[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 172 (Tuesday, September 7, 2010)]
[Notices]
[Pages 54378-54381]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-22144]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
National Park Service
Draft Environmental Impact Statement; Stehekin River Corridor
Implementation Plan; Lake Chelan National Recreation Area; Whatcom,
Skagit and Chelan Counties, WA; Notice of Availability
Summary: Pursuant to Sec. 102(2)(C) of the National Environmental
Policy Act of 1969, the National Park Service, in cooperation with the
Federal Highway Administration, has prepared a Draft Environmental
Impact Statement and Stehekin River Corridor Implementation Plan (Plan/
DEIS). The Plan/DEIS evaluates four alternatives for sustainable
management of NPS facilities (e.g., roads, maintenance yard, trails,
bridges) in response to flooding and erosion issues on the lower
Stehekin River between High Bridge and Lake Chelan, outside of the
Stephen Mather Wilderness. When approved, the Plan will allow for
implementation of several actions identified in the 1995 General
Management Plan (GMP), including removal of NPS maintenance and housing
facilities and the primary access road to North Cascades National Park
from the floodplain, construction of new recreation facilities, and
protection of the water quality and scenery along the lower Stehekin
River. The Plan/DEIS also updates the Lake Chelan National Recreation
Area Land Protection Plan.
Background: Lake Chelan National Recreation Area (LACH) encompasses
62,000 acres of the rugged North
[[Page 54379]]
Cascade mountains. The focal point of LACH is the Stehekin River, which
occupies a deep glacial valley on the east slope of the range. The
Stehekin River is known for being flood prone due to rapid runoff from
steep, rocky slopes and the location of its headwaters on the wet
Pacific Crest of the Cascade Range. The Lower Stehekin valley below
High Bridge is particularly vulnerable to flood and erosion damage due
to rapid decrease in stream energy as the river flows through a
widening valley and empties into Lake Chelan.
Several key National Park Service (NPS) facilities (fuel storage,
maintenance shops, and housing), private development, and roads are in
the floodplain of the lower Stehekin River and threatened by floods.
Flood conditions have become exacerbated by a shift in the timing,
magnitude, and frequency of flooding on the Stehekin River in the
1970s, away from smaller spring floods to larger fall floods. This
shift has produced the three largest floods since 1911 in the past 15
years. Changes in the river channel have resulted in threats to water
quality and scenery as several private cabins and their sanitary
systems have been incorporated into the river.
This plan seeks to implement and refine guidance from the 1995 GMP
for LACH that identified a new location for administrative facilities
outside of regulatory floodplains. Locations for expanded recreation
opportunities outside of designated wilderness within the National
Recreation Area were also identified in this plan. The 1995 LACH Land
Protection Plan, scheduled to be updated every two years, is the
primary means for the NPS to acquire private cabins and associated
water and sanitary systems to prevent degradation of water quality and
scenic resources. Given drastic changes in flood conditions, this plan
was in need of revision.
Passage of the record floods in 2003 and 2006 led private
landowners in the valley to request U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (COE)
advice on how to reduce flooding. While the COE failed to secure funds
to do a detailed five-year study, its emergency management team
recommended extensive bank hardening with rock, and dredging of the
river channel. Estimated one-time cost is $12 million for removal of
gravel deposited since 2000 at two mile-long sites near McGregor
Meadows and the Stehekin River mouth. The NPS finds the COE
recommendations to manipulate the river contrary to the purpose and
significance of LACH. The potential for major action by another agency
and continued placement of structures on the Stehekin River by the NPS
to protect the road and private landowners to protect property create
the need to assess cumulative impacts before new actions are
considered.
Surveys of channel topography (1972, 1990, 2004 and 2008) and
position (1959, 1962, 1978, 1982, 1995, 2004, 2007, and 2009),
measurement of gravel deposits (2007-08), hydrology data collected
since 1911, and large wood surveys (conducted 1982, 2000, and 2007)
provide the basis for development of a scientifically credible plan and
impact analysis. Potential solutions for all alternatives were reviewed
by a technical committee composed of representatives for the Washington
DOE and DFW, Chelan PUD, Chelan County Planning Department, U.S. Fish
and Wildlife Service, and a private consultant.
Public involvement in the conservation planning process began with
widespread mailing of a scoping newsletter in early January 2008. Late
in January 2008, meetings in Stehekin, Seattle, and Wenatchee provided
an opportunity for the public to identify issues. Notice of Intent to
prepare an environmental impact statement was published in the Federal
Register on February 27, 2008. A news release for the public scoping
meetings was sent in February 14, 2008, to local and regional news
media (a follow up news release on March 5, 2008, extended public
scoping to March 31). Following an NPS alternative development workshop
in March 2008, a preliminary alternatives newsletter was developed and
mailed to the public in summer 2008. This was followed-up by a public
open house in Stehekin in August 2008. Both the newsletter and open
house were announced via news releases to several media outlets,
including local newspapers and radio and television stations.
Purpose and Need for Federal Action: Recent major floods and
resultant channel changes on the lower Stehekin River are threatening
NPS facilities and natural resources within LACH. The three largest
recorded floods on the Stehekin River have occurred within the past 15
years, and in response the NPS has spent more than $3 million to
protect public roads and facilities and to repair flood damage since
2003. Roads, visitor facilities and private homes once thought to be
safe from the river are now threatened. Because of the current impacts
and future risks associated with these unprecedented conditions, the
primary purpose of this implementation plan is to enable the NPS to
meet goals and direction provided in the 1995 GMP, including:
(1) Sustainably operate and maintain NPS administrative facilities,
public access (roads and trails), and campgrounds; (2) Protect water
quality, scenic values, habitat, and natural processes of the Stehekin
River; and (3) Ensure the persistence of visitor services provided by
the Stehekin community, including those services and facilities found
on private lands.
The NPS and FHWA have identified a need to evaluate comprehensive
and sustainable management strategies and holistic actions to address
the consequences of flooding. This implementation plan is needed to
address several interrelated issues, including the following:
(1) Respond to the Increased Magnitude and Frequency of Flooding.
Prior to the late 20th century, the Stehekin River was prone primarily
to spring snowmelt flooding. Since the 1970s, however, the Stehekin
River has become prone to large fall rain-on-snow floods, which rise
quickly and occur from mid-October through December. Hydrologic data
collected on the river since 1911 confirm the statistical significance
of this shift, as analyzed by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). The
passage of severe floods in 1995, 2003, and 2006 has led to significant
changes in the Stehekin River channel, and redefined the boundaries for
the 100-year flood. As a result, recreational and administrative
facilities and developments once thought to be safe from the river are
now threatened by flooding and bank erosion, while other sites in the
floodplain have been compromised by larger, more frequent floods. Until
now, the NPS has addressed problems on a case-by-case basis throughout
the valley with the passage of each of these large floods.
(2) Implement and Clarify 1995 Lake Chelan National Recreation Area
General Management Plan Guidance. The GMP provides broad management
guidance for LACH, as well as some specific prescriptions to mitigate
the risks and consequences of flooding. As a programmatic document, the
GMP lacks the specific management direction needed to respond to the
current circumstances imposed by the recent floods and the change to a
fall flood regime. Specific actions called for in the GMP that would be
implemented in this plan include relocation of the maintenance facility
and new NPS housing out of the floodplain, and continued maintenance of
vehicle access on the Stehekin Valley and Company Creek roads. This
implementation plan is needed to inform the location, design,
construction, and implementation of
[[Page 54380]]
these actions. Guidance provided by the GMP needs to be updated and
clarified to reflect the dramatic increase in woody debris since 1995
and recognition of the influence of Chelan Public Utility District on
the level of Lake Chelan and the lower Stehekin River. This plan is
also needed to evaluate and publicly disclose the direct, indirect and
cumulative impacts of these actions on the resources and values of Lake
Chelan NRA.
(3) Sustain Public Facilities While Protecting Natural Resources.
Management action is needed to provide long-term use and access to
administrative and recreation facilities. Despite erosion protection
and flood control efforts by the NPS and private landowners, bank
erosion continues to threaten public and private property. Channel
changes have increased the rate of erosion and frequency of flooding at
some sites, while decreasing erosion rates at others. Integrated
management actions such as facility relocation, site-specific bank
hardening, and limited manipulation of woody debris in the Lake Chelan
backwater zone now need to be considered to ensure the long-term
sustainability of infrastructure and protection of resources.
Management of large wood and proliferation of bank protection measures
have the potential to impact Federal and state listed species and to
increase the spread of non-native plants. These conditions underscore
the need for updated assessment of erosion and flood protection
measures in the lower Stehekin Valley.
(4) Manage Limited Funding. The NPS has invested more than $3
million to react to recent flood damage and new threats on an event-by-
event basis since 2003. A comprehensive and integrated set of
strategies and tactics to meet the goals of the GMP and to mitigate the
risk and impacts from flooding is urgently needed to enable the NPS to
use limited funds for the maximum benefit of LACH. Without this
comprehensive approach, the NPS may be compelled to continue reacting
on a case-by-case basis, which is more expensive and could more
adversely threaten natural resources and public safety.
(5) Respond to Private Land-related Concerns. Lake Chelan NRA
includes approximately 417 acres of private land, much of which lies
within the floodplain and channel migration zone of the Stehekin River.
Developments at McGregor Meadows and near the river mouth are
particularly vulnerable because of their density and location in
particularly active reaches of the river. These reaches, or sections of
the river, have extensive new gravel deposits and rapidly growing
logjams as a result of recent flooding. The high monetary and
environmental costs of bank protection and flood mitigation measures
continue to threaten private property and river resources. At the river
mouth, accumulation of logs in the backwater zone of Lake Chelan has
led to deeper flood water in parts of the floodplain. Recent flooding
has hastened channel migration; damaged or destroyed several cabins;
incorporated debris and sanitary systems (and occasional limited
effluent discharges) into the river; and increased the flood risk to
private lands previously not threatened by flooding. The NPS is
concerned that these non-Federal circumstances could continue to
adversely affect LACH and Stehekin River natural resources and values.
The primary means by which the NPS can address this concern is via the
Land Protection Plan (LPP), which identifies and prioritizes private
lands for acquisition or exchange from willing sellers. Last updated in
1995, the LPP needs to be amended to address new river channel and
floodplain conditions.
Proposed Plan and Alternatives: The Plan/DEIS describes and
analyzes three ``action'' alternatives, as well as continuation of
current management. The three alternative management strategies differ
primarily because they range from more removal of public facilities and
threatened private developments from the channel migration zone
(preferred Alternative 2) to less relocation and more dependence on
bank hardening and maintaining the road in place (Alternative 4).
Alternative three represents a mix of actions in Alternatives 2 and 4.
All of the alternatives have common actions identified in the GMP,
including relocation of NPS maintenance and some housing out of the
channel migration zone, resurfacing of the road from Harlequin Bridge
to mile 9.2 (just above Stehekin valley Ranch), and construction of a
new trail system from Stehekin Landing to High Bridge with a connection
to the river trail via a footbridge over the river near the USGS gage
site. Alternatives 2, 3, and 4 would add new campsites at different
locations to supplement sites at Harlequin Bridge that are seasonally
flooded.
Alternative 1 (continue current management) and Alternative 4 would
keep the Stehekin valley road in place through McGregor Meadows. To
protect the road from flood damage and to ensure access to private
residences for emergencies during floods, about 6,000 cubic yards of
fill would be placed in the floodplain. In Alternative 4, as many as 17
new rock barbs (rock structures used to redirect flows) would be placed
along the river, with a similar number anticipated over time in
Alternative 1.
Alternatives 2 and 3 would relocate 1.9 miles of the Stehekin
valley road from the floodplain in McGregor Meadows, while retaining
private access to the area via a 0.75 mile long reduced maintenance
road at grade. The alternatives differ in where the reroute returns to
the existing road, with Alternative 2 staying out of the channel
migration zone (CMZ) and Alternative 3 re-entering the CMZ at the Lower
Field. Implementation of Alternative 2 would result in closure of the
shooting range near the Lower Field. Both Alternatives 2 and 3 reduce
the number of barbs in the river relative to alternatives 1 and 4 (7-8
new barbs in Alternative 2 and four new barbs in Alternative 3).
Alternatives 2, 3, and 4 would revise the LACH Land Protection Plan
(LPP). Alternatives 2 and 3 would focus more on acquisition of private
development threatened by the river, and look to cluster future
development on areas outside of the channel migration zone. This
represents a departure from the 1995 LPP, which placed a higher value
on scenic resources along the Stehekin valley road. In Alternative 4,
less emphasis would be placed on acquisition of development in the
floodplain, and far fewer private parcels would be high priority for
purchase or exchange.
Comments: All written comments must be postmarked or transmitted
not later than December 13, 2010 (this end of comment period date will
also be posted on the project Web site, and announced via local and
regional press media). All comments should be addressed to:
Superintendent, ATTN: SRCIP/DEIS, North Cascades National Park Service
Complex, 810 State Route 20, Sedro Woolley, WA 98284. Comments may also
be faxed to (360) 856-1934 or may be transmitted electronically to
http://parkplanning.nps.gov/noca. The Plan/DEIS will be mailed directly
to all those who requested a copy during public scoping. Review copies
will also be available at park headquarters in Sedro-Woolley, the main
visitor center in Newhalem, and at the Golden West Visitor center in
Stehekin. To request a printed copy or CD-ROM version of the DEIS,
phone (360) 856-5700 ext. 351. The document will also be available for
downloading on the project Web site.
All comments received will be maintained in the administrative
record, and are available for review at North Cascades' headquarters.
Before including your address, phone number, e-mail address, or other
personal identifying information in your
[[Page 54381]]
comments, 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.
To enhance the opportunity for public information and commenting,
public meetings will be hosted at the following Washington locations:
October 19 in Stehekin, October 20 in Wenatchee, and October 21
Seattle. Confirmed meeting times, specific locations and other details
will be announced via local and regional news media and may be obtained
on the park's Web site (http://www.nps.gov/noca) or by phoning (360)
856-5700 ext.351. Participants are strongly encouraged to review the
document prior to attending a meeting. The Superintendent and planning
team members, including personnel from the Technical Committee will
attend all meetings. The format will be the same for each meeting, and
will include a brief presentation on the essential elements of the
Plan/DEIS and a question and answer period. Oral and written comments
may also be submitted. All meeting locations will be accessible for
disabled persons. A sign language interpreter may be available upon
request with prior notice (please contact the park as noted above).
Decision: Following due consideration of all comments received on
the DEIS, preparation and release of the Final EIS/Stehekin River
Corridor Implementation Plan is anticipated for late summer 2010;
availability will be similarly announced in the Federal Register. The
actual date will depend upon the degree of public interest and response
from agencies and organizations. Following a minimum 30 days ``no
action'' period, a Record of Decision may be prepared; approval of the
plan will be similarly announced in the Federal Register. This is
tentatively anticipated for late 2010. As a delegated EIS the official
responsible for the final decision is the Regional Director, Pacific
West Region; subsequently the official responsible for implementation
of the approved Stehekin River Corridor Implementation Plan is the
Superintendent, North Cascades National Park Service Complex.
Dated: March 12, 2010.
Patricia L. Neubacher,
Acting Regional Director, Pacific West Region.
Editorial Note: This document was received in the Office of the
Federal Register on August 31, 2010.
[FR Doc. 2010-22144 Filed 9-3-10; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-T6-P