Nonfederal Oil and Gas Development Within the Boundaries of Units of the National Park System; Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for a Proposed Revision

Notice is hereby given in accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA) and Council on Environmental Quality regulations that the U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service (NPS), will prepare a programmatic environmental impact statement (EIS) on proposed revisions to existing regulations governing the exercise of nonfederal oil and gas rights within the boundaries of units of the National Park System. The current regulations have been in effect for over thirty years and have not been substantively updated during that period. The EIS will analyze a range of reasonable alternatives for regulating nonfederal oil and gas development and the potential environmental impacts on park resources such as threatened and endangered species, water resources, soils, vegetation, wetlands, air resources, night skies, wildlife, cultural resources, and soundscapes. Effects on oil and gas operators, visitor experience and public safety, adjacent lands, and park operations will also be analyzed.