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Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for Cottonwood Cove and Katherine Landing Development Concept Plans; Lake Mead National Recreation Area; Clark County, NV and Mohave County, AZ

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[Federal Register: August 13, 2008 (Volume 73, Number 157)]
[Notices]
[Page 47222-47224]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr13au08-121]

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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

National Park Service

Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for
Cottonwood Cove and Katherine Landing Development Concept Plans; Lake
Mead National Recreation Area; Clark County, NV and Mohave County, AZ

AGENCY: National Park Service.

ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement.

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SUMMARY: The National Park Service is initiating the conservation
planning and environmental impact analysis process for new development
concept plans for the Cottonwood Cove and Katherine Landing developed
areas at Lake Mohave in the Lake Mead National Recreation Area. A range
of reasonable alternatives will be developed through this EIS process
and will include, at a minimum, a no-action (baseline) alternative and
the agency-preferred alternative: the ``environmentally preferred''
course of action will also be identified.

DATES: Written comments must be postmarked or transmitted no later than
October 14, 2008. We will announce the dates and places of public
meetings in the local media.

ADDRESSES: You may submit written comments to the planning team by
mailing comments to Lake Mead National Recreation Area, Attn: DCP-EIS,
601 Nevada Highway, Boulder City, NV 89005 (you may also comment
electronically at http://parkplanning.nps.gov/lame).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Jim Holland, Park Planner, Lake
Mead National Recreation Area, (702) 293-8986.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION;
    Background: The National Recreation Area encompasses Lake Mead to
the north formed by Hoover Dam and Lake

[[Page 47223]]

Mohave to the south created by Davis Dam. Cottonwood Cove and Katherine
Landing are two of the major developed areas on Lake Mohave. Cottonwood
Cove is located on the Nevada shore of the lake, approximately 22 miles
north of Davis Dam. The development was designed in a somewhat linear
fashion up the wash (a dry streambed subject to occasional water
flows), away from the lakefront, rather than along the shore. Katherine
Landing is located near the southern end of the lake in Arizona,
approximately 1.5 miles north of the Davis Dam. The majority of
development lies within Katherine Wash, but also extends to the north,
encompassing South and North Telephone Cove, Cabinsite Cove, and
Princess Cove. Both developments accommodate a wide variety of
recreational activities and provide public launch facilities and
commercial marina services as well as other public use and support
facilities.
    Purpose and Need: The 1986 Lake Mead National Recreation Area
General Management Plan (1986 GMP) addresses the need to provide
recreational opportunities while preserving and protecting natural and
cultural resources. The 1986 GMP established land-based management
zones and included development concept plans for the Cottonwood Cove
and Katherine Landing that identify limits on the development,
establish the number and type of facilities for the development, and
address flood hazards. The 1986 GMP's vision for both areas is to
accommodate increasing use, enhance the visitor experience, and
mitigate flood hazards.
    The 2003 Lake Mead National Recreation Area Lake Management Plan
(2003 LMP) further refined management of Lakes Mead and Mohave, the
associated shorelines, and developed areas to ensure protection of park
resources while allowing a range of recreational opportunities to
support visitor needs. At Cottonwood Cove, the 2003 LMP authorized an
increase in boating capacity and called for separation of public and
commercial marina operations. At Katherine Landing, the 2003 LMP
maintained existing boating capacities and provided for separating
recreational activities.
    The purpose of the subject Cottonwood Cove and Katherine Landing
development concept plans is to revisit the implementation strategies
identified in the 1986 GMP end 2003 LMP. A number of the management
actions identified in both approved plans require more site specific
development planning, including a transportation analysis to evaluate
parking and traffic circulation and an economic feasibility study of
concession operations, prior to implementation. The subject development
concept plans will be consistent with the management direction
established in both previous plans, including the purpose and
significance statements, management zoning designations, and overall
strategies for managing each developed area, although specific actions
(e.g., facility locations, roadway circulation) could differ from those
recommended in the previous plans.
    Preliminary Issues: The park's preliminary assessment of issues and
conditions which warrant a new and detailed examination of development
and operational needs for Cottonwood Cove and Katherine Landing include
the following:
    [cir] Congestion and conflicts between users is a key issue to be
resolved, which derives from numerous people, facilities, and
activities occurring within the limited land based areas of both
developments. The areas require a focused analysis of development
needs, including a parking and circulation assessment, to identify
possible facility improvement, relocation, and expansion. Facility
development must be consistent with the approved lake carrying
capacity.
    [cir] Both developed areas contain Mission 66-era historic
districts, structures, and cultural landscapes eligible for inclusion
in the National Register of Historic Places. The Mission 66 program was
a large scale effort by the NPS to upgrade national park infrastructure
after World War II. Planning must evaluate strategies to balance the
need for preserving cultural resources while providing a more
functional development layout end facilities in keeping with
contemporary design standards and visitor needs.
    [cir] With the growth of communities outside of the park near both
development areas, there is a need to evaluate which services and
support facilities are necessary and appropriate at Cottonwood Cove and
Katharine Landing, and which services should be accommodated outside of
the park.
    [cir] Concession services and facilities support a variety of
visitor activities. Economic feasibility of all concession operations
needs to be evaluated for any preliminary development proposals that
may affect facilities operated by the park's concession.
    [cir] Cottonwood Cove and Katherine Landing are both high hazard
areas for flash flooding. Flood mitigation is of paramount importance
to assure public safety and protection of property. Design for
structural flood protection at both developments has been updated and
needs to be integrated into the implementation planning.
    Public Involvement: Public and agency involvement will be solicited
at key steps in the overall EIS process including initial scoping,
drafting of preliminary alternatives, and review of the draft
development concept plan/EIS. The objectives of the public scoping
phase include: (1) Encourage broad participation from federal, tribal,
state, local governments and other interested parties; (2) Inform all
interested parties about the scope of the problem and the need to find
solutions; (3) Identify a preliminary range of management options (in
addition to a no-action alternative that maintains existing conditions,
and which serves a baseline from which proposed management changes can
be compared and evaluated); (4) Identify relevant natural and cultural
resources, recreational uses, socioeconomic and other factors which
warrant detailed environmental impact analysis, and eliminate issues or
topics which do not require analysis; (5) Identify potential
environmental impacts and suitable mitigation strategies sufficient to
avoid unacceptable impacts and impairment of park resources and values.
    The NPS encourages early participation from federal and state
agencies, Native Americans, local governments, private organizations,
businesses, recreational users, and the public in identifying the
spectrum of issues which should be addressed in this ElS. If you wish
to comment on any issues or provide relevant environmental information,
you may submit written comments to the planning team at the address as
noted above. Before including your address, phone number, e-mail
address, or other personal identifying information in your comment, you
should be aware 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 from public review
your personal identifying information, we cannot guarantee that we will
be able to do so.
    At this time, it is anticipated that a series of public meetings
will be hosted in neighboring communities during August-September,
2008; confirmed dates and locations will be announced through local and
regional media, direct park mailings, and via updates posted on the
park's Web site and on the NPS Planning, Environment & Public Comment
Web site (http://parkplannlng.nps.gov/lame).

[[Page 47224]]

    Decision Process: Formal announcement of the availability of the
Draft EIS will be published in the Federal Register, through local and
regional media and the park and NPS Web sites and through distribution
of the document to public libraries. Following due consideration of all
comments received, a Final EIS will be prepared. As a delegated EIS,
the official responsible for a final decision is the Regional Director,
Pacific West Region. Subsequently the official responsible for
implementing the approved development concept plans and for monitoring
results is the Superintendent, Lake Mead National Recreation Area.

    Dated: May 15, 2008.
George J. Turnbull,
Acting Regional Director, Pacific West Region.
[FR Doc. E8-18661 Filed 8-12-08; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4312-A7-M

 
 

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