Environmental Statements Availability; Mississippi National River and Recreation Area

DEPARTMENT OF INTERIOR

National Park Service

FES 95-1

Environmental Statements Availability; Mississippi National River

and Recreation Area

AGENCY: National Park Service, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of availability of Final Comprehensive Management Plan/

Final Environmental Impact Statement for the Mississippi National River

and Recreation Area.

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SUMMARY: Pursuant to section 102(2)(C) of the National Environmental

Policy Act of 1969 (P.L. 91-190, as amended), the National Park

Service, Department of the Interior, has prepared a Final Comprehensive

Management Plan/Final Environmental Impact Statement (FCMP/FEIS) that

describes and analyzes a proposed action and three alternatives for the

future management and use of the Mississippi National River and

Recreation Area, Minnesota.

The Draft Comprehensive Management Plan/Draft Environmental Impact

Statement was released for public review on July 5, 1993 (58 FR 32546),

and the public comment period closed October 11, 1993. During this

period, four public hearings were held; written comments also were

received. The FCMP/FEIS contains responses to the comments received and

modifications to the text as needed in response to the comments.

The proposed action and alternatives all have been designed to

preserve, protect, and enhance the significant values of the waters and

land of the Mississippi River corridor within the Saint Paul-

Minneapolis metropolitan area. They differ primarily in approach to

overall management emphasis and level of federal involvement.

The proposed action provides a framework to balance and coordinate

natural, cultural, and economic resource protection, visitor use, and

sustainable development activities. It minimizes adverse effects on the

river corridor and conflicts between users while providing for a broad

spectrum of land and water uses and managed growth. Corridor management

policies would be applied in a practical manner, with individual

communities retaining flexibility to respond to unusual situations in

special ways, providing that the resources identified in Public Law

100-696, the unit's enabling legislation, are protected. The proposed

action emphasizes the importance of biological diversity in the

corridor. It also recognizes the importance of economic activities and

provides for the commercial use of the corridor consistent with P.L.

100-696. Commercial navigation activities would be continued. A wide

range of visitor use activities would be encouraged. The National Park

Service would have a lead role in coordinating interpretation for the

corridor.

Alternative A (no action) would continue existing resource

protection activities, land and water management, and visitor use

programs. No overall comprehensive plan would be adopted. Local

communities would continue to manage the river with minimal

coordination and cooperation. Political boundaries would continue to

delineate different management regulations, and the 72-mile segment of

the Mississippi River would be managed according to different plans.

Alternative B would place a greater emphasis on resource

protection, more restrictive land management, and passive recreation

activities. Efforts for resource protection would be coordinated

between the National Park Service and existing state, federal, and

local programs, with the National Park Service taking the lead on

protection of natural and cultural resources.

Alternative C would place greater emphasis on the use and

development potential of the corridor; increased tourism and new

commercial and industrial development would be encouraged to a greater

degree. There would be less land management activity in alternative C,

and visitor activities [[Page 6283]] would emphasize more active

recreation. Nationally significant resources would be protected under

existing laws, regulations, and policies, and they would be marketed

more intensively to stimulate visitation.

Major impact topics assessed for the proposed action and

alternatives include cultural resources, economic environment,

commercial navigation, water resources, air quality, soil and

vegetation, threatened and endangered species, and recreational use.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Superintendent, Mississippi National

River and Recreation Area, 175 East Fifth Street, Suite 418, Saint

Paul, Minnesota 55101; (612) 290-4160

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Copies of the FCMP/FEIS will be available at

the Mississippi National River and Recreation Area headquarters at the

above address. In addition, public reading copies of the FCMP/FEIS will

be available for inspection at libraries located in the Twin Cities

metropolitan area; the Department of the Interior Library; the National

Park Service Public Affairs Office, 1849 C Street NW., Washington, DC

20240; and at the Midwest Regional Office, National Park Service, 1709

Jackson Street, Omaha, NE 68102. In addition, all Federal Repository

libraries will receive copies.

The 30-day no action period will end on February 20, 1995. A record

of decision will follow the 30-day no action period.

Dated: January 13, 1995.

Willie R. Taylor,

Director, Office of Environmental Policy and Compliance.

[FR Doc. 95-2375 Filed 1-31-95; 8:45 am]

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