[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 15 (Thursday, January 23, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Pages 3521-3524]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-1636]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
National Park Service
Notice of Availability of the Final Development Concept Plan/
Environmental Impact Statement for South Side Denali, Alaska
AGENCIES: National Park Service, Interior.
ACTION: Notice of availability of the Final Development Concept Plan/
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Environmental Impact Statement for South Side Denali, Alaska.
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SUMMARY: The National Park Service announces the availability of a
Final Development Concept Plan/Environmental Impact Statement (DCP/EIS)
for South Side Denali, Alaska. The document describes and analyzes the
environmental impacts of a proposed action and two other action
alternatives for providing opportunities for high quality, resource-
based destination experiences on South Side Denali National Park and
Preserve in Alaska, as well as information, orientation, and recreation
services and facilities convenient to park visitors. A no action
alternative also is evaluated.
DATES: A Record of Decision will be made no sooner than 30 days after
the date of the Federal Register Notice issued by the Environmental
Protection Agency accepting and announcing the availability of the
final DCP/EIS. A Record of Decision is anticipated by late February
1997.
ADDRESSES: Copies of the Final South Side Denali DCP/EIS are available
on request from: Superintendent, Denali National Park and Preserve,
Post Office Box 9, Denali Park, Alaska 99755.
Public reading copies of the final DCP/EIS will be available in the
following locations:
Office of Public Affairs, National Park Service, Department of the
Interior, 1849 C Street, Room 3424, Washington, DC 20240, telephone:
(202) 208-6843.
Alaska System Support Office, National Park Service, 2525 Gambell
Street, Room 404, Anchorage, Alaska 99503-2892, telephone: (907) 257-
2650.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Nancy Swanton, Park Planner, Denali
National Park and Preserve. Telephone: (907) 257-2651 FAX: (907) 257-
2485.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Pursuant to section 102(2)(C) of the
National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (Pub. L. 91-190, as amended),
the National Park Service, as lead federal agency, in cooperation with
the State of Alaska, Matanuska-Susistna Borough, and Denali Borough,
has prepared a final DCP/EIS for proposed visitor facilities and
services on the South Side of Denali National Park and Preserve in
Alaska.
The final DCP/EIS represents a cooperative planning effort that
builds on previous planning for the region, including a draft DCP/EIS
issued in 1993 and a revised draft DCP/EIS issued in March 1996,
recommendations for the south side made by the Denali Task Force and
adopted by the National Park System Advisory Board in December 1994,
and public comment. The south side refers to an area that includes
Denali National Park and Preserve land, Denali State Park land, and
other lands to the south of the national park and preserve boundaries.
A proposed action, two other action alternatives, and a no action
alternative are described and evaluated in the final DCP/EIS. The final
DCP/EIS also sets the stage for establishing working partnerships for
more detailed decision-making, funding, and phasing of appropriate
visitor facilities and services on the south side.
Purpose, Vision, and Goals
The purpose of the final DCP/EIS is to identify and evaluate
options for the south side of Denali that serve the following vision:
Provide opportunities for high quality, resource-based,
destination experiences and provide information, orientation, and
recreation services and facilities convenient to park visitors.
Develop facilities and access in a location and manner
that minimizes impacts on resources, local lifestyles, and communities.
Establish working partnerships for funding and phasing
development as outlined in the concept plan.
In addition, a number of more specific goals are identified:
Provide access to and a location for interpretation of the
special qualities found in Denali National Park and Preserve and Denali
State Park, including access to the spectacular alpine landscape on the
south side of the Alaska Range.
Offer a range of experiences and opportunities to meet the
diverse needs of the traveling public, including information and
orientation to the region; new or improved recreation facilities;
enhanced state and national park interpretation; and shelter in bad
weather.
Ensure that, viewed as a whole, facilities and services
benefit all visitors, including Alaska residents, independent
travelers, and package tour travelers.
Design and develop facilities and access improvements to
support public use and understanding of the south side and its
outstanding resources.
Establish a research program and identify management needs
to guide facility and road development.
Facilitate orderly economic development in the region
consistent with resource protection.
Minimize and mitigate adverse effects on fish and wildlife
resources, habitat, cultural resources, local rural quality of life,
and existing public land and resource uses, including subsistence uses.
Establish methods, responsibilities, and necessary steps
to control unwanted secondary impacts of tourism and to minimize
conflicts between different visitor groups.
While the final DCP/EIS evaluates the impacts of the proposed
action and a range of alternatives, including a no-action alternative,
it also sets the stage for establishing working partnerships for more
detailed decision-making, funding, and phasing of appropriate visitor
facilities and services on the south side. The final DCP/EIS emphasizes
the importance of coordinated implementation and describes the
commitments being made by the planning partners, individually and
collectively. Most implementation tasks would occur under any of the
action alternatives, although a few are associated with the proposed
action only.
Proposed Action and Alternatives
General Policies and Actions
Several general policies and actions would be implemented under
each action alternative. (An asterisk * indicates those actions that
also would apply under the no-action alternative.) The policies would
call for locating commercial facilities primarily on private lands;
protecting the wild character of the south side; minimizing impacts on
existing uses; adhering to the Alaska National Interest Lands
Conservation Act, sections 1306 and 1307; and phasing development.
The following actions would be taken:
Developing up to two additional roadside exhibits along
the George Parks Highway
Identifying and establishing watchable wildlife areas
Developing self-guiding interpretive brochures
Managing state rights-of-way to maintain safety and
protect scenic values, including selective brushing along the George
Parks Highway
Reviewing and revising the Matanuska-Susitna Borough's
Special Land Use District in Denali State Park to improve
implementation and enforcement*
Completing borough corridor management plans for the
Petersville Road and portions of the George Parks Highway*
Working together, as appropriate, to manage recreational
activities and other uses of public lands on the south side* (In the
no-action alternative, such efforts would continue, but would be less
comprehensive and lower priority.)
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Supporting the maintenance of mining activities and
working with the mining industry and individual claim holders to
address mining issues in the project area*
Considering state scenic byway designation for portions of
the George Parks Highway, including the section in Denali State Park*
Conducting research on the natural and cultural resources
and human uses in the area in advance of development, as appropriate,
on the south side* (In the no-action alternative, general information
gathering would continue, but not at the pace, depth, or level of
funding that would be anticipated if the site-specific developments
described for the action alternatives were to be implemented,
especially those along the Petersville Road.)
Formally establishing a Denali South Side Plan
Implementation Partnership to continue the cooperative partnership
approach in implementing the development concept plan.
Proposed Action (Regional Strategy)
To provide a broad range of visitor opportunities, major facilities
would be in the Tokositna area at the end of an upgraded and extended
Petersville Road and at a location near Byers Lake along the George
Parks Highway. A visitor center (up to 5,000 square feet) would be
built in the Tokositna area of Denali State Park. The Petersville Road
would be upgraded and extended from the Forks Roadhouse (about mile 19)
to access this new facility. Up to 50 primitive recreational vehicle
(RV) or tent campsites, a picnic area, up to four public use cabins,
and some short hiking/interpretive trails (some leading into Denali
National Park and Preserve) would also be developed in the Tokositna
area. In cooperation and, where desirable, a partnership between the
National Park Service, local communities, Alaska Native Claims
Settlement Act Native corporations, and the state of Alaska would
develop visitor facilities and services in the central development zone
of Denali State Park, at Talkeetna, and at Broad Pass when the need and
opportunity to do so are established. Consultation and coordination
with local communities to define need and determine appropriate courses
of action would be essential. For the central development zone,
developments would entail constructing a visitor center (up to 3,000
square feet). In addition, the Byers Lake campground would be expanded
by up to 25 sites or a new campground of up to 50 sites would be built
elsewhere in the central development zone. Up to five primitive fly-in
only campsites would be constructed at Chelatna Lake, as would up to
two public use cabins and a hiking/interpretive trail and trailhead
sign. The Dunkle Hills road could provide new public access
opportunities in the Dunkle Hills/Broad Pass area, including access
into Denali National Park and Preserve, pending resolution of land
status/access issues.
Development would occur under a logical and cost-effective phasing
scenario developed by a Denali south side plan implementation
partnership, in consultation with the public.
Alternative A (Large-Scale Visitor Facility along the George Parks
Highway)
All facilities would be located in Denali State Park along the
George Parks Highway. No facilities would be constructed in the
Tokositna area, in the Dunkle Hills, or near Chelatna Lake. The
Petersville Road would not be upgraded or extended beyond mile 19 under
this alternative. One visitor center (up to 13,000 square feet) would
be built in either the northern, central, or southern development zone
of Denali State Park. The Byers Lake campground would be expanded by up
to 25 sites or a new campground of up to 50 sites would be built
elsewhere in the central development zone. Short hiking/ interpretive
trails would be developed around the visitor center. No public use
cabins would be constructed.
Alternative B (Small-Scale Visitor Facility along the George Parks
Highway)
Under alternative B, all facilities would be located in Denali
State Park along the George Parks Highway. No facilities would be
constructed in the Tokositna area, in the Dunkle Hills, or near
Chelatna Lake. The Petersville Road would not be upgraded or extended
beyond mile 19 under this alternative. One small visitor center (up to
1,500 square feet) would be built in either the northern, central, or
southern development zone of Denali State Park. A small campground (up
to 25 sites) would be constructed in the central development zone along
the George Parks Highway. Short hiking/interpretive trails would be
developed near the visitor center. No public use cabins would be
constructed.
Alternative C (No Action)
Management activity and the current low level of backcountry
visitation would continue. Under alternative C, all facilities would be
located in Denali State Park along the George Parks Highway. No
facilities would be constructed in the Tokositna area, in the Dunkle
Hills, or near Chelatna Lake. The Petersville Road would not be
upgraded or extended beyond mile 19 under this alternative. A 320-
square-foot visitor contact station would be built by the state near
the Alaska Veterans Memorial in the central development zone of Denali
State Park. A short trail to the Chulitna River would be developed by
the state in the southern development zone of the state park. The
Matanuska-Susitna Borough would likely construct a snowmachine user
parking area and associated sanitary facilities near the Forks
Roadhouse along the Petersville Road. An existing privately built
(trespass) cabin near Chelatna Lake would be converted to public use.
In addition, four public use cabins may be developed by the state on
the east side of the Chulitna River in Denali State Park. Development
of campgrounds or other visitor facilities on the south side would not
be anticipated by the state, the National Park Service, or the
boroughs.
Changes Made Between the Revised Draft and Final DCP/EIS
In response to public comments and cooperative planning partner
discussions, several changes were made between publication of the
revised draft DCP/EIS (March 1996) and completion of the final DCP/EIS.
The major changes are summarized as follows.
Purpose and Need
This section was updated to more explicitly describe the partners'
vision for south side development and recreational opportunities and to
state the need for visitor facilities and services more clearly.
Direction for the Plan
This section was modified to clearly state the vision, goals, and
objectives that guide the plan.
Elements Common to All Action Alternatives
Additional detail is provided clarifying the general policies and
actions that would be implemented under each action alternative and the
no-action alternative. For example, additional text is included to
emphasize partner support of continued mining in the study area.
Implementation of the Development Concept Plan
This section was revised to provide clarification and additional
information about plan implementation, including collective and
individual partner commitments to ensure continued partnership,
continued and
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strengthened public consultation and involvement, coordination on
related plans, and appropriate measures to minimize or avoid adverse
impacts.
Two key commitments added are as follows:
Ensure that additional or revised land management plans
and controls are in effect before major development occurs.
Assess the progress of plan implementation after three
years in light of funding availability, results of wildlife research,
and progress on identified mitigation strategies, and adjust priorities
or management emphasis as needed.
Alternatives, Including the Proposed Action
The proposed action was revised based on public input and
cooperative planning partner discussions. Language was added to clarify
the objectives for development in the Tokositna area and along the
George Parks Highway. The size of the Tokositna visitor center was
reduced from a maximum of 13,000 square feet to a maximum of 5,000
square feet, with associated changes in visitor center functions and
reductions in visitor and administrative space, parking, and employee
housing. The capacity of the picnic facility in the vicinity of the
Tokositna visitor center was increased from 25 to 50 people and now
includes uncovered as well as covered areas for tables.
The proposed action also now concentrates on an upgrade and
extension of the Petersville Road only from the Forks Roadhouse (mile
19) to the Tokositna site, because the road is generally usable for
recreation development in its current state to mile 19, and it is
assumed that the first 19 miles would be maintained and upgraded by the
state regardless of actions proposed by this DCP/EIS. The road would
also now include appropriately sited bicycle and pedestrian
enhancements (not included in the revised draft DCP/EIS).
Statements have been added noting that the visitor centers and
public use cabins would be designed and built for year-round use
(though, initially, only a portion of the Tokositna visitor center
would be open to the public in the winter).
The need for phasing and funding strategies are reemphasized, but
most details regarding phasing of proposed developments were removed
from the text; these would be determined during subsequent
implementation planning activities.
The no-action alternative (alternative C) was revised slightly in
that the proposed Matanuska-Susitna Borough development of a
snowmachine user facility near the Forks Roadhouse on the Petersville
Road has been corrected to show only a parking area and sanitary
facilities. The trail to the Chulitna River is described in more detail
and the location changed from the central development zone to the
southern development zone of Denali State Park. Construction of four
public use cabins on the east side of the Chulitna River in Denali
State Park also has been added to the list of actions.
The mitigating measure related to regulating motorized activities
on the Curry-Kesugi Ridge and in the Troublesome Creek drainage of
Denali State Park was deleted.
Affected Environment
This section was revised and updated to reflect new information
received since the revised draft DCP/EIS was published and to better
describe some resource conditions to address questions raised through
public comments on the revised draft DCP/EIS.
Environmental Consequences
The impact sections for each of the development alternatives were
revised to reflect changes made to the proposed action and no-action
alternatives. Additionally, the impact analyses for all alternatives
assume land use controls would be in place prior to major development;
however, where it makes a difference in the analysis, a description of
the impacts is provided given the situation that these controls are not
implemented. Visitation predictions under all alternatives except
alternative B have been reduced and relevant impact sections rewritten
accordingly. Completion of visitor center facilities would not occur
prior to year 2000 as assumed in the revised draft; this is now assumed
to take place no sooner than 2002 in the final DCP/EIS.
The responsible official for the Record of Decision on the proposed
actions is the National Park Service field director in Alaska.
Dated: January 14, 1997.
Judith Gottlieb,
Acting Field Director, Alaska Field Office.
[FR Doc. 97-1636 Filed 1-22-97; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-70-P
