e-mail message. Finally, you may hand-
deliver comments to Grand Canyon National Park at the Headquarters
building between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. weekdays. Our practice is to make
comments, including names and home addresses of respondents, available
for public review during regular business hours. Individual respondents
may request that we withhold their home address from the record, which
we will honor to the extent allowable by law. There also may be
circumstances in which we would withhold from the record a respondent's
identity, as allowable by law. If you wish us to withhold your name
and/or address, you must state this prominently at the beginning of
your comment. We will make all submissions
[[Page 54244]]
from organizations or businesses, and from individuals identifying
themselves as representatives or officials of organizations or
businesses, available for public inspection in their entirety.
Dated: July 14, 2003.
Michael D. Snyder,
Deputy Director, Intermountain Region, National Park Service.
[FR Doc. 03-23350 Filed 9-15-03; 8:45 am]
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