[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 74 (Monday, April 19, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Pages 19193-19194]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-9672]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
National Park Service
Notice of Scoping for Environmental Analysis of a Study
Recommending a Timbisha Shoshone Tribal Homeland in and Around Death
Valley National Park Inyo County, California and Esmeralda and Nye
Counties, NV
SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given, in accordance with the provisions of
the National Environmental Policy Act (42 U.S.C. 4321 et. seq.) that
public scoping is being initiated for an environmental impact analysis
process for a Draft Secretarial Report to Congress regarding a proposal
to establish a permanent Timbisha Shoshone Tribal land base in and
around Death Valley National Park. The purpose of this scoping effort
is to identify public issues and concerns, and to assess the nature and
extent of potential environmental impacts which should be addressed.
Background
During 1994 Congress enacted the California Desert Protection Act
(Pub. L. 103-433), which in part addressed the need of the Timbisha
Shoshone Tribe for a recognized land base. The Secretary of the
Interior was directed (in Section 705(b) of the act) to conduct a study
to identify lands suitable for a reservation for the Timbisha Shoshone
Tribe.
As a direct result, a joint Federal-Tribal negotiating team was
convened for the purposes of drafting a suitability study. In drafting
their proposal, the factors scrutinized to date include: basic tribal
needs for a land base (for housing, tribal administration, economic
development, and cultural restoration); mandates prescribing federal
land stewardship; complementary interests of the Timbisha Shoshone
Tribe and the Federal government; geographical constraints; climate and
availability of water; mining claims; special resource limitations such
as Congressionally designated Wilderness and also Areas of Critical
Environmental Concern; and availability of infrastructure such as
roads, power, and other services. With due diligence the efforts of
this government-to-government team have culminated in a comprehensive
integrated draft proposal to establish a permanent Homeland for the
Timbisha Shoshone Tribe.
Comment and Approval
As noted, the Department of the Interior including the National
Park Service, Bureau of Land Management, Bureau of Indian Affairs, and
Bureau of Reclamation have undertaken government-to-government
negotiations with the Timbisha Shoshone Tribe to address suitable
strategies and actions for establishing a permanent Timbisha Shoshone
Tribal land base in and around Death Valley National Park. At this
time, it has not been determined whether an Environmental Assessment or
Environmental Impact Statement will be prepared; however, this scoping
process will aid in the preparation of either document.
As part of this effort, a series of public scoping meetings will be
held during May, 1999. California and Nevada cities
[[Page 19194]]
where this scoping activity will be conducted are listed below--all
meetings are scheduled for 7:00-9:00pm. For confirmed details about
meeting locations please contact: Superintendent, Death Valley National
Park, P.O. Box 579, Death Valley, California, 92328 (telephone (760)
786-3243).
May 24 in Pasadena, California;
May 25 in Ridegecrest, California;
May 26 in Lone Pine, California;
May 27 in Goldfield, Nevada;
May 28 in Pahrump, Nevada.
During the scoping period a study document--The Timbisha Shoshone
Tribal Homeland: A Draft Secretarial Report to Congress to Establish a
Permanent Tribal Land Base and Related Cooperative Activities--is
available through Death Valley National Park. Topics addressed in the
study document and anticipated to be discussed during these meetings
include: background information on the government-to-government
negotiation process; an historical perspective on the need for a
permanent Timbisha Shoshone Tribal land base; identification of
criteria used in the study process; the identification of legislative
and administrative actions which would be necessary in order to
implement the strategies identified to date; and the types and
significance of the potential environmental effects, including
potential cumulative impacts to wild burros and horses, wildlife,
cultural and other natural resource use issues.
Interested individuals, organizations, and agencies are encouraged
to provide comments or suggestions. Written comments regarding the
Timbisha Shoshone Tribal Homeland proposal must be postmarked no later
than June 15, 1999, and should be addressed to the Superintendent,
Death Valley National Park (address as noted above). To obtain a copy
of the study document or request other background information please
contact the Superintendent, Death Valley National Park; the document
and current information also are available via the park website
(www.nps.gov/deva).
The U.S. Department of the Interior officials responsible for
approval are: the Assistant Secretary for Fish, Wildlife, and Parks;
the Assistant Secretary for Land and Minerals Management; and the
Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs. If approved, the plan would
subsequently be submitted by the Secretary of the Interior to Congress
for consideration. If enacted, the National Park Service officials
responsible for implementation would be the Superintendent, Death
Valley National Park and the Regional Director, Pacific West Region; as
well as the State Directors, Bureau of Land Management, California and
Nevada; the Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs; and the Bureau of
Indian Affairs, Central California Agency. The draft environmental
document is expected to be available for public review in late summer
or fall, 1999. At this time it is anticipated that the final plan and
environmental document are to be completed in spring, 2000.
Dated: April 9, 1999.
John J. Reynolds,
Regional Director, Pacific West.
[FR Doc. 99-9672 Filed 4-16-99; 8:45 am]
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