EPA Notice of Availability for Draft Environmental Impact Statement

Date: March 12, 2010
Contact: National Park Service, 252-473-2111 ext. 148

The National Park Service (NPS) announces that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Notice of Availability for the Draft Environmental Impact Statement for the Cape Hatteras National Seashore Off-Road Vehicle Management Plan (DEIS) has been published in the Federal Register (see section “EIS No. 20100072, Draft EIS, NPS, NC” within the notice). The EPA NOA officially initiates the 60-day public comment period on the DEIS.

The DEIS evaluates the impacts of several alternatives for regulations and procedures that would carefully manage off-road vehicle (ORV) use/access in the National Seashore to protect and preserve natural and cultural resources and natural processes, to provide a variety of visitor use experiences while minimizing conflicts among various users, and to promote the safety of all visitors.

Electronic copies of the DEIS are available for public review on the NPS Planning, Environment and Public Comment (PEPC) web site for the project at: https://parkplanning.nps.gov/caha. A limited number of hard copies of the DEIS will be available at the Seashore headquarters, 1401 National Park Drive, Manteo, NC 27954, or a copy may be requested, as long as supplies last, from Mike Murray, Superintendent, Cape Hatteras National Seashore, 1401 National Park Drive, Manteo, NC 27954. Copies have been provided to local libraries in Manteo, Kill Devil Hills, Hatteras Village, and Ocracoke, North Carolina.

The NPS will accept comments on the DEIS until midnight (Mountain Daylight Time) May 11, 2010. Electronic comments may be submitted online at the NPS Planning, Environment and Public Comment (PEPC) web site by visiting https://parkplanning.nps.gov/caha, clicking on *Open for Comment, clicking on the Off-Road Vehicle Management Plan /EIS, and then clicking on Comment on Document. NPS encourages commenting electronically through PEPC. If you wish to submit your written comments in hard copy (e.g. in a letter), you may send them by U.S. Postal Service or other mail delivery service or hand-deliver them to: Mike Murray, Superintendent, Cape Hatteras National Seashore, 1401 National Park Drive, Manteo, NC 27954. Oral statements and written comments will also be accepted during the hearing-style public meetings. Comments will not be accepted by fax, email, or in any other way than those specified above. Bulk comments in any format (hard copy or electronic) submitted on behalf of others will not be accepted. Dates, times, and locations of the hearing style public meetings will be announced in a press release, email announcements, and https://parkplanning.nps.gov/caha.

“I appreciate the intense interest in this important issue and look forward to receiving comments on the DEIS,” said Superintendent Murray. “Now that the EPA notice has been published, we will schedule hearing-style public meetings in late April to receive public comments. We will announce the meeting schedule with dates, times, and locations, as soon as the details have been confirmed.”