National Park Service November 15, 2012 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

Pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (42 U.S.C. 4332) (2) (C), the National Park Service (NPS) will prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for the Paseo del Morro National Recreational Trail Extension (EIS). The EIS will include the involvement of multiple entities, including the Municipality of San Juan and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico and neighborhoods along the trail corridor. Segments of the extension within and outside of the NPS boundary might include several amenities such as: Pedestrian trails, bicycle trail, Plaza, access to the Santa Maria Magdalena Cemetery, viewpoints, pocket seating areas, and drinking fountains. The project would be constructed in four phases according to the segments within the project extension. The first segment would run parallel to the Santa Maria Magdalena Cemetery, the second segment parallel to the community of La Perla, the third segment along the coastal area of Castillo San Cristobal, and the fourth segment through the ``Lomita de Los Vientos''. The characteristics of the trail, such as width of the primary and secondary trails, amenities, complementary programs, activities and methods of construction, would vary in the different segments of the projects. The objectives of the project are: To create public access to the North Coast of the Old San Juan Islet and create recreational public space along coastal area in front of Old San Juan, protect the historic walls of El Morro, encourage educational tourism within the area. The DEIS will assess potential environmental impacts associated with a range of reasonable alternatives for extension of the Paseo del Morro on park resources such as existing flora and fauna, soils, cultural resources, and public safety. Socioeconomic impacts and effects on visitor experience will also be analyzed.