"Following the Cerro Grande Fire in May 2000 and the events of Sept. 11, 2001, DOE recognized a need to re-evaluate the issue of public and worker traffic along trails within Laboratory boundaries," said Dan Pava of Los Alamos' Ecology Group.
He said the Ecology Group is preparing for NNSA a draft environmental assessment on management of about 20 trails on Department of Energy-owned land. An assessment is required under the National Environmental Policy Act, or NEPA, before an evaluation of an appropriate management strategy can be determined. The draft environmental assessment will consider operational needs, cultural and natural resource issues, along with safety and security requirements.
"There are many trails here, some of which predate the Laboratory," Pava said. "Several of these trails — or segments of them — are the remnants of historic wagon roads or aboriginal footpaths and may be eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places."
According to Pava, workers and the general public have used some of the trails for hiking for more than 50 years. Some of the trails within the Laboratory are maintained in a limited fashion while many others have become subject to unchecked erosion or other hazards to the environment and users.
After the Cerro Grande fire the Laboratory initiated an aggressive tree-thinning project to reduce ladder fuels in order to protect the Laboratory and the community from future wildland fires. A number of areas of environmental concern were marked so that they would not be damaged inadvertently by the mechanized tree thinning.
"Some people may be upset by the restricted trail use in certain areas, and by some trails being marked off to prohibit their use," he said. "In some cases they have cut down existing Cerro Grande Project tree thinning flagging that restricted or rerouted trail access. What we hope people will understand is that, in some cases, sensitive areas with trails running through them have been marked off because they are being damaged by trail use."
"These areas can be damaged easily and unknowingly just by people walking on them, " said John Isaacson, also of the Laboratory's Ecology Group. "We have a moral and legal responsibility to safeguard these areas."
"We have to plan well," Pava said. "Stewardship of Laboratory land is of major importance to us all. The Laboratory is committed to striking a balance to protect environmentally sensitive sites. Ecological, cultural, safety, security and operational issues must be considered," he said.
"Although some trails may be closed or access restricted to the public in the future, DOE and the Laboratory are committed to partnering with employees and the public to minimize the impact of trail use restrictions and/or closures," Pava said. Key stakeholders participating in the process include San Ildefonso and other pueblos, Bandelier National Monument and Los Alamos County.
The draft environmental assessment is expected to be completed by early 2003. There will be public meetings during the development of the environmental assessment.
Los Alamos enhances global security by ensuring safety and confidence in the U.S. nuclear stockpile, developing technologies to reduce threats from weapons of mass destruction and improving the environmental and nuclear materials legacy of the cold war. Los Alamos' capabilities assist the nation in addressing energy, environment, infrastructure and biological security problems.
Los Alamos National Laboratory, a multidisciplinary research institution engaged in strategic science on behalf of national security, is operated by Los Alamos National Security, LLC, a team composed of Bechtel National, the University of California, The Babcock & Wilcox Company, and Washington Group International for the Department of Energy's National Nuclear Security Administration.
Los Alamos enhances national security by ensuring the safety and reliability of the U.S. nuclear stockpile, developing technologies to reduce threats from weapons of mass destruction, and solving problems related to energy, environment, infrastructure, health, and global security concerns.