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> **Battlefield Rehabilitation: Railroad Redoubt**
>
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> **Environmental Assessment**
>
> **October 5, 2004**
>
> **1. PURPOSE AND NEED FOR ACTION**

Vicksburg National Military Park (VNMP) preserves and interprets the
site of the Civil War Siege of Vicksburg, Mississippi, that occurred
during the summer of 1863. The main body of the park is located about
four miles due east of the Mississippi River in Warren County, adjacent
to the city limits of Vicksburg, and encompasses approximately 1,800
acres (including Vicksburg National Cemetery). About 600 acres of the
park's historic cultural landscape are maintained via regular mowing,
while around 1,200 acres consist of mixed oak-hickory hardwood
vegetation. Roughly crescent-shaped, the park encompasses the historic
siege and defense lines that wrapped around the fortress city.

The purpose of this proposed action is rooted in Vicksburg National
Military Park's 1899 enabling legislation. The public law that created
the park set forth specific goals and objectives relating to maintenance
of the historic landscape, as evidenced by the following language
contained in the legislation: "...to enable the Secretary of War to
begin to carry out the purpose of this Act, including...restoring the
field to its condition at the time of the battle,..." and "That it shall
be the duty of the commissioners...to restore the forts and the lines of
fortification, the parallels and the approaches of the two armies, or so
much thereof as may be necessary to the purposes of this park;...". This
proposed action aims to help the park meet its goal of restoring the
battlefield to its 1863 appearance.

Vicksburg's enabling legislation has been echoed in its planning
documents throughout the years. The park's 1979 General Management Plan
(GMP) states, "The terrain of the park, with its steep hills and deep
ravines, tells much of the Vicksburg story. The land reflects a
succession of clear cutting and farming dating back to its first
settlement in the late 18th century. However, most of the cleared fields
have since filled in with vegetation and the land no longer resembles a
battlefield. No attempt will be made to re-create the entire landscape
as it existed at the time of the siege; instead, the vegetation should
be maintained in its present state with the exception of modifications
for special effects, such as vista clearing and batteries. This should
be allowed at the discretion of management in conjunction with
interpretive development. Vista clearings are proposed for Thayer's
Approach to 26^th^ Louisiana Redoubt, Stockade Redan to Ransom's
Gunpath, Fourth Ohio Battery to 26^th^ Louisiana Redoubt, and between
the Railroad Redoubt and the railroad tracks below." (The park will be
updating its GMP in the next few years.)

Planning documents that tier off of the GMP, such as the park's 1996
Resource Management Plan (RMP), also address this subject: "The
vegetative cover has changed from the 1863 appearance of the
battlefield. Many areas of the park have overgrown and do not reflect
the accurate historic scene." "During the Siege of Vicksburg, the
landscape was virtually devoid of forested areas. Trees were cut in
order to clear fields of fire, to construct fortifications, and to
construct abatis to slow the advance of Union forces. Early photographs
document and support the 1863 historic scene. In the 1930s, four
Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) camps were established in the park.
One of the projects assigned to the CCC was the reforestation of areas
to prevent erosion. Also, as early park development funds were limited,
a decision was made as to which historic landscapes were critical to
interpreting the siege.

Other areas more significant for screening purposes were either
reforested or allowed to grow over in order to save vista maintenance
costs. As maintenance costs increased over time, less of the historic
area was maintained as originally prescribed. Today, much of the park is
composed of a typical southern oak-hickory hardwood forest. Areas where
vista maintenance has decreased, or ceased altogether, early-to-middle
stages of successional growth are observed. In these areas, stands of
sweetgum and black locust are the predominant trees. Areas of historical
significance are maintained in an 1863 appearance. The vegetative regime
is that of some native grasses, but mostly non-native grasses." The RMP
is due to be updated soon after the GMP is brought up-to-date.

Finally, the park's 1974 Interpretive Prospectus specifically mentions
vegetative clearing to enable more accurate understanding of troop
movements, stations, and efforts: "Aside from actual reconstruction of
earthworks, judicious clearing of vegetation at strategic points will
help in understanding the battlefield. Clearing of vistas is proposed
at: Thayer's Approach to 26^th^ Louisiana Redoubt, Stockade Redan to
Ransom's Gun Path, and Fourth Ohio Battery to 26^th^ Louisiana Redoubt."

The need for action is due to the current condition of the park's
historic landscape. During the Siege of Vicksburg that occurred during
the Civil War, the area now encompassed by the park was mostly devoid of
woody vegetation due to the actions of the opposing armies. Trees were
either felled to provide materials for constructing defensive
fortifications, or to clear the line of fire between the combatants. In
the 1930s, vegetation was planted by the Civilian Conservation Corps and
allowed to fill in naturally as a means of combating erosion that had
become a problem in the years since the end of the war. However, the
greenery proved ineffective in reducing soil erosion and furthermore it
masked the trenches and ridgelines that the troops had used during the
Vicksburg siege. Thus the forest cover did and does severely impact the
accuracy of "condition(s) at the time of the battle" and the
interpretive potential of the landscape. Restoration of some additional
historically open areas that once dominated the view shed within the
park will enhance visitor understanding and appreciation of the
intricacies of siege operations at Vicksburg, as required by the
enabling legislation and specified in the GMP and Interpretive
Prospectus.

Vicksburg National Military Park recently received a donation of funds
sufficient to restore the historic landscape on 9.5 acres of land. A
stipulation of the donation was that it be used solely for the land
adjacent to the Texas Monument in an area of the park known as the
Railroad Redoubt. Therefore, this environmental assessment (EA) will
limit its examination of alternatives for restoring the battlefield to
the Railroad Redoubt Project Area. The terrain at this location is hilly
and covered with second-growth, mixed-hardwood forest. A small, linear
wetland stream, 500 feet in length and averaging three feet in width,
flows across the northern parcel (4.5 acres in size) and lies adjacent
to a short section of the southern parcel (5 acres in size). (The two
parcels are separated by the park tour road, and the stream traverses
the route via a culvert. See map located at the end of the document.)

**[Impact Topics]{.underline}**

There are a number of issues (or impact topics) that this EA will
examine in detail. In terms of this assessment, an "issue" arises when
there is a relationship (either positive or negative) between a proposed
course of action and a natural, cultural, or human resource. An issue
provides an alert as to what the natural resource consequences might be
if an action is taken, and provides an opportunity for further
investigation and explanation. As a result of internal scoping by an
interdisciplinary team of VNMP personnel, seven issues were identified
as being relevant to the proposed action's effect on the natural,
cultural, and human environment. They are:

**Cultural Resources (Cultural Landscape)**- This Impact Topic was
included because the project area itself is part of the park's overall
cultural landscape.

**Visitor Use and Experience**- This Impact Topic was included because
park visitors regularly travel the tour road which lies between the two
project area parcels, and their use and experience of the park will be
affected by whichever management scenario is chosen.

**Wildlife and Habitat (Including T&E)**- This Impact Topic was included
because the project area comprises a mixed-hardwood habitat for park
wildlife, and the implementation of any of three management scenarios
would affect the wildlife there in differing ways. The park also
includes state and federally-listed species which may or may not be
affected by what transpires at the project area.

**Vegetation (Including Exotics)**- This Impact Topic was included
because the various management scenarios being considered in this
document hinge on the amount of vegetation that will be left or removed
from the project area.

**Water Quality and Wetlands**- This Impact Topic was included because a
linear wetland exists within the project area and federal law
specifically addresses potential impacts to wetlands as a result of
federal actions.

**Soils**- This Impact Topic was included because the implementation of
any of the management scenarios under consideration would have an effect
on the relatively unique loess soils making up the terrain in the
project area.

**Park Operations**- This Impact Topic was include because the
implementation of any of the management scenarios under consideration
would have an influence on the workload of several of the divisions who
work to maintain the park on a day to day basis.

By instituting either of the action alternatives or the no-action
alternative, tangible effects would be discernable in the above areas of
concern.

Each will be discussed in much greater detail in the "**Impact Topics
and Affected Environment**" section of this document.

Seven other issues were considered but dismissed as not being relevant
to the proposed action's effect on the natural, cultural, and human
environment. They are:

**Public Health and Safety**- This Impact Topic was dismissed because
project execution will be short-lived, and the public will be excluded
from the project area for the duration of the alternative implementation
phase.

**Critical Habitat (For T&E Species)**- This Impact Topic was dismissed
because VNMP does not contain any critical habitat.

**Natural Soundscape**- This Impact Topic was dismissed because the
implementation of either of the action alternatives would be relatively
short-lived and not engender any significant or long-term noise
intrusions. (The project area lies adjacent to a working railroad track
and in proximity to a main city automobile thoroughfare.)

**Air Quality**- This Impact Topic was dismissed because the
implementation of either of the action alternatives would be relatively
short-lived. Also, the project area is less than ten acres in size and
lies adjacent to a working railroad line, and in proximity to one of the
city's main vehicular routes, so any additional degradation of air
quality as a result of project implementation could be expected to be
minimal at most.

**Wilderness**- This Impact Topic was dismissed because VNMP does not
contain any designated or potential wilderness.

**Paleontology**- This Impact Topic was dismissed because
paleontological resources had never been noted in the project area
before, and a recent formal and comprehensive archeological survey did
not bring any paleo resources to light either.

**Economic Effects**- This Impact Topic was dismissed because the
proposed project is limited in scope and implementation of any of the
alternatives under consideration would be very unlikely to affect the
local economy in any way.

Any action or inaction taken will either not change the condition of the
above issues as they pertain to the project area, or the effects will be
so transitory and negligible as to be insignificant. Institution of
either of the action alternatives or the no-action alternative would not
produce tangible effects in any of these areas.

> **2**. **ALTERNATIVES**

**Alternative 1 (No Action Alternative)-** **Railroad Redoubt Project
Area to Remain Wooded and Managed as a Natural Area**

Under this alternative, policies that have guided management in the past
for the Railroad Redoubt Project Area would remain unchanged. The 9.5
acres would be kept wooded and treated primarily as a natural, as
opposed to a historical, resource. The trenches and ridgelines and their
associated markers would remain hidden from view. Save for those few
visitors who venture into the thickly wooded tract with foreknowledge,
no one would know that this particular plot of land has special
historical significance. Being so, the interpretive potential of the
landscape will remain severely reduced, since visitors will not be able
to view the approaches to the Railroad Redoubt and thus gain an
appreciation for what the attackers had to overcome and the defenders to
offset. The landscape, laid bare by the opposing armies in 1863,
influenced much of the action at Vicksburg. To this day it remains a
prime historical resource for the park.

Though set aside to preserve and interpret the Civil War siege lines
around the city, Vicksburg National Military Park also contains
significant natural resources. Under the No Action alternative, a 500
foot length of linear wetland that traverses the project area would
retain a forested canopy, thus regulating the temperature of, and adding
organic matter to, the stream. (Since 2003, the park has ceased mowing
operations along an additional 450 feet of linear wetland stream located
in another area of the south loop.)

Soils in the park are composed of loess, a windblown glacial till, that
was deposited in the Vicksburg area to form the bluffs that helped make
it the "Gibraltar of the Confederacy" during the Civil War. The soil is
highly erodable, tending to "calve" vertically. In a natural, wooded
setting, rain will (over time) cause the loess to wash away in some
places and form deep ravines and gulleys. The use of modern, sod-forming
grasses that are not native to loess-dominated landscapes can keep this
erosion mostly in check by binding the soil with their fibrous root
systems. Under the No Action alternative, gulleying and erosion would
continue to slowly degrade the historic integrity of the project area.
Areas of the park that have been historically kept clear and planted
with sod-forming grasses, would continue to have erosion kept in check
to a large degree.

Migratory and resident songbirds that utilize thick hardwood forests
characteristic of the Mississippi River Valley would continue to live
and reproduce in the project area under the No Action alternative.
Grassland species would continue to favor the more maintained areas.

As a natural area, exotic plants that have invaded this area of
Mississippi since the end of the Civil War, such as kudzu, would be
monitored and eliminated under the No Action alternative within the
project area. (VNMP does not currently have a Vegetation Management Plan
\[VMP\] in place. A VMP is an implementation plan that tiers off of
overarching management plans such as General or Resource Management
Plans.

Since the park's GMP dates to the late 1970s, it is thought that it
would be better to have a current GMP in place before embarking on a
VMP. Thus park staff are currently using integrated pest management
techniques to remove populations of exotic plants that pose an immediate
threat to park resources on a case-by-case basis.)

Park operations in the project area currently consist of occasional
trimming where the woodline infringes upon the adjoining mowed area or
the tour road under the No Action alternative. The ratio of mowed to
un-mowed areas would not change.

**Alternative 2- Complete Battlefield Rehabilitation in Railroad Redoubt
Project Area with Compensation for Wetland Impacts Elsewhere**

Under this alternative, the 9.5 acre project area east of the Railroad
Redoubt would be cleared of vegetation and replanted with a sod-forming
grass, most likely Bermuda grass, to hold the soil in place. (Bermuda
grass \[Cynodon dactylon\] was introduced to the United States in the
mid-19'th Century, and is mentioned as being present in Vicksburg as
early as 1847 in historic correspondence. It has historically been used
by the park to prevent the historic terrain- earthworks, vistas, and the
like- from eroding away. So while technically a non-native species,
bermuda grass is "native" to the park's period of interpretation
\[1863\].) The work would be accomplished with the use of a
mini-crawler, a piece of heavy equipment capable of cutting through
second-growth forest. Chain saws and brush cutters would be used in any
spots that the bush hog was unable to reach. Remnant roots would be
grubbed out as needed. Grass seed would be sown immediately following
clearing of brush. In the time between sowing and germination of the
grass seed, a series of drift net fences would be placed parallel to the
500 foot wetland stream in order to prevent sedimentation of the
watercourse. Concurrent with this activity, mowing along a 645 foot
linear wetland area in another area of the park (below Ft. Hill) would
cease. This would allow vegetation to mature, thus eventually
compensating for the loss of an overhanging canopy along the Railroad
Redoubt stream. (In fact, it is precisely for this "compensatory" effect
that this alternative was devised. Per NPS Director's Order 77-1, which
addresses requirements set forth in Executive Order 11990- "Protection
of Wetlands", the NPS must either 1) avoid; 2) mitigate for; or 3)
compensate for, any impacts to wetlands under its jurisdiction.
Alternative 1 in this EA avoids any impacts to the wetland stream
present in the project area by taking no action and leaving things as
they are. Alternative 3, to be discussed subsequently, mitigates for
wetland impacts in the project area by preserving a riparian buffer all
along the stream. Hence this alternative, number 2, would achieve
compensation, over time, for the impacts to the wetland in the project
area by allowing a more than equal area of riparian vegetation to become
reestablished below Ft. Hill.) Approximately six acres of non-wetland
area would also be allowed to revegetate adjacent to the Ft. Hill
wetland. Combined with parcels in the South Loop of the park totaling 4
acres where mowing ceased in 2003 and 2004 in anticipation of cultural
landscape remediation, the revegetated areas would total 10 acres in
size. (This compensation will not be immediately "one for one" in a
temporal sense, in that it will take a period of time for the
revegetation areas to reach "maturity".

During this maturation period, there will be a net loss of older trees
which are valuable habitat for many animal species ranging from termites
to owls. Fortunately, conditions in Mississippi are excellent for plant
growth as evidenced by the forests that have become well-established
since the 1980s in formerly open areas of the park.)

The effect of instituting this alternative would be to restore much of
the historic integrity of the cultural landscape at the Railroad
Redoubt. The trenches and ridgelines, along with the historic markers
designating troop positions (within the northern parcel), would be
visible once again from the tour road and the actual redoubt itself. A
greater understanding of the siege, from both a defensive and an
offensive perspective, would be derived from being able to see the form
of the land in proximity to the Confederate fort, especially for those
who choose to walk the landscape. Along with understanding would come an
appreciation for what the soldiers of both sides endured for forty-seven
days of siege operations.

Under this alternative, the wildlife associated with this habitat would
be negatively impacted with the conversion of a mixed-hardwood forest to
a maintained, grass area. (This is because a monoculture of one grass
species provides neither structural nor compositional heterogeneity,
thereby limiting microhabitats and food sources which a layered,
multi-species habitat provides.) However, there is similar, forested
habitat adjacent to the 9.5 acre project area (including 4 acres of new
revegetation), and approximately six acres of previously mowed area
would be allowed to revegetate at an area below Fort Hill. This newly
wooded land would begin to provide habitat for forest-dependent wildlife
within only a few years of the cessation of mowing. In addition, the
plot of land below Ft. Hill is within sight of the Yazoo River and
adjoining bayous while simultaneously being proximate to the bluffs on
the east side of the river. This makes it particularly valuable as
wildlife habitat as there is one threatened bird species which utilizes
the park on a transitory basis, and one endangered bird species which
occurs in the surrounding county. Both of these species benefit from
either bluff or wetland habitat.

As this alternative calls for the clearing of standing vegetation within
the Railroad Redoubt Project Area, all of the exotic species currently
growing in this area would be removed as a consequence. This would
include a kudzu infestation which covers a large portion of this site.
As a mowed area, the restored landscape would keep kudzu and other
exotic plants from reestablishing. In the newly revegetated area below
Ft. Hill and elsewhere, monitoring for exotic plants would be
established, and any infestations treated expeditiously.

The 500 foot linear wetland that traverses the project area is so
delineated by virtue of its hydrology. That is, standing/flowing water
is present for a significant portion of the growing season. The forested
stream also benefits from the overhanging vegetation. The stream's
temperature is moderated and organic matter falling into the stream
provides food and habitat for invertebrate fauna, which form an integral
part of the food web. (It should be noted that the stream is actually a
northern tributary of Stout's Bayou, which is located outside of the
park. The headwaters of the tributary abut a railroad grade adjacent to
the project area. The railroad sprays herbicides along the track
right-of-way and may be negatively impacting the tributary stream to an
unknown extent. An inventory of aquatic invertebrate fauna and water
quality testing specific to this stretch of water would be needed to
quantify any existing degradation.) Under this alternative, there is a
possibility of erosion of the loess soil due to removal of the forest
resulting in sedimentation of the stream before sod-forming grasses
could become established. Such stream turbidity would be mitigated with
the placement of a series of parallel drift net fencing along and uphill
from the stream. This fencing material would capture most of the soil
that is washed down off the slopes before grasses are able to germinate
and mature. The loss of overhanging canopy under this alternative would
be compensated for by the eventual regeneration of a forested, 645 ft.
wetland stream in the 6 acre compensation plot located below Ft. Hill.

The highly erodable loess soil that is present throughout the park
naturally forms ravines and gulleys within the taproot-dominated forests
of the lower Mississippi River Valley. (Taproots are less effective at
holding soil in place than fibrous root systems.) Over time, persistent
erosion would necessarily alter a historic landscape that is intended by
the park's enabling legislation to be a moment frozen in time. Under
this alternative, the clearing of forest and the planting of sod-forming
grasses would help to keep the soil in place and thus better preserve
the landscape as it appeared in 1863.

Park operations under this alternative would remain unchanged in total.
The extra maintenance responsibilities at Railroad Redoubt would be
offset by the cessation of mowing and maintenance below Ft. Hill and
elsewhere.

**Alternative 3 (Park Preferred Alternative)- Partial Battlefield
Rehabilitation in Railroad Redoubt Project Area with Mitigation for
Wetland Impacts**

Under this alternative, native trees with a diameter-at-breast-height
(dbh) of four feet or greater would not be removed (providing they did
not significantly interfere with viewing the landscape; that is, the
height, girth, and location of the tree does not block a view of a
monument, marker, or trench line as seen from the tour road or the
Railroad Redoubt); and a fifty-foot wide riparian "buffer" strip of
vegetation would be preserved along each side (totaling 100 feet in
width) of the linear, forested wetland, where trees and brush up to
twenty feet in height (measured along the stream bank within the 50-foot
buffer) would be allowed to grow. The twenty-foot height criterion comes
from a digital elevation model (DEM) produced for the park by the NPS
Southeast Regional Office. This model showed that the wetland stream
existed at the lowest point within the project area, and was mostly
confined to a ravine that averaged twenty feet in height. It was thought
that by allowing trees as tall as twenty feet, as measured from the
bottom of the stream, to remain standing in a 100 ft. swath along the
creek, not only would the wetland functions of the watercourse be
preserved, but that this remaining strip of vegetation would for the
most part remain unobtrusive in relation to the rest of the cleared
landscape. (As individual trees grew beyond the twenty feet mark and
intruded upon the historic scene, they would be removed as time allowed.
All native species that remain under the twenty feet mark would not be
interfered with.) Some of the more common species growing in the project
area are: white oak (Quercus alba), sweetgum (Liquidambar styraciflua),
sycamore (Platanus occidentalis), and a non-native plant- Chinese privet
(Ligustrum sinense). The reason that park staff decided upon a "cut-off"
of four feet dbh for trees not to be cut was simply because these trees
are the most impressive specimens on-site, and may possibly date to the
CCC era of tree-planting in the park. Primarily for aesthetic reasons,
the park saw no reason for taking out these lone specimens, provided
they did not negatively detract from the historic scene. There are
approximately fifteen such trees within the project area. This
alternative would thus provide an option between the extremes of not
clearing and completely clearing the project area. At the same time,
impacts to the wetland would be mitigated, rather than avoided
completely or partially compensated for elsewhere. A less-than-complete
restoration of the historic scene would still give visitors a much
better comprehension of what the terrain was like during the Union siege
of the city than they have now. From a natural resource perspective,
maintaining a riparian corridor along the stream would preserve habitat
for the majority of species which inhabit the project area, as they tend
to concentrate near the water source. (The stream maintains at least a
shallow flow of water throughout the growing season, based upon the
observations of park staff. It is this criterion, in fact, that provides
the main justification for identifying the stream as a wetland.)
Conversely, most of the wooded wildlife habitat upland from the stream
would be removed under this alternative, while the trees and low-lying
vegetation that are allowed to remain will detract from the historical
accuracy of the cultural landscape.

The portion of the project area that would be cleared of woody
vegetation under this (as well as the preceding) alternative would
necessarily be subjected to a certain amount of heavy equipment traffic
and disturbance. Every effort would be made, though, to keep the traffic
and disturbance to a minimum. For instance, during tree removal a
backhoe would dig a short, shallow trench around the trunk of the tree,
and the bucket of the rig would be used to push the tree over. This
technique minimizes the size of the root ball and eliminates the need
for stump removal. The downed tree would be lifted out of the ground,
minimizing soil disturbance, and the excavated soil backfilled into the
depression. (An archeologist would also be posted on-site to halt
excavation activities if any cultural artifacts came to light.)

As most of the vegetation within the 9.5 acre project area would be
maintained as a managed grassland, it will require increased maintenance
which will have a negative effect on park operations. (The park has
recently set aside various other tracts totaling four acres on the South
Loop as revegetation sites, which would help compensate for the extra
mowing duties at Railroad Redoubt under this alternative. One of the
tracts contains a 450 foot linear wetland that is in the process of
regaining its full functionality due to the revegetation occurring along
its length.) Concurrently, the conversion of much of the woodland to
sod-forming grass will have a beneficial effect on the rate of erosion
within the vista. Not only will the grass' fibrous root system hold more
of the loess soil in place (thus conserving the historic terrain), but
any soil that does erode will be largely prevented from entering the
stream by the riparian buffer strip. The water quality (as measured by
turbidity levels) of the wetland stream would accordingly be expected to
improve under this alternative. (During the interval between upslope
clearing and germination of the grass seed, drift-net fencing or some
other appropriate technology would be utilized to prevent soil from
washing down into the riparian zone and possibly into the stream. The
terrain in the project area contains ravines and slopes approaching 45%
in steepness, so post-clearing stabilization of the soil and erosion
mitigation is a priority.) The grass species traditionally used at the
park to provide a plant cover in areas that have been cleared of their
woody vegetation is Bermuda grass (Cynodon dactylon). From the park's
establishment in 1899 until the 1930s, no attempt was made to revegetate
the battlefield, in order to keep it looking much as it did during the
1863 siege. But once erosion of the bare soil became a significant
problem, many acres were replanted to forest. However, in areas where
cleared vistas were preserved, park staff relied upon Bermuda (and other
biologically non-native species) to keep the historic scene from
literally eroding away. Bermuda has the distinction of at least being
extant in the Vicksburg area during the Civil War, but the park has over
the years researched other species that are biologically (as well as
historically) native to the region for their usefulness as a quality
ground cover. Up until now, no truly native species have been found that
are as effective at erosion control as Bermuda, but the park intends to
make a renewed effort nonetheless in order to ensure the battlefield
remains as historically accurate as possible.

An infestation of kudzu vine has overtaken a significant portion of the
Railroad Redoubt project area. Any action to clear vegetation will have
a beneficial impact on the effort to combat this exotic plant. Since a
partial clearing approach seeks to leave only particular trees and
streamside vegetation, most of the kudzu within the project area will
necessarily be eliminated under this alternative. (Any kudzu growing
along the stream will be taken out as a normal consequence of park
exotic plant management policies.)

[Environmentally Preferred Alternative]{.underline}

The National Park Service is required to identify the environmentally
preferred alternative for any of its proposed projects. This alternative
must promote the national environmental policy expressed in NEPA
(Section 101 (b)). This includes alternatives that:

1)  fulfill the responsibilities of each generation as trustee of the
    environment for succeeding generations;

2)  ensure for all Americans safe, healthful, productive, and
    esthetically and culturally pleasing surroundings;

3)  attain the widest range of beneficial uses of the environment
    without degradation, risk of health or safety, or other undesirable
    and unintended consequences;

4)  preserve important historic, cultural, and natural aspects of our
    national heritage and maintain, wherever possible, an environment
    that supports diversity and variety of individual choice;

5)  achieve a balance between population and resource use that will
    permit high standards of living and a wide sharing of life's
    amenities; and

6)  enhance the quality of renewable resources and approach the maximum
    attainable recycling of depletable resources.

In essence, the environmentally preferred alternative would be the one
that "causes the least damage to the biological and physical
environment; it also means the alternative which best protects,
preserves, and enhances historic, cultural, and natural resources" (DOI,
2001).

In this case, Alternative 3 is the environmentally preferred alternative
for Vicksburg NMP since it best meets goals 2, 3, and 4 described above.
Under this alternative, important cultural resources identified in the
park's enabling legislation (the cultural landscape) would be protected
and interpreted through limited clearing, while at the same time
valuable wildlife habitat (namely a wetland) would be maintained in a
natural condition. This alternative best protects and helps preserve the
historic, cultural, and natural resources in the park for current and
future generations.

3.  **ENVIRONMENTAL ANALYSIS OF IMPACTS TO THE AFFECTED ENVIRONMENT**

**[Cumulative Impacts]{.underline}**

The cumulative effects analysis of this environmental assessment
considers the past, present, and reasonably foreseeable future actions
on land use that could add to (intensify) or offset (compensate for) the
effects on the resources examined by the various alternatives.
Cumulative effects vary by resource and the geographic area considered
here is the park as a whole. In some instances, activities may result in
both negative and positive impacts when considering the short and
long-terms.

The reason that this proposed federal action is being considered is the
result of the past history of historic landscape maintenance at
Vicksburg NMP. When the park was established in 1899 (under the War
Department), its 1,200 acres closely resembled the terrain and
vegetative pattern as it had been during the 1863 siege. That is, it was
mostly clear of woody vegetation, save for the more deep ravines that
had retained their cover. The War Department staff managed to keep the
1,200 acre military preserve mostly clear of trees until the park was
transferred to the National Park Service (NPS) in 1933. By that time,
erosion of the cleared land had begun to take its toll. The NPS thus
arranged for four Civilian Conservation Corps crews to be based at the
park during the next eight years. In an effort to combat erosion, these
crews planted nearly 800 acres of trees throughout Vicksburg NMP. By
1965 the park had been expanded to nearly 1,800 acres, including lands
acquired during a property exchange with the City of Vicksburg. Park
staff was still able to keep well over 600 acres of historic landscapes
in a cleared condition. (Park staff planted sod-forming grasses in the
vistas, which made it possible to keep the cleared areas from eroding
away once they were planted in grass.) In the early 1980s, though,
falling budget allocations to the NPS resulted in less funding being
available for staff and equipment. The amount of land in the park that
was able to be kept clear of woody vegetation decreased to its present
area of 600 acres.

In 1998 park staff made a decision to return a portion of the park to
its pre-1933 appearance using base funding. This was accomplished in two
areas: on the South Loop a thirteen acre parcel and on the north loop a
five acre section in the vicinity of the Louisiana Monument were cleared
of their tree cover. To help counteract the impact of this clearing, and
to improve the vegetative screen between the core park and the
surrounding community, the park allowed two acres of land to revegetate
in the vicinity of the north/south tour loop intersection.

In 2003 and 2004, 14 distinct parcels of land within the South Loop were
identified and marked as revegetation areas. These 14 parcels total 4
acres in size, and include 450 feet of linear wetland. There is also a
potential 6.3 acre revegetation area at Ft. Hill which is being
considered under Alternative 2. (The linear wetland at Ft. Hill measures
645 feet, 145 longer than the 500 foot wetland at Railroad Redoubt.)

Also in 2003, the park proceeded under a categorical exclusion to NEPA
to clear approximately 3,600 linear feet (or .83 acre) of trails that
had become overgrown since the 1980s. These trails, which include 100
feet of the Old Jackson Rd., lead to historic markers, monuments, and
trench lines located within wooded areas of the park. (The trails
average six feet in width.)

In 2004 the park instituted a preventative maintenance project directly
behind the park's ranger cache. This project, also categorically
excluded under NEPA, affected .3 acres of land which was cleared of its
vegetative cover. This was done to prevent landslides and tree-fall from
negatively impacting the physical structure of the cache.

Vicksburg NMP has a legislated additional acreage cap of 118 acres. The
areas under this cap that the park has (8 acres) or could potentially
acquire in the future would be mostly woodland. (These areas have not
yet been surveyed and it's possible that they may contain wetland
habitat.)

One project that may occur in the future if funding becomes available
would impact 1.58 acres of woodland (including .08 acres of wetland)
between the national cemetery and Mint Spring Bayou. This project would
prevent the further erosion of the bluff above the bayou that is
severely eroding into the cemetery.

So to summarize briefly, the park has taken or proposed several actions
in recent years, dating to 1998, that may add or detract from the
effects of instituting any of the alternatives considered in this EA. In
the past six years the above-mentioned projects have resulted in
nineteen acres of park land being cleared of woody vegetation. Within
the same time period, however, fourteen acres of park land have been
allowed to naturally revegetate. If either of the EA action alternatives
is adopted, upwards of ten acres would be cleared, bringing the total
acres cleared since 1998 to about thirty. Alternative 2, though, would
bring six more acres into passive revegetation, thereby upping the
revegetation figure to about twenty. Each individual clearing or
revegetation project proposed or accomplished within the boundaries of
the park adds or subtracts to the total amount of wooded vs. maintained
acreage within the park as a whole. The effects of these projects
accumulate, for better or worse, and their combined impact is greater
than any impact any of the projects could have if considered solely on
an individual basis.

Finally, as the park is mandated through its enabling legislation to
"...restor(e) the field to its condition at the time of the battle,..."
and "...to restore the forts and the lines of fortification, the
parallels and the approaches of the two armies, or so much thereof as
may be necessary to the purposes of this park..." the park staff, in an
effort to improve interpretation of the park, may consider a more
complete landscape clearing (upwards of 600 acres) between the historic
Union and Confederate lines (between present day Union and Confederate
Avenues) in the future. This EA, which addresses a 9.5 acre clearing,
will help to identify and elucidate some of the issues, concerns and
potential mitigation measures that would arise if and when the park
considers a more comprehensive landscape clearing operation.

**[Impact Topic Threshold Definitions]{.underline}**

Specific impact definitions apply to each of the impact topics addressed
in this environmental assessment. The definitions are defined in terms
of intensity (negligible, minor, moderate, and major) and duration
(short-term and long-term). Detailed descriptions of each impact
definition as it relates to its corresponding impact topic are presented
below:

**Cultural Resources (Cultural Landscape)**

[Negligible]{.underline}: The effect is at the lowest levels of
detection- barely perceptible and not measurable.

[Minor]{.underline}: The impact does not affect the character-defining
features of a National Register of Historic Places(NRHP)-eligible or
listed structure, district, or cultural landscape.

[Moderate]{.underline}: For a NRHP-eligible or listed structure,
district, or cultural landscape, the impact changes a character-defining
feature(s) of the resource but does not diminish the integrity of the
resource to the extent that its National Register eligibility is
jeopardized.

[Major]{.underline}: For a NRHP-eligible or listed structure, district,
or cultural landscape, the impact changes a character defining
feature(s) of the resource, diminishing the integrity of the resource to
the extent that it is no longer eligible to be listed in the National
Register.

[Duration]{.underline}: Short-term- Effects on the natural elements of a
cultural landscape may be comparatively short-term (e.g., 3 to 5 years)
until new vegetation grows or historic plantings are restored.

Long-term- Because most cultural resources are non-renewable, any
effects on archeological, historic, or ethnographic resources, and on
most elements of a cultural landscape, would be long-term.

**Visitor Use and Experience**

[Negligible]{.underline}: Visitors would not be affected, or changes in
visitor use and/or experience would be below or at the level of
detection. Any effects would be short-term. The visitor would not likely
be aware of the effects associated with the alternative.

[Minor]{.underline}: Changes in visitor use and/or experience would be
detectable, although the changes would be slight. The visitor would be
aware of the effects associated with the alternative, but the effects
would be slight.

[Moderate]{.underline}: Changes in visitor use and/or experience would
be readily apparent. The visitor would be aware of the effects
associated with the alternative and would likely be able to express an
opinion about the changes.

[Major]{.underline}: Changes in visitor use and/or experience would be
readily apparent and have important consequences. The visitor would be
aware of the effects associated with the alternative and would likely
express a strong opinion about the changes.

[Duration]{.underline}: Short-term- Effects occur only during project
implementation activities.

Long-term- Effects extend beyond project implementation activities.

**Wildlife and Habitat (Including T&E)**

[Negligible]{.underline}: Terrestrial wildlife and their habitats would
not be affected or the effects would be at or below the level of
detection and would not be measurable or of perceptible consequence to
wildlife populations.

[Minor]{.underline}: Effects to wildlife or habitat would be measurable
or perceptible, but localized within a small area. While the mortality
of an individual animal might occur, the viability of wildlife
populations would not be affected and the community, if left alone,
would recover.

[Moderate]{.underline}: A change to terrestrial wildlife populations or
habitat would occur over a relatively large area. The change would be
readily measurable in terms of abundance, distribution, quantity, or
quality of population. Mitigation measures would be necessary to offset
adverse effects, and they would likely be successful.

[Major]{.underline}: Effects to terrestrial wildlife populations or
habitat would be readily apparent, and would substantially change
wildlife populations over a large area in and out of the national park.
Extensive mitigation would be needed to offset adverse effects, and the
success of mitigation measures could not be assured.

[Duration]{.underline}: Short-term- Recovers in less than 1 year.

Long-term- Takes more than 1 year to recover.

**Vegetation (Including Exotics)**

[Negligible]{.underline}: Individual native plants may occasionally be
affected, but measurable or perceptible changes in plant community size,
integrity, or continuity would not occur.

[Minor]{.underline}: Effects to native plants would be measurable or
perceptible, but would be localized within a small area. The viability
of the plant community would not be affected and the community, if left
alone, would recover.

[Moderate]{.underline}: A change would occur to the native plant
community over a relatively large area that would be readily measurable
in terms of abundance, distribution, quantity, or quality. Mitigation
measures to offset/minimize adverse effects would be necessary and would
likely be successful.

[Major]{.underline}: Effects to native plant communities would be
readily apparent, and would substantially change vegetative community
types over a large area, inside and outside the park. Extensive
mitigation would be necessary to offset adverse effects and their
success would not be assured.

[Duration]{.underline}: Short-term- Recovers in less than 1 year after
project completion.

Long-term- Takes more than 1 year after project completion to recover.

**Water Quality and Wetlands**

[Negligible]{.underline}: Impacts would not be detectable. Water quality
parameters would be well below all water quality standards for the
designated use of the water. Both quality and quantity of flows would be
within historical conditions.

[Minor]{.underline}: Impacts would be measurable, but water quality
parameters would be well within all water quality standards for the
designated use. Both quality and quantity of flows would be within the
range of historical conditions.

[Moderate]{.underline}: Changes in water quality would be readily
apparent, but water quality parameters would be within all water quality
standards for the designated use. Water quality or flows would be
outside historic baseline on a limited time and space basis. Mitigation
would be necessary to offset adverse effects, and would likely be
successful.

[Major]{.underline}: Changes in water quality would be readily
measurable, and some quality parameters would periodically be
approached, equaled, or exceeded. Flows would be outside the range of
historic conditions, and could include flow cessation or flooding.
Extensive mitigation measures would be necessary and their success would
not be assured.

[Duration]{.underline}: Short-term- Following implementation activities,
recovery would take less than 1 year.

Long-term- Following implementation activities, recovery would take
longer than 1 year.

**Soils**

[Negligible]{.underline}: Soils would not be affected or the effects to
soils would be below or at the lower levels of detection. Any effect to
soil productivity or fertility would be slight and would return to
normal shortly after project implementation activities.

[Minor]{.underline}: The effects to soils would be detectable, but
likely short-term. Effects to soil productivity or fertility would be
small. If mitigation was needed to offset adverse effects, it would be
relatively simple to implement and would likely be successful.

[Moderate]{.underline}: The effect on soil productivity or fertility
would be readily apparent, long-term, and result in a change to the soil
character over a relatively wide area.

[Major]{.underline}: The effect on soil productivity or fertility would
be readily apparent, long-term, and substantially change the character
of the soils over a large area in and out of the park. Mitigation
measures to offset adverse effects would be needed, extensive, and their
success would not be guaranteed.

[Duration]{.underline}: Short-term- Recovery upon project completion
would take less than 1 year.

Long-term- Recovery upon project completion would more than 1 year.

**Park Operations**

[Negligible]{.underline}: Park operations would not be affected or the
effect would be at or below the lower levels of detection, and would not
have an appreciable effect on park operations.

[Minor]{.underline}: The effects would be detectable but would be of a
magnitude that would not have an appreciable adverse or beneficial
effect on park operations. If mitigation were needed to offset adverse
effects, it would be relatively simple and likely successful.

[Moderate]{.underline}: The effects would be readily apparent and would
result in a substantial change in park operations in a manner noticeable
to staff and the public. Mitigation measures would probably be necessary
to offset adverse effects and would likely be successful.

[Major]{.underline}: The effects would be readily apparent and would
result in a substantial change in park operations in a manner noticeable
to staff and the public and be markedly different from existing
operations. Mitigation measures to offset adverse effects would be
needed, would be extensive, and their success could not be guaranteed.

[Duration]{.underline}: Short-term- Effects occur only during project
implementation activities.

Long-term- Effects extend beyond project implementation activities.

**Cultural Resources (Cultural Landscape)**

Affected Environment-

The park is listed in the National Register of Historic Places. It is
one of the most densely monumented battlefields in the world, with 1,330
monuments, markers, tablets, and plaques dotting the historic landscape.
The park also preserves nine historic fortifications; over twenty miles
of original and reconstructed trenches, approaches, and parallels;
fifteen historic bridges; seven historic buildings; 153 cannon; the
U.S.S. Cairo gunboat; and the Vicksburg National Cemetery. Six hundred
fifty-nine park structures are presently included on the List of
Classified Structures. Three cultural landscapes and a component
landscape are listed in the Cultural Landscapes Automated Inventory
Management System.

A park-wide formal and comprehensive archeological survey has never been
undertaken, but for this proposed project the area in question was
surveyed for archeological resources in July and August of 2004 by
personnel from the NPS Southeast Archeological Center (SEAC), with the
aid of park staff and volunteers. The survey concentrated on the five
acres of land below Railroad Redoubt, and employed a metal detecting
strategy. Approximately 275 artifacts were detected, removed, and their
location recorded with a Global Positioning System unit. The majority of
the artifacts consisted of three-ring Minie balls, along with artillery
shell fragments, sabot fragments, and round shot. The artifacts found
tended to confirm what was already known about the history of the site.
SEAC personnel will perform a more complete analysis on the type and
location of artifacts and provide a report to the park. SEAC also
suggested that it be allowed to post an archeologist at the site during
the actual tree removal, due to the fact that culturally significant
artifacts may be present that were too deeply buried to found with
standard metal detectors.

The action at the Railroad Redoubt (a redoubt is a square-shaped, and in
the case of Vicksburg, an earthen, fort) was very significant during the
course of the siege. It was the only place in the Confederate defenses
where Union troops actually penetrated the lines, although temporarily.
The action happened on the morning of May 22, 1863. The Confederates
(specifically troops from Alabama and Texas) had constructed the fort in
order to protect the Southern Railroad of Mississippi. Troops from
Illinois and Iowa succeeded in forcing out the defenders for a time and
planting the Stars and Stripes upon the fort until being forced to
retreat by counterattacking Rebels in savage hand-to-hand combat. The
fort still exists to this day, and monuments and plaques are placed
north of the tour road to show the routes of approach and extent of
penetration of the Union troops as well as the positions of the
Confederate defenders.

Environmental Consequences-

[Alternative 1- No Action]{.underline}

Under the No Action Alternative moderate, long-term negative impacts to
the park's cultural landscape would continue. Thick stands of
second-growth woody vegetation will continue to mask the landscape
features (the markers, monuments, trench lines, and natural ravines)
that tell the story of the Union assault on the Confederate Railroad
Redoubt. Soil erosion will continue unabated and undetected, resulting
in a further deterioration of the cultural landscape. The interpretive
potential of a cleared landscape to illuminate history will not be
realized, resulting in a reduced understanding of the Siege of Vicksburg
on the part of the visiting public. Also, the park will be less able to
meet its legislated goal of restoring the battlefield to a semblance of
its wartime appearance.

[Alternative 2]{.underline}

Under Alternative 2 moderate, long-term positive impacts to the park's
cultural landscape would be achieved. By removing the overlying,
non-historical vegetative cover, cultural landscape features (markers,
monuments, trench lines, and natural ravines) that tell the story of the
Union assault on the Confederate Railroad Redoubt would be revealed.
(Areas immediately surrounding the monuments and historic earthworks
would be cleared by hand to prevent damage from heavy equipment.
Historic cast iron tablets would be removed from the area to prevent
their being damaged by falling limbs and trees. Park cultural resources
personnel would conduct site surveys before, during, and after the
project to ensure that there was no damage to cultural resources. All
work would be done under the supervision of NPS maintenance and cultural
and natural resources management personnel.) Park staff would have an
enhanced ability to detect and correct any erosion that occurs. The
interpretive potential of a cleared landscape to illuminate history
would be realized, resulting in a greater understanding of the Siege of
Vicksburg on the part of the visiting public. In addition, the park
would be better able to meet its legislated goal of restoring the
battlefield to a semblance of its wartime appearance.

[Alternative 3- Preferred Alternative]{.underline}

Under the Preferred Alternative minor, long-term positive impacts to the
park's cultural landscape would be realized. Clearing most of the 9.5
acres within the project area of trees and shrubs would help to unmask
most of the landscape features (markers, monuments, trench lines, and
natural ravines). For those overlooking the battleground from higher
vantage points, the riparian zone would be mostly blocked from view by
the depth of the twenty foot ravine and trees not being allowed to grow
beyond the twenty foot mark as measured along the stream bank within the
50 foot buffer. The interpretive potential of the partially cleared area
would thus be realized to a great extent, minimizing confusion and
misunderstanding on the part of the visitor as to what the condition of
the land was truly like during the siege. A negative, somewhat confusing
effect may be produced by not removing trees growing outside of the
ravine that meet the four foot or greater d.b.h. criterion, though these
trees will be chosen so as not to significantly interfere with the
historic vista. (That is, the height, girth, and location of the tree
will not block a view of a monument, marker, or trench line as seen from
the tour road or the R.R. Redoubt.)

*Conclusion*

The implementation of any of the alternatives would not impair cultural
resources or values that are (1) necessary to fulfill specific purposes
identified in the enabling legislation of the park, (2) key to the
natural or cultural integrity of the park or opportunities for enjoyment
of the park, and (3) identified as a goal in the park's General
Management Plan or other Park Service planning documents.

The implementation of any of the alternatives would result in cumulative
impacts to the park's cultural landscape by influencing the ratio of
wooded to non-wooded acres throughout the park. At present there are
approximately 1,200 forested acres and 600 mowed acres. 4 acres are
currently undergoing natural revegetation within the South Loop, while
the park is in the process of clearing 3,600 linear feet of
marker/monument/trenchline trails. VNMP has recently acquired eight
acres of land which is being kept or restored to a wooded condition. At
the same time 1.6 acres of clearing has also been approved below the
cemetery wall in the Mint Spring ravine. (For a discussion of the
impacts to and potential impairment of wildlife resources due to the
clearing of forested habitat, please see the "Affected Environment" and
"Environmental Consequences" sections under "Wildlife and Habitat"
further along in this environmental analysis of impacts to the affected
environment. For a discussion of the potential impairment of water
quality due to reducing the extent of riparian habitat, please see the
"Affected Environment" and "Environmental Consequences" sections under
"Water Quality and Wetlands" further along in this environmental
analysis of impacts to the affected environment.)

Cultural Compliance-

Cultural compliance under Section 106 of the National Historic
Preservation Act was completed for this project in May of 2003. It was
found that the proposed action met all conditions for a programmatic
exclusion under Stipulation IV of the 1995 Servicewide PA for Section
106 compliance. (Specifically Exclusion IV.B-1.) It was determined that
No Effect on Historic/Cultural Landscapes would occur. The proposed
action would have minimal effect on terrain only to the extent that tree
stumps would be removed and the ground surface smoothed to prevent
erosion and for the safe operation of mowing equipment. No known
cultural resources would be affected through the removal of non-historic
features (vegetation) from a historic setting.

**Visitor Use and Experience**

Affected Environment-

The main unit of Vicksburg NMP is nearly 1,800 acres in size and
contains, among other things, 1,330 historic monuments, markers,
tablets, and plaques; twenty miles of original and reconstructed
trenches and earthworks; a sixteen mile tour road; thirty-three miles of
hiking paths and trails; an antebellum home; 153 emplaced cannon; a
restored Union gunboat; a Visitor Center; and the Vicksburg National
Cemetery. Visitation to the park has been on the increase, with about a
million recorded visits in 2002. Historically, the number of visitors to
the park is lower in the fall and winter than in the spring and summer.
Of the total visitor count, at least 2,000 of those are "locals" who use
the park on a regular basis for exercise, walking, and jogging.

Environmental Consequences-

[Alternative 1- No Action]{.underline}

Under the No Action Alternative, impacts to visitors' use and experience
of the park would be negligible and long-term. The 9.5 acre project area
has been in a forested condition since the 1930s, well within the
lifetime of most of the "regular" users of the park. If the project area
remained wooded, this would not constitute a "change" on the part of the
local community. As noted, though, the experience of visitors coming to
the park for reasons of historical interpretation would continue to have
that experience negatively impacted over the long-term. This would be
especially true for those who realize or are aware that the condition of
the battlefield has changed dramatically over the years and no longer
resembles the landscape that existed in 1863. In addition, erosion that
is occurring under the cover of vegetation would remain undetected and
continue to negatively impact the cultural landscape. It may be possible
to mitigate the historically inaccurate condition of the landscape
through the use of on-the-spot or written interpretation that would help
explain the landscape alterations through the years.

[Alternative 2]{.underline}

Under Alternative 2 impacts to visitors' use and experience of the park
would be major and long-term. Whether or not these impacts would be
characterized as "positive" or "negative" would largely depend on
whether the visitor viewed the park as primarily a "cultural",
"natural", or "recreational" site. (The park contains many types of
resources, and people tend to value different resources with varying
degrees of intensity depending on individual preference.) The positive
and/or negative connotations of instituting Alternative 2 would be
highly subjective depending on the individual visitor's opinion(s).
Those who value the park primarily for its shaded paths and woodland
wildlife would feel negatively impacted by this alternative. Those who
value the park as a site of historical significance and interpretive
potential would be positively impacted by this alternative.

[Alternative 3- Preferred Alternative]{.underline}

Under the Preferred Alternative impacts to visitors' use and experience
of the park would be moderate and long-term. Whether or not these
impacts would be characterized as "positive" or "negative" would largely
depend on whether the visitor viewed the park as primarily a "cultural",
"natural", or "recreational" site. The positive and/or negative
connotations of instituting Alternative 3 would be highly subjective
depending on the individual visitor's opinion(s). Those who value the
park primarily for its shaded paths and wildlife would be negatively
impacted by this alternative, though those negative feelings would be
somewhat ameliorated by the fact that a substantial riparian buffer zone
of vegetation had been left along the 500 ft. stream, along with most
trees possessing a d.b.h. of four feet or greater.

Those who value the park as a site of historical significance and
interpretive potential would be positively impacted by this alternative,
though those positive feelings would be somewhat reduced by the presence
of a remaining swath of trees, up to twenty feet in height rising from
the streambed, transecting the historically clear vista.

*Conclusion*

The implementation of any of the alternatives would not impair visitor
use and experience or those values that are (1) necessary to fulfill
specific purposes identified in the enabling legislation of the park,
(2) key to the natural or cultural integrity of the park or
opportunities for enjoyment of the park, and (3) identified as a goal in
the park's General Management Plan or other National Park Service
planning documents.

The implementation of any of the alternatives would result in cumulative
impacts to visitors' use and experience of the park. At present visitors
experience a park landscape that is approximately 1,200 acres forested
and 600 acres mowed. 4 acres are currently undergoing natural
revegetation within the South Loop, while the park is in the process of
clearing 3,600 linear feet of marker/monument/trenchline trails. VNMP
recently acquired eight acres of land which is being kept or restored to
a wooded condition. At the same time 1.6 acres of clearing has been
approved below the cemetery wall in the Mint Spring ravine.

**Wildlife and Habitat (Including T&E)**

Affected Environment-

A variety of wildlife resources inhabit the mixed-hardwood (oak
species-dominated), mesophytic forests and grasslands of Vicksburg NMP,
which is typical of the southeastern United States. The increase of
plant growth since the 1930s has supported the return of many species of
native fauna. These include ungulates, small mammals, birds, reptiles,
amphibians, and invertebrates. Some mammal species common to the area
are white-tailed deer (*Odocoileus virginianus*), red fox (*Vulpes
vulpes*), eastern cottontail rabbit (*Sylvilagus* *floridanus*), raccoon
(*Procyon lotor*), gray squirrel (*Sciurus carolinensis*), and beaver
(*Castor canadensis*). The wildlife of the park utilizes its forested
habitat for the food and shelter it provides. Forest species are in fact
reliant upon woodland resources in order to successfully survive and
reproduce, and will utilize every available ecological niche until the
carrying capacity of a particular habitat is reached. While the
conversion of a hardwood forest plot into a grassland is a change from
one habitat type to another, there are qualitative differences between
the two. A quality habitat contains structural and compositional
heterogeneity which provides for microhabitats and food sources which
support species diversity. A maintained grassland area consisting of one
grass species is a monoculture and not very biologically productive and
cannot be expected to support very many species.

There are no known federally listed wildlife species that reside within
the park; although one federally threatened (bald eagle \[*Haliaeetus
leucocephalus*\]) and one federally endangered (interior least tern
\[*Sternaantillarum* *athalassos*\]) bird species does utilize and may
utilize, respectively, the park on a transitory basis. (The bald eagle
has been observed in the vicinity of Ft. Hill; the RR Redoubt project
area itself is not considered to be appropriate habitat for either of
the federally listed species. While Ft. Hill is located on high bluffs
above the Yazoo River Diversion Canal, RR Redoubt is located two miles
inland away from the river. The Yazoo River and its adjoining Louisiana
bayous provide an abundant source of favored prey for the bald eagle. It
is in riverine and bluff habitat that bald eagles have been observed at
Vicksburg, and not on the south loop.) There are two state species of
concern that reside in the park. These are the Mississippi map turtle
(*Graptemys pseudogeographica*) and the alligator snapping turtle
(*Macrochelys* *temminckii*), though they have only been found in areas
of the park unassociated with the project area in question. There is
also one state species of concern that is known to inhabit Warren County
(the oldfield mouse \[*Peromyscus polionotus*\]), but as the park has
not yet instituted a mammal inventory (due to begin in late 2004), it is
uncertain whether or not this species resides in the park itself.

Environmental Consequences-

[Alternative 1- No Action]{.underline}

Under the No Action Alternative, impacts to wildlife and habitat would
be negligible and long-term. The 9.5 acre project area has been in a
forested condition since the 1930s and provides habitat for a variety of
woodland species. Of particular note is the 500 foot wetland stream that
transects the northern 4.5 acre parcel since it provides a microhabitat
for aquatic invertebrates and a water source for larger animals. Leaving
this land as it is would have no discernable impact on the resident
fauna since conditions would not be changing.

[Alternative 2]{.underline}

Under the Alternative 2 impacts to wildlife and habitat would be minor
and long-term. (Negative impacts would be more pronounced for species
that have small home ranges or territories since they would be less
likely to escape the effects of timber clearing.) The impacts would be
both negative and positive to park wildlife and habitat overall, since
under this alternative a nearly identically sized area as the Railroad
Redoubt vista clearing site would be allowed to revegetate at Ft. Hill
and various areas of the South Loop. (It must be noted that the areas
being allowed to revegetate will not provide for immediate, direct
compensation in a temporal sense for the areas being cleared. For
instance, the park has yet to complete a mammal inventory, so it is not
known at this time whether or not there are any species of
cavity-dwelling bats inhabiting the project area. But if there are, they
will obviously not be finding comparable roosting habitat at Ft. Hill
anytime in the near future. The older trees at Railroad Redoubt have
been growing for upwards of seventy years, so it will necessarily take
some time for the revegetation areas to reach maturity, though growing
conditions in this area of the country are relatively ideal.) The Ft.
Hill area contains a linear wetland of similar length as well. So while
the effects to terrestrial wildlife and habitat would be perceptible, it
would be localized within a relatively small area. Individual animal
mortality may occur if the species is not able to migrate to adjoining
forested areas, but the viability of wildlife populations would not be
affected. In addition, the two T&E avian species that are or may be
occasional transients within the park boundaries prefer either wetland
or bluff habitat, such as that found at and below Ft. Hill. The 6 acres
at Ft. Hill, if allowed to revegetate, would likely provide higher
quality wildlife habitat for these species over time than the nine and a
half acres proposed for tree removal at Railroad Redoubt, which is not
situated on a bluff nor in proximity to a major river.

[Alternative 3- Preferred Alternative]{.underline}

Under this alternative, the park would preserve and maintain the
existing riparian buffer along the stream as a part of current
management practice in accordance with NPS Management Policy 4.66. This
policy requires parks to protect steam processes, including habitat
features such as floodplains and riparian buffers. This would provide
habitat for wetland obligate invertebrate species (species which must
exist within a wetland habitat due to their particular biology) and some
cover for larger wildlife utilizing the water source (though the total
amount of wildlife would probably be lessened due to the reduction in
cover upland of the stream). Wetland species that require upland habitat
during their life cycle (such as some salamanders) that are not able to
reach other wooded areas may be negatively affected under this
alternative. Executive Order 13186 requires that federal agencies
examine the impacts of their proposed actions on migratory birds and
their habitat. The park is located in prime migratory bird habitat along
the Mississippi flyway. Neotropical songbirds, in particular, utilize
the thickly wooded, ravine and ridge habitat preserved in the park.
While this alternative would result in a loss of wooded habitat somewhat
less than 9.5 acres in size, it is a relatively small portion of the
park's 1,200 presently wooded acres, and thus would not be expected to
negatively impact migratory bird populations. The RR Redoubt project
area is not known to be utilized by, and is not thought to be
appropriate habitat for, the bald eagle, interior least tern,
Mississippi map turtle, or the alligator snapping turtle. The overall
effect of this alternative on wildlife and habitat would be perceptible,
though contained to a relatively small area given the total size of the
park. Individual animal mortality may occur, but the viability of
wildlife populations would not be affected.

*Conclusion*

The implementation of any of the alternatives would not impair wildlife
resources or values that are (1) necessary to fulfill specific purposes
identified in the enabling legislation of the park, (2) key to the
natural or cultural integrity of the park or opportunities for enjoyment
of the park, and (3) identified as a goal in the park's General
Management Plan or other National Park Service planning documents.

The implementation of any of the alternatives would result in cumulative
impacts to the wildlife and habitat of the park by influencing the ratio
of wooded to mowed acres, and thus affecting where a particular animal
species may be found. At present there are approximately 1,200 forested
acres and 600 "cleared" acres. 4 acres are currently undergoing natural
revegetation within the South Loop, while the park is in the process of
clearing 3,600 linear feet of marker/monument/trenchline trails. VNMP
has recently acquired eight acres of land which is being kept or
restored to a wooded condition. At the same time 1.6 acres of clearing
has been approved below the cemetery wall in the Mint Spring ravine.

**Vegetation (Including Exotics)**

Affected Environment-

The dominant vegetation within Vicksburg NMP can best be described as
mixed mesophytic oak/hickory forest interspersed with patches of
perennial grasses between one and three feet in height. Principle
hardwood trees are southern red oak (Quercus falcata) and white oak
(Quercus alba). Other common over-story trees are southern sugar maple
(Acer barbatum), basswood (Tilia americana), black oak (Quercus
velutina), bitternut hickory (Carya cordiformis), and northern red oak
(Quercus rubra). Common under story and shrub species are ironwood
(Carpinus caroliniana), dogwood (Cornus florida), redbud (Cercis
canadensis), pawpaw (Asimina triloba), sassafras (Sassafras albidum),
American hydrangea (Hydrangea arborescens), and oak-leaved hydrangea
(Hydrangea quercifolia). The common herbaceous species are Christmas
fern (Polystichum acrostichoides), rattlesnake fern ( Botrychium
virginianum), green trillium (Trillium viride), and bedstraw (Galium
aparine).

In a recent survey (1997), a total of 301 taxa representing 211 genera
and 95 families were identified within the confines of the park; these
include native, ornamental, and invasive exotic species. No federal or
state rare, threatened, or endangered plant species have been recorded
as of yet. There are at least eighty-three known exotic plant species
found within the park. While a good number of these include ornamental
species and pose no threat to the surrounding vegetative communities,
some introduced species out-compete native plants for space and water.
Others may also alter natural disturbance regimes and other ecological
processes, making it difficult or impossible for native species to
survive. The five invasive species that pose the greatest threat within
the park at this time are: kudzu (Pueraria lobata), johnsongrass
(Sorghum halepense), Chinaberry (Melia azedarach), Chinese privet
(Ligustrum sinense), and English ivy (Hedera helix).

Vicksburg NMP encompasses one of the few extant tracts of loess bluff
hardwood forest on public land in the United States. This loess hill
ecosystem borders the eastern edge of the lower Mississippi River Valley
from Cairo, Illinois to Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The loess soils at the
western edge of this ecosystem support unique hardwood forests.

In fact, these forests comprise an ecotone between the moist bottomland
hardwood forests within the Mississippi River floodplain and the more
well-drained upland pine forests of the east gulf coastal plain. Loess
bluff hardwood forest has become increasingly fragmented by development
and other land uses over the years.

Environmental Consequences-

[Alternative 1- No Action]{.underline}

Under the No Action alternative, impacts to vegetation would be
negligible and long-term. The 9.5 acre project area has been in a
forested condition since the 1930s. The most significant change to the
plant community structure in recent years has been the encroachment of
kudzu, Chinese privet, and other exotic plant species. Park management
works aggressively to contain and eliminate these botanical
infestations, particularly kudzu, which spreads prolifically. Under this
alternative these management actions would continue and allow for the
eventual re-growth of a native plant community in areas of former
infestation.

[Alternative 2]{.underline}

Under Alternative 2 impacts to vegetation would be major and long-term.
While the hardwood vegetative cover would be completely cleared and
re-planted with sod-forming grasses at Railroad Redoubt, a similar-sized
mowed area, combined between Ft. Hill and the South Loop parcels, would
be converted to forest land. Therefore the negative and positive impacts
to vegetation at the two different projects sites would tend to cancel
each other out, over time. The trees at Railroad Redoubt have been
growing for upwards of seventy years, and the areas being allowed to
revegetate will not reach a "mature" stage for a number of years.
Compensation, therefore, will not be "one for one" in a temporal sense
until that maturity level is reached. Fortunately, in Mississippi,
growing conditions are among the best in the country and it doesn't take
decades for hardwoods to become established. Another positive result of
this alternative is that the kudzu, Chinese privet, and other exotic
plant species currently present at Railroad Redoubt would be eliminated
from that site and kept from returning by a regular mowing regime.
Concurrently, any new exotic plant infestations cropping up at Ft. Hill
or elsewhere would be monitored and dealt with under the park's existing
exotic plant management program. (The park's vegetation management
program is being carried out without the benefit of a planning document
for the time being. The reason for this is that the park's General
Management Plan, from which a Vegetation Management Plan would derive,
dates from the late 1970s and is due to be updated. In the meantime,
park staff will continue to use integrated pest management techniques
when dealing with exotic plant species.)

[Alternative 3- Preferred Alternative]{.underline}

Under the Preferred Alternative impacts to vegetation would be moderate
and long-term. The impacts would be in large part negative since there
would be no "one-for-one" compensation for the area of cleared
vegetation as under Alternative 2 (other than the 4 acres of current
revegetation within the South Loop). Rather, this alternative would
mitigate the effects of wholesale hardwood vegetation removal within the
Railroad Redoubt project area by leaving a 100 ft. wide vegetated
riparian buffer solely along the 500 ft. long wetland stream, where
trees would be allowed to attain 20 foot heights as measured from the
stream bottom. Additionally, any tree with a dbh of four feet or greater
would be left standing throughout the project area, provided it did not
significantly detract from the historic vista or was not an exotic
species. The positive aspect of this is that some of the older, woody
timber would still be available as habitat even after the project has
gone through, and there would be no temporal interruption during which
new hardwood forest grew to maturity as in Alternative 2. Overall,
though, the majority of the trees and shrubby under story (including
exotics) throughout the project area would be permanently removed under
this alternative.

*Conclusion*

The implementation of any of the alternatives would not impair
vegetation resources or values that are (1) necessary to fulfill
specific purposes identified in the enabling legislation of the park,
(2) key to the natural or cultural integrity of the park or
opportunities for enjoyment of the park, and (3) identified as a goal in
the park's General Management Plan or other National Park Service
planning documents.

The implementation of any of the alternatives would result in cumulative
impacts to the park's vegetation, including exotic species, by
influencing the ratio of wooded to non-wooded acres. At present there
are approximately 1,200 forested acres and 600 mowed acres. 4 acres are
currently undergoing natural revegetation within the South Loop, while
the park is in the process of clearing 3,600 linear feet of
marker/monument/trenchline trails. VNMP recently acquired eight acres of
land which is being kept or restored to a wooded condition. At the same
time 1.6 acres of clearing has been approved below the cemetery wall in
the Mint Spring ravine.

**Water Quality and Wetlands**

Affected Environment-

The principal water body associated with Vicksburg NMP is the Yazoo
River Diversion Canal, which flows in a former riverbed of the
Mississippi River. The Yazoo River Diversion Canal runs adjacent to a
roughly one-half mile section of the northwestern corner of the park.
Although an official park-wide wetland inventory and delineation has yet
to be completed (funding has been obtained for an inventory in 2006),
there are two bayous, a twenty-acre bottomland hardwood forest, and at
least two streams that qualify as wetlands under the NPS interpretation
of the Cowardin (FWS) criteria (which are less stringent than other
agencies' interpretations, allowing for more areas to be managed as
wetlands). Several bayou tributaries and intermittent streams exist
within the park as well. Of the major watercourses, only one, Mint
Spring Bayou, exists entirely within the park. The others either
originate in the park and flow onto adjacent land, or transverse the
park and are subject to the effects of contamination originating
upstream from park boundaries. An ongoing monitoring study of the two
bayous has collected data on temperature, dissolved oxygen, pH, and
conductivity. To date, no unusual environmental contamination of the
bayous has been detected relative to the variables being measured.
Groundwater levels average 3.3 meters (10.9 feet) below the surface. One
of the park's wetland streams (a southwestern "branch" of Stout's Bayou)
has a 500 ft. section that originates within the Railroad Redoubt
project area.

Environmental Consequences-

[Alternative 1- No Action]{.underline}

Under the No Action alternative, impacts to water quality and wetlands
would be negligible and long-term. These impacts would be largely
positive. The 500 foot linear wetland stream that flows across the
northern 4.5 acre Railroad Redoubt parcel would continue to receive
abundant shade and organic material from the overhanging vegetative
canopy. However, stream siltation resulting from natural erosion off the
loess soil banks would continue to be at or below the lower levels of
detection. Since there would be no land clearing adjacent to the
wetland, and hence no unnatural infiltration of "fill material", a U.S.
Army Corps of Engineers 404 Permit would not be necessary. In addition,
the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality (MS DEQ) would not
require the drafting of a Storm Water Pollution Prevention Plan (SWPPP)
which they otherwise would if any clearing adjacent to the stream took
place. This particular stream, which originates within the project area,
has not been tested for water quality by the NPS. Contamination levels
though, if any, would not be affected by implementation of this
alternative.

[Alternative 2]{.underline}

Under Alternative 2 impacts to water quality and wetlands would be major
and long-term. These impacts would be both positive and negative. In the
Railroad Redoubt project area, the 500 foot linear wetland stream would
be majorly impacted by the removal of all the adjacent woody vegetation.
The stream would no longer be shaded, resulting in elevated water
temperature, and there would be a drastic reduction in the amount of
organic plant material coming into the stream ecosystem. (Exactly how
much organic material is added to the stream on a daily basis is unknown
and would require a long-term scientific study to produce a quantifiable
answer.) This would have a resultant deleterious effect on the as-of-yet
uninventoried microbiotic stream fauna, which could then ripple
throughout the food web. (This stream, a northern tributary of Stout's
Bayou, originates in the project area and has its headwaters adjacent to
a railroad right-of-way. Since the railroad sprays herbicide along its
tracks, there may be pre-existing degradation to the stream that has not
yet been quantified through water quality testing or inventories of
stream fauna.) Stream siltation and turbidity would improve with the
establishment of sod-forming grasses on the formerly wooded stream
banks, since the grass would tend to hold the loess soil in place better
than the forest root system. (This conclusion is based on the experience
of park maintenance staff and others who have worked and lived in
Vicksburg for over thirty years.) The impacts at the Railroad Redoubt,
both positive and negative, would be offset in almost equal measure by
the eventual re-growth of a hardwood forest along a 645 foot linear
wetland at Ft. Hill. (It would, of course, take a number of years for
the plant material at Ft. Hill to revegetate into a mature hardwood
forest stand. The compensatory effects of this revegetation would not be
immediately one-for-one in a temporal sense, though the time period to
achieve compensation would not be overly long due to the favorable
growing conditions in the deep south.) This wetland, which currently
receives no significant shade or organic matter influx, would benefit
from the renewed presence of native trees and shrubs along its course.
At the same time, its turbidity level may well increase as the trees
shade out the sod-forming grasses presently at the site. Since the
effects to the wetlands, both positive and negative, under this
alternative would be observable over a relatively large area and involve
land clearing and the potential discharge of "fill material" (erosion
from land clearing) into U.S. waters, a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers 404
Permit would be required. As well, a Storm Water Pollution Prevention
Plan would be required by the MS DEQ for similar reasons. Water quality,
in terms of permanent changes in temperature and turbidity, has already
been mentioned. If an alternative is chosen that includes any adverse
impacts to wetland/stream habitat (as this one potentially does), a
separate Statement of Findings would be prepared to accompany the final
EA that would document the rationale for favoring an alternative that
includes adverse impacts to these habitat types.

[Alternative 3- Preferred Alternative]{.underline}

Under the Preferred Alternative impacts to water quality and wetlands
would be moderate and long-term. The impacts would be largely positive.
Although the Railroad Redoubt project area would be cleared of most of
its woody vegetation, a 100 foot riparian buffer zone (fifty foot wide
on either side of the stream) would be left uncleared along the 500 foot
wetland stream specifically to mitigate for adverse impacts resulting
from the adjacent clearing operation. Trees up to twenty feet in height
as measured from along the stream bank would be left untouched. The
wooded buffer zone would provide shade and an organic material source
along the entire length of the stream. At the same time, the planting of
sod-forming grasses elsewhere in the project area would help keep the
erodable loess soil in place and out of the stream, thus improving water
clarity and quality. While the clearing of vegetation is taking place,
and prior to the establishment of a grassy cover, drift-net fencing or
the like would be placed along the entire length of the stream in
parallel rows to counteract erosion off of the temporarily bare soil.
Since this action would likely prevent any significant amount of eroded
soil ("fill material") from reaching the stream, this alternative would
not require a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers 404 Permit under the Clean
Water Act. As well, a Storm Water Pollution Prevention Plan would likely
be unnecessary, though that determination would ultimately be up to the
MS DEQ.

*Conclusion*

The implementation of any of the alternatives would not impair water
resources or values that are (1) necessary to fulfill specific purposes
identified in the enabling legislation of the park, (2) key to the
natural or cultural integrity of the park or opportunities for enjoyment
of the park, and (3) identified as a goal in the park's General
Management Plan or other National Park Service planning documents.

The implementation of any of the alternatives would result in cumulative
impacts to the park's water quality and wetlands by influencing the
total amount of wetlands being affected by vista clearing or
revegetation. Of the 4 acres undergoing natural revegetation within the
South Loop, .62 acres (450 linear feet) of that is wetland.
Concurrently, of the 1.6 acres of clearing approved for below the
cemetery wall in the Mint Spring ravine, .08 acres are considered
wetland.

**Soils**

Affected Environment-

The terrain of Vicksburg NMP is rolling, accentuated with narrow ridges
cut by deep, steep ravines and high bluffs along the Mississippi River.
It lies within the ten mile wide belt of hilly land that borders the
eastern escarpment of the Mississippi River alluvial valley. The area in
and around the park also coincides with some of the thickest deposits of
loess soil in the south. Loess is a wind deposited material comprised
primarily of silt with some fine sand and clay which forms layers
ranging from three to 200 feet thick. The loess originated as ground-up
sediment deposited in the Mississippi floodplain by retreating glaciers
during the late Pleistocene epoch. Westerly winds picked up and
deposited the fine sediment on the uplands just east of the floodplain.
The loess layer is thickest near the bluff edges and thins sharply as
one moves eastward. Loess is a yellowish-buff colored soil and is very
fertile because it is a product of mechanical disintegration rather than
chemical decomposition, so most of its nutrients are readily available
for plant consumption. When found on slopes, loess erodes easily. On
grades over twelve percent, this propensity to erode becomes severe.
Gullying is common on the steeper slopes, but can be ameliorated by a
perennial ground cover to prevent erosion. Loess possesses the unique
characteristic of being able to stand in nearly vertical cliffs.
Although it will stand in sharp cliffs for a long period of time, it is
highly erodable if the surface is disturbed in any other manner and not
followed by suitable soil stabilization. It was this erosion over time
that caused the formation of the hills and deep valleys in the Vicksburg
area, resulting in a natural fortress for the Confederate defenders.

[Alternative 1- No Action]{.underline}

Under the No Action alternative, impacts to soils would be moderate and
long-term. The impacts would be negative in light of soil's role as an
underlying component of the cultural landscape. Loess soil is highly
erodable, especially on slopes, and this is true even within context of
a heavily forested landscape. Evidence of this fact can be found
throughout the wooded areas of Warren County which are laced with steep
gulleys and ravines. This is a natural topography for this area. But the
purpose of the park is to preserve a moment in time when the land had a
particular configuration. This cultural landscape retains its integrity
only when it remains relatively unaltered from its 1863 appearance. When
natural processes such as erosion occur, the cultural resource becomes
negatively impacted. In order to arrest this literal erosion of the
cultural landscape, modern, sod-forming grasses with fibrous root
systems have been planted in other areas of the park. Areas planted with
these grasses have had their erosion rates drastically reduced. (It is
believed that the highly fibrous root system of sod-forming species such
as bermuda holds the notoriously fine loess soil particles in place
better than the larger roots of shrubs and trees.) Under this
alternative, no hardwood clearing and no planting of grasses would take
place, resulting in the natural process of erosion continuing to
negatively impact the cultural landscape at Railroad Redoubt.

[Alternative 2]{.underline}

Under Alternative 2 impacts to soils would be minor and long-term. These
impacts would be positive overall. At Railroad Redoubt a complete vista
clearing would result in the entire 9.5 acre area being subsequently
re-planted with a sod-forming grass (such as bermudagrass) that acts to
hold the loess soil in place by virtue of its highly fibrous root
system. Thus, erosion of the cultural landscape would be reduced, and
any gulleys that did form would immediately be visible and could be
attended to before they became injurious. Concurrently, the 6 acre area
below Ft. Hill would be allowed to grow back to a wooded condition. With
the eventual shading out of grasses, erosion rates could be expected to
increase over time. While this would be detrimental in terms of the
park's overall cultural landscape integrity, the area below Ft. Hill is
not as historically important to siege interpretation as is Railroad
Redoubt. From a natural resource standpoint, natural erosion increases
the amount of topographical microhabitats available for utilization by
park flora and fauna, though it can also lead to down-slope stream
turbidity (though usually not above "background" levels).

[Alternative 3- Preferred Alternative]{.underline}

Under the Preferred Alternative impacts to soils would be negligible and
long-term. As this alternative would result in the stabilization of the
majority of the 9.5 acre project area, the impacts are expected to be
positive. Save for a 100 foot zone of hardwood vegetation along the 500
foot linear wetland stream, sod-forming grasses would be planted
throughout the previously wooded site (with the exception of some of the
4 ft. or greater d.b.h trees left standing under this alternative). The
loess soil would be largely kept in place by the exotic grasses' fibrous
root system, while any erosion taking place within the riparian buffer
zone would be expected to be minimal and within natural limits. This
would insure that the cultural landscape at Railroad Redoubt would
remain more or less intact for the foreseeable future.

*Conclusion*

The implementation of any of the alternatives would not impair soil
resources or values that are (1) necessary to fulfill specific purposes
identified in the enabling legislation of the park, (2) key to the
natural or cultural integrity of the park or opportunities for enjoyment
of the park, and (3) identified as a goal in the park's General
Management Plan or other National Park Service planning documents.

The implementation of any of the alternatives would result in cumulative
impacts to the park's soils by influencing the ratio of wooded to
non-wooded acres, and thus the differential erosion rates between the
two landscape types. At present there are approximately 1,200 forested
and 600 mowed acres. 4 acres are currently undergoing natural
revegetation within the South Loop, while the park is in the process of
clearing 3,600 linear feet of marker/monument/trenchline trails. VNMP
recently acquired eight acres of land that is being kept or restored to
a wooded condition. At the same time 1.6 acres of clearing has also been
approved below the cemetery wall in the Mint Spring ravine.

**Park Operations**

Affected Environment-

Vicksburg NMP is 1,800 acres in size. Approximately 600 of these acres
are currently kept in a mowed, "park-like" condition. The park contains
a 16 mile tour road, a 12-mile long natural hiking trail, an antebellum
home, over 1,300 monuments and markers, a restored Civil War gunboat, a
visitor center, a museum, two residences, and a national cemetery. About
one million people visited the park in 2003. Park operations are managed
to protect the park's cultural, natural, and recreational resources, and
to interpret these resources to the visiting public while providing for
public safety and service. Vicksburg NMP is organized into an
administrative division, an operations division, and a maintenance
division and employs forty-two people. The Operations Division includes
the most diverse array of specialties, including: visitor and resource
protection, interpretation, natural resource management, fee management,
museum curation, and cultural resource management. The Maintenance
Division is the most visible to the visiting public as its personnel
must constantly attend to the upkeep of the cultural landscape because
Mississippi's ideal growing conditions results in the forest perpetually
trying to expand. Left unchecked, the forest would quickly spread and
soon cover any cleared area. Maintaining historic cleared vistas as they
are now requires a major input of time, funding, and energy on the part
of park operations.

[Alternative 1- No Action]{.underline}

Under the No Action alternative, impacts to park operations would be
negligible and long-term. As this alternative does not result in any
additional acreage being added to the work load of the maintenance
staff, the impacts could be considered positive. Two-thirds of the
park's maintained acreage is treated on a rotational basis of two week
intervals or less throughout most of the year. At current funding,
staffing, and equipment levels the maintenance division is challenged to
maintain the existing cleared areas in the park. At the Railroad Redoubt
project area, the maintenance division is currently responsible only for
keeping the edge of the wooded area trimmed back from the road and mowed
area. Any new vegetation clearing will require a perpetual effort on the
part of the park to maintain it as is. From the law enforcement
perspective, heavily wooded areas tend to deter artifact hunters due to
the presence of insects, snakes, and tangled vegetation. Most artifact
hunters operate in mowed areas, though it must be noted that evidence of
Archeological Resource and Protection Act violations are more difficult
to detect in wooded areas as they are not often patrolled. Finally, in
terms of natural resource management, keeping the project area wooded
adds a slight amount to the management workload as the area must be
inventoried and monitored as well as managed for exotic species.

[Alternative 2]{.underline}

Under Alternative 2 impacts to park operations would be minor and
long-term. The impacts would be both positive and negative and tend to
cancel each other out. While the clearing of 9.5 acres at Railroad
Redoubt would tend to add to the workload of the Maintenance and Law
Enforcement Divisions, the eventual re-growth of six acres at Ft. Hill
and 4 acres within the South Loop would lead to a decrease in workload.
(A newly cleared area of the park may prove to be especially attractive
to illegal artifact hunters, so the onus will be on law enforcement
personnel to be extra vigilant in the years immediately following vista
clearing.) The slight increase in workload at Ft. Hill and elsewhere
would tend to negate the lessened workload at Railroad Redoubt for
natural resource management as well.

[Alternative 3- Preferred Alternative]{.underline}

Under the Preferred Alternative impacts to park operations would be
moderate and long-term. The responsibility for maintaining close to 9.5
additional acres of cleared parkland, in addition to the Maintenance
Division's current work load, would constitute a negative impact upon
that division. Other than the 100-foot wide riparian buffer zone and
four foot or greater d.b.h. (as measured with DBH tape) trees
mitigation, there would be no compensation for the loss of the
vegetative cover at Railroad Redoubt, thus the added workload. Law
enforcement, too, would have an increased area to patrol under this
alternative, since more land would be easily accessible by relic
hunters. (At the same time, law enforcement personnel would be able to
more easily detect illegal activity within the cleared area.) Finally,
natural resource management would experience a slight decrease in
workload since I&M and weed management are largely unnecessary within
the cleared areas of the park.

*Conclusion*

The implementation of any of the alternatives would not impair park
operations or those values that are (1) necessary to fulfill specific
purposes identified in the enabling legislation of the park, (2) key to
the natural or cultural integrity of the park or opportunities for
enjoyment of the park, and (3) identified as a goal in the park's
General Management Plan or other National Park Service planning
documents.

The implementation of any of the alternatives would result in cumulative
impacts to park operations by influencing the ratio of wooded to
non-wooded acres, and thus the workloads incumbent upon park operations
associated with each. At present there are approximately 1,200 forested
acres and 600 mowed acres. 4 acres are currently undergoing natural
revegetation within the South Loop, while the park is in the process of
clearing 3,600 linear feet of marker/monument/trenchline trails. VNMP
recently acquired 8 acres of land which is being kept or restored to a
wooded condition. At the same time 1.6 acres of clearing has also been
approved below the cemetery wall in the Mint Spring ravine.

4.  **PREPARATION AND CONSULTATION**

[Public Involvement]{.underline}

The public at large will be invited to review and comment on this
document during a 30 Day Public Comment Period. Persons and entities who
have expressed an interest in this proposed project (listed below) will
be mailed a copy of the EA. An announcement will be taken out in the
local newspaper (*The Vicksburg Post*) prior to the comment period
letting the general public know that the EA is available at the park, or
through the mail upon request, for their review. The park will also be
hosting at least one open house during which key park staff will be
available into the evening to discuss, receive public comments and
concerns, and answer questions about the proposed project.

[Document Preparation]{.underline}

Kurt Foote, Natural Resource Program Manager, Vicksburg National
Military Park,

National Park Service

[List of Internal Reviewers]{.underline}

Jerrel Cooper, Facility Manager, Vicksburg National Military Park

Paul Conzelmann, Coordinator, NPS Gulf Coast Inventory & Monitoring
Program

John E. Cornelison, Jr., Cultural Compliance Specialist, NPS Southeast
Archeological Center

Virginia DuBowy, Park Guide, Vicksburg National Military Park

Cherry Green, Wetlands Ecologist, NPS Southeast Regional Office

Jami Hammond, Planning & Compliance Specialist, NPS Southeast Regional
Office

Bob Irish, Park Ranger (LE), Boston National Historical Park (formerly
of VNMP)

Rick Martin, Chief of Operations, Vicksburg National Military Park

Patricia Montague, Supervisory Park Ranger (LE), Vicksburg National
Military Park

William O. Nichols, Superintendent (Retired), Vicksburg National
Military Park

Tracy Stakely, Lead Historical Landscape Architect, NPS Southeast
Regional Office

Terrence Winschel, Historian, Vicksburg National Military Park.

[Persons, Organizations, and Agencies Who Will Receive this
Environmental Assessment During the Public Comment and Consultation
Period]{.underline}

Brigadier General (Ret.) J. Parker Hills

Civil War Roundtable Associates

Dr. Eric Dibble- Mississippi State University

Dr. Paul Hadala

Dr. Edward Keiser- University of Mississippi

Dr. Jim Mangi, Mangi Environmental Group, Inc.

Friends of Raymond Battlefield

Jackson Audubon Society

Mayor and Board of Aldermen- City of Vicksburg

Mississippi Department of Archives and History

Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality

Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks

Mississippi Forestry Commission

Mississippi Museum of Natural Science

Mississippi Wildlife Federation

Mr. Edwin Bearss

Mr. Pat Ring

Mr. William O. Nichols

Natchez Trace Parkway

Natural Resources Conservation Service

NPS Gulf Coast Inventory & Monitoring Network

NPS Natural Resources Program Center- Water Resources Division

Old Courthouse Museum

US Army Corps of Engineers

US Fish and Wildlife Service

US Forest Service

US Geological Survey- Biol. Res. Div.

Vicksburg Post

Warren County Board of Supervisors

Warren County Agricultural Extension Office

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