General Management Plan, Final Environmental Impact Statement, Jewel Cave National Monument, SD

NATIONAL PARK SERVICE

General Management Plan, Final Environmental Impact Statement,

Jewel Cave National Monument, SD

AGENCY: National Park Service, Department of the Interior.

ACTION: Availability of final environmental impact statement/general

management plan for Jewel Cave National Monument.

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SUMMARY: Pursuant to Section 102(2)(c) of the National Environmental

Policy Act of 1969, the National Park Service (NPS) announces the

availability of a Final Environmental Impact Statement/General

Management Plan (FEIS/GMP) for Jewel Cave National Monument, South

Dakota.

DATES: A 30-day no-action period will follow the Environmental

Protection Agency's notice of availability of the FEIS/GMP.

ADDRESSES: Public reading copies of the FEIS/GMP will be available for

review at the following locations:

Office of the Superintendent, Jewel Cave National Monument, Telephone:

(605) 673-2288.

Division of Planning Design and Maintenance, Rocky Mountain Regional

Office, National Park Service, 12795 West Alameda Parkway, Lakewood, CO

80225, Telephone: (303) 969-2620.

Office of Public Affairs, National Park Service, Department of

Interior, 18th and C Streets NW., Washington, DC 20240, Telephone:

(202) 208-6843.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The FEIS/GMP analyzes two alternatives to

protect resources while providing for visitor use of the monument.

Under Alternative A, the no-action alternative, existing programs,

development, and trends (including implementation of the draft Resource

Management Plan) would continue, but new facilities and interpretation

would not be added. In the proposed action (alternative B); emphasis

would be on protection of Jewel Cave through understanding and

mitigation of the effects on cave resources caused by surface

facilities and activities. Visitor safety would be given a high

priority; access for visitors with disabilities would be improved;

interpretation would be expanded to help visitors better understand the

relationship between surface and subsurface resources; and the National

Park Service would pursue cooperative ventures and boundary expansion

to protect cave resources.

The FEIS/GMP in particular evaluates the environmental consequences

of the proposed action and the other alternatives on cave resources,

geology, soils and vegetation, wildlife, water resources, air quality,

cultural resources, visitor experience, socioeconomic environment, and

management and operations.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Superintendent, Jewel Cave National Monument, at the above address and

telephone number.

Dated: August 23, 1994.

Robert M. Baker,

Regional Director, Rocky Mountain Region, National Park Service.

[FR Doc. 94-21873 Filed 9-2-94; 8:45 am]

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