Beach Access and Park Issues

National Park Service extends public comment on ORV rule

The National Park Service is reopening the public comment period for the proposed rule to manage off-road vehicle use at Cape Hatteras National Seashore.

The additional comment period allows more time for those who may have been affected by Hurricane Irene to submit comments.

The public comment period on the proposed ORV rule, which was published on July 6 in the Federal Register, was to close at midnight tonight.

It will be re-opened with a comment deadline of midnight on Sept. 19 for electronic comments on the government website, http://www.regulations.gov, and until the close of business at 5 p.m. on Sept. 19 for written or hand-delivered comments.

“A Federal Register Notice will be published soon to formally reopen the public comment period,” the Park Service said in a news release. “We do not anticipate extending the public comment period beyond this date due to a court-imposed deadline for completing the final rule. If you already commented on the rule you do not have to resubmit your comments.”

The Park Service also advises that the Federal eRulemaking Portal: http://www.regulations.gov will not receive or accept electronic comments after midnight (Eastern Daylight Time) on Sept. 6, until the reopening of the comment period is formally announced in the Federal Register. Publication of the Federal Register Notice will also be announced by press release.

However, if you submit comments on this rule by mail or hand delivery between Sept.6 and the publication date of the pending Federal Register Notice, you do not need to resubmit them or enter them online at http://www.regulations.gov. NPS will consider any comments received by mail or hand delivery during this period. Also, if you submit/have submitted comments prior to midnight on Sept. 6, you do not need to resubmit them when the comment period reopens, as they have already been accepted into the system

FOR MORE INFORMATION

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments, identified by the Regulation Identifier Number 1024-AD85, by either of the following methods:

Federal eRulemaking Portal: http://www.regulations.gov. Follow the instructions for submitting comments.
Mail or hand deliver to: Superintendent, Cape Hatteras National Seashore, 1401 National Park Drive, Manteo, North Carolina 27954.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mike Murray, Superintendent, Cape Hatteras National Seashore, 1401 National Park Drive, Manteo, North Carolina 27954. Phone: (252) 473-2111 (ext 148).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On July 6, 2011, the NPS published in the Federal Register a proposed rule to manage off-road vehicle use at Cape Hatteras National Seashore, North Carolina. (76 FR 39350) The 60-day public comment period for this proposal closes on September 6, 2011. Hurricane Irene made landfall in the area of the Seashore on Saturday August 27, 2001, resulting in wide-spread damage there, and north along the east coast into New England. Because hurricane damage may have prevented some affected persons from commenting on the rule, the NPS is reopening the public comment period through September 19, 2011.

A Federal Register Notice will be published soon to formally reopen the public comment period. We do not anticipate extending the public comment period beyond this date due to a court-imposed deadline for completing the final rule. If you already commented on the rule you do not have to resubmit your comments.

The Federal eRulemaking Portal: http://www.regulations.gov will not receive or accept electronic comments after midnight (Eastern Daylight Time) on September 6, 2011, until the reopening of the comment period is formally announced in the Federal Register. Publication of the Federal Register Notice will also be announced by press release. However, if you submit comments on this rule by mail or hand delivery between September 6, 2011 and the publication date of the pending Federal Register Notice, you do not need to resubmit them or enter them online at http://www.regulations.gov. We will consider any comments received by mail or hand delivery during this period. Also, if you submit/have submitted comments prior to midnight on September 6, 2011, you do not need to resubmit them when the comment period reopens, as they have already been accepted into the system

Comments submitted through Federal eRulemaking Portal: http://www.regulations.gov or submitted by mail must be entered or postmarked before midnight (Eastern Daylight Time) September 19, 2011. Comments submitted by hand delivery must be received by the close of business hours (5:00 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time) on September 19, 2011. Comments will not be accepted by fax, email, or in any way other than those specified above, and bulk comments in any format (hard copy or electronic) submitted on behalf of others will not be accepted.

All submissions must include the words “National Park Service” or “NPS” and must include the identifying number 1024-AD85. Comments received through the Federal eRulemaking portal at http://www.regulations.gov will be available on the regulations.gov web site, usually without change. Before including your address, phone number, e-mail address, or other personal identifying information in your comment, you should be aware that your entire comment -- including your personal identifying information -- may be made publicly available at any time. While you can ask us in your comment to withhold your personal identifying information, we cannot guarantee that we will be able to do so. To view comments received through the Federal eRulemaking portal, go to http://www.regulations.gov and enter 1024-AD85 in the Keyword or ID search box.