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Final General Management Plan and Environmental Impact Statement, Governors Island National Monument, New York, NY

Note: EPA no longer updates this information, but it may be useful as a reference or resource.

PDF Version (3 pp, 56K, About PDF)

[Federal Register: July 22, 2009 (Volume 74, Number 139)]
[Notices]
[Page 36251-36253]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr22jy09-105]

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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
National Park Service

Final General Management Plan and Environmental Impact Statement,
Governors Island National Monument, New York, NY

AGENCY: National Park Service, Department of the Interior.
ACTION: Notice of availability of a Record of Decision on the Final
General Management Plan and Environmental Impact Statement for
Governors Island National Monument.

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SUMMARY: Pursuant to Sec.  102(2)(C) of the National Environmental
Policy Act of 1969, as amended, the National Park Service (NPS)
announces the availability of the Record of Decision for the Final
General Management Plan and Environmental Impact Statement (GMP/EIS)
for Governors Island National Monument, New York. On June 1, 2009, the
Regional Director, Northeast Region, approved the Record of Decision
for the GMP/EIS, selecting Alternative D, The Harbor Center, which was
described as the preferred alternative in the Final GMP/EIS issued on
April 26, 2009. As soon as practicable, the NPS will begin to implement
the selected alternative. The National Monument will be developed as a
Harbor Center with partners as a hub of activities and a

[[Page 36252]]

jumping-off point for visitors exploring New York Harbor. This course
of action and three other alternatives were presented and analyzed in
the Draft and Final Environmental Impact Statements. The full range of
foreseeable environmental consequences was assessed, and appropriate
mitigating measures were identified.
    Copies of the Record of Decision may be obtained from the contact
listed below or online at the NPS Planning, Environment and Public
Comment (PEPC) Web site (http://parkplanning.nps.gov/gois).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Patti Reilly, Superintendent,
Governors Island National Monument, Battery Maritime Building, Slip 7,
10 South Street, New York, NY 10004, 212-825-3040.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The NPS selected alternative develops
Governors Island National Monument as the Harbor Center--a hub of
activities and jumping-off point for visitors wanting to explore New
York Harbor.
    Working with other harbor-related organizations--national parks and
local, regional, national and international civic, educational and
research organizations--the NPS would develop a range of activities in
Fort Jay and Castle Williams that interpret the key themes of the
island and greater harbor. The park would collaborate and coordinate on
harbor-related programs on and off Governors Island that would help
visitors understand the forts' military significance, the island's
strategic location, and the ongoing ecological conservation efforts for
the harbor and the re-visioning and redevelopment of the waterfront.
    Governors Island National Monument would become a primary stop on
harbor ferry tours. Programs would include specialized boat tours of
the harbor, educational programs that explore the harbor's history and ecology.
    A variety of programs, exhibits, and special events would be
available in both forts. These activities would use the harbor to
describe the island's history and significance, and the interplay over
time between the harbor and the city's health and economy.
    Fort Jay would house harbor research, offices and temporary lodging
for NPS sponsored fellowship and residency programs; and be the setting
for harbor related seminars and workshops.
    Castle Williams would be the island's main exhibit and interpretive
center, showcasing multimedia programs and interactive exhibits that
explore local, national, and global topics associated with Governors
Island and New York Harbor.
    The selected alternative would seek to accomplish the following broad goals:
    • Preserve the National Monument's historic resources for
the enjoyment of present and future generations. Management would make
historic preservation of Fort Jay and Castle Williams its highest priority.
    • Offer visitors multiple and varied opportunities to
explore and understand the National Monument. Public access to the
National Monument would be convenient and affordable. Dock 102 would
have a new contact station which would serve as an information and
orientation center; Building 140 would continue to be another welcoming
center with a bookstore.
    • Operate the National Monument as part of the larger
island. The NPS would cooperate with organizations, including
Governor's Island Education and Preservation Corporation (GIPEC), to
make Governors Island an educational and civic resource of special
historic character, and a recreational and open-space resource for the
people of New York and the United States.
    The combination of preservation and programming activities would
make the National Monument a major New York City and Harbor attraction,
drawing local visitors back repeatedly and drawing national and
international audiences.
    The planning team has completed the evaluation and found that an
adjustment to include the remainder of the glacis (approximately 10
acres) would meet the official criteria and would be justifiable under
certain circumstances.
    In addition to the selected alternative, three other alternatives,
including a no-action alternative, were presented and analyzed in the
Draft and Final Environmental Impact Statements. To help guide and
structure the formulation and analysis of the alternatives, a set of
criteria and goals were established by the planning team; each
alternative had to meet these goals in its own way:

Resource Preservation Goals

    • The uses of Fort Jay, Castle Williams, and other resources
managed by the NPS are compatible with the purpose and significance of
the National Monument.
    • The island's other important resources and values that
provide the context and add to the significance to the National
Monument, including archeological resources, historic structures, and
cultural landscapes, are preserved.

Visitor Experience Goals

    • Visitors are well oriented, comfortable and safe
throughout their trip, including time at off-island departure points,
on ferries, and while visiting the National Monument.
    • A variety of communications tools convey necessary
information to visitors before, during, and after their visit, about
the National Monument's resources and programs, and opportunities to
enjoy other NPS sites in the New York region.
    • Visitors understand the history of the island and the
people who lived and worked there, and appreciate the island's place in
the history of New York Harbor and the nation.
    • Regular feedback from visitors enables National Monument
staff to improve and enhance public programming and services.
    • Facilities and services within the National Monument and
on the greater island meet visitors' basic needs and enrich the overall
experience, drawing visitors back to the island.

Transportation Goals

    • Access to the National Monument is convenient, reliable,
and available to visitors at a reasonable cost. Access is coordinated
with the extensive public transportation network of the New York
metropolitan area.
    • Ferries and on-island transportation systems employ
sustainable technologies and are accessible to all National Monument
visitors, staff, and contractors. When feasible, on-island transportation
systems are shared and coordinated with other island organizations.

Park Administration Goals

    • Administrative, interpretive, maintenance, and other
staff, as well as facilities and other infrastructure, sustain the
programs and operations of the National Monument and accomplish the NPS mission.
    • National Monument staff enjoy healthy and safe working conditions.

Collaboration and Partnership Goal

    • Formal partnerships and informal associations with other
agencies and organizations assist with the preservation and public
enjoyment of the National Monument. These partnerships and other
collaborative projects support the NPS and National Monument missions.
    After careful consideration and review of the purpose and
significance of Governors Island National Monument and its establishing
Presidential Proclamations, other laws and policies including the
Organic Act, National

[[Page 36253]]

Environmental Policy Act, National Historic Preservation Act and the
2006 NPS Management Policies, and input received from the public during
the planning process, Alternative D was chosen by NPS as the
alternative to be implemented. Compared to all the alternatives
considered, the selected alternative best fulfills the mandates of the
Presidential Proclamations, the purpose and significance, and the other
laws and policies guiding the NPS and the Monument. By partnering with
others to help protect, interpret and educate visitors about the
Monument, the island and New York Harbor, the Monument's long-term
future, viability and relevance is assured.
    The selected alternative best protects park resources while also
providing high-quality visitor experiences including effective
educational and interpretive programs focused on Governors Island
National Monument's purpose, significance and goals. Implementation of
the selected alternative will not result in the impairment of park
resources and values. Provisions in the selected alternative are
incorporated to protect and enhance the park's cultural and natural
resources, and provide for high-quality visitor experiences. Negative
impacts are minor or moderate in intensity. Overall, the selected
alternative will have beneficial effects on cultural and natural
resources, the visitor experience and park operations.
    The Record of Decision includes a statement of the decision made,
synopses of other alternatives considered, the basis for the decision,
a description of the environmentally preferable alternative, a finding
on impairment of park resources and values, a list of measures to
minimize environmental harm, and an overview of public involvement in
the decision-making process. This decision is the result of a public
planning process that began in 2003. Between 2003 and 2007, prior to
the release of the Draft GMP/EIS, NPS staff met with and briefed
representatives from numerous agencies and organizations about the GMP
and NPS's future plans on Governors Island. Additional public
involvement activities followed the release of the Draft GMP/EIS and a
detailed analysis of public comment with NPS responses was provided in
the Final GMP/EIS. The official responsible for this decision is the
NPS Regional Director, Northeast Region.

    Dated: June 11, 2009.
Dennis R. Reidenbach,
Regional Director, Northeast Region, National Park Service.
[FR Doc. E9-17376 Filed 7-21-09; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4312-14-P

 
 

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