Ecological Studies of Seabirds on Alcatraz Island, 2008
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Background: Alcatraz Island
Future IDs at Alcatraz Alcatraz Background Alcatraz Island, most well-know as the infamous federal penitentiary long off-limits to the public, also offers a close-up look at the site of the first lighthouse and US built fort on the West Coast, and the history making 19-month occupation by Indians of All Tribes that was an important aspect of the early Native American civil rights movement. Now a National Park, Alcatraz’s natural and historic resources are preserved for the public. The Art in the Parks initiative engages artists in park locations to help highlight and connect more deeply with the site’s history and encourages visitors to immerse in thoughtful contemplation and dialogue about how this history and exhibit can inform our thinking about the important and contemporary issues affecting us today. Geography: Located 1.5 miles off the coast of San Francisco, Alcatraz Island encompasses a total of 22 acres in the center of San Francisco Bay. Opened to the public in fall 1973, Alcatraz is one of America's most popular national park sites and currently welcomes more than 1.6 million visitors each year. Historical Timeline: 1775: Spanish explorer Lt. Juan Manuel de Ayala maps San Francisco Bay and names the island " La Isla de los Alcatraces" (The Island of the Pelicans). With no vegetation or habitation, Alcatraz was little more than a desolate rocky islet occupied by the occasional swarm of birds. 1850: A joint Army and Navy commission recommends a Triangle of Defense to guard San Francisco Bay. President Millard Fillmore signs an Executive Order reserving lands around San Francisco Bay, including Alcatraz, for "public purposes. -
Alternative 1
No Action Alternative Alternative 1. Connecting People - Alcatraz Alternative 2. Coastal Ecosystem - Alcatraz Alternative 3. National Treasures - Alcatraz Comment [C1]: Daphne will provide notes from Vision Vision Vision Vision previous meeting Alcatraz is zoned preservation, adaptive use, and biotic sensitivity. It is managed to allow visitors to Alcatraz Island would provide visitors with a unique Visitors would have the opportunity to see and explore the Day-to-day life on Alcatraz would be re-created and learn about its prison history, and thus some buildings variety of scenic, recreational, and educational island and coastal marine natural resources of Alcatraz visitors could walk in the footsteps of a prisoner or and landscaping have been partially restored to their opportunities on an island in the heart of San Francisco Island. At the cell house of the former federal penitentiary, experience Alcatraz as though they were one of the historic appearances. Exhibits highlight the prison Bay. This would increase the number of opportunities visitors could explore all the stories of human use on the Island’s former residents. The stories told and experiences era, the military era, natural history, and the Indian available and therefore more visitors would be able to Island. Throughout Alcatraz Island, visitor activities would available on Alcatraz Island would be directly related to occupation of the island. The island has been made experience the island. The Island’s long and diverse focus on connecting people to the significant coastal and the historic sites and structures associated with the Island’s Comment [C2]: Include in description? more park-like to highlight its spectacular views and history and its evolving natural resources contribute to marine resources of the San Francisco Bay and those of the National Historic Landmark designation. -
Energy Infrastructure Improvements on Alcatraz Island, National Historic Landmark, PMIS 150682 PEPC 23349
Energy Infrastructure Improvements on Alcatraz Island, National Historic Landmark, PMIS 150682 PEPC 23349 Project Description Environmental Analysis and Environmental Screening Form Project formerly titled: Re-Connect Island to Mainland Electrical Supply & Install Photovoltaic System to replace Diesel Generated Power on Alcatraz Island, PMIS 150682 i [This page was intentionally left blank] ii Table of Contents INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................................................................ 1 PURPOSE AND NEED ................................................................................................................................ 2 PROJECT BACKGROUND ........................................................................................................................ 2 PROJECT DESCRIPTION ........................................................................................................................... 4 ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS ................................................................................................................ 12 GENERAL METHODOLOGY FOR ESTABLISHING IMPACT THRESHOLDS AND MEASURING EFFECTS ....................................................................................................................... 12 IMPAIRMENT ANALYSIS .................................................................................................................. 13 TERRESTRIAL RESOURCES ............................................................................................................. -
Cultural Landscapes Inventory, Alcatraz Island
Alcatraz Island Golden Gate National Recreation Area Statement Of Significance Alcatraz Island was listed on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) in 1976 and was designated a National Historic Landmark (NHL) in 1986. The National Register nomination describes the significance of Alcatraz Island: “Alcatraz is an island in San Francisco Bay which is of national historical significance in the categories of military history and social history (penology). During the mid-19th Century it was an impressive fortress guarding, along with Fort Point and, later, Angel Island, the entrance to San Francisco Bay. As a fortress, it was as nearly impregnable as technology of the time could make it – an “American Gibraltar” – and it was crowned with a brick/masonry “Citadel” which may have been unique in the annals of American military architecture. In later years it served as a military prison, and in more recent times became a Federal penitentiary and one of America’s most famous penal institutions, with a reputation rivaling France’s Devil’s Island. As a Federal prison, it housed some of America’s most dangerous criminals, those whom it was believed were too unmanageable for incarceration in other Federal prisons. Its location in the Bay rendered Alcatraz nearly escape-proof” (Chappell 1976). The statement of significance included with the NHL nomination states: “Alcatraz Island has been the site of events that have had an important impact on the nation as a whole from before the Civil War through an Indian Occupation of the 1970s. Its significance in the area of military history, social history (penology), and maritime commerce is enhanced by the integrity of the resource which follows from the fact that access to the island has been strictly limited by the U.S. -
Park Report Part 1
Alcatraz Island Golden Gate National Recreation Area The other important component of the redesign of the batteries involved placing soil in front of the batteries. Large loads of soil were brought, mostly, from Angel Island, and used on Alcatraz to create artificial slopes in front of the batteries. (Hart 1996: 10) 3. Circulation The basic road system from the pre-Civil War era remained in place. 4. Major Areas Wharf Area The wharf located on the southeast side of the island remained the main access point to the island. (A dock located on the northwest side below the quarry operations was only used for loading rock.) At the wharf area, work was undertaken during the mid-1880s to repair the wharf and add additional structures related to the operations of the wharf, such as coals sheds and a boathouse. Work began on the construction of the Bomb Proof Barracks, located against the hillside on the west side of the wharf area, in 1865 but was suspended in 1867. In the fall of 1874, a new barracks was completed at this location. In 1905-1906, a new concrete block barracks (Building 64) was built on top of the Bomb Proof Barracks. (Martini 1990: 152) The level area behind (to the west) of the Bomb Proof Barracks is shown as having planting beds in a 1905 map (Daly 1905). Lower Prison In 1863, a wood-frame, prison building was constructed on the hillside on the west side of the road, just north of the guardhouse. Then in 1867, this building was removed and replaced with a brick building. -
Renewable Energy Options for Golden Gate National Recreation Area at Alcatraz Island
REPORT BY THE UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Renewable Energy Options for Golden Gate National Recreation Area at Alcatraz Island May 2008 Prepared for: University National Park Energy Partnership Program and National Park Service Prepared by: Mary H. Hamman, K. Boyd Fackler, and Philip C. Malte Department of Mechanical Engineering University of Washington Seattle, WA 98195-2600 Phone: 206.543.6851 Email: [email protected] ________________________________________________________________ Renewable Energy Options for Golden Gate National Recreation Area at Alcatraz Island Mary H. Hamman, K. Boyd Fackler, and Philip C. Malte Department of Mechanical Engineering University of Washington Seattle, WA 98195-2600 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY This report is based on the Masters of Science (Mechanical Engineering) Thesis of Ms. Hamman completed in March 2008. Material on electrical details and wiring diagrams and on pumped storage seawater corrosion has been added. The report includes a comprehensive study of the existing energy situation at Alcatraz Island and the renewable energy opportunities available there. Alcatraz Island is part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area in San Francisco Bay. As the site of one of the most notorious federal prisons, it is a significant piece of this country’s history and a destination for over a million tourists each year. The island is not connected to the San Francisco power grid, and currently energy is provided by 210 kW rated diesel generators, one that operates all day, regardless of the energy demand, and one held as an alternative. The cost of electricity produced by the diesel generators is $0.39/kWh, including fuel, transportation, maintenance and the emissions from the generators. -
Ecological Studies of Seabirds on Alcatraz Island, 2010
Ecological Studies of Seabirds on Alcatraz Island, 2010 FINAL Report to the Golden Gate National Recreation Area (GGNRA) National Park Service (NPS) Sara Acosta • Jaime Jahncke PRBO Conservation Science 3820 Cypress Drive, #11 Petaluma, CA 94954 (707) 781-2555 William Merkle • Lara Rachowicz Golden Gate National Recreation Area Fort Mason, Building 201 San Francisco, CA 94123 (415) 331-2894 © 2010 PRBO Conservation Science PRBO Report Alcatraz Island Seabirds 2010 2 TABLE OF CONTENTS EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 3 INTRODUCTION 4 METHODS 5 RESULTS AND DISCUSSION 8 PUBLIC OUTREACH 13 CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS 16 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 17 LITERATURE CITED 17 FIGURES Figure 1. Alcatraz Island seabird breeding areas, survey observation points, and 19 significant structures, 2010. Figure 2. Brandt's Cormor ant ( BRAC ) breeding population s ize on Alcatraz Island, 20 1990-2010. Figure 3. Western Gull (WEGU) and California Gull (CAGU) breeding population 21 size on Alcatraz Island, 1990-2010. Figure 4. Overall Brandt's ( BRAC ) and Pelagic (PECO) Cormorant pro ductivity on 22 Alcatraz Island, 1995-2010. Figure 5. Pelagic Cormorant breeding population s ize on Alcatraz Island, 1996 -2010 . 23 Figure 6. Western Gull productivity at three sub -colonies on Alcatraz Island, 1999 - 24 2010 . Figure 7. Pigeon Guillemot population size on Alcatra z Island, 1997 -2010 . 25 TABLES Table 1. Brandt’s Cormorant population size on Alcatraz Island, 1991 -2010 . 26 Table 2. Brandt's Cormorant productivity by sub -colo ny on Alcatraz Island, 1995 - 27 2010. Table 3. Brandt's ( BR AC ), Pelagic Cormorant (PECO), California Gull (CAGU) and 28 Western Gull (WEGU) reproductive phenology on Alcatraz Island, 2010.