[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 69 (Wednesday, April 10, 2002)]
[Notices]
[Pages 17439-17440]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-8699]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

National Park Service


Golden Gate National Recreation Area, Marin Headlands and Fort 
Baker Transportation Infrastructure and Management Plan, San Francisco 
and Marin Counties, CA; Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental 
Impact Statement

SUMMARY: In accordance with Sec. 102 (2)(C) of the National 
Environmental Policy Act (42 U.S.C. 4321 et. seq.), the National Park 
Service (NPS) is undertaking a conservation planning and environmental 
impact analysis process to identify and assess potential impacts of 
alternative transportation management concepts and transportation 
infrastructure improvements for the Marin Headlands and Fort Baker area 
of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area. The Environmental Impact 
Statement (EIS) and Transportation Infrastructure and Management Plan 
(Plan) will assess alternative modes of travel to and within these 
areas with the goal of minimizing the intrusion of automobiles and 
encouraging alternative modes of transportation. Notice is hereby given 
that a public scoping process has been initiated, with the purpose of 
eliciting public comment regarding the full spectrum of issues and 
concerns, including a suitable range of alternatives, the nature and 
extent of potential environmental impacts, and appropriate mitigation 
strategies which should be addressed in the EIS process.

Background

    The study focus for this Plan and EIS covers transportation issues 
related to the Marin Headlands and Fort Baker subregion of the Golden 
Gate National Recreation Area (GGNRA) just north of the Golden Gate 
Bridge in Marin County. The area includes Ft. Baker and the Rodeo 
Valley area and the Point Bonita coastline of the southern Marin 
Headlands, including West Ft. Baker, Ft. Cronkhite and Ft. Barry. The 
Tennessee Valley area is excluded from this effort.
    In June 2000, the NPS began a public planning process to evaluate 
current and future transportation conditions in the Marin Headlands and 
Fort Baker subregion of the GGNRA. A transportation planning team was 
retained to collect data, assess current and future conditions, 
identify problem areas, and assist in conceptualizing alternative 
solutions to transportation challenges. Two documents have been 
completed at this time: Transportation Management Plan for the Marin 
Headlands and Fort Baker--Existing Conditions Report (available on the 
GGNRA website) and Transportation Management Plan for the Marin 
Headlands and Fort Baker--Conceptual Alternatives. Two other planning 
efforts are underway, the Marin Headlands and Fort Baker Transportation 
Demand Management Program Recommendations, and the Marin Headlands and 
Fort Baker Transportation Management Plan Report. The implementation of 
the Fort Baker Plan consistent with the requirements of the FEIS and 
approved Record of Decision are an important foundation for developing 
alternatives for the study area. All documents relevant to this 
planning effort are available for review at the GGNRA Marin Headlands 
Visitor Center, Building 948, Fort Barry, Sausalito, CA and at the City 
of Sausalito Public Library, 420 Litho Street, Sausalito, CA (or may be 
accessible at the GGNRA website (http:/www.nps.gov/goga/admin/transportation).

Public Process to Date

    The Existing Conditions Report details existing transportation 
related characteristics of the study area and forms the foundation of 
the first stage of an 18-month planning process to develop short, 
medium, and long term strategies for transportation improvements. The 
Existing Conditions Report presents data collected and evaluations 
about the physical characteristics (roadway network, parking 
distribution, transit service, pedestrian network, bicycle use, and 
signage); operational characteristics (daily vehicle trips, 
intersection volumes and geometry, individual roadway analysis, parking 
utilization, and destination volumes); visitor intercept surveys; and 
park partner surveys. The Existing Conditions Report can be downloaded 
from the GGNRA website or consulted at the GGNRA Marin Headlands 
Visitor Center and City of Sausalito Public Library.
    GGNRA developed a draft set of goals and objectives drawn from NPS

[[Page 17440]]

documents. Three workshops were held during the summer of 2000 to 
assist in the development of goals and objectives of the Transportation 
Management Plan. All three workshops featured a presentation of the 
general transportation problems and opportunities and breakout sessions 
for workshop participants to explore a wide range of options and build 
consensus. Workshops were attended by NPS staff, representatives from 
public agencies, park partner organizations, and the general public. 
Based on the results of the three workshops, the draft goals and 
objectives were revised to reflect the areas of general consensus and 
concerns. The revised goals and objectives were used to evaluate 
strategic alternatives in the Conceptual Alternatives phase of the 
planning.
    A second series of two workshops were held to develop conceptual 
transportation alternatives. The first workshop in December 2000 was 
attended by NPS staff, GGNRA Citizen Advisory Commission and Fort Baker 
Ad Hoc Implementation Committee members, public agencies, park partner 
organizations, and the project team. The second workshop in March 2001 
presented the draft alternatives (including No Action) to the public. 
After the public workshops, five conceptual alternative transportation 
plans were identified for further evaluation in the EIS. The conceptual 
alternatives were developed based on the review of existing planning 
studies and data, supplemental data collection in 2000 and 2001, and 
input from the public, interested groups, and other agencies.
    GGNRA anticipates that any or all of the draft alternatives will 
continue to be refined, and new and/or hybrid alternatives may be 
developed through the scoping process. The five conceptual alternatives 
are:

No Action

    This alternative fulfills National Environmental Policy Act 
requirements, and represents the existing environmental conditions and 
provides an environmental baseline against which the potential impacts 
of the other alternatives may be compared. All transportation 
improvements associated with the approved Fort Baker Plan, including 
mitigation measures, would be implemented as part of this alternative.

Alternative One: Basic Improvements

    This alternative proposes modest improvements that can be 
implemented quickly to address existing problems. Recommended changes 
include changes to Park signage and the information system, as well as 
minor bike and pedestrian improvements.

Alternative Two: Circulation Enhancements

    This alternative focuses on operational changes to the Park's 
vehicular, bicycle, and pedestrian circulation network. The primary 
component of this alternative in a one-way road system in the 
Headlands.

Alternative Three: Parking Consolidation and Shuttle Service

    This alternative proposes consolidating visitor parking and 
implementing a shuttle system to transport visitors throughout the 
Park. Visitors would be able to drive to the study area, but not within 
the most sensitive cultural, natural, and recreational areas. If 
authorized, parking fees could encourage use of alternative modes of 
access.

Alternative Four: Maximum Auto Reduction

    This alternative seeks to reduce the number of cars in the study 
area to the greatest extent practicable, while still allowing the NPS 
and park partners to meet their maintenance needs and program goals. 
Expanded transit and shuttle services would enable visitors to access 
the Park and move between popular destinations inside the Park without 
an automobile. A bus transfer facility on US 101 would provide 
connections between bus services and Park shuttles. Most parking areas 
would be eliminated, prioritizing use of the Park's roads for 
pedestrians and bicyclists.
    Major issues under evaluation in each alternative include: 
transportation management, preservation of natural and cultural 
resources, visitor experience, park partnerships, regional 
transportation impacts and implementation. It is also anticipated that 
any alternative selected would include varying degrees of road 
rehabilitation.

Comments and Public Scoping

    In addition to the extensive public involvement undertaken to date, 
formal scoping for the Plan and EIS is hereby initiated. Beginning in 
early 2002, three public scoping meetings will be conducted in the 
vicinity of the study area. The location, date, and time of scoping 
meetings will be announced on the NPS website and via local and 
regional media. All interested individuals, organizations, and agencies 
are invited to attend any meeting to comment orally and/or provide 
written comments or suggestions. Comments provided previously do not 
need to be resubmitted, rather, comments concerning new issues to be 
analyzed within the EIS are encouraged. Additional comments, 
suggestions, or relevant information (or requests to be added to the 
mailing list) should send written correspondence to the attention of 
Marin Headlands and Fort Baker Transportation Management Plan, National 
Park Service, Golden Gate Recreation Area, Building 201, Fort Mason, 
San Francisco, CA 94123 (phone 415/461-4936). All written comments must 
be postmarked not later than May 1, 2002.
    Our practice is to make comments, including names and home 
addresses of respondents, available for public review during regular 
business hours. Individual respondents may request that we withhold 
their home address from the record, which we will honor to the extent 
allowable by law. There also may be circumstances in which we would 
withhold from the record a respondent's identity, as allowable by law. 
If you wish us to withhold your name and/or address, you must state 
this prominently at the beginning of your comment. 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.

Decision Process

    Availability of the draft EIS and Plan for review and written 
comment will be announced by Federal Register notice, as well as local 
and regional news media, GGNRA website, and direct mailing to the 
project mailing list. At this time the draft EIS is anticipated to be 
available for public review in late 2002. To afford further opportunity 
to comment on the draft EIS after it is distributed, additional public 
meetings will be held (dates and locations to be determined). Notice of 
the availability of the final EIS will likewise be published in the 
Federal Register. As a delegated EIS, the official responsibility for 
the final decision is the Regional Director, Pacific West Region. 
Subsequently, the official responsible for implementation will be the 
Superintendent, Golden Gate National Recreation Area.

    Dated: December 31, 2001.
James R. Shevock,
Acting Regional Director, Pacific West.
[FR Doc. 02-8699 Filed 4-9-02; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-70-P