[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 25 (Wednesday, February 6, 2013)]
[Notices]
[Pages 8582-8583]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-02616]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

National Park Service

[NPS-AKR-KATM-11807: PX.XAKAKRO0303.00.1]


Final Environmental Impact Statement for Brooks River Visitor 
Access for Katmai National Park and Preserve

AGENCY: National Park Service, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of Availability of the Final Environmental Impact 
Statement for the Brooks River Visitor Access for Katmai National Park 
and Preserve.

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SUMMARY: Pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 
1969, 42 U.S.C. 4332(2)(C), the National Park Service (NPS) announces 
the availability of the Final Environmental Impact Statement for Brooks 
River Visitor Access (Plan/FEIS), for Katmai National Park and 
Preserve, Alaska. The Plan/FEIS evaluates the environmental impacts of 
four action alternatives that include bridge and boardwalk systems to 
replace the existing Brooks River floating bridge and sites to relocate 
the existing Naknek Lake barge landing area at the mouth of the Brooks 
River. A no-action alternative is also evaluated. If implemented this 
EIS would amend the access provisions of the 1996 Brooks River Area 
Final Development Concept Plan and Environmental Impact Statement.

ADDRESSES: The Plan/FEIS is available in electronic format online at 
the NPS Planning, Environment and Public Comment (PEPC) Web site 
[http://parkplanning.nps.gov/BrooksVisitorAccess]. Hard copies and 
compact discs of the Plan/FEIS are available on request by contacting: 
Brooke Merrell, National Park Service, 240 West 5th Avenue Anchorage, 
AK 99501. Telephone: 907-644-3397. Email: [email protected].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Brooke Merrell, National Park Service, 
240 West 5th Avenue, Anchorage, Alaska 99501. Telephone: 907-644-3397. 
Email: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Brooks River Visitor Access Draft 
Environmental Impact Statement was released to the public on June 22, 
2012. The Notice of Availability for the draft environmental impact 
statement was published in the Federal Register on that date (77 FR 
37707). The public comment period ran from June 22 through August 20, 
2012. Three public meetings were held in Homer, Anchorage, and King 
Salmon, Alaska. Sixteen individuals attended the public meetings.
    During the 60-day comment period, comments were received via hard 
copy mail, email, and through the NPS PEPC site. In total, 22 comment 
letters were received via these means. The 22 comment letters included 
two environmental organizations (National Parks Conservation 
Association and Sierra Club), state and Federal Agencies (State of 
Alaska, Environmental Protection Agency, and National Marine Fisheries 
Service), the Bristol Bay Native Corporation, Katmailand Inc., and 14 
individuals. The FEIS presents responses to substantive comments in 
Chapter 5.
    Five alternatives for access at the Brooks River area of Katmai 
National Park are presented in the EIS. Alternative 1 (the no-action 
alternative) presents a continuation of current management direction 
and is included as a baseline for comparing the consequences of 
implementing each alternative. Alternatives 2-5 present different ways 
of providing access to and within the Brooks River area.
    Alternative 1 (No Action): This alternative represents a 
continuation of

[[Page 8583]]

the existing situation. The no-action alternative would maintain 
seasonal use of the floating bridge, which is 8 feet wide and about 320 
feet long. The bridge would be used by both pedestrians and light-
utility vehicles. The NPS would continue to install and remove the 
bridge each spring and fall. The existing barge landing and associated 
road would remain on the south side of the river.
    Alternative 2: This alternative evaluates construction of a new 
bridge and boardwalk system across the Brooks. This alternative calls 
for a three-span bridge about 360 feet in length. This bridge would 
have an 8-foot-wide wooden bridge deck with a steel truss on each side, 
and span 120 feet between steel pile foundations. The bridge and 
boardwalk system would have a total estimated length of 1,600 feet. A 
barge landing would be located on the shore of Naknek Lake about 2,000 
feet south of the existing barge landing. A new access road, 
approximately 1,500 feet long and 14 feet wide, would be constructed to 
intersect the Valley Road and extend to the new barge landing site on 
Naknek Lake.
    Alternative 3: This alternative evaluates construction of a new 
bridge and boardwalk system across the Brooks River. The bridge would 
be a pre-engineered bridge approximately 415 feet in length. The bridge 
and boardwalk system would have a total estimated length of 850 feet. A 
new barge landing site would be located approximately 200 feet south of 
the mouth of the Brooks River. A new road segment (about 100 ft. long) 
would be constructed from the existing access road and extend to a new 
Naknek Lake barge landing site.
    Alternative 4 (NPS Preferred Alternative): This alternative 
evaluates construction of a new wooden bridge and boardwalk system 
across the Brooks River. The bridge would be approximately 350 feet in 
length with a minimum distance of 24 feet between piles. The bridge and 
boardwalk system would have a total estimated length of 1,550 feet. A 
barge landing would be located on the shore of Naknek Lake about 2,000 
feet south of the existing barge landing. A new access road, 
approximately 1,500 feet long and 14 feet wide, would intersect the 
Valley Road and extend to the new barge landing site on Naknek Lake. 
Alternative 4 is the environmentally preferred alternative.
    Alternative 5: This alternative evaluates construction of a new 
wooden bridge and boardwalk system across the Brooks River. The bridge 
would be approximately 350 feet in length with a minimum distance of 24 
feet between piles and would follow the alignment of the floating 
bridge. The bridge and boardwalk system would have a total estimated 
length of 1,100 feet. A barge landing would be located on the shore of 
Naknek Lake about 2,000 feet south of the existing barge landing. A new 
access road, approximately 1,500 feet long and 14 feet wide, would 
intersect the Valley Road and extend to the new barge landing site on 
Naknek Lake.

    Dated: January 8, 2013.
Sue E. Masica,
Regional Director, Alaska.
[FR Doc. 2013-02616 Filed 2-5-13; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4312-EF-P