Commercial Routes for the Grand Canyon National Park

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Aviation Administration

Commercial Routes for the Grand Canyon National Park

AGENCY: Federal Aviation Administration, DOT.

ACTION: Notice of availability on routes in Grand Canyon National Park;

comment request.

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SUMMARY: This notice announces the availability of and requests

comments on proposed commercial routes for the Grand Canyon National

Park (GCNP) Special Flight Rules Area (SFRA). The proposed commercial

routes are not being published in the Federal Register because they are

depicted on large and very detailed charts that would be difficult to

read if published in the Federal Register. The proposed modifications

of certain commercial routes may require airspace changes in the GNCP

SFRA that are contained in a notice of proposed rulemaking being

published concurrently in this Federal Register. The proposed airspace

modification and the planned modification to the route structure

support the National Park Service mandate to provide for the

substantial restoration of the natural quiet and experience of the

park.

DATES: Comments on the routes must be received on or before September

7,1999.

ADDRESSES: Comments on the proposed routes, in triplicate, may be

delivered or mailed to: Federal Aviation Administration, ATTN: Alberta

Brown, Air Transportation Division, AFS-200, 800 Independence Avenue,

SW., Washington, DC 20591, Telephone (202) 267-8321. Comments may be

examined at the above address between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. weekdays,

except for Federal holidays.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Gary Davis, Air Transportation

Division, AFS-200, 800 Independence Avenue, SW., Washington, DC 20591,

Telephone (202) 267-8166.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The proposed commercial routes are not being

published in the Federal Register because they are on very large and

detailed charts that would not publish well in the Federal Register. A

copy of the charts depicting the routes may be obtained by contacting

Denise Cashmere at (202) 267-3717, by faxing a request to (202) 267-

5229, or by sending a request in writing to the Federal Aviation

Administration, Air Transportation Division, AFS-200, 800 Independence

Avenue, SW., Washington, DC 20591.

Comments Invited

Interested persons are invited to comment on the proposed routes by

submitting such written data, views, or arguments as they may desire.

Commenters must identify that they are commenting on the proposed

commercial routes for the GCNP SFRA. All comments received on or before

the end of the comment period will be considered by the FAA before

finalizing the commercial routes. Late filed comments will be

considered to the extent practicable.

Discussion

The FAA, in consultation with the National Park Service (NPS),

proposes to restore and modify certain commercial routes in the GCNP

SFRA. The proposed modified routes were developed based on airspace

configurations, safety considerations, the goal of substantial

restoration of natural quiet in the GCNP, economic considerations,

consultation with Native American tribes, and comments received in

response to previous route proposals. The FAA, in consultation with the

NPS, also proposes to modify the existing airspace in the SFRA to

accommodate these proposed route changes in a companion notice of

proposed rulemaking published elsewhere in this Federal Register.

In developing the proposed modified routes for GCNP, the FAA has

been consulting with Native American tribes, on a government-to-

government basis, as required by the Presidential Memorandum on

Government-to-Government Consultation with Native American Tribal

Governments to assess potential effects on tribal trust resources and

to assure that tribal government rights and concerns are considered in

the decisionmaking process. The FAA has also been consulting with these

tribes pursuant to the American Indian Religious Freedom Act and the

Religious Freedom Restoration Act concerning potential effects of the

proposed routes on sacred sites. In addition, under Section 106 of the

National Historic Preservation Act the FAA, has been consulting with

these

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tribes, the Arizona State Historic Preservation Office, the Advisory

Council on Historic Preservation, and other interested parties

concerning potential effects on historic sites, including traditional

cultural properties and Native American sacred sites.

This action provides interested persons an opportunity to comment

on the proposed commercial routes. Before the commercial routes for

GCNP are finalized, FAA and NPS will fulfill their consultation

responsibilities. In this consultation process, the FAA in coordination

with NPS, will continue to consider feasible actions to mitigate any

identified significant impacts to Native American cultural, religious,

or historic sites.

General Description of the Modified Routes

The FAA proposes to rename the Blue Direct route as Blue Direct

North and restore and modify the Blue Direct South, the Blue 2, and the

Green 4 routes, as appropriate. Commenters should also note that the

chart depicts proposed modifications to the Desert View, Bright Angel,

and Sanup Flight-free Zones and the Zuni Point corridor.

These proposed routes have been developed after consideration of

various alternative routes by the FAA and NPS. The FAA and NPS believes

that the proposed routes best address preservation issues and Native

American concerns. The proposal also continues to provide routes for

commercial tour operators that mitigate noise impacts and provide the

public with the requisite level of safety. The FAA believes that the

routes depicted on the chart made available by this notice, would

provide an opportunity for commercial air tours as well as assist the

NPS in achieving its statutory mandate to provide for the substantial

restoration of natural quiet in GCNP.

Environmental Review

The FAA is preparing a draft environmental assessment (EA) for this

proposed action to ensure conformance with the National Environmental

Policy Act of 1969. Copies of the draft EA will be circulated to

interested parties and placed in the docket, where it will be available

for review.

Issued in Washington, DC on July 1, 1999.

L. Nicholas Lacey,

Director, Flight Standards Service.

[FR Doc. 99-17321 Filed 7-6-99; 12:06 pm]

BILLING CODE 4910-13-M