NPS Releases Abbreviated Final General Management Plan

Date: September 28, 2011
Contact: Deborah Darden, 304-465-0508

NPS Releases Abbreviated Final General Management Plan/ Environmental Impact Statement and Foundation Plan

GLEN JEAN -The National Park Service is pleased to announce the availability of the Abbreviated Final General Management Plan/Environmental Impact Statement (GMP/EIS) and the Foundation Plan for the New River Gorge National River.The document includes an analysis of comments received on the Draft GMP/EIS with NPS responses, errata sheets detailing editorial corrections to the Draft GMP/EIS, and copies of agency and substantive public comments.An abbreviated final GMP/EIS was used because the comments received required only minor responses and editorial changes to the Draft GMP/EIS.No changes were made to the alternatives or to the impact analysis presented in the Draft GMP/EIS and Alternative 5 remains the NPS preferred alternative.

The public release of the Abbreviated Final GMP/EIS will be followed by a 30-day no-action period, after which the NPS will prepare a Record of Decision to document the selected alternative and set forth any stipulations for implementation of the GMP.The Abbreviated Final GMP/EIS and the Draft GMP/EIS constitute the complete and final documentation upon which the Record of Decision will be based.The plan will guide long-term decisions about the preservation and use of New River Gorge National River.

The plan is available online at the park's website (www.nps.gov/neri) or via the NPS Planning, Environment and Public Comment (PEPC) site at (http://parkplanning.nps.gov/neri).Printed copies (in limited quantity) can be requested by calling [phone].

Printed hardcopies can be viewed at the following locations:

-New River Gorge National River -Park Headquarters in Glen Jean

-NPS Canyon Rim Visitor Center -off US 19, north of the New River Gorge Bridge

-NPS Sandstone Visitor Center - near Sandstone, WV

-NPS-