[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 112 (Tuesday, June 12, 2007)]
[Notices]
[Pages 32309-32310]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 07-2880]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

National Park Service


Draft Environmental Impact Statement for the Marin Headlands-Fort 
Baker, Transportation Infrastructure and Management Plan, Golden Gate 
National Recreation Area, Marin County, CA; Notice of Availability

SUMMARY: Pursuant to section 102(2)(C) of the National Environmental 
Policy Act of 1969 (Pub. L. 91-190, 42 U.S.C. 4321-4347, January 1, 
1970, as amended), and the Council on Environmental Quality Regulations 
(40 CFR parts 1500 through 1508), the National Park Service, Department 
of the Interior, has prepared a Draft Environmental Impact Statement 
for the Marin Headlands-Fort Baker Transportation Infrastructure and 
Management Plan. The project would provide greater access to and within 
the Marin Headlands and Fort Baker areas for a variety of users in a 
way that minimizes or avoids impacts to the rich natural diversity and 
cultural resources of these areas within Golden Gate National 
Recreation Area (GGNRA). Roadway infrastructure would be rehabilitated 
or reconstructed with non-character altering roadway widening, and 
parking facilities would be improved. Additional transit options would 
be provided to and within areas to improve access to visitor sites. 
Pedestrian and bicycle facilities would be improved through closure and 
rerouting of existing trails and construction of new trails. A 
successful project would meet the following goals: (1) Promote public 
transit, pedestrian, and bicycle travel to and within GGNRA to improve 
visitor experience and enhance environmental quality; (2) Rehabilitate 
the Marin Headlands-Fort Baker transportation road and trail 
infrastructure in a manner that protects resources and improves safety 
and circulation; (3) Reduce traffic congestion at key GGNRA locations 
and connecting roads.
    Proposal and Alternatives: As noted, this Draft Environmental 
Impact Statement (EIS) describes and analyzes four alternatives. 
Alternative 1, the No Action Alternative, would not deviate from the 
existing management direction; it serves as an environmental baseline 
from which potential effects of the three ``action'' alternatives may 
be compared. Alternative 2 would provide basic multi-modal access. 
Roadway infrastructure would be rehabilitated within the existing 
roadway width; parking facilities would be improved; transit service to 
the Marin Headlands would be expanded on weekends; and minor pedestrian 
and bicycle facility enhancements would be implemented to improve 
access to these GGNRA areas. Alternative 4 would provide maximum multi-
modal access. Roadway infrastructure would be reconstructed throughout 
the study area, and parking facilities would be improved. Transit 
options would include the addition of connections to regional transit 
centers outside of GGNRA. Extensive pedestrian and bicycle facility 
enhancements would be implemented, including closure and rerouting of 
existing trails, construction of new trails, and road widening to allow 
for bicycle lane construction on nearly all major roads.
    Alternative 3 is the Agency Preferred alternative. Alternative 3 
would provide enhanced multi-modal access. Roadway infrastructure would 
be rehabilitated or reconstructed with non-character altering roadway 
widening, and parking facilities would be improved. Additional transit 
options would be provided to and within the Marin Headlands and Fort 
Baker (MH/FB) areas to improve access. Pedestrian and bicycle 
facilities would be improved through closure and rerouting of existing 
trails and construction of new trails. Key project elements include the 
following:
    Roadways and Vehicular Circulation: At selected sites within the 
area of potential effect, roads and intersections will be modified to 
improve safety and operations. Modifications include widening the road 
widths from two to four feet to allow for the provision of Class 2 
bicycle lanes or improved safety on Class 3 bike routes, and 
reconstructing intersections from a ``Y'' to a ``T'' configuration. In 
addition GGNRA would implement a wayfinding program and ``intelligent 
transportation system'' (ITS) technologies to improve visitor 
information and reduce traffic congestion at key locations.
    Parking Management and Fees: In many MH/FB locations parking areas 
would be reconfigured, delineated, and formalized, in order to improve 
parking operations, reduce congestion, better match parking supply with 
demand, and reduce natural resource impacts. A parking fee program 
would be implemented to provide enhanced transit service operations.
    Bicycle and Pedestrian Improvements: Class 1 bicycle path and Class 
2 bicycle lanes would be added in several locations, and extensive 
improvements to pedestrian trails would be implemented. A new bicycle/
pedestrian trail would be constructed to provide a separate facility 
connecting Fort Baker to the bike lanes at Barry-Baker tunnel and the 
Marin Headlands. Rodeo Valley Trail would be widened with a hardened 
surface between Capehart Housing and Bunker Road at Rodeo Lagoon to 
provide a Class 1 bicycle path and hiking trail. The Coastal Trail 
would be rerouted from its current interior Rodeo Valley alignment to a 
more coastal alignment with spectacular views.
    Transit Services: Existing transit services in the MH/FB areas 
would be enhanced to improve access to and within these areas. The goal 
would be to provide transit access seven days a week by expanding MUNI 
and Golden Gate Transit service on existing routes, and by implementing 
additional park shuttle service.
    Car-Free Days and Special Events: A program of car-free days would 
be established on selected days on a trial basis; after review of the 
demonstration program, GGNRA may adjust the number of car-free days or 
the scheduled times and operations. This program would allow visitors 
to experience these areas with minimal vehicular traffic and would 
encourage visitors to use alternative modes of transportation to access 
and travel within GGNRA.
    Natural Resource Enhancements: Efforts to protect and enhance 
natural resources would include restoring the wetland community at the 
unpaved parking lot at Rodeo Beach; repairing gullies that have eroded 
due to past poor drainage along Conzelman roadway; and removing fill 
and restoring wetlands along Rodeo Lagoon/Lake on selected portions of 
Smith and Bunker Roads.
    Scoping and Public Involvement: The Notice of Intent to prepare an 
EIS was published in the Federal Register on April 10, 2002. Early in 
the EIS scoping phase three public meetings were hosted in San 
Francisco, Marin City, and Oakland. The San Francisco meeting occurred 
on March 26, 2002 during a meeting of the GGNRA Advisory Committee 
(approximately ten members of the public attended the meeting). The 
Marin City meeting occurred on April 10, 2002 at the Manzanita 
Community Center in Marin City (approximately 20 members of the public 
attended). The Oakland meeting occurred on April 11, 2002 at the 
Metropolitan Transportation Commission Auditorium in Oakland.

[[Page 32310]]

Three members of the public attended, along with several agency staff 
members. In addition GGNRA hosted two Alternatives Refinement Workshops 
for the public in order to solicit early feedback on the four 
preliminary alternatives. The workshops were conducted on November 19, 
2002 at Tamalpais High School in Mill Valley (approximately 11 
community members attended) and on November 26, 2002 at GGNRA 
Headquarters in San Francisco (approximately 15 community members 
attended). GGNRA staff prepared and distributed announcements of the 
meetings to 2,000 individuals and organizations (and these were also 
distributed at Marin Headlands Visitor Center and posted widely on 
bulletin boards in Marin County). Summaries of oral comments received 
at each workshop and written comments from the public have been 
documented (``Summary of November 2002 Alternatives Refinements 
Workshops'', Nelson/Nygaard 2003). Comments from these workshops were 
used to further refine the alternatives and identify the main issues to 
be addressed in finalizing the Draft EIS. GGNRA also hosted a public 
forum March 14, 2003 to review initial findings of the Fort Baker 
Cultural Landscape Report and Marin Headlands-Fort Baker Historic Roads 
Characterization Study (two individuals attended). The most recent 
public outreach efforts included updates on project alternatives at the 
last four of GGNRA's quarterly public meetings beginning with a May 16, 
2006 meeting at the Mill Valley Community Center. Regular posting of 
information updates occurs on GGNRA's Web site (http://parkplanning.nps.gov/goga).
    Comments: Copies of the Draft EIS will be sent to affected Federal, 
Tribal, State and local government agencies, to all interested parties, 
and those requesting copies. Printed and digital copies (compact disc) 
of the Draft EIS will be available at GGNRA headquarters and at local 
libraries. The complete document will be posted on GGNRA's Web site 
(noted above). All written comments must be postmarked or transmitted 
no later than sixty days from the date of EPA's notice of filing 
published in the Federal Register (as soon as this occurs, the 
confirmed closing date for the comment period will be posted on GGNRA's 
Web site, and also publcized in all other GGNRA announcements). Written 
comments may be sent by letter addressed to: General Superintendent, 
GGNRA, Fort Mason, Bldg. 201, San Francisco, CA 94123 (Attn: MH-FB 
Transportation Plan). Comments will also be accepted via the Internet 
at http://parkplanning.nps.gov/goga (click on the project title and 
follow instructions) or e-mail at [email protected].
    All submissions from organizations or businesses, and from 
individuals identifying themselves as representatives of or officials 
of organizations or businesses, are maintained in the project 
administrative record and will be available for public inspection in 
their entirety. Before including your address, phone number, e-mail 
address, or other personal identifying information in your comment, you 
should be aware that your entire response--including your personal 
identifying information--may be made publicly available at any time. 
While you can ask us in your comment to withhold your personal 
identifying information from public review, we cannot guarantee that we 
will be able to do so.
    A public meeting will be scheduled to hear comments on the Draft 
EIS, approximately 30 days after publication of this notice in the 
Federal Register. Please visit GGNRA's Web site (noted above) to learn 
more about the project or the conservation planning/environmental 
impact analysis process, or to obtain information updates regarding the 
logistics of the public meeting. Questions regarding the Draft EIS may 
also be directed at any time to Mr. Steve Ortega at (415) 561-4841 (or 
[email protected].
    Decision Process: Following the careful analysis of all comments 
received concerning the Draft EIS, it is anticipated that the Final EIS 
for the proposed Transportation Infrastructure and Management Plan 
would be completed in fall 2007. Availability of the Final EIS will be 
announced in the Federal Register, and also publicized via local and 
regional press media, direct mailings, and Web site postings. Not 
sooner than thirty days after release of the Final EIS, a Record of 
Decision may be executed (at this time it is anticipated that a 
recommended decision would be developed during winter 2007-08). As a 
delegated EIS the approving official is the Regional Director, Pacific 
West Region. Subsequently, the official responsible for implementation 
of the approved plan will be the General Superintendent, Golden Gate 
National Recreation Area.

    Dated: May 31, 2007.
Jonathan B. Jarvis,
Regional Director, Pacific West Region.
[FR Doc. 07-2880 Filed 6-11-07; 8:45 am]
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