[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 163 (Tuesday, August 25, 2009)]
[Notices]
[Pages 42914-42915]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E9-20437]
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DEPARTMENT OF INTERIOR
National Park Service
Warner Valley Comprehensive Site Plan; Lassen Volcanic National
Park, Plumas County, CA; Notice of Availability of Draft Environmental
Impact Statement
Summary: Pursuant to Sec. 102(2)(C) of the National Environmental
Policy Act of 1969 (Pub. L. 81-190 as amended), the National Park
Service (NPS), Department of Interior, has prepared a Draft
Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) for the Warner Valley
Comprehensive Site Plan. This conservation planning effort has four
main objectives: (1) Improving visitor experience and enhancing public
safety through improvements to infrastructure and relocating
infrastructure so it is less visible; (2) Ecological restoration of
Warner Valley fen and wetland areas; (3) Removal or repair of Dream
Lake Dam and restoration of associated riparian/wetland complex; (4)
Protect and enhance the Drakesbad Historic District through removal of
non-contributing structures and functions. The DEIS evaluates
alternative methods for accomplishing ecological restoration and
cultural resource protection; appropriate mitigation measures are
incorporated, and an ``environmentally preferred'' course of action is
identified. The two ``action'' alternatives are based upon information
gained during extensive public scoping, and adhere to 2006 Management
Policies and applicable laws.
Background: Warner Valley is located in the south central part of
the Lassen Volcanic National Park and encompasses a 400-acre project
planning area. The Warner Valley area includes Dream Lake Dam, built in
1932 by Alex Sifford and which impounds an approximately 2.7 acre lake.
The center of the valley features a large meadow that contains one of
the largest known fens in the Sierra Nevada and Cascade mountains. The
upper valley area was originally developed for cattle ranching in the
late 1800's by E.R. Drake, who initiated efforts to ditch and dry out
the wet meadow to improve the grazing for cattle. In 1900, Mr. Drake
sold Warner Valley to the Sifford family who focused on developing a
summer guest ranch for the next 50 years. The Siffords built the 10
historic structures which now form the core of Drakesbad Guest Ranch
Historic District (both Dream Lake and the meadow are contributing
features). This transformed the overnight accommodations from tent
camping near hot springs into a guest ranch. The Siffords also
developed or improved trails, created a hot spring fed pool,
constructed corrals, dewatered the meadow, and built the dam to enhance
recreational opportunities for their guests. In 1958 the guest ranch
and land were sold to the NPS; the Guest Ranch continues today as a
concession operated by California Guest Services.
The current Drakesbad wetland conditions include a fen which is
drying out and ceasing to function as a fen, and Dream Lake which has
submersed a natural wetland. The Historic District has accumulated with
features and structures which diminishes its historic character. Lack
of clearly demarcated parking impacts natural resources by allowing car
traffic to encroach in sensitve areas. Hikers traveling the Pacific
Crest Trail must walk on the unimproved Warner Valley Road, which also
bifurcates the nearby campground.
Range of Alternatives: This DEIS describes and analyzes a No Action
alternative (Alternative 1, which would continue current management
practices) and two ``action'' alternatives. Alternatives 2 and 3
contain a varying mix of three major components: (1) Improving visitor
experience and safety through improving or relocating non-contributing
infrastructure so it has less impact on visitor experience and historic
district qualities; (2) ecological restoration of wetlands including
Drakesbad fen, the larger Warner Valley fen wetland, and Dream Lake
riparian/wetland complex; (3) Protect and enhance the Historic District
by removing non-contributing structures and functions. Both of the
``action'' alternatives include the following ``common'' elements:
Move concession employee housing, storage, generator, and
propane tanks out of the Historic District and into a new service area.
Create a Pacific Crest Trail connection so hikers may
avoid using the Warner Valley road.
Renovate and slightly expand the non-historic bathhouse
adjacent to the swimming pool.
Reduce parking sprawl by replacing inadequate wheel stops.
Minor changes to the campground and fee station location,
including relocation of the day use/trailhead parking from a meadow to
the campground.
Alternative 2 (agency-preferred) components include:
Ecological restoration of Warner Valley fen through
permanently filling ditches with appropriate soil and native material.
Creating a concession housing and service center outside
of the Historic
[[Page 42915]]
District composed of tent cabins surrounding a single-story bathroom
building.
Removal of Dream Lake Dam and allowing the area to revert
to a riparian/wetland complex.
Alternative 3 includes:
Restoration of Warner Valley fen through selective damming
of ditches.
Creating a concession housing and service center outside
the Drakesbad Historic District composed of a two-story dormitory
building with bathrooms.
Reconstruct Dream Lake Dam to Bureau of Reclamation
engineering standards.
Scoping and Public Involvement: A preliminary scoping effort for
the Warner Valley comprehensive plan was initiated on June 1, 2004,
with posting of a request at the Drakesbad Guest Ranch Lodge for
comments about potential future management options for the upper valley
area. Public meetings for the Warner Valley Comprehensive Site Plan
were held during June 13-15, 2005, in Red Bluff, Chester, and
Vacaville. Meeting announcements were printed in the Red Bluff Daily
News, Chester Progressive, Redding Record Searchlight, and the
Sacramento Bee (20 additional media outlets, including newspaper, radio
stations, and television stations were also notified). The formal
scoping phase was initiated on June 24, 2005, with publication in the
Federal Register of the Notice of Intent to prepare an EIS.
Approximately 700 public scoping announcements were distributed
including details of date, time, and location of the public open
houses. These outreach activities elicited information from
individuals, agencies, and organizations which aided the alternatives
formulation and environmental impact analysis processes.
Previously, public scoping meetings were held for the Dream Lake
Dam Management Plan during November 4-7, 2002, in the Chico, Red Bluff,
Redding, and Chester. The same media outlets mentioned above were
notified. Formal public scoping for the original Dream Lake Dam
Management Plan was initiated on April 4, 2003, with publication of a
Notice of Intent to prepare an EIS in the Federal Register. This
initial conservation planning effort was expanded into the broader
Warner Valley Comprehensive Site Plan as it became apparent that
separate planning projects would be more time consuming to accomplish.
All comments obtained throughout the extended scoping effort have been
fully considered in preparing this DEIS.
Comments: The DEIS will be sent to affected Federal, Tribal, State,
and local government agencies, to interested parties, and all those
requesting copies (specify compact disc or paper format). The document
will be available at park headquarters and at local public libraries,
and will also be posted on the Lassen Volcanic National Park Web site
(http://www.nps.gov/lavo) and on the NPS Planning, Environment and
Public Comment Web site (http://parkplanning.nps.gov/lavo). All written
comments must be postmarked or transmitted not later than November 21,
2009. Periodically updated project information will be announced via
regional and local press media and posted on the project Web sites.
Written comments may be submitted by letter to Lassen Volcanic
National Park, Warner Valley DEIS, P.O. Box 100, Mineral, CA 96063 (or
may be transmitted electronically to http://parkplanning.nps.gov/lavo).
Public meetings will be hosted in Chester, Anderson and Vacaville
during September 2-9, 2009; details including time and location will be
posted on the Lassen Volcanic National Park Web site (see above).
Questions regarding status of project planning may be directed to Sean
Eagan (530.595.4444 ext 5176 or via e-mail [email protected]).
All comments are maintained in the project's administrative record
and will be available for public review at Lassen Volcanic National
Park Headquarters. Before including your address, phone number, e-mail
address, or other personal identifying information in your comment, you
should be aware that your entire comment--including your personal
identifying information--may be made publicly available at any time.
While you can ask us in your comments to withhold your personal
identifying information from public review, we cannot guarantee that we
will be able to do so.
Decision Process: Following careful analysis of all comments as may
be forthcoming in response to the DEIS, at this time it is anticipated
that the Final EIS would be completed in November 2009. The
availability of the final document will be similarly announced in the
Federal Register, and also publicized via local and regional press
media, direct mailings, and Web site postings. No sooner than thirty
days after the distribution of the Final EIS a Record of Decision may
be executed. As a delegated EIS the approving official responsible for
the final decision is the Regional Director, Pacific West Region.
Subsequently, the official responsible for implementing the approved
Comprehensive Site Plan will be the Superintendent, Lassen Volcanic
National Park.
Dated: May 13, 2009.
Jonathan B. Jarvis,
Regional Director, Pacific West Region.
[FR Doc. E9-20437 Filed 8-24-09; 8:45 am]
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