Final Environmental Impact Statement for General Management Plan, Ross Lake National Recreation Area, North Cascades National Park Service Complex, Skagit and Whatcom Counties, WA, 81962-81965 [2011-33398]

Agencies

• DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
• National Park Service

[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 250 (Thursday, December 29, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 81962-81965]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-33398]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

NATIONAL PARK SERVICE

[NPS-PWR-PWRO-0927-8529; 9082-S612-409]


Final Environmental Impact Statement for General Management Plan, 
Ross Lake National Recreation Area, North Cascades National Park 
Service Complex, Skagit and Whatcom Counties, WA

AGENCY: National Park Service, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of availability.

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SUMMARY: Under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 and the 
Council on Environmental Quality

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Regulations, the National Park Service (NPS) has prepared a final 
environmental impact statement (Final EIS) for the proposed General 
Management Plan for Ross Lake National Recreation Area (Ross Lake NRA) 
in Washington State. This Final EIS describes and analyzes four 
alternatives for resource protection and preservation, education and 
interpretation, visitor use and facilities, land protection and 
boundaries, and long-term operations and management of the Ross Lake 
NRA.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The original public information process 
began in September 2006 when the NPS produced and distributed an 
initial newsletter announcing the start of the planning process and 
soliciting feedback on issues to be addressed in park planning. The 
Notice of Intent formally announcing preparation of a draft 
environmental impact statement and general management plan (GMP) was 
published in the Federal Register on October 30, 2006. The NPS released 
details about the public scoping period and invited public comment 
through direct mailings and correspondence, press releases, public 
workshops and informal meetings, the NPS Planning, Environment, and 
Public Comment (PEPC) Web site and the Ross Lake NRA Web site. A 
comprehensive scoping outreach effort was planned to elicit early 
public comment regarding issues and concerns, the nature and extent of 
potential environmental impacts, and possible alternatives that should 
be addressed in the preparation of the GMP. NPS staff produced and 
mailed a newsletter to approximately 350 individuals and entities on 
the mailing list.
    Agencies, organizations, governmental representatives, and tribal 
governments were sent letters of invitation to attend the public 
workshops or individual meetings. Press releases were distributed to 
local and regional news media. The project was launched on the NPS PEPC 
Web site: https://parkplanning.nps.gov/rola, providing access to 
information about the Ross Lake NRA GMP and a method for taking public 
comments. News articles featuring the public workshops were written in 
the local Courier Times and East Skagit Community News and announced on 
private and public radio stations. The public was invited to submit 
comments by regular mail, email, fax, online, and at public workshops 
and individual meetings.
    The NPS held seven public workshops in western Washington and 
British Columbia in October 2006 to provide the public with an 
opportunity to learn about the general management planning project and 
to offer comments. During the scoping period, the NPS received 
correspondence from over 80 individuals and organizations that provided 
a total of over 750 specific comments. All comments received were 
reviewed and considered by the NPS interdisciplinary planning team for 
the preparation of this GMP. The NPS conducted an additional round of 
public involvement at the draft alternatives phase of the planning 
process to ensure that the public fully comprehended the range of draft 
alternatives and was able to comment effectively on the draft 
alternatives. The primary purpose of this planning step was to 
understand the public's concerns and preferences with regard to the 
range of draft alternatives and to assist the planning team in refining 
the draft alternatives and selecting a preferred alternative. NPS 
produced and mailed the Draft Alternatives Newsletter to approximately 
450 contacts on Ross Lake NRA's mailing list and announced this 
planning step on the NPS Web sites. The newsletter fully outlined the 
concepts and actions in the draft alternatives and proposed management 
zones.
    Public review of draft alternatives ran from February 2008 through 
April 2008. The NPS held four public workshops in Concrete, Sedro-
Woolley, Bellingham, and Seattle in February and March 2008. Seventy 
people participated in the public workshops and provided oral comments. 
A total of 539 individual comments were received on the draft 
alternatives and covered a broad range of topics, issues, and 
recommendations for Ross Lake NRA. All comments received were again 
reviewed and considered by the NPS interdisciplinary planning team for 
the preparation of this GMP.
    The NPS invited public comments on the Skagit Wild and Scenic River 
Eligibility and Suitability Studies in fall 2008. The primary purpose 
of this public comment period was to understand the public's concerns 
about the preliminary eligibility findings and potentially designating 
the river segments as wild and scenic rivers. This was an extra 
planning step designed to provide the public with opportunities to 
focus on the Skagit wild and scenic studies. A newsletter was sent to 
approximately 450 contacts and announced this planning step on NPS Web 
sites and through press releases. Thirty people attended the two public 
meetings held on October 14, 2008 in Seattle, WA and October 15, 2008 
in Sedro-Woolley, WA. Written comments were received from 52 
organizations and individuals. The information gathered was used in 
formulating and refining the Skagit Wild and Scenic River Eligibility 
and Suitability Studies.
    Public review of Draft EIS/GMP began on July 1, 2010 and ended 
September 30, 2010. A Notice of Availability was published in the 
Federal Register on July 16, 2010. The Draft EIS/GMP and information 
about how to provide public comments were made available on the NPS Web 
sites on July 1, 2010. During early July 2010, the NPS distributed 
approximately 160 copies of the complete document to the state's 
congressional offices, local tribes, governmental agencies, and other 
interested organizations and individuals. The NPS also produced and 
mailed the Executive Summary Newsletter 3 to over 900 contacts 
on the mailing list. The newsletter fully outlined the four 
alternatives and encouraged the public to participate in the planning 
process. The public had opportunities to provide comments through 
attending a public open house, submitting comments on the NPS PEPC Web 
site, writing a letter or email, or providing comments on the postage 
paid comment form enclosed in the newsletter. Dates, times, and 
locations for the public open houses were clearly listed in the 
newsletter and on the NPS Web sites. Contact information for the public 
to either request more planning materials and/or comment on the draft 
plan was also printed in the newsletter and available on the web.
    Press releases were prepared and mailed to local media in advance 
of the public open houses by the North Cascades NPS Complex staff, and 
a series of posters were distributed to approximately 35 locations 
throughout Ross Lake National Recreation Area and the region announcing 
the public open houses and requesting public comment.
    The NPS held six public open houses in Sedro-Woolley, Marblemount, 
Newhalem, Seattle, Bellingham, and Winthrop in July 2010. Seventy-seven 
people participated in these public open houses and provided oral 
comments. The National Park Service received over 1,600 comments on the 
draft plan by mail, email, fax, hand delivery, oral transcript, and the 
Internet via the NPS PEPC Web site. A number of groups and individuals 
submitted duplicate comments by different means, and several people 
commented up to four times. Of the comments received, 7 were from 
agencies and elected officials, 5 from businesses, and 22 from 
organizations. The remaining comments were from individuals. The 
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)

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assigned a ``Lack of Objections'' rating to the Draft EIS.
    Comments were analyzed and grouped into broad categories. Major 
areas of emphasis included: alternatives, connection to the ``National 
Park,'' boundary modifications, visitor experience, facilities, 
resource management, wilderness, Skagit Wild and Scenic River 
Eligibility and Suitability Studies, partnerships, operations, and 
planning. Substantive comments have been addressed in the FEIS. Changes 
incorporated in the GMP as result of public comments are shown in the 
FEIS with gray highlight or text that is in strikeout. The alternatives 
have been revised or clarified for the following topics: management 
zones, grizzly bear core area, motor boats, sport climbing, seaplanes, 
the bridge over the Skagit River in Newhalem, campgrounds, trails, 
concessions, the land acquisition associated with Diablo Townsite. 
Moreover, a name change from Ross Lake National Recreation Area to 
North Cascades National Recreation Area has been added. This list does 
not include those changes made to clarify points, provide additional 
rationale for decisions, or correct minor errors or omissions.

Proposed Plan and Alternatives

    Alternative A is the No Action Alternative and assumes that 
existing programming, facilities, staffing, and funding would generally 
continue at their current levels. The No Action Alternative is required 
by the National Environmental Policy Act and also serves as a baseline 
for comparison in evaluating the changes and impacts of the other three 
alternatives. The emphasis of the No Action Alternative would be to 
protect the values of Ross Lake NRA without substantially increasing 
staff, programs, funding supporting, or facilities. Resource 
preservation and protection would continue to be high priority for the 
management of Ross Lake NRA. Staff would continue to work with 
neighboring agencies for collaborative ecosystem management.
    Management of visitor use and facilities would generally continue 
through existing levels and types of service and regulation. Additional 
visitor facilities, such as new buildings, structures, roads, parking 
areas, camping areas, and trails, would not be constructed. The park 
would react to catastrophic events and destruction of visitor 
facilities on a case-by-case basis, which could result in a net loss of 
visitor facilities.
    Alternative B (agency preferred) focuses on managing Ross Lake NRA 
as a gateway to millions of acres of wilderness, providing enhanced 
visitor opportunities along the North Cascades Highway, and making 
better use of facilities along that corridor, while ensuring the long 
term stewardship of natural resources, cultural resources, and 
wilderness. The North Cascades Highway corridor would be managed to 
provide a variety of day-use and overnight recreational opportunities 
for visitors with a range of abilities and interests. Management of 
wilderness and backcountry areas would focus on ecosystem preservation 
and compatible recreational activities. Interpretation and education 
would emphasize hands-on experiential learning and stewardship programs 
delivered by both the NPS and its partners.
    Recreation in Ross Lake NRA would be enhanced along the North 
Cascades Highway corridor through the addition of limited new 
facilities, including dayhiking trails, reconfigured parking areas, a 
new Wilderness Information Center, and the modest expansion of 
overnight facilities and concessions. Recreation in the wilderness and 
backcountry areas of Ross Lake NRA, including Ross Lake, would focus on 
providing visitors with opportunities for solitude and connections with 
the natural world. Self-propelled and non-mechanized recreation would 
be encouraged throughout Ross Lake NRA. Regulations for motorized water 
recreation would work to maintain the ambient character and experience 
on the lakes and the Skagit River, while also moving towards cleaner 
technologies. An online permit system would allow visitors the 
opportunity for advance trip planning. In the event of a catastrophic 
event and the destruction of visitor facilities, the NPS would strive 
to offer similar visitor facilities in the vicinity while ensuring no 
net loss of visitor opportunities. If Seattle City Light determines 
that the Hollywood area of Diablo Townsite is no longer necessary for 
hydropower operations in the future, the NPS would work to acquire that 
land. Alternative B is also considered the ``environmentally 
preferred'' course of action.
    Alternative C emphasizes the role of Ross Lake NRA in preserving 
the greater North Cascades ecosystem, which includes two additional 
National Park System units, two national forests, as well as provincial 
parks and protected areas across the Canadian border. Park management 
and education efforts would focus on broader ecosystem preservation and 
enhancement through coordinated regional and international 
environmental stewardship. The focus of visitor experiences would be 
linked to solitude, tranquility, natural soundscapes, and scenery 
through traditional outdoor activities. The NPS would actively manage 
to reduce habitat fragmentation throughout Ross Lake NRA by 
consolidating development, eliminating certain trails, and limiting 
construction of new facilities in undeveloped areas. Educational and 
interpretive opportunities would be primarily structured, and the NPS 
would increasingly rely on partners to deliver educational and 
interpretive programs both on-site and off-site.
    Alternative C would provide visitors with recreational 
opportunities along the North Cascades Highway. However, there would be 
no net increase in miles of trail in Ross Lake NRA. In the backcountry 
and wilderness, Alternative C would focus on resource preservation and 
enhancement while limiting and/or restricting some recreational uses. 
Seaplanes would not be allowed to land on the lakes, and the NPS would 
recommend restricting commercial scenic air tours within Ross Lake NRA 
in order to protect and enhance soundscapes and wilderness character, 
experience, and values. In the event of a catastrophic weather event 
and the destruction of visitor facilities, natural geomorphological 
processes would be allowed to occur unimpeded wherever possible and 
affected facilities, including Colonial and Goodell Campgrounds, would 
be closed and restored to natural conditions.
    Alternative D focuses on improving connections between visitors and 
the outdoors through a variety of enhanced recreation and learning 
opportunities. The emphasis of park management would be to diversify 
Ross Lake NRA's visitor base and build stewardship through more hands-
on/experiential recreation and education opportunities. Interpretive 
and educational programs would be offered by both the NPS and partners 
with expanded offerings in the backcountry and limited areas of the 
wilderness zones. Park management would continue to protect resources 
and minimize impacts from visitor use.
    Overnight accommodations, several new trails, and additional 
visitor amenities would expand visitor opportunities in Ross Lake NRA 
primarily along the North Cascades Highway corridor. The public 
functions of the Wilderness Information Center would be moved to an 
easily accessible location on Highway 20. A wide variety of 
recreational activities would be allowed throughout Ross Lake NRA, and 
there would be fewer restrictions on recreational activities than the 
other action alternatives. An online reservation and permit system 
would

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allow visitors the opportunity for advance trip planning. In the event 
of a catastrophic event and the destruction of visitor facilities, the 
NPS would close affected facilities and build new facilities on other 
locations to ensure no net loss of visitor opportunities.

Actions Common-to-All Action Alternatives

    Several actions are common-to-all action alternatives (Alternatives 
B, C, and D). The NPS would recommend a name change for Ross Lake NRA 
to North Cascades National Recreation Area. Congressional legislation 
would be required to authorize this name change. Recreation activities, 
including hunting and hiking with dogs on trails, would continue. The 
Thunder Creek Potential Wilderness Area would be designated as 
wilderness through administrative action, as authorized in the 
Washington Park Wilderness Act of 1988 (Pub. L. 100-668, Title IV), and 
included in the Stephen Mather Wilderness. The NPS would recommend 
Congressional legislation for wild and scenic river designation of the 
Skagit River from Gorge Powerhouse downstream to the boundary of Ross 
Lake NRA, Goodell Creek, and Newhalem Creek. Climate change impacts and 
Ross Lake NRA's carbon footprint would be addressed through various 
strategies and actions including the reduction of emissions, use of 
green energy, adaptive management, and support for scientific research 
and educational programs.
    The Final GMP/EIS is now available. Interested persons and 
organizations may obtain the Final EIS/GMP online at https://parkplanning.nps.gov/rola or by contacting Superintendent, North 
Cascades NPS Complex, 810 State Route 20, Sedro-Woolley, Washington 
98284. A limited number of additional printed copies of this report are 
available from the mailing address above.
    If you comment, 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.
    Following the release of the Final GMP/EIS, a Record of Decision 
will be prepared not sooner than 30 days after the EPA has published 
its notice of filing of the document in the Federal Register. Notice of 
approval of the GMP would be similarly published. As a delegated EIS, 
the official responsible for the final decision is the Regional 
Director, Pacific West Region; subsequently the official responsible 
for implementation would be the Superintendent, North Cascades NPS 
Complex.

    Dated: November 4, 2011.
Cynthia L. Ip,
Acting Regional Director, Pacific West Region.
[FR Doc. 2011-33398 Filed 12-28-11; 8:45 am]
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