Notice of Availability of the Record of Decision, Final Environmental Impact Statement for the General Management Plan, Cape Cod National Seashore, Wellfleet, MA

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

National Park Service

Notice of Availability of the Record of Decision, Final

Environmental Impact Statement for the General Management Plan, Cape

Cod National Seashore, Wellfleet, MA

AGENCY: National Park Service, Department of the Interior.

INTRODUCTION: Pursuant to Section 102(2)(C) of the National

Environmental Policy Act of 1969, (P.L. 91-190 as amended), and

specifically to regulations promulgated by the Council on Environmental

Quality (40 CFR 1505.2), the Department of the Interior, National Park

Service has prepared this Record of Decision following the Final

Environmental Impact Statement for the General Management Plan for Cape

Cod National Seashore, Barnstable County, Massachusetts. In accordance

with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, the environmental

impact statement was prepared to assess the impacts of implementing the

general management plan. The purpose of the General Management Plan is

to guide the overall management, development, resource conservation and

public use Cape Cod National Seashore. Presented are alternatives for

the preservation, public use and management of the National Seashore

and the impacts of implementing each alternative.

SUMMARY: The Record of Decision concludes compliance with the National

Environmental Policy Act for decision making to approve a General

Management Plan for Cape Cod National Seashore. This compliance was

initiated upon a Notice of Intent to prepare an Environmental Impact

Statement published in the Federal Register on April 24, 1992. A second

Federal Register notice announcing the schedule for public scoping

meetings in the six Outer Cape towns and Barnstable, Massachusetts was

issued on June 11, 1992. Notice of Availability of the Draft

Environmental Impact Statement and announcement of two public forums

was made in the Federal Register on August 5, 1996. The comment period

of about 75 days was scheduled to end October 31, 1996. This period was

extended twice to December 31, 1996 by subsequent Federal Register

notices on October 7, 1996 and November 20, 1996. The October 7, 1996

Federal Register notice also announced two additional public meetings.

The Notice of Availability for the Final Environmental Impact Statement

was published in the Federal Register on March 2, 1998.

The Record of Decision is a concise statement of the decisions

made, other alternatives considered, the basis for the decision, the

environmentally preferable alternative, the mitigating measures, and

the public involvement in the decision making process.

The Final Environmental Impact Statement for the General Management

Plan describes alternatives for management actions at Cape Cod National

Seashore, the environment that would be affected by those actions, and

the environmental consequences of implementing alternative actions.

Three alternatives were presented, including the proposed general

management plan, the selected action described in the Record of

Decision.

Alternative 1 is a continuation of current management, often

referred to as the ``no-action'' alternative. Under this alternative

the Park Service would continue to manage the National Seashore to

protect natural and cultural resources, while allowing for appropriate

public use related to those resources. Essentially no new development

for public use would be undertaken.

Alternative 2, the selected action, would guide the overall

management of Cape Cod National Seashore for the next 10 to 15 years.

The emphasis of the plan is on the management of natural and cultural

resources; public use and interpretation; coordination with nonfederal

landowners within the National Seashore; administrative, maintenance,

and operational concerns; and working with local residents, town and

county officials and interested agencies and persons to resolve

problems of mutual concern. The plan is programmatic in that it gives

guidance and criteria for day-to-day decision making and for producing

more specific future action and development plans. It would seek to

maintain an appropriate balance between resource protection and public

use. More opportunities would be provided for the public to experience

the resources of the National Seashore. Existing public use facilities

and attractions would be improved. No major new development, however,

is proposed, and the built environment or impacts from development

would be reduced where possible. Under Alternative 2 there would be

more emphasis on preserving the ``timeless'' character of Cape Cod in

terms of natural and dynamic landscapes, historic architecture and

cultural landscapes, and customary activities. The National Park

Service would work in partnership with local communities and officials

to more effectively further

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educational and interpretive opportunities and resource stewardship on

the Outer Cape and to more successfully address mutual problems and

concerns, such as water supply, coastal processes, and traffic

congestion--concerns that transcend political boundaries.

Alternative 3 builds on the approach of Alternative 2, proposing

that National Seashore managers play a more formal role in directing

efforts to protect and manage resources on the Cape through more

structured partnerships. Included are other reasonable actions that

could be implemented but that are significantly different from those

presented in either Alternative 1 or 2, and they are often more costly.

The Park Service would initiate and enter into more formal agreements

with state and local agencies to improve collaboration and consistency

in day-to-day resource management. These actions are specific to

selected management topics only, not to each subject area.

The National Park Service will now commence to implement action

features of the selected alternative from the Final Environmental

Impact Statement as described in the Record of Decision and set forth

in the General Management Plan.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Copies of the Record of Decision are

available upon request from: Superintendent, Cape Cod National

Seashore, 99 Marconi Site Rd., Wellfleet MA 02667. Telephone: (508)

349-3785.

Dated: July 10, 1998.

Marie Rust,

Regional Director, Northeast Field Area (215) 597-7013.

[FR Doc. 98-20367 Filed 7-29-98; 8:45 am]

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