[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 191 (Monday, October 4, 2010)]
[Notices]
[Pages 61174-61175]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-24790]



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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

National Park Service


Warner Valley Comprehensive Site Plan, Final Environmental Impact 
Statement, Lassen Volcanic National Park, Plumas County, CA; Notice of 
Availability

    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 the Interior, has prepared a Final 
Environmental Impact Statement (Final EIS) 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 Final EIS 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.
    Background: Warner Valley is located in the south central part of 
the Lassen Volcanic National Park, and encompasses the 400-acre project 
planning area. This area includes Dream Lake Dam, built in 1932 by Alex 
Sifford, 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 1800s 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 his Warner 
Valley property to the Sifford family who focused on developing a 
summer guest ranch for the next 50 years. The Siffords built the 10 
structures which now form the core of Drakesbad Guest Ranch Historic 
District (both Dream Lake and the meadow are contributing features). 
They transformed overnight accommodations from tent camping near hot 
springs into a guest ranch. The Siffords also built or improved trails, 
created a hot spring-fed pool, constructed corrals, further dewatered 
the meadow, and constructed the impoundment to create the lake for 
their guests.
    In 1958 the facilities 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 submerged a natural wetland. The Historic District has accumulated 
many features and structures which diminish its historic character. 
Lack of clearly demarcated parking affects natural resources by 
allowing car traffic to encroach in sensitive areas. Hikers traveling 
the Pacific Crest Trail must walk on the unimproved Warner Valley Road, 
which also passes through the nearby campground.
    Range of Alternatives: The Final EIS 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) Enhancing 
visitor experience and safety through improving or relocating non-
essential infrastructure so it has less impact on park visitor 
experience and historic district qualities; (2) ecological restoration 
of wetlands including Drakesbad fen, the larger Warner Valley fen 
wetland, and Dream Lake submerged riparian/wetland complex; (3) 
protecting and enhancing the Historic District by removing non-
contributing structures and functions.
    Both ``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 walking along Warner Valley road.
     Renovate and slightly expand the non-historic bathhouse 
adjacent to the swimming pool.
     Reduce parking sprawl by replacing inadequate wheel stops.
     Make 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: (a) Ecological 
restoration of Warner Valley fen through permanently filling ditches 
with appropriate soil and native material; (b) creation of a concession 
housing and service center outside of the Historic District composed of 
tent cabins surrounding a single-story bathroom building; (c) removal 
of Dream Lake Dam and allowing the area to revert to a riparian/wetland 
complex. In addition, a change to Alternative 2 (as was presented in 
the Draft EIS) has been incorporated, in response to public comment and 
further staff analysis, which is as follows: relocate, rather than 
eliminate, the volleyball court to a location adjacent to the pool. 
This change is intended to protect historic viewsheds yet maintain a 
range of recreational activities for Guest Ranch visitors. This 
alternative has also been deemed to be ``environmentally preferred''.
    Alternative 3 includes: (a) Restoration of Warner Valley fen 
through selective damming of ditches; (b) creation of a concession 
housing and service center outside the Drakesbad Historic District 
composed of a two-story dormitory building with bathrooms; (c) 
reconstruction of Dream Lake Dam to Bureau of Reclamation engineering 
standards. There are no changes to this alternative.
    Public Involvement and Agency Coordination: The original public 
scoping effort focused on a proposed Dream Lake Dam Management Plan. 
Preliminary meetings were held during November 4-7, 2002, in Chico, Red 
Bluff, Redding, and Chester. Meeting announcements were printed in the 
Red Bluff Daily News, Chester Progressive, Redding Record Searchlight, 
and the Sacramento Bee (twenty additional media outlets, including 
newspaper, radio stations, and television stations were also notified). 
Formal public scoping for this Management Plan was announced in the 
Federal Register on April 4, 2003. 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. Preliminary scoping for the Warner 
Valley Comprehensive Site Plan was initiated on June 1, 2004, with 
solicitations at the Drakesbad Guest Ranch Lodge for comments about 
potential future management options for the upper valley area. Public 
meetings for the Comprehensive Site Plan were held during June 13-15, 
2005, in Red Bluff, Chester, and Vacaville. The same media outlets 
mentioned above were notified, and approximately 700 public scoping 
announcements were distributed. Formal scoping was initiated on June 
24, 2005, with publication in the Federal Register of the Notice of 
Intent to prepare an EIS. These outreach activities elicited 
information from individuals, agencies, and organizations, which aided 
the alternatives formulation and

[[Page 61175]]

environmental impact analysis processes; all comments obtained 
throughout the extended scoping effort are available in the 
administrative record.
    On August 21, 2009, the Warner Valley Comprehensive Site Plan/Draft 
Environmental Impact Statement (Draft EIS) was released for a 90-day 
public review period, closing on November 21, 2009. Three public open 
houses were hosted; on September 2 in Chester, September 3 in Anderson, 
and September 8 in Vacaville. Copies of the Draft EIS were available 
for review at local libraries and the open houses, and an electronic 
version was posted at both Lassen Volcanic National Park's Web site 
http://www.nps.gov/lavo/parkmgmt/index.htm and the NPS Planning, 
Environment and Public Comment Web site http://parkplanning.nps.gov. A 
total of 33 comment letters were received, including from Greenville 
Rancheria, the Environmental Protection Agency, the Federal Emergency 
Management Agency, the California Regional Water Quality Control Board, 
the Northern Sierra Air Quality District, the Almanor Basin Fire Safe 
Council, and assorted letters from groups and individuals. Topics 
mentioned most frequently included: Restoration of Drakesbad Meadow; 
removal of Dream Lake Dam; alternative energy use; changes to 
campgrounds and redesign of trails and pathways; proposed new 
concessioner employee housing; and relocation of the volleyball court. 
Personal letters conveyed opinions both in favor and against actions 
proposed--some of these comments arose out of interest in preserving 
Drakesbad Guest Ranch in its present condition without any significant 
changes. Agencies provided information regarding regulatory 
requirements and permitting. Comments and responses are detailed in 
Chapter 6 of the Final EIS.
    Supplementary Information: The Final EIS will be distributed in the 
same manner as the Draft EIS. In addition to this announcement, 
availability of the document will be publicized through local and 
regional press media. The document will be available at park 
headquarters and at local public libraries, and an electronic version 
will also be posted on the Lassen Volcanic National Park and NPS Web 
sites (see above). New requests for the document can be made at (530) 
595-4444 extension 5101 or [email protected]. Not sooner than 
thirty days after the Federal Register notice by the Environmental 
Protection Agency of availability of the Final EIS, a Record of 
Decision may be prepared. As a delegated EIS, the official responsible 
for approval of the Comprehensive Site Plan is the Regional Director, 
Pacific West Region. The official subsequently responsible for 
implementation will be the Superintendent, Lassen Volcanic National 
Park.

    Dated: March 19, 2010.
Patricia L. Neubacher,
Acting Regional Director, Pacific West Region.
[FR Doc. 2010-24790 Filed 10-1-10; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4312-GD-P