[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 17 (Friday, January 25, 2013)]
[Notices]
[Pages 5492-5494]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-01461]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

National Park Service

[NPS-PWR-PWRO-11522; PX.P0131800B.00.1]


Draft Environmental Impact Statement for Merced Wild and Scenic 
River Comprehensive Management Plan, Yosemite National Park, Madera and 
Mariposa Counties, CA

AGENCY: National Park Service, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of availability.

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SUMMARY: Pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 
(NEPA), 42 U.S.C. 4332(2)(C), and the Council on Environmental Quality 
Regulations (40 CFR part 1500-1508), the National Park Service (NPS) 
has prepared a Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) for the 
proposed Merced Wild and Scenic River Comprehensive Management Plan 
(Merced River Plan). The Merced River Plan will fulfill the 
requirements of the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act, 16 U.S.C. 1271-1287, 
and will provide long-term protection of river values and a user 
capacity management program for 81 miles of the Merced River that flow 
through Yosemite National Park and the El Portal Administrative Site.
    Consistent with the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act (WSRA), the purposes 
of the Merced River Plan/DEIS are to protect the Merced River's free-
flowing conditions, and to: (1) Review, and if necessary revise, the 
river corridor boundaries and segment classifications, and provide a 
process for protection of the river's free-flowing condition in keeping 
with the WSRA; (2) Refine descriptions of the river's outstandingly 
remarkable values (ORVs), which are the unique, rare, or exemplary in a 
regional or national context, and the river-related/river-dependent 
characteristics that make the river eligible for inclusion in the 
national wild and scenic rivers system; (3) Identify management 
objectives for the river, and specific management measures that will be 
implemented to achieve protection and enhancement of river values; (4) 
Establish a user capacity program that addresses the kinds and amounts 
of public use that the river corridor can sustain while protecting and 
enhancing the river's ORVs; (5) Commit to a program of ongoing studies 
and monitoring to ensure that the ORVs are protected and enhanced over 
the life of the plan.
    The Merced River Plan/DEIS evaluates the potential adverse and 
beneficial environmental consequences of implementing a range of five 
action

[[Page 5493]]

alternatives, including a no action alternative in accordance with 
NEPA; and for the potential to cause adverse effects to historic 
properties in accordance with Section 106 of the National Historic 
Preservation Act. Both the agency preferred and environmentally 
preferred alternatives are identified. Actions called for in the 1980 
Yosemite General Management Plan (GMP) addressing management within the 
Merced Wild and Scenic River corridor would be amended and are outlined 
in the Merced River Plan/DEIS.

DATES: The NPS will be accepting public comments on the Merced River 
Plan/DEIS for 90 days. All comments must be transmitted or postmarked 
no later than 90 days from the date of publication of the U.S. 
Environmental Protection Agency's notice of filing for this Draft EIS 
in the Federal Register.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Please contact Kathleen Morse, 
Planning Division, Yosemite National Park, P.O. Box 577, Yosemite, CA 
95389; telephone (209) 379-1110.
    Development of Proposal and Alternatives: On April 11, 2007, the 
NPS published a Notice of Intent to prepare an EIS in the Federal 
Register. This initial scoping period included three public meetings 
and resulted in 191 responses. Public scoping was reopened with a 
Federal Register notice on June 30, 2009, and through multiple public 
notices in newspapers throughout northern California and the Yosemite 
region. The second scoping period was extended until February 4, 2010 
and resulted in 576 responses. Also throughout this period, e-
newsletters were sent to 5,700 recipients and postcards to 25,000 
Yosemite campers.
    The Merced River Plan/DEIS has been developed through consultation 
with traditionally associated American Indian tribes, the State 
Historic Preservation Officer, and other federal and state agencies. 
Gateway communities, organizations, and interested members of the 
public have provided more than 1,460 pieces of correspondence 
(including letters, faxes, emails, comment forms, and public meeting 
flip-chart notes). The NPS has conducted more than 40 public meetings, 
presentations, workshops, field visits, and open houses in support of 
the EIS process. Two preliminary alternatives concept workbooks were 
prepared and distributed for public review and comment prior to 
completion of the Merced River Plan/DEIS.
    Based on a thorough examination of the river's baseline conditions 
at the time of designation (1986), a multi-faceted approach to river 
management and stewardship is proposed. To address the WSRA mandate to 
protect and enhance river values, many of the plan's actions would be 
common to all the action alternatives, including: (1) All WSRA 
management elements (boundaries, classifications, Sec.  7 determination 
process); (2) actions to protect and enhance river values (e.g., 
ecological restoration components); (3) removal and/or relocation of 
numerous facilities and services; (4) actions to improve traffic 
circulation and reduce congestion; (5) implementation of a monitoring 
program that sets thresholds for when management actions must be taken 
to protect river values; and (6) numeric limits on use through a user 
capacity management program.
    In keeping with the expressed purpose and need, the DEIS identifies 
and evaluates five action alternatives for management of the river 
corridor, and a No-Action alternative. The action alternatives vary 
primarily in the degree of restoration and the amount of visitor use 
that could be accommodated by the commensurate level of facilities and 
services necessary to protect river values under each scenario. The 
interdisciplinary and public involvement effort provided varying 
perspectives and experiences that were considered during the 
alternative development process.
    Alternative 1 (No-Action; baseline conditions) would continue 
current management and trends, including ongoing localized impacts 
associated with impacts to free flowing condition of the river and 
connectivity of meadows, permanent facilities in the Merced River 
floodplain, and pedestrian-vehicle conflicts at major intersections. In 
2011, the peak daily visitation recorded for East Yosemite Valley was 
20,900 people over a 24-hour period. Under the existing GMP, East 
Yosemite Valley visitation would be approximately 18,241 people.
    Actions Common to Alternatives 2-6: All five action alternatives 
would protect and enhance river values by improving conditions that 
threaten sensitive meadows, archeological resources, and scenic vistas, 
and would differ primarily in the kinds of visitor opportunities 
available at Yosemite Valley and the Merced Lake High Sierra Camp. 
Restoration actions common to alternatives 2-6 include the removal of 
revetments, abandoned infrastructure, informal trails, and encroaching 
conifers in meadows; restoring riparian areas and meadow hydrology; 
regulating river access; and cultural resource protection and scenic 
resource protection. All alternatives would accommodate traditional 
cultural practices by American Indian tribes and groups. The action 
alternatives included in the Merced River Plan more closely align 
capacity with visitation to improve the visitor experience and allow 
for more extensive resource protection.
    Alternative 2: Self-Reliant Visitor Experiences and Extensive 
Floodplain Restoration would include major restoration within the 100-
year floodplain, significant reduction in facilities and services, and 
significantly lower visitor use than today. Given the conditions in 
this Alternative, visitation to East Yosemite Valley would be 
approximately 13,900 people per day over a 24-hour period.
    Alternative 3: Dispersed Visitor Experiences and Extensive 
Riverbank Restoration would include significant restoration within 150 
feet of the river, marked reduction in visitor facilities and services, 
and significantly lower visitor use than today. Given the conditions in 
this Alternative, East Yosemite Valley visitation would be 
approximately 13,200 people per day over a 24-hour period.
    Alternative 4: Resource-based Visitor Experiences and Targeted 
Riverbank Restoration would include targeted restoration within 150 
feet of the river, reduced commercial services with a significant 
increase over current camping opportunities, and slightly lower visitor 
use than today. Given the conditions in this Alternative, East Yosemite 
Valley visitation would be approximately 17,000 people per day over a 
24-hour period.
    Alternative 5 (agency-preferred): Enhanced Visitor Experiences and 
Essential Riverbank Restoration would include essential restoration 
within 100 feet of the river, reduced commercial services with moderate 
increases to current camping opportunities, and approximately the same 
level of visitor use as today. Given the conditions in this 
Alternative, East Yosemite Valley visitation would be approximately 
19,900 people per day over a 24-hour period. This preferred course of 
action is also identified as the ``environmentally preferred'' 
alternative.
    Alternative 6: Diversified Visitor Experiences and Selective 
Riverbank Restoration would include limited restoration within 100 feet 
of the river, expanded facilities and services with the largest 
increase over current camping opportunities, and some growth in visitor 
use over time. Given the conditions in this Alternative, East Yosemite 
Valley visitation would be allowed to increase to approximately

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21,800 people per day over a 24-hour period.
    How To Comment: At any time during the 90 day public review period, 
comments may be transmitted electronically through the NPS Planning, 
Environment and Public Comment Web site at http://parkplanning.nps.gov/yose_mrp, or through the Yosemite National Park Web site at [email protected]. Alternately, written comments may be mailed to 
Superintendent, Yosemite National Park, Attn: Merced River Plan DEIS, 
P.O. Box 577, Yosemite, California 95389, or may be hand-delivered at 
one of the scheduled public meetings.
    Before including your address, phone number, email 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 comment to withhold your personal identifying 
information from public review, we cannot guarantee that we will be 
able to do so.
    Public meetings and site visits will be hosted in Yosemite Valley 
and in several gateway communities, and San Francisco. Any individual 
or organization who wants to express an opinion about the effects of 
the plan on natural or cultural resources and/or the visitor experience 
is encouraged to attend. All in-park meetings will be available through 
the park's Web site at https://yose.webex.com. All meeting locations 
and dates will be announced via the Yosemite electronic newsletter, 
press releases, and posted on the park's Web site http://www.nps.gov/yose/parkmgmt/mrp.htm.
    Printed or CD format documents may be requested through email 
([email protected]), or by telephone at (209) 379-1110. In 
addition, the DEIS will be available at public libraries in local 
communities. Electronic versions will be available online at http://parkplanning.nps.gov/yose_mrp, which can be accessed directly through 
the Yosemite National Park Web site (noted above).
    Decision Process: All comments submitted on the Merced River Plan/
DEIS will be duly considered in preparing the Final Environmental 
Impact Statement (Final EIS). The Final EIS/Merced River Plan is 
expected to be available in Spring of 2013; availability will be 
announced similarly as the DEIS, including notice in the Federal 
Register. A Record of Decision will be prepared not sooner than 30 days 
after release of the FEIS. As a delegated EIS process, the official 
responsible for final approval is the Regional Director, Pacific West 
Region, National Park Service; subsequently, the official responsible 
for implementation of the approved Merced River Plan is the 
Superintendent, Yosemite National Park.

    Dated: November 19, 2012.
Christine S. Lehnertz,
Regional Director, Pacific West Region.
[FR Doc. 2013-01461 Filed 1-24-13; 8:45 am]
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