[Federal Register: November 8, 2002 (Volume 67, Number 217)]
[Notices]
[Page 68158-68160]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr08no02-120]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
National Park Service
Golden Gate National Recreation Area; Comprehensive
Transportation Management Plan; Marin County, CA; Notice of Intent To
Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement
Summary: In accord with Sec. 102(2)(C) of the National
Environmental Policy Act (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.), the National Park
Service--and in coordination with Marin County (California) and the
California Department of Transportation--is initiating a conservation
planning and environmental impact analysis process regarding
transportation access and facility improvements to the roadway network
between U.S. Highway 101 (at the U.S. Highway 101-State Highway 1
interchange) and Stinson Beach (Pacific Ocean). This roadway network is
one of the principal travel corridors connecting the urban centers of
Marin, San Francisco and the East Bay with National Park sites in
southwest Marin County and the State Park site of Mount Tamalpais (the
national park sites include the Muir Woods National Monument, Muir
Beach, Stinson Beach, and Tennessee Valley). The Comprehensive
Transportation Management Plan Environmental Impact Statement (EIS)
will assess alternatives for improving access to and between various
park sites to reduce automobile impacts. A key objective
[[Page 68159]]
will be to identify options to reduce traffic congestion and lower
negative effects of existing transportation infrastructure on priority
ecological systems. Notice is hereby given that a public scoping
process has been initiated with the purpose of eliciting public comment
regarding the full spectrum of issues and concerns, including a
suitable range of alternatives, the nature and extent of potential
environmental impacts and appropriate mitigation strategies, and
perceived ecological benefits that should be addressed in drafting the
forthcoming EIS.
Background: The project area comprises a network of roads, bridges,
trails and parking areas providing access to Muir Woods, Muir Beach,
Tennessee Valley and Stinson Beach. Some of the key connecting roads
include California Highway 1, Panoramic Highway, and Muir Woods, Frank
Valley, and Tennessee Valley Roads. Peak-hour congestion and failing
levels of service on some of these roads have become concerns for local
jurisdictions and communities as well as the National Park Service
(NPS). Also of particular concern is the fact that certain features of
the existing transportation system encroaches upon and impact natural
systems within the park lands. These include effects on wetlands,
floodplains, and riparian corridors. Significant ecological systems
within the project area include the fresh water streams and riparian
areas of the Redwood Creek watershed, Coyote Creek, and Easkoot Creek.
The Golden Gate National Recreation Area (GGNRA) is partnering with
Marin County to prepare a combined Environmental Impact Statement--
Environmental Impact Report. The GGNRA and Marin County are co-lead
agencies for the environmental review under the National Environmental
Policy Act (NEPA) and the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA),
respectively.
The project alternatives will identify actions that improve modes
of transportation for accessing the national and state park sites in
the project study area. Alternative transportation modes could include
public transit, or shuttles. Reservation systems and paid parking also
will be considered. Another key component of the project will be to
identify improvements that either reduce or eliminate existing impacts
of transportation infrastructure (such as roads, parking lots and
drainage structures) on ecological systems. Key goals and objectives
for the project are:
[sbull] Identify and design transportation, access, and facility
improvements that protect park resources;
[sbull] Improve alternative access and circulation for visitors and
residents within the project area;
[sbull] Reduce traffic congestion in the project area, and on
roadways to and between national and state park sites;
[sbull] Improve the quality of the visitor experience, including
trip travel, while ensuring that access remains safe, dependable and
affordable;
[sbull] Improve the health of the ecological resources and systems
adversely affected by transportation infrastructure within the project
area;
[sbull] Improve/enhance design elements for efficient and effective
transit access to park sites in the project area;
[sbull] Implement effective transportation links with clean
technologies to access park sites;
[sbull] Provide for an effective transit intercept facility for
visitors to Marin national and state park lands (Note: An intercept
facility is a parking area or structure providing visitor support
services, where visitors may leave their automobiles and travel to park
sites via an alternate system such as buses or shuttle systems--rather
than driving on congested roadways).
Public Process to Date: Preliminary public and agency planning
meetings for the Comprehensive Transportation Management Plan were
begun in 1999. The GGNRA, with the assistance of the regional
Metropolitan Transportation Commission, convened an interagency group
of transportation and resource agencies in the San Francisco Bay Area
to develop plans for reducing traffic congestion on the regional
roadway system serving park lands. The Park Lands Transportation
Taskforce (Taskforce) membership includes GGNRA, Marin County, Federal
Highway Administration, California Department of Transportation, City
of Sausalito, California State Parks, and the Golden Gate Bridge and
Highway Transportation District among other regional agencies.
Under the supervision of the Taskforce, a public research project
was conducted in the project area during 2001-2002, and a public survey
of persons visiting park sites polled approximately 4,000 individuals
at five park sites during peak, shoulder, and off-peak seasons.
Information collected included visitor origin and destination, area of
residence by park site visited, degree of perceived traffic congestion,
and the purpose or recreation activity related to park visits.
The GGNRA and Marin County plan to make informal presentations at
community meetings adjacent to the study areas such as Stinson Beach
and Muir Beach through September 2002, in addition to a presentation to
the GGNRA Advisory Commission meeting in July 2002. Five public scoping
workshops are then planned for Fall 2002. These include workshops at
the GGNRA Advisory Commission, Stinson Beach, Muir Beach, Tamalpais
Valley, and in the city of Berkeley (in the East Bay).
GGNRA and Marin County will develop conceptual approaches to
identifying action alternatives for the public scoping workshops.
Following the scoping phase, a full range of preliminary action
alternatives will be developed and evaluated. The GGNRA and Marin
County will then host workshops to review these proposed action
alternatives with the public. GGNRA and Marin County anticipate that
approximately three action alternatives will be formulated, in addition
to the No Action Alternative.
Comments and Public Scoping: As noted, scoping meetings will be
held during Fall 2002. The locations, dates and time of scoping
meetings will be announced through a direct mailing, a weblink with
both GGNRA and Marin County websites, and via local and regional media.
All interested individuals, organizations and agencies are encouraged
to attend these meetings to comment orally and/or provide written
comments or suggestions. Interested persons may also refer to GGNRA web
site www.nps.gov/goga/admin/planning/index.htm for more information on
this project.
A scoping background document will also be available at the above
Web site, and also can be obtained by writing or telephoning as noted
below. Comments, suggestions, or relevant information (or requests to
be added to the project mailing list) should be sent to: Golden Gate
National Recreation Area, CTMP EIS, Attn: Stephen Laughlin, Building
201, Fort Mason, San Francisco, CA 94123 [telephone (415) 561-4941]
All written comments for the scoping phase of the ElS must be
postmarked no later than 60 days following the publication of this
notice in the Federal Register. If individuals submitting comments
request that their name or/and address be withheld from public
disclosure, it will be honored to the extent allowable by law. Such
requests must be stated prominently in the beginning of the comments.
There also may be circumstances wherein the NPS will withhold a
respondent's identity as allowable by law. As always: NPS will make
available to public inspection all submissions from organizations or
businesses and from persons identifying
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themselves as representatives or officials of organizations and
businesses; and, anonymous comments may not be considered.
Decision Process: Availability of the draft EIS for review and
written comment will be announced in the Federal Register notice, as
well as local and regional news media, GGNRA website, and via direct
mailing to the project mailing list. At this time, the draft EIS is
anticipated to be available for public review in the first quarter of
the year 2004. To ensure further opportunity to comment on the draft
EIS after it is distributed, additional public meetings will be held
(dates and locations to be determined). Notice of the availability of
the final EIS likewise will be published in the Federal Register. As a
delegated EIS, the official responsible for the final NEPA decision is
the Regional Director, Pacific West Region. Subsequently, the official
responsible for implementing the selected Plan would be the
Superintendent, Golden Gate National Recreation Area.
Dated: August 21, 2002.
Arthur E. Eck,
Acting Regional Director, Pacific West Region.
[FR Doc. 02-28519 Filed 11-7-02; 8:45 am]
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