Interior Department, National Park Service
The National Park Service (NPS) in partnership with the California Department of Parks and Recreation (CDPR) and Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy (SMMC) is initiating a conservation planning and impact analysis process to identify strategies for future management of Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area. As part of this process and in accordance with Sec. 102(2)(C) of the National Environmental Policy Act (Pub. L. 91-90, as amended), the NPS will be preparing an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) and General Management Plan (GMP) to present information on the natural, cultural, and socioeconomic resources in the park, to outline alternative management strategies, to analyze potential impacts that may result from implementing these strategies, and to identify appropriate mitigation measures. The GMP will establish a framework for how natural and cultural resources, public use, and park operations will be managed over the next 10-15 years and document agreements developed in partnership with CDPR, SMMC, and other land management entities. Following publication of this Notice, CDPR as a cooperating agency will issue a Notice of Preparation to initiate a complementary environmental process; the official responsible is Donald W. Murphy, Director, CDPR. Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area is composed of a complex pattern of public and private land ownership. Multiple political jurisdictions cross important natural features and wildlife and recreation corridors throughout the park's boundary. Effective planning and management require coordination and cooperation among all of the entities with responsibility for the lands and waters both inside and immediately outside of the park. Past NPS planning efforts have given general guidance on land protection, resource management and visitor facilities. However, pressures on the park from the number of visitors, types of uses, and urban encroachment combined with new fiscal and political environments dictate that past planning efforts be revisited. In the proposed planning process, the purpose of the park will be reaffirmed. The desired future conditions of natural and cultural resources will be envisioned and appropriate types, locations, and levels of activities in the park will be determined. Of special concern to park managers is the balance between resource preservation and use by the visiting and resident publics. This balance will be considered and established in a regional context in concert with the other public agencies' missions and mandates. Specific outcomes of the planning process and the subsequent GMP will include: (1) Articulation of a clear vision among all partners for the future conditions of natural and cultural resources and activities on the lands and waters in the legislated park boundary; (2) Enhanced connections to the community through joint planning, cooperative management, leadership in stewardship, and the expression of the cultural history of the region; (3) Criteria for determining appropriateness of current or future activities including types, locations, and levels of use. Appropriateness will be based on park purpose, resource concerns, and potential conflicts with other uses; (4) Strategies to serve a diverse park visitor population, especially with urban residents and nontraditional visitors; (5) A coordinated, seamless approach to the provision of information and recreation opportunities for visitors among the various providers.
Citation: 62 FR 44137
