Final General Management Plan / Environmental Impact Statement Big Thicket National Preserve Hardin, Jasper, Jefferson, Liberty, Orange, Polk, and Tyler Counties, Texas __________________________________________________________________________ Big Thicket National Preserve was authorized by Congress on October 11, 1974. The last comprehensive management plan for Big Thicket National Preserve was completed in 1980. Much has changed since then, including the addition of 22% more land. As a result, visitor use and resource management needs have changed. These changes have implications for how visitors access and use Big Thicket National Preserve, how resources are managed, and how the National Park Service manages its operations. Consequently, a new general management plan is needed. The Big Thicket National Preserve Final General Management Plan / Environmental Impact Statement (general management plan) has been prepared by the National Park Service in consultation with associated tribes, federal and state agencies, state and local governments, and the general public. Big Thicket National Preserve is in Hardin, Jasper, Jefferson, Liberty, Orange, Polk and Tyler counties in southeast Texas. The plan provides background on the preserve’s legislation, its purpose, the significance of its resources, special mandates and administrative commitments, and servicewide laws and policies. Further, the plan details the planning opportunities and issues that were raised during public scoping meetings and initial planning team efforts. The plan also describes alternatives for managing the preserve including the continuation of current management practices and trends in the preserve (alternative 1). Three action alternatives for managing the preserve are presented: (1) the preferred alternative (alternative 2), which uses partnerships and collaboration to support a broad ecosystem approach for preserve management; (2) alternative 3, which emphasizes natural resource preservation and research while providing self-reliant recreational opportunities; and (3) alternative 4, which seeks to increase the relevancy of the preserve and the National Park Service to the people in the communities of southeast Texas and to visitors from all over the world. The areas and resources that would be affected by implementing the actions contained in the alternatives are also described. The impacts of the various alternatives to cultural resources, natural resources, visitor use and experience, socioeconomic environment, and preserve operations and facilities are also included in the plan. More information about this general management plan can be provided by contacting headquarters at Big Thicket National Preserve Headquarters Doug Neighbor, Superintendent 6044 FM 420 Kountze, TX 77625 U.S. Department of the Interior • National Park Service SUMMARY This general management plan describes the Alternative 1: Continuation of general path the National Park Service (NPS) Current Management intends to follow in managing Big Thicket (No-Action Alternative) National Preserve for the next 15–20 years. More specifically, the Big Thicket National Under this alternative, the current manage- Preserve Final General Management Plan / ment approach for the preserve would Environmental Impact Statement is intended continue into the future. The management to direction would be in accordance with the 1980 general management plan (GMP), . confirm the purpose and significance previous NPS practices and approved of Big Thicket National Preserve actions, and all applicable laws, regulations, . clearly define resource conditions and policies. Lands acquired after the 1980 and visitor uses and experiences to be general management plan (including the Big achieved in Big Thicket National Sandy Creek corridor unit, Village Creek Preserve corridor unit, and Canyonlands unit) would be managed in a manner compatible with . provide a framework for preserve existing units. New or expanded uses would managers to use when making not be anticipated. decisions about how to best protect preserve resources, how to provide Impacts to soils, water quality, vegetation, quality visitor experiences, how to and wetlands would be negligible to minor manage visitor use, and what types of and adverse over the long term. Fish and facilities, if any, to develop in or near wildlife and endangered and threatened Big Thicket National Preserve species and species of concern would experience a negligible, long-term adverse The general management plan does not impact. These impacts to natural resources describe how particular programs or projects would be due to visitor use and some minimal should be prioritized or implemented. Those facility development. Impacts to archeo- decisions will be addressed in future more logical resources in this alternative would be detailed planning efforts. All future plans will negligible to minor, long-term, adverse, and tier from the approved general management localized. Negligible to minor, long-term, and plan. adverse and beneficial impacts would occur to historic structures, sites, and cultural This General Management Plan / Environ- landscapes. Ethnographic resources would mental Impact Statement examines four experience negligible to minor, long-term, alternatives for managing Big Thicket adverse, and beneficial impacts. These National Preserve. In all of the alternatives, impacts to cultural resources would occur NPS managers would continue to strive to from ongoing visitor use, routine preserve protect and maintain natural and cultural operations, preservation undertakings, and resource conditions. Natural and cultural other factors. Negligible to minor, long-term, resource management would concentrate on and adverse impacts would occur to visitor long-term monitoring, research, restoration, opportunities and interpretation and and mitigation where appropriate. education. Impacts to socioeconomics would Interpretation and education programs be minor to moderate, long term, and would continue to provide a variety of beneficial. Minor to moderate, localized, personal and nonpersonal services. SUMMARY long-term, adverse, and beneficial impacts operations would incorporate strong would occur to operations and facilities. environmental protection and sustainable development practices. Alternative 2: Partnerships and Collaboration (Preferred Alternative) Impacts to soils under this alternative would be minor to moderate, long-term, and Alternative 2 would emphasize a broad adverse. Water quality, vegetation, and ecosystem perspective for protection of the endangered and threatened species and historic “Big Thicket.” This alternative species of concern would experience minor, recognizes the challenges associated with long-term, and adverse impacts. Impacts to management of cross-boundary resource wetlands and fish and wildlife would be issues and recognizes the importance of negligible to minor, long-term, and adverse encouraging partnerships to address and under this alternative. These impacts to resolve resource problems. From this natural resources would be due to visitor use perspective, the National Park Service would and some minimal facility development. proactively engage in regional planning and Impacts to archeological and ethnographic policy efforts for the benefit of resource resources in this alternative would be minor, protection, compatible visitor use, and other long-term, adverse, and localized. Historic issues both within and outside the preserve structures, sites, and cultural landscapes boundaries. Elements of this alternative would experience minor, long-term, adverse would support the resilience of the preserve impacts as well as minor to moderate, long- with regard to expected impacts from climate term, beneficial impacts. These impacts to change, such as saltwater intrusion in cultural resources would occur from ongoing freshwater environments, advancing visitor use, new construction, routine shorelines interfering with preserve preserve operations, preservation under- ecosystems, changes in composition in flora takings, and other factors. Visitor and fauna, and more intense storm surges opportunities would experience negligible to and flooding threats to cultural resources, all minor, adverse, long-term impacts, while of which may affect cultural and natural interpretation and education would see resources, as well as visitor experience at Big minor to moderate, long-term, beneficial Thicket National Preserve. impacts. Impacts to socioeconomics would be minor to moderate, long-term, and The National Park Service would emphasize beneficial. Minor to moderate, localized, the preserve’s status as a globally important long-term, adverse, and beneficial impacts biological protection area. Initiatives that would occur to operations and facilities. advance the long-term protection of the preserve’s natural resources would receive Alternative 3: Leadership in the primary focus of management attention Biodiversity and Sustainability and funding. The preserve’s important cultural resources would continue to be Alternative 3 would emphasize natural protected and preserved as required by law. resource preservation and research while Appropriate visitor uses and experiences providing self-reliant recreational opportuni- would also be improved and expanded. As a ties. This alternative would provide the means to achieve these objectives, the highest emphasis on protection, restoration, preserve staff would expand and encourage and maintenance of native biodiversity