Draft Environmental Impact Statement Off-Road Vehicle Management Plan for Cape Lookout National Seashore, North Carolina

Sarah Craighead
Department of the Interior
May 22, 2014

[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 99 (Thursday, May 22, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 29453-29454]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-11893]


=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

National Park Service

[NPS-SER-CALO-15249; PPSESEROC3, PPMPSAS1Y.YP0000]


Draft Environmental Impact Statement Off-Road Vehicle Management 
Plan for Cape Lookout National Seashore, North Carolina

AGENCY: National Park Service, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of Availability.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: Pursuant to Section 102 (2)(C) the National Environmental 
Policy Act of 1969, 42 U.S.C. 4332(2)(C), the National Park Service 
(NPS) announces the availability of the Draft Environmental Impact 
Statement (DEIS) for the Off-Road Vehicle Management Plan (Plan), Cape 
Lookout National Seashore (Seashore), North Carolina.

DATES: The NPS will accept comments on the DEIS/Plan from the public 
for a period of 60 days following publication by the Environmental 
Protection Agency (EPA) of the Notice of Availability of the Draft 
Environmental Impact Statement in the Federal Register. We will 
announce the dates, times and location for public meetings to solicit 
comments on the DEIS/Plan through the NPS Planning, Environment, and 
Public Comment (PEPC) Web site for the project at http://parkplanning.nps.gov/calo and media outlets.

ADDRESSES: Copies of the DEIS/Plan will be available for public review 
at http://parkplanning.nps.gov/calo. A limited number of hard copies 
will be available at Park Headquarters, 131 Charles St., Harkers 
Island, North Carolina 28531.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Superintendent, Cape Lookout National 
Seashore, 131 Charles St., Harkers Island, North Carolina 28531; phone 
252-728-2250 extension 3014.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The DEIS/Plan evaluates whether to allow ORV 
use at the Seashore. If ORV use is permitted, the DEIS/Plan will 
address how to manage that use in compliance with the Seashore's 
enabling legislation, executive orders, NPS management policies, and 
other laws and regulations to ensure protection of the natural, 
cultural, and recreational values of the Seashore's dynamic coastal 
barrier island environment for present and future generations.
    The DEIS/Plan evaluates the impacts of four alternatives for 
designation of off-road vehicle routes and resource management, as well 
as one alternative that would prohibit off-road vehicle use, and are 
described as follows:

Alternative A

 the no action alternative
 continues current levels of ORV use
 continues species management measures from the Seashore's 
Interim Species Management Plan/EA

Alternative B

 designates specific ORV routes and areas similar to 
alternative A
 establishes vehicle permits with no numerical limit
 continues species management measures from the Seashore's 
Interim Species Management Plan/EA
 establishes seasonal night driving restrictions
 phases out high-performance sport model and two stroke ATVs 
and UTVs
 creates an adaptive management strategy

Alternative C

 the NPS preferred alternative
 designates specific ORV routes and areas
 creates additional pedestrian only areas
 establishes a vehicle permit program that would maintain ORV 
use at historical levels
 phases out high-performance sport model and two stroke ATVs 
and UTVs with seasonal use restrictions
 continues species management measures from the Seashore's 
Interim Species Management Plan/EA
 establishes seasonal night driving restrictions
 creates an adaptive management strategy

Alternative D

 designates specific ORV routes and areas
 creates additional pedestrian only areas compared to 
alternative C
 establishes a vehicle permit program that would maintain ORV 
use at historical levels minus 8%
 phases out all ATVs while allowing non-sport UTVs with 
seasonal use restrictions
 continues species management measures from the Seashore's 
Interim Species Management Plan/EA while increasing some resource 
buffers
 establishes seasonal night driving restrictions
 creates an adaptive management strategy

Alternative E

 prohibits private, recreational ORV use
 continuation of species protection measures as appropriate

    Executive Order 11644, issued in 1972 and amended by Executive 
Order 11989 in 1977, states that Federal agencies allowing ORV use must 
designate the specific areas and trails on public lands on which the 
use of ORVs may be permitted, and areas in which the use of ORVs may 
not be permitted. National Park Service policy requires that areas and 
trails that are designated for ORV use must be established based upon 
the protection of the resources of the public lands, promotion of the 
safety of all users of those lands, and minimization of conflicts among 
the various uses of those lands. 36 CFR 4.10 requires that ``Routes and 
areas designated for off-road motor vehicle use shall be promulgated as 
special regulations.'' In addition, such routes and areas may only be 
designated in

[[Page 29454]]

national recreation areas, national seashores, national lakeshores and 
national preserves.
    If you wish to comment electronically, you may submit your comments 
online at the PEPC Web site by visiting http://parkplanning.nps.gov/calo. The NPS encourages commenting electronically through PEPC. The 
deadline for submitting comments online is midnight, Eastern Time, on 
the last day of the public comment period, which will be 60 days after 
the EPA's Notice of Availability for this Plan/DEIS is published in the 
Federal Register. You may also submit written comments by mail to: 
Patrick M. Kenney, Superintendent, Cape Lookout National Seashore, 131 
Charles St., Harkers Island, North Carolina 28531. Comments may also be 
hand-delivered to park headquarters. Comments will also be accepted 
during the three open house public meetings. Comments will not be 
accepted by fax, email, or in any other way than those specified above. 
Bulk comments in any format (hard copy or electronic) submitted on 
behalf of others will not be accepted. Before including your address, 
phone number, email 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 
your personal identifying information from public review, we cannot 
guarantee that we will be able to do so.
    The responsible official for this DEIS is the Regional Director, 
NPS Southeast Region, 100 Alabama Street SW., 1924 Building, Atlanta, 
Georgia 30303.

    Dated: April 30, 2014.
Sarah Craighead,
Acting Regional Director, Southeast Region.
[FR Doc. 2014-11893 Filed 5-21-14; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-JD-P