Date: 12/23/2008 BLUERIBBON COALITION ACTION ALERT!
Dear BRC Action Alert Subscriber,
Wrangell-St. Elias National Park & Preserve - Nabesna ORV Plan Draft Alternatives
The National Park Service (NPS) is preparing an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) regarding the recreational use of Off-Road Vehicles (ORV) along nine trails in the Nabesna area of Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve. The purpose of the EIS is to evaluate a range of alternatives for managing recreational off-road vehicle use on the following trails: Caribou Creek, Lost Creek, Trail Creek, Reeve Field, Boomerang Lake, Soda Lake, Suslota Lake, Copper Lake and Tanada Lake.
The EIS will be used to guide the management of recreational ORV use on these trails in the Nabesna area of Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve. It may also form the basis for either a special regulation to designate ORV routes and areas or a compatibility finding to issue permits for ORV use in accordance with current regulations. The EIS will assess potential environmental impacts associated with a range of reasonable alternatives for managing recreational ORV impacts on park resources and values such as: soils, vegetation, wetlands, wildlife, visitor experience, scenic quality, cultural resources and subsistence opportunities.
The park conducted public scoping last spring and received numerous comments regarding the project. These comments were helpful in creating a set of draft management alternatives that describe actions that protect the park's resources while providing reasonable access.
The NPS has released their draft management alternatives for public review and comment and is asking for your input. Your comments will be used to refine the alternatives to be analyzed in the Draft Environmental Impact Statement, which is due out in November 2009. They have developed a draft alternative package that includes a description of the project purpose and need, a narrative overview of each alternative, a comparison table of the alternatives, and alternative maps. They have not yet identified a preferred alternative.
A copy of the draft alternative package is available one of several ways:
1. Go to the Park's website and download it.
2. Go to the National Park Service Planning, Environment and Public Comment Site and download it.
3. Request a hard copy from the park at (907)-822-7276.
4. Pick up a hard copy from one of the following locations: Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve headquarters in Copper Center, the Glennallen public library, or the Slana post office.
To be most helpful, comments should be specific and directed at actions proposed within alternatives. If you dislike a trails management proposal, please explain why and suggest an alternative action. If you have ideas for trails management that are not presented within the range of alternatives, please suggest them.
COMMENT DEADLINE IS JANUARY 10, 2009
Please submit your comments by January 10, 2009. You can submit your comments one of several ways:
Send written comments to:
Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve
Attn: Bruce Rogers
P.O. Box 439
Copper Center, Alaska 99673
Email comments to:
ruce_rogers@nps.go
Submit comments through the National Park Service Planning, Environment, and Public comment site:
http://parkplanning.nps.gov/commentForm.cfm?parkID=21&projectID=20698&documentId=25270
If you have any questions, please call Bruce Rogers at (907)-822-7276.
JUST REMEMBER, PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT IS CRUCIAL TO KEEP RECREATION AREAS OPEN, PLEASE GET INVOLVED!
Thanks in advance for your support,
Ric Foster
Public Lands Department Manager
BlueRibbon Coalition
208-237-1008 ext 107
Link
Dear BRC Action Alert Subscriber,
Wrangell-St. Elias National Park & Preserve - Nabesna ORV Plan Draft Alternatives
The National Park Service (NPS) is preparing an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) regarding the recreational use of Off-Road Vehicles (ORV) along nine trails in the Nabesna area of Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve. The purpose of the EIS is to evaluate a range of alternatives for managing recreational off-road vehicle use on the following trails: Caribou Creek, Lost Creek, Trail Creek, Reeve Field, Boomerang Lake, Soda Lake, Suslota Lake, Copper Lake and Tanada Lake.
The EIS will be used to guide the management of recreational ORV use on these trails in the Nabesna area of Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve. It may also form the basis for either a special regulation to designate ORV routes and areas or a compatibility finding to issue permits for ORV use in accordance with current regulations. The EIS will assess potential environmental impacts associated with a range of reasonable alternatives for managing recreational ORV impacts on park resources and values such as: soils, vegetation, wetlands, wildlife, visitor experience, scenic quality, cultural resources and subsistence opportunities.
The park conducted public scoping last spring and received numerous comments regarding the project. These comments were helpful in creating a set of draft management alternatives that describe actions that protect the park's resources while providing reasonable access.
The NPS has released their draft management alternatives for public review and comment and is asking for your input. Your comments will be used to refine the alternatives to be analyzed in the Draft Environmental Impact Statement, which is due out in November 2009. They have developed a draft alternative package that includes a description of the project purpose and need, a narrative overview of each alternative, a comparison table of the alternatives, and alternative maps. They have not yet identified a preferred alternative.
A copy of the draft alternative package is available one of several ways:
1. Go to the Park's website and download it.
2. Go to the National Park Service Planning, Environment and Public Comment Site and download it.
3. Request a hard copy from the park at (907)-822-7276.
4. Pick up a hard copy from one of the following locations: Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve headquarters in Copper Center, the Glennallen public library, or the Slana post office.
To be most helpful, comments should be specific and directed at actions proposed within alternatives. If you dislike a trails management proposal, please explain why and suggest an alternative action. If you have ideas for trails management that are not presented within the range of alternatives, please suggest them.
COMMENT DEADLINE IS JANUARY 10, 2009
Please submit your comments by January 10, 2009. You can submit your comments one of several ways:
Send written comments to:
Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve
Attn: Bruce Rogers
P.O. Box 439
Copper Center, Alaska 99673
Email comments to:
ruce_rogers@nps.go
Submit comments through the National Park Service Planning, Environment, and Public comment site:
http://parkplanning.nps.gov/commentForm.cfm?parkID=21&projectID=20698&documentId=25270
If you have any questions, please call Bruce Rogers at (907)-822-7276.
JUST REMEMBER, PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT IS CRUCIAL TO KEEP RECREATION AREAS OPEN, PLEASE GET INVOLVED!
Thanks in advance for your support,
Ric Foster
Public Lands Department Manager
BlueRibbon Coalition
208-237-1008 ext 107
Link