Notice2024-18426
Finding of No Significant Impact for the Use of Electric Bicycles in the National Park System Programmatic Environmental Assessment
Primary source
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Published
August 26, 2024
Issuing agencies
Interior DepartmentNational Park Service
Abstract
The National Park Service (NPS) announces the availability of the Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) for a programmatic environmental assessment (PEA) that evaluates, on a nationwide scale, use of electric bicycles (e-bikes) within National Park System units.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 89 Issue 165 (Monday, August 26, 2024)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 165 (Monday, August 26, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Page 68467]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2024-18426]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
National Park Service
[NPS-WASO- NPS0038238; 24XP103905--PPWONRADE2--PMP00EI05.YP0000]
Finding of No Significant Impact for the Use of Electric Bicycles
in the National Park System Programmatic Environmental Assessment
AGENCY: National Park Service, Interior.
ACTION: Notice of availability.
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SUMMARY: The National Park Service (NPS) announces the availability of
the Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) for a programmatic
environmental assessment (PEA) that evaluates, on a nationwide scale,
use of electric bicycles (e-bikes) within National Park System units.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jay Calhoun, Chief, Division of
Regulations, Jurisdiction, and Special Park Uses, National Park
Service; <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#3d4a5c4e52624f585a48515c495452534e7d534d4e135a524b"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="a1d6c0d2cefed3c4c6d4cdc0d5c8cecfd2e1cfd1d28fc6ced7">[email protected]</span></a>; (202) 281-0734.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On December 2, 2020, the NPS promulgated a
final rule (rule) governing use of e-bikes within the National Park
System (85 FR 69175). On May 24, 2022, the U.S. District Court for the
District of Columbia issued an opinion finding that the NPS had
improperly relied upon a categorial exclusion to comply with the
National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) for the rule. The Court
remanded the rule to the NPS and directed the NPS to conduct additional
NEPA analysis for the rule. Pub Emps. For Env't Responsibility v. Nat'l
Park Serv., 605 F. Supp. 3d 28 (D.D.C. 2022). The rule remained in
place pending the outcome of the required NEPA analysis. The PEA was
prepared consistent with the Court's May 24, 2022 opinion.
The PEA evaluates the environmental impacts, on a nationwide scale,
of a no-action alternative and the proposed action (the rule). The no-
action alternative assumes that the rule has not been promulgated and
that there is no nationwide policy about the use of e-bikes. Under the
no-action alternative, superintendents would have no specific authority
to allow e-bike use in System units and no policy direction about how
to use existing authorities to manage e-bikes. This would result in
inconsistent management of e-bikes use across the National Park System.
In most System units, visitors would likely be allowed to use e-bikes
on public roads and parking lots where motor vehicle use is allowed. In
some System units, e-bike use also could occur on administrative roads
and trails. Under the proposed action (the rule), e-bikes are defined
uniformly and subject to a standard set of operating requirements,
while superintendents have the discretion to allow e-bike use in
National Park System units on a case-by-case basis, on public roads,
parking lots, administrative roads, and trails where traditional
bicycle use is allowed. The proposed action has been identified as the
NPS preferred alternative. The PEA analyzes impacts to soils,
vegetation, visitor use and experience, and wildlife.
The NPS has selected the proposed action (the rule) for
implementation. Based on the analysis in the PEA and the discussion in
the FONSI, the NPS has determined that implementation of the selected
alternative will not result in significant impacts to the quality of
the human environment. Therefore, an EIS will not be prepared. The
FONSI is available online at: <a href="https://parkplanning.nps.gov/e-bikes">https://parkplanning.nps.gov/e-bikes</a>.
Raymond M. Sauvajot,
Associate Director, Natural Resource Stewardship and Science.
[FR Doc. 2024-18426 Filed 8-23-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4312-52-P
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