Draft Environmental Impact Statement/Environmental Impact Report for Redwood Creek and Wetland Restoration at Big Lagoon-Muir Beach Area Golden Gate National Recreation Area Marin County, CA; Notice of Availability, 75768-75769 [06-9748]
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Federal Register / Vol. 71, No. 242 / Monday, December 18, 2006 / Notices
Any determination by the BLM to
release or withhold the names and/or
addresses of those who comment will be
made on a case-by case basis. A request
from a commenter to have their name
and/or address withheld from public
release will be honored to the extent
permissible by law.
Authority: 43 C.F.R. 2711.1–2.
Dated: October 12, 2006.
Juan Palma,
Field Manager.
[FR Doc. E6–21469 Filed 12–15–06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310–HC–P
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
National Park Service
jlentini on PROD1PC65 with NOTICES
Draft Environmental Impact Statement/
Environmental Impact Report for
Redwood Creek and Wetland
Restoration at Big Lagoon-Muir Beach
Area Golden Gate National Recreation
Area Marin County, CA; Notice of
Availability
Summary: Pursuant to § 102(2)(C) of
the National Environmental Policy Act
of 1969 (Pub. L. 91–190, 42 U.S.C.
4321–4347, January 1, 1970, as
amended), and the Council on
Environmental Quality Regulations (40
CFR parts 1500 through 1508), the
National Park Service, Department of
the Interior, has prepared a Draft
Environmental Impact Statement/Draft
Environmental Report (Draft EIS/EIR)
for the Wetland and Creek Restoration at
Big Lagoon. This Draft EIS/EIR evaluates
alternatives for ecological restoration
and public access upgrades in the Big
Lagoon area at Muir Beach, part of the
Golden Gate National Recreation Area
(GGNRA). The National Park Service
(NPS) and County of Marin (County)
have jointly prepared the Draft EIS/EIR
in accordance with the National
Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and
the California Environmental Quality
Act (CEQA). The Draft EIS/EIR analyzes
multiple alternatives for ecological
restoration, public access
improvements, bridge replacement, and
fill disposal locations. The alternatives
are based upon park values, effective
restoration strategies and public access
approaches, NPS and County policy,
and applicable law.
Background: Redwood Creek is a
coastal stream located in Marin County,
California. The project’s area of
potential effect encompasses the lower
reach of Redwood Creek extending from
where the creek passes underneath
Highway 1, to its mouth at the Pacific
Ocean approximately 2,800 feet
downstream. Within this reach, the
VerDate Aug<31>2005
16:16 Dec 15, 2006
Jkt 211001
creek and its floodplain have been
extensively modified by realignment of
the creek; construction of Pacific Way
and the Pacific Way bridge, a levee road
that borders the creek, and the NPS
parking lot and picnic area; and
placement of gabions and other artificial
fill in the creek channel and on its
floodplain. Combined, these
modifications to the creek and its
floodplain have altered channel
hydraulics and reduced its sediment
transport capacity, resulting in extreme
sediment deposition in the creek
channel and reduction in channel
capacity. Under current conditions, the
creek floods during even moderate rain
events, inundating Pacific Way,
stranding residents, and hindering
access to the public beach. In the
winter, residents along Pacific Way
often cannot access Highway 1, the sole
connecting road, because floodwaters
commonly prevent passage by vehicles
and pedestrians. This lack of access
severely limits emergency services.
In addition to the flooding, current
conditions in lower Redwood Creek
present a risk of channel avulsion, in
which the creek could abandon its
existing channel and establish a new
channel in the floodplain. Avulsion of
the channel to the adjacent meadow,
which is several feet lower in elevation
than the channel bed, could impair
passage of adult and juvenile coho
salmon and steelhead through the lower
creek and could have undetermined
consequences to infrastructure.
GGNRA has determined that
restoration activities at the project site
are necessary to address these issues,
GGNRA and the County have been
involved in an active planning process
to identify alternative restoration and
public access alternatives to address
these identified issues.
Proposal and Alternatives: As noted,
this Draft EIS/EIR describes and
analyzes four alternatives. Alternative 1,
the ‘‘baseline’’ No Action Alternative,
would maintain the existing
management direction. Alternatives 2, 3,
and 4 (action alternatives) contain
varying mixes of three main
components: (1) Ecological restoration;
(2) public access upgrades, including a
reconfiguration of the existing parking
lot; and (3) replacement of the Pacific
Way Bridge. Each of the action
alternatives incorporates the following
elements: Interim flood reduction
measures; Relocation of the Redwood
Creek channel; Construction of new
drainage swale and upper pasture
modification; Backbeach lagoon
enhancement, channel realignment, and
dune restoration; Removal of levee road;
Invasive species removal; Removal of
PO 00000
Frm 00061
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
tavern remnants; Removal of utility
lines; Removal of concrete channels and
revetment; Modification to Green Gulch
field 7. The main differences between
the action alternatives is the approach
by which ecological restoration would
occur.
Alternative 3 would combine riparian
restoration components with restoration
of open water and wetland habitants.
Two open-water lagoons would be
created, one on either side of the new
channel. The two small lagoons would
be backwaters, connected to the creek
near the downstream end of each
lagoon. The banks of the lagoons would
have varied slopes to favor a variety of
habitats. The lagoons would maintain a
minimum water depth of 3–4 feet yearround. Alternative 4 would create a
periodically brackish open-water habitat
similar to historic (1853) conditions,
modified to reflect existing constraints
of Pacific Way and private property.
This would involve creating a large
lagoon with fringing wetlands extending
to the edge of the valley immediately
landward of Muir Beach. The lagoon
would be excavated with gentle side
slopes to encourage colonization of
emergent wetland vegetation. Like the
small lagoons under Alternative 3, the
large lagoon would maintain a
minimum water depth of 3–4 feet yearround.
Alternative 2 (Creek Restoration)
(agency-preferred alternative) would
involve relocating approximately 2,000
linear feet of Redwood Creek to the
topographically lowest portion of the
valley, while maintaining a habitat mix
similar to current conditions. In
addition to relocating Redwood Creek,
this alternative includes the following
two core elements: Parking—A parking
lot with capacity for 175 cars located
parallel to Pacific Way. The lot would
include a new turn-off from Pacific Way
and would include 310 linear feet of
stacking room for cars between the
entrance and the first parking stall.
Other parking lot options considered in
the Draft EIS/EIR include: maintaining
the current capacity of 175 Cars at
Beach; Alternative B1 (50 Cars at
Beach); Alternative B2 (145 Cars at
Beach); Alternative B3 (175 Cars at
Beach—similar shape as existing lot);
Alternative B5 (200 Cars at Beach); and
Alternative C (118 Cars at Alder Grove
plus 14 Handicapped Spaces and DropOff at Beach).
Bridge Replacement—150-foot-long
bridge with raised road. This bridge
would span the new 35-foot-wide
channel and areas of riparian habitat
and flood plain on either side of the
channel. Two-foot-wide piers, placed at
approximately 40-foot intervals, would
E:\FR\FM\18DEN1.SGM
18DEN1
jlentini on PROD1PC65 with NOTICES
Federal Register / Vol. 71, No. 242 / Monday, December 18, 2006 / Notices
be used to support the span. Other
bridge alternatives considered in the
Draft EIS/EIR include: Alternative BR1
(50-foot-long bridge with a raised road);
Alternative BR2 (50-foot-long bridge
with a low road); Alternative BR3 (150foot-long bridge with raised road); and
Alternative BR4 (266- to 300-foot-long
bridge with highest road).
Scoping and Public Involvement:
Between December 2002 and December
2004, 17 public meetings were held, as
well as a variety of site visits and
meetings with representatives of various
agencies. On December 3, 2002, a Notice
of Intent (NOI) to prepare an
Environmental Impact Statement was
published in the Federal Register,
beginning the formal scoping process for
the project. The NOI identified goals for
the project, and public scoping meetings
were held on October 22, October 29,
and November 2, 2002, with a site visit
for the public held on November 9,
2002, to solicit input on the project and
its potential impacts. Following these
meetings, a Big Lagoon Working Group
consisting of interested individuals,
agencies, and organizations was formed
to help develop project alternatives. The
working group convened regularly in
meetings that were open to the public.
In addition, two alternatives workshops
were held for the public on September
30 and October 4, 2003. The results of
those workshops, as well as a more
detailed summary of the scoping
process, are presented in the
Alternatives Public Workshops Report
(NPS 2004). Finally, Marin County
circulated a Notice of Preparation of an
Environmental Impact Report on April
27, 2004, soliciting comments on the
specific issues to be included in the
scope of CEQA environmental review.
All of these activities informed the
alternatives formulation process.
Comments: Copies of the Draft EIS/
EIR will be sent to affected Federal,
Tribal, State and local government
agencies, to interested parties, and those
requesting copies. Paper and digital
copies (compact disc) of the document
will also be available at park
headquarters and at local libraries. The
complete document will be posted on
the GGNRA’s Web site (https://
www.nps.gov/goga) and on NPS’s
Planning, Environment and Public
Comment Web site (https://
parkplanning.nps.gov/goga). All written
comments must be postmarked or
transmitted no later than 75 days from
the date of EPA’s notice of filing
published in the Federal Register (as
soon as this occurs, the confirmed close
of the comment period will be posted on
the Web sites noted above, and listed in
all notification announcements sent
VerDate Aug<31>2005
16:16 Dec 15, 2006
Jkt 211001
from GGNRA). Written comments will
be accepted online at https://
parkplanning.nps.gov/goga (click on the
project title and follow instructions), or
by sending a letter addressed as follows:
Superintendent, Golden Gate National
Recreation Area, Fort Mason, Building
201, San Francisco, CA 94123 (Attn:
Muir Beach Creek and Wetland
Restoration). Two public meetings will
be scheduled to hear comments on the
Draft EIS/EIR, approximately 30 days
after publication of this notice in the
Federal Register. Please visit the project
Web site (noted above) to learn more
about the project, planning process, and
the confirmed dates and time for the
public meetings. Questions regarding
this project may also be directed at any
time to Steve Ortega (415) 561–4841 or
via e-mail at steve_ortega@nps.gov.
All comments are maintained in the
administrative record and will be
available for public review at GGNRA
headquarters. Please note our practice is
to make comments, including names,
home addresses, home phone numbers,
and e-mail addresses of respondents,
available for public review. Individual
respondents may request that we
withhold their names and/or home
addresses, etc., but if you wish us to
consider withholding this information
you must state this prominently at the
beginning of your comments. In
addition, you must present a rationale
for withholding this information. This
rationale must demonstrate that
disclosure would constitute a clearly
unwarranted invasion of privacy.
Unsupported assertions will not meet
this burden. In the absence of
exceptional, documentable
circumstances, this information will be
released. We will always make
submissions from organizations or
businesses, and from individuals
identifying themselves as
representatives of or officials of
organizations or businesses, available
for public inspection in their entirety.
Decision Process: Following the
analysis of all comments received
concerning the Draft EIS/EIR, at this
time it is anticipated that the Final EIS/
EIR would be completed in spring 2007.
The availability of the final documents
will be announced in the Federal
Register, and also publicized via local
and regional press media, direct
mailings, and Web site postings. Not
sooner than thirty days after the
distribution of the Final EIS/EIR, a
Record of Decision may be executed (at
this time it is anticipated a
recommended decision would be
developed in summer 2007). As a
delegated EIS the approving official
responsible for the final decision is the
PO 00000
Frm 00062
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
75769
Regional Director, Pacific West Region.
Subsequently, the official responsible
for implementing the approved wetland
and restoration plan will be the General
Superintendent, Golden Gate National
Recreation Area.
Dated: October 3, 2006.
Patricia L. Neubacher,
Acting Regional Director, Pacific West Region.
[FR Doc. 06–9748 Filed 12–15–06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4312–FN–M
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Reclamation
New Melones Lake Project Resource
Management Plan/Environmental
Impact Statement (RMP/EIS), Calaveras
and Tuolumne Counties, CA
Bureau of Reclamation,
Interior.
ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare an
RMP/EIS and notice of public meetings.
AGENCY:
SUMMARY: Pursuant to the National
Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), the
Reclamation Act of 1902, the
Reclamation Project Act of 1939, and
the Reclamation Recreation
Management Act of 1992, the Bureau of
Reclamation (Reclamation) proposes to
prepare an integrated RMP/EIS for the
New Melones Lake Project. Reclamation
is the lead federal agency for NEPA. The
RMP process is designed to evaluate
current and future resource conditions
for a management area and to analyze
whether updated or new management
actions are necessary to attain desired
long-term goals.
The public is invited to participate in
the planning process by submitting
comments during the scoping period
and the public comment period on the
draft RMP/EIS. Other opportunities to
participate will be described during the
public scoping meetings.
DATES: Reclamation will host a series of
three public scoping meetings to solicit
input on the development of
alternatives, concerns, and issues to be
addressed in the RMP/EIS. The meeting
dates and times are:
• Monday, January 29, 2007, 6:30 to
8:30 p.m., Sonora, CA,
• Tuesday, January 30, 2007, 6:30 to
8:30 p.m., Angels Camp, CA,
• Wednesday, January 31, 2007, 6:30
to 8:30 p.m., Manteca, CA.
ADDRESSES: Scoping meetings will be
held at:
• Sonora at the Sonora Union High
School Cafeteria, 251, South Barretta
Street, Sonora, CA,
E:\FR\FM\18DEN1.SGM
18DEN1
]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 242 (Monday, December 18, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 75768-75769]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 06-9748]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
National Park Service
Draft Environmental Impact Statement/Environmental Impact Report
for Redwood Creek and Wetland Restoration at Big Lagoon-Muir Beach Area
Golden Gate National Recreation Area Marin County, CA; Notice of
Availability
Summary: Pursuant to Sec. 102(2)(C) of the National Environmental
Policy Act of 1969 (Pub. L. 91-190, 42 U.S.C. 4321-4347, January 1,
1970, as amended), and the Council on Environmental Quality Regulations
(40 CFR parts 1500 through 1508), the National Park Service, Department
of the Interior, has prepared a Draft Environmental Impact Statement/
Draft Environmental Report (Draft EIS/EIR) for the Wetland and Creek
Restoration at Big Lagoon. This Draft EIS/EIR evaluates alternatives
for ecological restoration and public access upgrades in the Big Lagoon
area at Muir Beach, part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area
(GGNRA). The National Park Service (NPS) and County of Marin (County)
have jointly prepared the Draft EIS/EIR in accordance with the National
Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and the California Environmental
Quality Act (CEQA). The Draft EIS/EIR analyzes multiple alternatives
for ecological restoration, public access improvements, bridge
replacement, and fill disposal locations. The alternatives are based
upon park values, effective restoration strategies and public access
approaches, NPS and County policy, and applicable law.
Background: Redwood Creek is a coastal stream located in Marin
County, California. The project's area of potential effect encompasses
the lower reach of Redwood Creek extending from where the creek passes
underneath Highway 1, to its mouth at the Pacific Ocean approximately
2,800 feet downstream. Within this reach, the creek and its floodplain
have been extensively modified by realignment of the creek;
construction of Pacific Way and the Pacific Way bridge, a levee road
that borders the creek, and the NPS parking lot and picnic area; and
placement of gabions and other artificial fill in the creek channel and
on its floodplain. Combined, these modifications to the creek and its
floodplain have altered channel hydraulics and reduced its sediment
transport capacity, resulting in extreme sediment deposition in the
creek channel and reduction in channel capacity. Under current
conditions, the creek floods during even moderate rain events,
inundating Pacific Way, stranding residents, and hindering access to
the public beach. In the winter, residents along Pacific Way often
cannot access Highway 1, the sole connecting road, because floodwaters
commonly prevent passage by vehicles and pedestrians. This lack of
access severely limits emergency services.
In addition to the flooding, current conditions in lower Redwood
Creek present a risk of channel avulsion, in which the creek could
abandon its existing channel and establish a new channel in the
floodplain. Avulsion of the channel to the adjacent meadow, which is
several feet lower in elevation than the channel bed, could impair
passage of adult and juvenile coho salmon and steelhead through the
lower creek and could have undetermined consequences to infrastructure.
GGNRA has determined that restoration activities at the project
site are necessary to address these issues, GGNRA and the County have
been involved in an active planning process to identify alternative
restoration and public access alternatives to address these identified
issues.
Proposal and Alternatives: As noted, this Draft EIS/EIR describes
and analyzes four alternatives. Alternative 1, the ``baseline'' No
Action Alternative, would maintain the existing management direction.
Alternatives 2, 3, and 4 (action alternatives) contain varying mixes of
three main components: (1) Ecological restoration; (2) public access
upgrades, including a reconfiguration of the existing parking lot; and
(3) replacement of the Pacific Way Bridge. Each of the action
alternatives incorporates the following elements: Interim flood
reduction measures; Relocation of the Redwood Creek channel;
Construction of new drainage swale and upper pasture modification;
Backbeach lagoon enhancement, channel realignment, and dune
restoration; Removal of levee road; Invasive species removal; Removal
of tavern remnants; Removal of utility lines; Removal of concrete
channels and revetment; Modification to Green Gulch field 7. The main
differences between the action alternatives is the approach by which
ecological restoration would occur.
Alternative 3 would combine riparian restoration components with
restoration of open water and wetland habitants. Two open-water lagoons
would be created, one on either side of the new channel. The two small
lagoons would be backwaters, connected to the creek near the downstream
end of each lagoon. The banks of the lagoons would have varied slopes
to favor a variety of habitats. The lagoons would maintain a minimum
water depth of 3-4 feet year-round. Alternative 4 would create a
periodically brackish open-water habitat similar to historic (1853)
conditions, modified to reflect existing constraints of Pacific Way and
private property. This would involve creating a large lagoon with
fringing wetlands extending to the edge of the valley immediately
landward of Muir Beach. The lagoon would be excavated with gentle side
slopes to encourage colonization of emergent wetland vegetation. Like
the small lagoons under Alternative 3, the large lagoon would maintain
a minimum water depth of 3-4 feet year-round.
Alternative 2 (Creek Restoration) (agency-preferred alternative)
would involve relocating approximately 2,000 linear feet of Redwood
Creek to the topographically lowest portion of the valley, while
maintaining a habitat mix similar to current conditions. In addition to
relocating Redwood Creek, this alternative includes the following two
core elements: Parking--A parking lot with capacity for 175 cars
located parallel to Pacific Way. The lot would include a new turn-off
from Pacific Way and would include 310 linear feet of stacking room for
cars between the entrance and the first parking stall. Other parking
lot options considered in the Draft EIS/EIR include: maintaining the
current capacity of 175 Cars at Beach; Alternative B1 (50 Cars at
Beach); Alternative B2 (145 Cars at Beach); Alternative B3 (175 Cars at
Beach--similar shape as existing lot); Alternative B5 (200 Cars at
Beach); and Alternative C (118 Cars at Alder Grove plus 14 Handicapped
Spaces and Drop-Off at Beach).
Bridge Replacement--150-foot-long bridge with raised road. This
bridge would span the new 35-foot-wide channel and areas of riparian
habitat and flood plain on either side of the channel. Two-foot-wide
piers, placed at approximately 40-foot intervals, would
[[Page 75769]]
be used to support the span. Other bridge alternatives considered in
the Draft EIS/EIR include: Alternative BR1 (50-foot-long bridge with a
raised road); Alternative BR2 (50-foot-long bridge with a low road);
Alternative BR3 (150-foot-long bridge with raised road); and
Alternative BR4 (266- to 300-foot-long bridge with highest road).
Scoping and Public Involvement: Between December 2002 and December
2004, 17 public meetings were held, as well as a variety of site visits
and meetings with representatives of various agencies. On December 3,
2002, a Notice of Intent (NOI) to prepare an Environmental Impact
Statement was published in the Federal Register, beginning the formal
scoping process for the project. The NOI identified goals for the
project, and public scoping meetings were held on October 22, October
29, and November 2, 2002, with a site visit for the public held on
November 9, 2002, to solicit input on the project and its potential
impacts. Following these meetings, a Big Lagoon Working Group
consisting of interested individuals, agencies, and organizations was
formed to help develop project alternatives. The working group convened
regularly in meetings that were open to the public. In addition, two
alternatives workshops were held for the public on September 30 and
October 4, 2003. The results of those workshops, as well as a more
detailed summary of the scoping process, are presented in the
Alternatives Public Workshops Report (NPS 2004). Finally, Marin County
circulated a Notice of Preparation of an Environmental Impact Report on
April 27, 2004, soliciting comments on the specific issues to be
included in the scope of CEQA environmental review. All of these
activities informed the alternatives formulation process.
Comments: Copies of the Draft EIS/EIR will be sent to affected
Federal, Tribal, State and local government agencies, to interested
parties, and those requesting copies. Paper and digital copies (compact
disc) of the document will also be available at park headquarters and
at local libraries. The complete document will be posted on the GGNRA's
Web site (https://www.nps.gov/goga) and on NPS's Planning, Environment
and Public Comment Web site (https://parkplanning.nps.gov/goga). All
written comments must be postmarked or transmitted no later than 75
days from the date of EPA's notice of filing published in the Federal
Register (as soon as this occurs, the confirmed close of the comment
period will be posted on the Web sites noted above, and listed in all
notification announcements sent from GGNRA). Written comments will be
accepted online at https://parkplanning.nps.gov/goga (click on the
project title and follow instructions), or by sending a letter
addressed as follows: Superintendent, Golden Gate National Recreation
Area, Fort Mason, Building 201, San Francisco, CA 94123 (Attn: Muir
Beach Creek and Wetland Restoration). Two public meetings will be
scheduled to hear comments on the Draft EIS/EIR, approximately 30 days
after publication of this notice in the Federal Register. Please visit
the project Web site (noted above) to learn more about the project,
planning process, and the confirmed dates and time for the public
meetings. Questions regarding this project may also be directed at any
time to Steve Ortega (415) 561-4841 or via e-mail at steve_
ortega@nps.gov.
All comments are maintained in the administrative record and will
be available for public review at GGNRA headquarters. Please note our
practice is to make comments, including names, home addresses, home
phone numbers, and e-mail addresses of respondents, available for
public review. Individual respondents may request that we withhold
their names and/or home addresses, etc., but if you wish us to consider
withholding this information you must state this prominently at the
beginning of your comments. In addition, you must present a rationale
for withholding this information. This rationale must demonstrate that
disclosure would constitute a clearly unwarranted invasion of privacy.
Unsupported assertions will not meet this burden. In the absence of
exceptional, documentable circumstances, this information will be
released. We will always make submissions from organizations or
businesses, and from individuals identifying themselves as
representatives of or officials of organizations or businesses,
available for public inspection in their entirety.
Decision Process: Following the analysis of all comments received
concerning the Draft EIS/EIR, at this time it is anticipated that the
Final EIS/EIR would be completed in spring 2007. The availability of
the final documents will be announced in the Federal Register, and also
publicized via local and regional press media, direct mailings, and Web
site postings. Not sooner than thirty days after the distribution of
the Final EIS/EIR, a Record of Decision may be executed (at this time
it is anticipated a recommended decision would be developed in summer
2007). 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
wetland and restoration plan will be the General Superintendent, Golden
Gate National Recreation Area.
Dated: October 3, 2006.
Patricia L. Neubacher,
Acting Regional Director, Pacific West Region.
[FR Doc. 06-9748 Filed 12-15-06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4312-FN-M
