The National Park Service (NPS) has released a Final Non-Federal Oil and Gas Management Plan and Environmental Impact Statement (Plan) for Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area and Obed Wild and Scenic River. The final plan provides responses to substantive comments made on the draft plan, which was available for public and agency review from June 15-Aug. 16, 2011, and incorporates those comments and suggested revisions where appropriate.
The NPS preferred alternative provides a systematic approach for addressing the effective regulation and management of non-federal (privately-owned) oil and gas operations in the two national park units. "We are pleased to be at the end of the planning process and look forward to begin working with the local private mineral owners and oil and gas operators to implement this plan," said Big South Fork and Obed Superintendent Niki Stephanie Nicholas.
The final plan is available in electronic format online at https://parkplanning.nps.gov/biso_obri_final_ogmp. A limited number of compact discs (CDs) and hard copies of the final plan are also available at the Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area headquarters, 4564 Leatherwood Road, Oneida, Tennessee 37841; and Obed Wild and Scenic River headquarters, 208 North Maiden St., Wartburg, Tennessee 37887. You may also request a CD or hard copy by writing the Superintendent of Big South Fork and Obed at the above addresses; or by phone at (423) 569-9778 and (423) 346-6294, respectively.
Hard copies of the document are also available for review in the following libraries:
McCreary County Public Library, Whitley City, Kentucky
Oneida Public Library, Oneida, Tennessee
Fentress County Public Library, Jamestown, Tennessee
Wartburg Public Library, Wartburg, Tennessee
Oak Ridge Public Library, Oak Ridge, Tennessee
After a required 30-day waiting period following release of the final plan, the National Park Service will document its choice of alternatives in a record of decision.
Source: U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service
