[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]
BILLING CODE 4312-60-P