[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 232 (Tuesday, December 3, 2002)]
[Notices]
[Pages 71983-71984]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-30489]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

National Park Service


Golden Gate National Recreation Area, Big Lagoon Wetland and 
Redwood Creek Restoration, Marin County, California; 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 comprehensive conservation planning and 
environmental impact analysis process regarding the proposed 
restoration/enhancement of the lower Redwood Creek watershed at Muir 
Beach. The purpose of the project is to restore or enhance ecological 
conditions and processes, reducing flooding of local infrastructure, 
and providing public access to the beach and restored wetland and 
creek. Key issues to be addressed will include habitat for fish and 
wildlife, ecosystem conditions and processes, effects on special status 
plant and animal species, hydrology, flood hazards, traffic, visitor 
access, and visitor experience. Notice is hereby given that a public 
scoping process has been initiated. The purpose of the public scoping 
process is to elicit public comment regarding the full spectrum of 
issues and concerns, a suitable range of alternatives, the nature and 
extent of potential environmental impacts or ecological benefits, and 
appropriate mitigation strategies that should be addressed in preparing 
a draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS).
    Background: The Big Lagoon project site is located at the mouth of 
the Redwood Creek watershed, which drains an 8.9-square-mile area on 
the southwestern slopes of Mt. Tamalpais in coastal Martin County. 
Approximately half of the restoration planning area is federally owned 
and is situated within the Golden Gate National Recreation Area 
(GGNRA); the remainder is owned by the San Francisco Zen Center. The 
project site is a popular destination in the park, receiving 
approximately 440,000 visitors annually. Historically this area 
supported a freshwater and brackish lagoon with associated permanent 
and seasonal wetlands, riparian forest, and beach dune communities. The 
entire area of Muir Beach and the adjacent lowland pastures were part 
of the Redwood Creek floodplain. The creek meandered across the valley 
floor and, during floods, deposited sediment across the floodplain 
area. Today, the creek has been confined and much of the floodplain 
eliminated due to the combined effects of road and levee construction, 
channeling projects, and placement of the NPS parking lot and picnic 
area.
    Restoration Goals: The GGNRA is preparing an EIS to address 
possible extent of restoration and/or enhancement of natural resource 
values. The goals of the proposal include the following:
    [sbull] Restore a functional, self-sustaining ecosystem, including 
wetland, aquatic, dune, upland, and riparian components.
    [sbull] Develop a restoration design that: (a) Functions in the 
context of the watershed and other pertinent regional boundaries, (b) 
identifies and, to the extent possible, mitigates factors that reduce 
the site's full restoration

[[Page 71984]]

potential. Understanding of historical and current conditions and 
physical processes in the watershed is required to meet this objective.
    [sbull] Consistent with restoring a functional ecosystem, create 
habitat adequate to support sustainable populations of special status 
species.
    [sbull] Reduce flooding on Pacific Way and in the Muir Beach 
community on a long-term basis, and work with Marin County to ensure 
that vehicle access is provided to the Muir Beach community.
    [sbull] Work with Comprehensive Transportation Management Plan 
staff to identify transportation alternatives that are consistent with 
ecosystem restoration.
    [sbull] Provide for visitor experience, public access, and resource 
interpretation that are compatible with ecosystem restoration and 
historic preservation.
    [sbull] Protect cultural resources and work with the Federated 
Indians of Graton Rancheria to incorporate cultural values and 
indigenous archaeological sites into the restoration design and site 
stewardship.
    [sbull] Provide opportunities for public education and community-
based restoration, including engaging local and broader communities in 
site stewardship and restoration planning.
    Public Process to Date: The National Park Service drafted a 
preliminary Environmental Assessment (EA) for restoration measures 
considered for this area in 1994; however the EA process was not ever 
completed and no project was implemented. Since that time, the site has 
changed and new information has been developed. Due to the changed 
conditions, a new analysis of restoration options, mitigation issues, 
etc will be undertaken. At this time, public scoping meetings for the 
Big Lagoon wetlands and Redwood Creek restoration are scheduled as 
follows: Oct. 22, 2002 at the regular meeting of the GGNRA Citizens' 
Advisory Commission, Oct. 29, 2002 at the Muir Beach Community Center, 
and Nov. 2, 2002 at Tamalpais High School in Mill Valley. Site walk-
thrus are be conducted on Nov. 9, 2002. Also, early technical scoping 
reviews were held on-site throughout July and August 2002 with experts 
of various disciplines (archaeology, biology, wetland and riparian 
ecology, geomorphology, and visitor access) to assist the project team 
in building a knowledge base on which study designs and preliminary 
alternatives will be formulated. To support the public process and 
foster ready access to information, GGNRA is developing a website for 
the project that will be hosted on the GGNRA Web site (http://www.nps.gov/goga/admin/planning). The Web site will be a key component 
of the public involvement strategy and will allow the public to view 
and retrieve planning documents, fact sheets, and meeting notices for 
the project. Following scoping and with continued input from the public 
and regulatory and resources agencies, a full range of preliminary 
project alternatives will be developed and evaluated. GGNRA staff 
anticipate a minimum of three alternatives, including the No-Action 
Alternative. An ``environmentally preferred'' alternative will be 
disclosed in the draft EIS.
    Comments and Public Scoping: As noted above, three scoping meetings 
are scheduled during Fall 2002. Confirmed details on all scoping 
meetings will be announced through direct mailing, the project Web 
site, and local and regional media. Interested individuals, 
organizations and agencies are invited to attend these meetings to 
comment orally and/or provide written comments or suggestions. 
Interested persons may also refer to the GGNRA Web site for more 
information on this project. A scoping document (including applicable 
information from the 1994 EA) and site information will be available at 
the above Web site, or can be obtained by writing or telephoning the 
GGNRA staff person listed below. Comments, suggestions, or relevant 
information (or requests to be added to the project mailing list) 
should be sent to: Big Lagoon Wetland and Redwood Creek Restoration, 
Golden Gate National Recreation Area (Attn: Jennifer Vick, Project 
Manager), Building 201, Fort Mason, San Francisco, CA 94123 [Telephone 
(415) 561-4942]. All written comments for the scoping phase of Big 
Lagoon Wetland and Redwood Creek Restoration EIS must be postmarked not 
later than 45 days following the publication of this notice in the 
Federal Register.
    All respondents are advised that individual names and addresses of 
persons commenting on the project EIS may be included as part of the 
public record. If individuals submitting comments request that their 
name or[bs]and address be withheld from public 
disclosure, it will be honored to the extent allowable by law. Such 
requests must be stated prominently in the beginning of the comments. 
There also may be circumstances wherein the NPS will withhold a 
respondent's identity as allowable by law. As always: NPS will make 
available to public inspection all submissions from organizations or 
businesses and from persons identifying themselves as representatives 
or officials of organizations and businesses; and, anonymous comments 
may not be considered.
    Decision Process: Availability of the draft EIS for review and 
written comment will be announced in the Federal Register, as well as 
through local and regional news media, the GGNRA Web site, and direct 
mailing to the project mailing list. At this time, the draft EIS is 
anticipated to be available for public review in early 2004. To ensure 
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 similarly be published in the Federal Register. As a delegated 
EIS, the official responsible for the final decision is the Regional 
Director, Pacific West Region; subsequently, the official responsible 
for implementation is the Superintendent, Golden Gate National 
Recreation Area.

    Dated: October 9, 2002.
Jonathan B. Jarvis,
Regional Director, Pacific West Region.
[FR Doc. 02-30489 Filed 12-2-02; 8:45 am]
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