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9714 Federal Register / Vol. 68, No. 40 / Friday, February 28, 2003 / Notices ADDRESSES: Any comments or requests for information should be addressed to: Superintendent, Virgin Islands National Park, 1300 Cruz Bay Creek, St. John, Virgin Islands, 00830, Telephone: (340) 776–6201, extension 242. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: John Barrett, National Park Service, Southeast Regional Office, (404) 562–3124, extension 637 or John King, Superintendent, Virgin Islands National Park, (340) 776–6201, extension 242. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Virgin Islands Coral Reef National Monument, located in the submerged lands off the island of St. John in the U.S. Virgin Islands, contains all the elements of a Caribbean tropical marine ecosystem. The national monument designation furthers the protection of the scientific objects included in the Virgin Islands National Park, created in 1956 and expanded in 1962. The biological communities of the monument live in a fragile, interdependent relationship and include habitats essential for sustaining and enhancing the tropical marine ecosystem, including mangroves, sea grass beds, coral reefs, sand communities, shallow mud and fine sediment habitat, and algal plains. The monument contains several threatened and endangered species, which forage, breed, nest, or rest in the waters. Humpback whales, pilot whales, four species of dolphins, brown pelicans, roseate terns, least terns, and the hawksbill, leatherback, and green sea turtles all use portions of the monument. Countless species of reef fish, invertebrates, and plants utilize these submerged lands during their lives, and over 25 species of sea birds feed in the waters. This planning effort will evaluate a range of alternative methods to provide a quality visitor experience while maximizing protection of resources and operational efficiency. Public documents associated with the planning effort, including all newsletters, will be posted on the Internet through the park’s Web site at http://www.nps.gov/ viis. Our practice is to make the public comments we receive in response to planning documents, including names and home addresses of respondents, available for public review during regular business hours. If you wish for us to withhold your name and/or address, you must state this prominently at the beginning of your comment. Anonymous comments will be included in the public record. However, the National Park Service is not legally required to consider or respond to anonymous comments. We will make all submissions from organizations or businesses, and from individuals identifying themselves as representatives or officials of organizations or businesses, available for public inspection in their entirety. The draft and final environmental impact statement will be distributed to all known interested parties and appropriate agencies. Full public participation by federal, territory, and local agencies as well as other concerned organizations and private citizens is invited throughout the preparation process of this document. The responsible official for this environmental impact statement is the Regional Director, National Park Service, Southeast Region, 100 Alabama Street SW., Atlanta, Georgia 30303. Dated: December 11, 2002. W. Thomas Brown, Acting Regional Director, Southeast Region. [FR Doc. 03–4812 Filed 2–27–03; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4310–70–P DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR National Park Service Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for the General Management Plan for Virgin Islands National Park AGENCY: National Park Service, Interior. SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that in accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, the U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service will prepare an Environmental Impact Statement on the General Management Plan for Virgin Islands National Park. The statement will assess potential environmental impacts associated with various types and levels of visitor use and resources management within the park boundary. Specific issues to be addressed include appropriate levels and types of visitor use in the park, desired conditions for the park’s cultural and natural resources, and strategies and approaches needed to achieve and maintain those conditions. In cooperation with local, territory, and other Federal agencies, attention will also be given to cooperative management of resources outside the boundaries that affect the integrity of Virgin Islands National Park. DATES: Locations, dates, and times of scheduled public scoping meetings will be published in local newspapers and posted in local libraries. Information on scheduled meetings may also be obtained by contacting the Superintendent, Virgin Islands National Park at 340–776–6201. The purpose of the scoping process is to elicit public comment regarding the full spectrum of public issues and concerns. Representatives of the National Park Service will be available to discuss issues, resource concerns, and the planning process for the GMP and EIS at each of the public meetings. ADDRESSES: Any comments or requests for information should be addressed to: Superintendent, Virgin Islands National Park, P.O. Box 710, St. John, Virgin Islands, 00831–0710, telephone 340– 776–6201. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: John Barrett, National Park Service, Southeast Regional Office, 404–562–3124, extension. 637 or John King, Superintendent, Virgin Islands National Park, 340–776–6201. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Virgin Islands National Park comprises slightly more than half of the island of St. John and almost nine square miles of the waters surrounding St. John. Also part of the park are St. Thomas, Hassel Island, in the Charlotte Amalie harbor, and 15 acres in the Red Hook area. In recognition of its internationally significant natural resources, the park was designated as a Biosphere Reserve in 1976 and is one of the few biosphere reserves in the world to have both significant marine and terrestrial resources. Within its borders lie protected bays of crystal blue-green waters and an abundance of coral reef life, white sandy beaches shaded by seagrape trees, coconut palms, and tropical forests providing habitat for over 800 species of plants. The park’s cultural resources are significant in the settlement and colonization of the New World, maritime history and commerce, and African American history. The park features relics from the Pre-Colombian Amerindian civilization, remains of the Danish Colonial sugar plantations, and reminders of African slavery and the subsistence culture that followed during the 100 years after Emancipation. Known submerged resources include 28 shipwrecks recorded in the vicinity of St. John. This planning effort will evaluate a range of alternative methods to provide a quality visitor experience while maximizing protection of resources and operational efficiency. Public documents associated with the planning effort, including all newsletters, will be posted on the Internet through the park’s Web site at http://www.nps.gov/ viis. Our practice is to make the public comments we receive in response to planning documents, including names and home addresses of respondents, VerDate Jan<31>2003 18:05 Feb 27, 2003 Jkt 200001 PO 00000 Frm 00083 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 E:\FR\FM\28FEN1.SGM 28FEN1 9715 Federal Register / Vol. 68, No. 40 / Friday, February 28, 2003 / Notices available for public review during regular business hours. If you wish for us to withhold your name and/or address, you must state this prominently at the beginning of your comment. Anonymous comments will be included in the public record, however, the National Park Service is not legally required to consider or respond to anonymous comments. We will make all submissions from organizations or businesses and from individuals identifying themselves as representatives or officials of organizations or businesses available for public inspection in their entirety. Notification of the availability of the draft and final environmental impact statement will be made to all known interested parties and appropriate agencies. Full public participation by Federal, territory and local agencies as well as other concerned organizations and private citizens is invited throughout the preparation process of this document. The responsible official for this environmental impact statement is the Regional Director, National Park Service, Southeast Region, 100 Alabama Street SW., Atlanta, Georgia 30303. Dated: December 11, 2002. W. Thomas Brown, Acting Regional Director, Southeast Region. [FR Doc. 03–4810 Filed 2–27–03; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4310–70–P DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR National Park Service Committee for the Preservation of the White House; Notice of Public Meeting AGENCY: National Park Service, Department of the Interior. ACTION: Notice of meeting. SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given in accordance with the Federal Advisory Committee Act that a meeting of the Committee for the Preservation of the White House will be held at the White House at 1 p.m., Friday, March 28, 2003. DATES: March 28, 2003. FOR FUTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Executive Secretary, Committee for the Preservation of the White House, 1100 Ohio Drive, SW., Washington, D.C. 20242. (202) 619–6344. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: It is expected that the meeting agenda will include policies, goals, and long range plans. The meeting will be open, but subject to appointment and security clearance requirements. Clearance information, which includes full name, date of birth and social security number, must be received by March 21, 2003. Due to the present mail delays being experienced, clearance information should be faxed to (202) 619–6353 in order to assure receipt by deadline. Inquiries may be made by calling the Committee for the Preservation of the White House between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. weekdays at (202) 619–6344. Written comments may be sent to the Executive Secretary, Committee for the Preservation of the White House, 1100 Ohio Drive, SW., Washington, DC 20242. Dated: February 19, 2003. Ann Bowman Smith, Executive Secretary, Committee for the Preservation of the White House. [FR Doc. 03–4813 Filed 2–27–03; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4310–70–P DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR Bureau of Reclamation Quarterly Status Report of Water Service, Repayment, and Other Water- Related Contract Negotiations AGENCY: Bureau of Reclamation, Interior. ACTION: Notice. SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given of contractual actions that have been proposed to the Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation) and were pending through December 31, 2002, and contract actions that have been completed or discontinued since the last publication of this notice on November 15, 2002. From the date of this publication, future quarterly notices during this calendar year will be limited to new, modified, discontinued, or completed contract actions. This annual notice should be used as a point of reference to identify changes in future notices. This notice is one of a variety of means used to inform the public about proposed contractual actions for capital recovery and management of project resources and facilities. Additional Reclamation announcements of individual contract actions may be published in the Federal Register and in newspapers of general circulation in the areas determined by Reclamation to be affected by the proposed action. Announcements may be in the form of news releases, legal notices, official letters, memorandums, or other forms of written material. Meetings, workshops, and/or hearings may also be used, as appropriate, to provide local publicity. The public participation procedures do not apply to proposed contracts for sale of surplus or interim irrigation water for a term of 1 year or less. Either of the contracting parties may invite the public to observe contract proceedings. All public participation procedures will be coordinated with those involved in complying with the National Environmental Policy Act. ADDRESSES: The identity of the approving officer and other information pertaining to a specific contract proposal may be obtained by calling or writing the appropriate regional office at the address and telephone number given for each region in the supplementary information. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Sandra L. Simons, Manager, Water Contracts and Repayment Office, Bureau of Reclamation, PO Box 25007, Denver, Colorado 80225–0007; telephone 303– 445–2902. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Consistent with section 226 of the Reclamation Reform Act of 1982 (96 Stat. 1273) and 43 CFR 426.20 of the rules and regulations published in 52 FR 11954, Apr. 13, 1987, Reclamation will publish notice of the proposed or amendatory contract actions for any contract for the delivery of project water for authorized uses in newspapers of general circulation in the affected area at least 60 days prior to contract execution. Pursuant to the ‘‘Final Revised Public Participation Procedures’’ for water resource-related contract negotiations, published in 47 FR 7763, Feb. 22, 1982, a tabulation is provided of all proposed contractual actions in each of the five Reclamation regions. Each proposed action is, or is expected to be, in some stage of the contract negotiation process in 2003. When contract negotiations are completed, and prior to execution, each proposed contract form must be approved by the Secretary of the Interior, or pursuant to delegated or redelegated authority, the Commissioner of Reclamation or one of the regional directors. In some instances, congressional review and approval of a report, water rate, or other terms and conditions of the contract may be involved. Public participation in and receipt of comments on contract proposals will be facilitated by adherence to the following procedures: 1. Only persons authorized to act on behalf of the contracting entities may negotiate the terms and conditions of a specific contract proposal. 2. Advance notice of meetings or hearings will be furnished to those parties that have made a timely written request for such notice to the VerDate Jan<31>2003 18:05 Feb 27, 2003 Jkt 200001 PO 00000 Frm 00084 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 E:\FR\FM\28FEN1.SGM 28FEN1