[Federal Register Volume 60, Number 179 (Friday, September 15, 1995)]
[Notices]
[Pages 47964-47967]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 95-23001]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Record of Decision for the General Management Plan/Final
Environmental Impact Statement, Lake Chelan National Recreation Area,
Washington
ACTION: Ntoice of Approval of Record Decision.
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SUMMARY: Pursuant to section 102(2)(C) of the National Environmental
Policy Act of 1969 (Public Law 91-190, as amended) and the regulations
promulgated by the Council on Environmental Quality in 40 CFR 1505.2,
the National Park Service has approved the Record of Decision for the
General Management Plan/Final Environmental Impact Statement for Lake
Chelan National Recreation Area, Washington. The National Park Service
will implement the proposed action as described in the Final Impact
Statement.
DATES: The Record of Decision was recommended by the Superintendent of
North Cascades National Park Service Complex, concurred by the Deputy
Field Director, Pacific West Area, and approved by the Field Director,
Pacific West Area, on August 30, 1995.
ADDRESSES: Inquiries regarding the Record of Decision or the
Environmental Impact Statement should be submitted to the
Superintendent, North Cascades National Park Service Complex, 2105
Highway 20, Sedro Woolley, WA 98284-9314; telephone: (360) 856-5700.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The text of the Record of Decision follows:
The Department of the Interior, National Park Service, has prepared
this Record of Decision on the Final Environmental Impact Statement
(EIS) for the General Management Plan for Lake Chelan National
Recreation Area, Washington. This Record of Decision is a statement of
the decision made, the background of the project, other alternatives
considered, the basis for the decision, the environmentally preferable
alternative, measures to minimize environmental harm, and public
involvement in the decision making process.
Decision (Selected Action)
The National Park Service will implement the proposed action as
described in the Final Environmental Impact Statement.
The National Park Service will manage visitor and resident use of
the recreation area's resources in order to preserve the natural,
scenic and cultural values of the area. The rustic setting of Lake
Chelan National Recreation Area will be part of the transition from the
downlake, primarily recreational and residential setting, to the wild
and natural North Cascades National Park.
The National Park Service will not manipulate the Stehekin river or
its tributaries except to protect public roads and bridges. Woody
debris could be trimmed or turned in the lower 9 miles of the Stehekin
River to allow safer recreational use of the river for rafting,
kayaking, and canoeing if it did not alter the function or stability of
woody debris accumulations and was permitted by the appropriate
regulatory agency. The Park Service will not remove woody debris from
the river system except to protect public roads and bridges. The Park
Service will discourage private landowners from manipulating the
Stehekin River or removing woody debris. The active sand, rock, and
gravel borrow pit will be maintained at less than or equal to its
current size; no new borrow pits will be opened, and abandoned borrow
pits will be restored. Gravel will be sold to the public at fair market
value, with restrictions.
Fire suppression, prescribed natural fire, management-ignited
prescribed fire, and selective manual fuel reductions will be used to
improve wildland fire protection for human life and property and to
manage for late-succession stage in ponderosa pine/Douglas fir forest.
The practice of woodlot cutting for firewood will be phased out. When
available, firewood will be provided from administrative sources, at
fair market value.
The Golden West Lodge and the High Bridge Historic District will be
rehabilitated and the Buckner homestead and orchard will be preserved.
The airstrip will be operated under a special use permit with the
Washington State Department of Transportation for private,
noncommercial use. Some NPS and concession housing, maintenance, and
related facilities will be consolidated beside the airstrip.
[[Page 47965]]
The Stehekin Valley road between the Landing and Harlequin Bridge
will remain a two-lane paved road; from Harlequin Bridge to 9-Mile, it
will become a single-lane, paved road with pullouts; from 9-Mile to
High Bridge, a single-lane, gravel road; and from High Bridge to
Cottonwood, a high-clearance, shuttle vehicle road. Unconstrained
private vehicle use will end at High Bridge. Private vehicle use from
High Bridge to Bridge Creek will be allowed, but traffic flow will be
regulated. Public shuttle service will be provided from the Landing to
Cottonwood. Only the public shuttle service, hikers, horses, and
bicycles will be allowed from Bridge Creek to Cottonwood. Company Creek
road will be maintained in its current alignment, and will be protected
from river erosion at two locations. Stehekin Landing will be
redesigned to improve visitor flow and parking, and to relocate lodging
and other facilities away from geohazards. The current capacity of
concession services for food and lodging will increase somewhat.
Land protection will emphasize high flood influence areas,
wetlands, riparian areas, and high visual sensitivity areas.
Background of the Project
Preparation of the EIS was required by a consent decree entered in
U.S. District Court, Western District of Washington, on April 22, 1991.
The consent decree specified actions for resolving the dispute between
the plaintiff, North Cascades Conservation Council, and defendants in
the U.S. Department of the Interior. The consent decree resulted from a
law suit filed by the North Cascades Conservation Council (Civil Case
No. C-89-1342D). This Record of Decision is the last necessary action
under the National Environmental Policy Act regulations regarding the
consent decree.
Other Alternatives Considered
Four other alternatives to the selected action were considered.
Under the no action alternative, the recreation area would be a rural
resort community where resources are used, within limits, by an
expanding residential presence. This alternative was the 1988 General
Management Plan and supporting implementation plans.
Under alternative A, the area would be a wild, natural area where
resources and natural processes would be largely undisturbed; natural
forces would be allowed to slowly remove evidence of human occupation.
The Stehekin River would not be manipulated, mining gravel would not be
allowed, prescribed fire would be used to manage wildland fire risk,
select cultural properties would be protected, the airstrip closed, and
all roads restored to natural conditions as private property was
acquired.
Under alternative B, the area would be a rural, woodland gateway to
the North Cascades; use of resources by visitors and residents would be
limited in order to preserve natural, scenic, and cultural values. Some
river manipulation would be allowed, mining gravel would not be
allowed, wildland fire protection and cultural resource management
would be similar to the selected action, the airstrip closed, and roads
would be similar in character to existing conditions.
Under alternative C, the area would be a retreat/refuge/resort
where resources and natural processes are showcased for the enjoyment
of visitors. All existing public and private improvements would be
protected from river erosion, gravel mining would be maintained and
expanded if necessary, wildland fire protection would be augmented
using selective manual thinning, all cultural properties would be
rehabilitated or preserved, the airstrip used for emergency landings
only, and roads would be similar in character to existing conditions.
Basis for Decision
As presented in the final EIS, the National Park Service's
management objectives are numerous. Twenty seven individual objectives
are identified, from natural resource management to land use and
development. After evaluation of public comments on the alternatives
presented in the draft EIS, the selected action best balances the
statutory mission of the National Park Service to provide long term
resource preservation while allowing for appropriate levels of visitor
use and appropriate means of visitor enjoyment. The selected action
provides for projected growth in visitation through the year 2007,
while complying with provisions of law under the Endangered Species
Act, National Historic Preservation Act, and Wilderness Act; policies
of the National Park Service; the recreation area's purpose based on
its enabling legislation; constraints imposed on the area's management
under the same legislation; and the protection of its significant
resources.
Environmentally Preferable Alternative
A Record of Decision must identify the environmentally preferable
alternative, which is that alternative which causes the least damage to
the biological environment, and that best protects, preserves, and
enhances resources. With its emphasis on preservation of the natural
ecosystem of the valley, alternative A is the environmentally
preferable alternative.
Measures to Minimize Environmental Harm
All practicable measures to avoid or minimize environmental impacts
that could result from implementation of the selected action have been
identified and incorporated into the selected action. These include
protection of high flood influence areas, wetlands, riparian areas, and
high visual sensitivity areas; protection of threatened, endangered and
rare species; protection of properties eligible for listing on the
National Register of Historic Places; and the restoration of wetlands,
disturbed sites in the river corridor, abandoned gravel pits, woodlots,
old fairways, and road segments. The NPS would not manipulate natural
river dynamics except, under certain conditions, to protect roads and
bridges.
Additional mitigating measures are identified in the implementation
plans associated with the EIS. The implementation plans completed or
amended in this EIS are the Sand, Rock, and Gravel Plan; Forest Fuel
Reduction / Firewood Management Plan; Wilderness Management Plan;
Transportation Plan; Stehekin Landing and Valley Development Concept
Plans; and the Land Protection Plan. The environmental impacts of these
plans were presented in the final EIS, by impact topic, on pages 274
through 315. Impacts from these plans are incorporated into the impact
analysis sections for each of the 13 impact topics. A range of
management options for each of the implementation plans was integrated
into each of the five alternatives considered in the EIS.
Mitigating and monitoring measures in the implementation plan
follow.
Sand, Rock, and Gravel Plan: mining will only occur at the Company
Creek borrow pit; this pit will be reclaimed as new mining occurs;
sand, rock, and gravel will be conserved and recycled whenever
possible; except for emergencies, the use of sand, rock, and gravel
from the Company Creek pit will be limited to 1400 cubic yards per
year--1200 cubic yards for NPS use and 200 cubic yards for private use;
material beyond this limit or for new construction will be imported;
material will be used only for maintenance activities listed in the
plan; the reclaimed portions of the pit will be topsoiled, fertilized,
seeded, and planted with plant stocks indigenous to Stehekin; the
working face of the pit will be temporarily covered with native
grasses; the pit will be monitored before,
[[Page 47966]]
during, and after active mining operations to identify sensitive
resources, to ensure that operations minimize impacts, and to see that
reclamation goals are met; the Rainbow Creek gravel pit will be
actively reclaimed including topographic restoration, surface erosion
control, nonnative species control, soil building, revegetation, plant
irrigation, and monitoring; continued natural recovery at all other
abandoned pits will be monitored.
Forest Fuel Reduction/Firewood Management Plan: data from forest
stand examinations in the forest fuel reduction areas, and in control
plots, will be used as baseline information for monitoring forest
changes through time; thirteen attributes, as identified in the plan,
will be monitored using the NPS's Fire Monitoring Handbook in order to
document the effects of manual thinning and firewood administration
activities; except for two transitional woodcutter areas, no
woodcutting or manual thinning will occur within any forest fuel
reduction area until monitoring plots are established and measured;
program effectiveness will be reviewed every five years; during
woodcutting, soil compaction will be minimized by limiting skid trails,
not allowing vehicle access by woodcutters, and hand raking tire/track
ruts; stumps will be flush-cut and slash placed over them; the existing
harvested woodlots, and associated access roads, will be rehabilitated;
the Stehekin Landing, after mistletoe control and hazard fuel reduction
work, will also be rehabilitated; as manual thinning is completed, old
roads and log decks will be closed and rehabilitated including eight
old road segments; revegetation will include mechanical ripping and
recontouring soil, adding mulch, and scattering native plant seeds,
litter, and coarse woody debris; if significant revegetation is not
observed within five years, native seedlings may be planted.
Wilderness Management Plan: the maximum backcountry party size in
the NRA is six pairs of eyes (human or stock) in crosscountry areas,
and 12 pairs of eyes otherwise; the existing commercial stock user may
exceed this limit at historic levels (up to 30 pairs of eyes, four to
six times per year); no oversized parties are allowed at Juanita Lake
camp (12 pairs of eyes maximum); open campfires and gathering firewood
in subalpine zones (and some other sensitive areas) is prohibited;
grazing in the NRA is permitted only at three areas currently used--
Rainbow Meadow, Hidden Lake, and Juanita Lake basin; grazing is
prohibited within 0.25 mile of Juanita Lake; all grazing will be
regulated by monitoring soil moisture conditions, and will be
restricted to the dry period of the summer which generally begins about
July 15th; otherwise, only certified, weed-free, processed feed is
allowed.
Transportation Plan: between Harlequin Bridge and 9-Mile, the road
will be paved and reduced to a single-lane (12-14 feet wide) with
pullouts; the sides of gravel roads that have become excessively wide
will be rehabilitated; unconstrained private vehicle use will end at
High Bridge; private vehicle use from High Bridge to Bridge Creek will
be regulated by season an/or hour of day; only the public shuttle
service, hikers, horses, and bicycles will be allowed to use the road
from Bridge Creek to Cottonwood; the road from High Bridge to
Cottonwood will be maintained to sustain heavy-duty, high-clearance
shuttle vehicles; erosion control systems along the upper Company Creek
road will be removed and replaced, designed to keep the road from
eroding during frequently recurring flood events (i.e., 10- to 25-year
recurrence interval), and will be made from rock, soil, and native
vegetation; public roads will be protected in active river erosion
zones only if (1) there are no feasible alternatives, (2) funds are
available, (3) the actions will have less impacts than other
alternatives, and (4) the action are permitted by county, state, and
other federal agencies; snowmobile use will be limited to existing
roads below High Bridge; the airstrip will be retained and operated
under a special use permit for noncommercial public use on a ``use at
your own risk'' basis; the Washington State Department of
Transportation, Aeronautics Division (the Division) will keep the
airstrip and approaches equipped and maintained in accordance with
requirements for state-operated emergency airstrips; there will be no
expansion of the permitted area beyond that identified in the current
permit; camping will not be permitted within the permit area; the
Division will be required to prepare a plan and conduct noxious weed
control measures within the area under permit, as approved by the NPS;
an annual maintenance and operating plan will be prepared by the
Division and submitted for review and approval by the NPS.
Stehekin Landing and Valley Development Concept Plan: the ``outpost
community'' image of the area will be encouraged using the
Architectural Character Guidelines; the Golden West Lodge and High
Bridge Historic District will be rehabilitated following the Secretary
of the Interior Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties; the
Buckner homestead and orchard will be preserved, and items associated
with the farming operation will be restored on a priority basis, if
owned by the NPS; the genetic stock of the Buckner orchard will be
maintained; the natural character of public lands within 200 feet of
the lake and river shoreline will be restored; NPS structures will be
removed from the shoreline, where appropriate, and no new NPS
structures will be constructed on the shoreline; the ``fairways'' will
be restored to natural conditions as appropriate; all abandoned
vehicles will be removed from public lands; unnecessary powerlines will
be removed and all others will be buried where appropriate, especially
in areas with high visitor use; some campsites at Weaver Point
Campground will be moved back from the shoreline; at the Landing, as
the useful lives of existing structures are approached, new lodging
facilities, grocery, and post office will be built away from
geohazards, and existing facilities will be demolished and their sites
restored; the current NPS headquarters building will be removed; the
NPS will provide boat sewage disposal at no cost; visitors will be
encouraged to use nonmotorized transportation through rental services.
Land Protection Plan: incompatible uses of private property are (1)
any subdivision of land that was not in effect prior to this Record of
Decision, except as permitted through the Chelan County Subdivision
Regulations and as consistent with Chelan County health standards, (2)
the siting or construction of any building in an identified high flood
influence area, wetland, riparian area, or highly unstable area, e.g.,
slopes greater than 20%, where potential impacts cannot be confined to
the specific private ownership, (3) any dredging or filing of Lake
Chelan or the Stehekin River without full compliance with the U.S. Army
Corps of Engineers permitting process and/or appropriate authorization
from the state, (4) the cutting of timber for sale or transport outside
the Stehekin valley, (5) the cutting of timber by any means other than
selective tree harvesting except as required by Washington State
Department of Natural Resources regulations, and (6) the mining of
sand, rock, or gravel for sale or transport outside the Stehekin
valley; the NPS will not site any new building or structure in (1) the
100-year floodplain, unless used for nonhuman occupancy and with
conditions on specific uses or mitigation, (2) wetland soils, and those
soils not conducive to building foundations, leachfield percolation, or
[[Page 47967]]
site drainage, (3) geohazard areas, (4) areas with slopes greater than
20% and (5) areas of high visual sensitivity, except where specific
design mitigation can successfully be used; ensure that applicable laws
and policies of the state of Washington are followed, including health
and safety regulations and Washington Growth Management Act provisions;
continue willing buyer/willing seller acquisitions for properties with
areas that have a high priority for resource protection, or for which
public needs have been identified; emphasize opportunities for easement
purchases and other less-than-fee interests for resource protection and
public use.
The conclusion on impacts to the northern spotted owl in the final
EIS is modified by this Record of Decision. After formal consultation
with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), it is the biological
opinion of the FWS that the impacts from the General Management Plan
for Lake Chelan NRA are not likely to jeopardize the continued
existence of the threatened northern spotted owl. Incidental take of
one pair of spotted owls or resident single owl is anticipated. The FWS
concurs with the NPS determinations that the General Management Plan
for Lake Chelan NRA will have ``no effect'' on the bald eagle and
peregrine falcon and will ``beneficially affect'' the gray wolf, and
``may affect,'' but will ``not likely'' ``adversely affect,'' the
grizzly bear.
Public Involvement
Public comment has been requested, considered and incorporated into
the planning process during four major planning stages, and has also
been considered in numerous other ways. Initial public scoping meetings
were held in June 1991, in Stehekin, Chelan and Seattle. Public comment
was again requested on the primary data set used in planning in April
1933; in a preliminary alternatives document distributed in May 1993;
and in public hearings on the draft EIS in October 1994. Additionally,
four newsletters were distributed during the planning process,
including an extensive data summary booklet. Consultation was also
completed with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Advisory Council
on Historic Preservation, the Washington State Historic Preservation
Office, and Native American tribes.
About 750 copies of the draft EIS were distributed. Written
comments were accepted for 60 days, and over 1000 comment letters or
testimonies were recorded. Responses to substantive comments on the
draft EIS were published in Volume II of the final EIS, distributed in
July 1995. All substantive comments were addressed by either providing
clarification of information, modifying the test, or directly
responding in the final EIS.
Dated: September 7, 1995.
Rory D. Westberg,
Acting Deputy Field Director, Pacific West Area, National Park Service.
[FR Doc. 95-23001 Filed 9-14-95; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-70-M