[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 59 (Monday, March 30, 2009)]
[Notices]
[Pages 14155-14156]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E9-7053]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

National Park Service


Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement on 
Proposed Brooks River Bridge and Boardwalk at Katmai National Park

AGENCY: National Park Service, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement--
Environmental Impact Statement on proposed Brooks River bridge and 
boardwalk at Katmai National Park.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: The National Park Service (NPS) is preparing an Environmental 
Impact Statement (EIS) on a proposed Brooks River bridge and boardwalk, 
and associated access changes, to the Brooks Camp Area within Katmai 
National Park and Preserve. The purpose of the EIS is to evaluate a 
reasonable range of alternatives for a bridge and boardwalk that would 
span the lower Brooks River. The existing floating bridge would be 
removed. A new bridge would provide for the existing floatplane access 
to the Brooks Camp Area to continue, with planes beaching on the shore 
of Naknek Lake on the north side of Brooks River. This proposal would 
tier off the 1996 Brooks River Area Development Concept Plan (DCP) and 
EIS. If the decision is to construct a new bridge, it would result in 
an amendment to the access decision, which called for construction of a 
new floatplane dock, breakwater, one-mile access road on the south side 
of Brooks River, and required a shuttle system.
    In addition to the No Action alternative, the EIS will evaluate a 
reasonable range of alternatives to provide improved access to the 
Brooks Camp Area, to better protect natural and cultural resources, and 
to facilitate dependable travel between the north and south sides of 
Brooks River. Dependable access across Brooks River will advance the 
phased relocation of facilities and operations from the north side to 
the south side of the river, as set forth in the record of decision 
following the 1996 DCP/EIS. Public input is sought by the NPS regarding 
the range of alternatives. This EIS is being prepared in accordance 
with the requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, 
as amended (42 U.S.C. 4331 et seq.), and its implementing regulations 
at 40 CFR part 1500.
    Scoping: The NPS requests input from Federal and State agencies, 
local governments, private organizations, recreational users, and the 
public on the scope of issues to be addressed in this EIS. Scoping 
comments are being solicited. NPS representatives will be available to 
discuss issues, resource concerns, and the planning process at public 
scoping meetings. Scoping meetings will be held in Anchorage and King 
Salmon, Alaska in early 2009. When public meetings have been scheduled, 
their dates, times, and locations will be announced in local newspapers 
and posted on the NPS Planning, Environment, and Public Comment (PEPC) 
Web site at http://parkplanning.nps.gov/KATM.
    Before including your address, phone number, e-mail address, or 
other personal identifying information in your comment, you should be 
aware that your entire comment--including your personal identifying 
information--may be made publicly available at any time. While you can 
ask us to withhold your personal identifying information from public 
review, we cannot guarantee that we will be able to do so. We will 
always make submissions from organizations or businesses, and from 
individuals identifying themselves as representatives of or officials 
of organizations or businesses, available for public inspection in 
their entirety.

DATES: Comments concerning the scope of this EIS should be received 60 
days after the last scoping meeting referenced above. The draft EIS is 
projected to be available to the public in the spring of 2010. 
Electronic comments may be submitted to the NPS Planning, Environment, 
and Public Comment (PEPC) Web site at http://parkplanning.nps.gov/KATM. 
Written comments also may be mailed or faxed to the address and phone 
number provided below.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ralph Moore, Superintendent, Katmai 
National Park and Preserve, P.O. Box 7, King Salmon, Alaska 99613. 
Telephone (907) 246-3305, Fax (907) 246-2116.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Katmai National Monument, originally 
designated in 1918 and subsequently expanded by four Presidential 
Proclamations, was enlarged and re-designated as a National Park and 
Preserve by the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act 
(ANILCA) in 1980. Brooks Lodge was established in the 1950s on the 
north side of the lower Brooks River as a world-class recreational 
rainbow trout and salmon fishery and a premier recreational 
destination. In subsequent years, the Brooks Camp Area has become a 
high-quality bear viewing location due to the large population of brown 
bears that feed on the abundant salmon at Brooks River. The Brooks Camp 
Area currently receives up to 15,000 visitors annually. In addition to 
its abundant natural resources, the Brooks Camp Area also contains an 
internationally significant concentration of cultural resources, with 
cultural remains spanning a 4,500 year period and comprising some of 
the largest and most important prehistoric cultural sites in Alaska. It 
is a designated National Historic Landmark (NHL) and elements of the 
NHL have been nominated as a Cultural Landscape.
    The record of decision following the 1996 DCP/EIS called for the 
relocation of facilities and infrastructure in the Brooks Camp Area to 
the south side of the Brooks River. The reasons for the proposed 
relocation were to protect natural and cultural resources, including 
prime brown bear habitat, and to improve visitor safety by reducing the 
potential for bear/human encounters. This proposal helps facilitate the 
phased relocation of NPS and concessionaire operations to the south 
side of the river, by providing a safe and dependable means of access 
across the river, and to the Brooks Camp Area via floatplane.

[[Page 14156]]

    Currently, visitors to the Brooks Camp Area arrive by floatplane on 
the north side of Brooks River. The start of Valley of 10,000 Smokes 
bus tour is on the south side of the river, as are three heavily used 
bear viewing platforms that overlook the Brooks River, some NPS housing 
and maintenance facilities, and concessionaire maintenance operations.
    Providing dependable access across the Brooks River will improve 
safety and facilitate traffic flow for access to current and future 
facilities.
    The existing floating bridge is the only way the river can be 
crossed by visitors and employees. In 2007, the NPS devoted 
considerable time and personnel (2,690 hours) to visitor safety at the 
floating bridge to minimize bear-human encounters. Over the past five 
years, the total number of bears regularly using Brooks River has 
ranged from 43 to 70, which represents more than double the number of 
bears from 1988-1992. The Brooks Camp Area is visited by as many as 300 
people per day at season peak. A new bridge and boardwalk would allow 
bears to move and use preferred feeding areas without encountering 
visitors and staff at ground level. In addition, the existing floating 
bridge is past its life expectancy and frequently requires repairs due 
to damage by bears, storms and high water events, and river current. 
Erosion control and annual rebuilding are necessary to keep the current 
access trail intact.

    Dated: February 11, 2009.
Sue Masica,
Regional Director, Alaska Region.
[FR Doc. E9-7053 Filed 3-27-09; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4312-HD-P