 |
|
|
December 21, 2007
Public information meetings set for ORV management plan
 The Cape Hatteras National Seashore will have a series of public information meetings in January on the preliminary options for its off-road vehicle (ORV) management plan and Environmental Impact Statement (EIS). The development of the ORV plan and EIS are required under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and other federal regulations. The process is running concurrent with the development of an ORV management plan by a negotiated rulemaking committee, which begins meetings in January also. Seashore officials have scheduled these meetings to provide information and solicit public input on preliminary alternative options for the ORV Management Plan / EIS for the seashore. The Plan/EIS will guide the management of ORV use at America’s first national seashore for the next 10 to 15 years. Because the Plan/EIS will analyze many complex ecological and social issues, public participation is encouraged and needed. Informational meetings on preliminary alternative options for the Plan/EIS will be held at four locations. The meetings will follow an open house format, which includes information stations and opportunities to provide ideas in the alternative options workbook and ask questions of Park Service staff. There will also be a scheduled Park Service presentation at each meeting. Buxton Monday, Jan.14, from 5 until 8 p.m. at the Fessenden Center on Highway 12 in Buxton. The presentation will be from 6 until 6:20 with an open house before and after. Kill Devil Hills Tuesday, Jan. 15, from 5 until 8 p.m. at Wright Brothers National Memorial First Flight Centennial Pavilion, 8 1/2 Milepost Highway 158, Kill Devil Hills. The presentation will be from 6 until 6:20 with an open house before and after. Raleigh Wednesday, Jan. 16, from 5 until 8 p.m. at McKimmon Center on the North Carolina State University campus, 1101 Gorman Street, Raleigh. The presentation will be from 6 until 6:20 with an open house before and after. Richmond, Virginia Thursday, Jan. 17, from 5 until 8 p.m. at the Comfort Inn Conference Center Midtown 3200 W. Broad St. The presentation will be from 6 until 6:20 with an open house before and after. To facilitate public comment on preliminary alternatives, NPS has prepared a workbook describing a variety of management elements and options. The workbook is posted on the National Park Service Web site at http://parkplanning.nps.gov/document.cfm?parkID=358&projectId=10641&documentID=21567 and can be downloaded and completed electronically or printed and submitted in hard copy. The workbook alternative options are not intended to be all inclusive, nor necessarily always compatible or mutually exclusive. Multiple compatible elements can be considered in combination later to develop a diverse range of management alternatives for evaluation in the Draft EIS. Public participation is vital in assisting with the planning process. There are a number of ways to be involved: • Attend a public information meetings and complete a preliminary alternative options workbook at the meetings; • Submit your completed workbook by mail to: Superintendent, RE: Off-Road Vehicle Management Plan/EIS, Cape Hatteras National Seashore, 1401 National Park Drive, Manteo, NC 27954. • Email your completed workbook to cahaorveis@louisberger.com Faxed comments and other email comments will not be accepted. Please be sure to include your full name, e-mail address or mailing address with your workbook so we may add you to our mailing list for information on the planning process. For your comments to be the most useful in developing the alternatives to be evaluated in the draft plan/EIS, your workbooks should be received by Jan. 31. The NPS practice is to make comments, including names, home addresses, home phone numbers, and email addresses of respondents, available for public review. Individual respondents may request that the Park Service withhold their names and/or home addresses, etc., but if you wish this request to be considered, you must state this prominently at the beginning of your comments. In addition, your request must present a rationale for withholding this information. This rationale must demonstrate that disclosure would constitute a clearly unwarranted invasion of privacy. Unsupported assertions will not meet this burden. In the absence of exceptional, documentable circumstances, this information will be released. The NPS will always make submissions from organizations or businesses, and from individuals identifying themselves as representatives of, or officials of, organizations or businesses, available for public inspection in their entirety. More information about the ORV management planning and negotiated rulemaking processes will be available as it is developed and will be posted on the park planning Web site at: http://parkplanning.nps.gov/CAHA 
 |
|
|
|