October
21, 2003
To: All Interested Persons
From: Planning Team Leader, Colorado River Management
Plan
Subject: Update on the CRMP Planning Process
Grand Canyon National Park is making considerable progress
in developing a Draft Environmental Impact Statement
for revising the park's Colorado River Management Plan
(CRMP). We have developed a full range of reasonable
draft alternatives (including the current situation
which is the No Action alternative), which is now undergoing
preliminary impacts analysis.
The planning team has carefully considered and addressed
input including the following: Extensive comments the
park received during the public scoping period in 2002,
Input from the stakeholder workshops and expert panels,
Consultation with Native American Tribes, Interagency
consultation, Provisions of the 2002 lawsuit settlement
agreement, Extensive data and other information gathered
by the planning team, and Laws, policies, and principles
guiding plan development (on the CRMP website at www.nps.gov/grca/crmp).
The next steps in the CRMP planning process will include:
-
Add mitigation measures to the alternatives, as necessary,
to address any major impacts identified in the preliminary
impacts analysis. The mitigated alternatives will then
undergo additional impacts analysis. All of this is
scheduled for completion in early November.
-
Review the draft alternatives and draft impacts analysis,
make any necessary changes, and select a preferred alternative.
The preferred alternative will be the agency's proposal
for a revised CRMP; it may be one of the draft alternatives,
the No Action alternative, or a new alternative developed
during the preferred alternative selection process.
-
Publish a Draft CRMP/EIS for public review and comment
(after any additional revisions and analysis).
We will not know the exact timing for publishing and
public review of the Draft CRMP/EIS until the preferred
alternative selection process has been completed. Once
that process is completed, we will announce the schedule
in a note to the CRMP email list, and on the CRMP website.
When the Draft CRMP/EIS is published, the park will
issue a Notice of Availability in the Federal Register,
a press release, and a note to everyone on the CRMP
mailing list. We have begun planning for extensive public
review opportunities, including public meetings, and
we will keep you informed as we develop the details.
Please send any comments or questions concerning this
note or the process to grca_crmp@nps.gov
(please be sure to use an underscore to make grca_crmp).
Thank you for your interest in Grand Canyon National
Park and the Colorado River Management Plan.
Rick Ernenwein
CRMP Planning Team Leader |
