Winter Use Plan, Draft Environmental Impact Statement for the Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks and John D. Rockefeller, Jr., Memorial Parkway, Wyoming

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

National Park Service

Winter Use Plan, Draft Environmental Impact Statement for the

Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks and John D. Rockefeller,

Jr., Memorial Parkway, Wyoming

AGENCY: National Park Service, Department of the Interior.

ACTION: Availability of the Winter Use Plan, Draft Environmental Impact

Statement for the Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks and John

D. Rockefeller, Jr., Memorial Parkway.

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

Policy Act of 1969, the National Park Service announces the

availability of the Winter Use Plan, Draft Environmental Impact

Statement for the Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks and John

D. Rockefeller, Jr., Memorial Parkway, Wyoming and Montana.

DATES: The Winter Use Plan, Draft Environmental Impact Statement for

the Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks and John D. Rockefeller,

Jr., Memorial Parkway will remain available for public review through

November 15, 1999. Public meetings concerning the plan will be held in

Livingston and West Yellowstone, Montana; Jackson and Cody, Wyoming;

Idaho Falls, Idaho; and Denver, Colorado. Dates, times, and locations

will be announced at a later date.

ADDRESSES: Comments on the Winter Use Plan, Draft Environmental Impact

Statement for the Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks and John

D. Rockefeller, Jr., Memorial Parkway should be sent to Clifford

Hawkes, National Park Service, Denver Service Center, 12795 West

Alameda Parkway, Lakewood, Colorado 80228. Public reading copies of the

plan are available on the Internet (nps.gov/planning/yell/winteruse)

and will be available for review at the following locations:

Office of the Superintendent

Clifford Hawkes, National Park Service, Denver Service Center 12795

W. Alameda Parkway, Denver, CO 80225-0287, Telephone: (303) 969-2262

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 Winter Use Plan, Draft Environmental

Impact Statement for the Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks and

John D. Rockefeller, Jr., Memorial Parkway analyzes 7 winter use

management alternatives for the parks and the justification,

anticipated impacts and relevant scientific research regarding each of

the alternatives.

Under Alternative A-No Action, current use and management practices

in the parks and Parkway would continue. Alternative B, the preferred

alternative, provides a moderate range of affordable and appropriate

winter visitor experiences. Air quality and oversnow motor vehicle

sound would be addressed, and by the winter of 2008-2009, strict

emission and sound requirements would be required by all oversnow

vehicles entering the parks. The preferred alternative also emphasizes

an adaptive approach to park resource management, which would allow the

results of new and ongoing research and monitoring to be incorporated.

Alternative C maximizes winter visitor opportunities for a range of

park experiences, while preserving natural resources and addressing

safety concerns. Alternative D stresses visitor access to unique winter

features in the parks. This alternative emphasizes clean, quiet modes

of travel, visitor activities focused near destination areas, and a

minimization of conflicts between nonmotorized and motorized users.

Under alternative E the protection of wildlife and natural resources is

emphasized while allowing park visitors access to a range of winter

recreation experiences. Alternative E uses an adaptive planning

approach that allows new information to be incorporated. Alternative F

stresses the protection of wildlife resources by focusing winter

visitor activities in Yellowstone National Park outside important

winter range for large ungulate species, and closing north and west

roads to winter use. For Grand teton National Park and the Parkway,

this alternative emphasizes the protection of all resources by focusing

developments, oversnow motorized trails and zones, and nonmotorized

trails and zones in certain areas, while still allowing park visitors

opportunities for a range of winter recreational experiences.

Alternative G places the highest priority on clean quiet oversnow

access to the parks using present technologies.

The Winter Use Plan, Draft Environmental Impact Statement for the

Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks and John D. Rockefeller,

Jr., Memorial Parkway in particular evaluates the environmental

consequences of the proposed action and the other alternatives on

wildlife, air quality, natural quiet, local economies, and visitor

experience.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Clifford Hawkes, National Park

Service, Denver Service Center, 12795 West Alameda Parkway, Lakewood,

Colorado 80228.

Dated: September 20, 1999.

Michael D. Synder,

Acting Regional Director, Intermountain Region, National Park Service.

[FR Doc. 99-25278 Filed 9-28-99; 8:45 am]

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