Environmental Assessment Bonneville Shoreline Trail – Salt Lake County Response to Comments
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Chapter 2 – Alternatives Environmental United States Department Assessment of Agriculture Bonneville Shoreline Trail – Salt Lake County U.S. Forest Service March 2010 Response to Comments Salt Lake County, Utah Salt Lake Ranger District, Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest For Information Contact: Steve Scheid 6944 South 3000 East Cottonwood Heights, UT 84121 [email protected] (801) 733-2689 Bonneville Shoreline Trail Environmental Assessment Environmental Assessment Bonneville Shoreline Trail – Salt Lake County Response to Comments Table of Contents 1. Purpose and Need ...................................................................................................................................... 2 2. Alternatives ................................................................................................................................................. 3 3. General Ecological Resources ..................................................................................................................... 8 4. Soils ........................................................................................................................................................... 10 5. Water Resources....................................................................................................................................... 17 6. Process (Comments Referring to Scoping or NEPA Process) .................................................................... 19 7. Recreation................................................................................................................................................. 25 8. Economic .................................................................................................................................................. 31 9. Social ......................................................................................................................................................... 33 10. Transportation ...................................................................................................................................... 40 11. Vegetation ............................................................................................................................................ 49 12. Visual Resources ................................................................................................................................... 51 13. Wildlife (Not Including Listed or Sensitive Species) and Wildlife Habitat ............................................ 57 14. Wilderness ............................................................................................................................................ 62 15. Private Property .................................................................................................................................... 65 16. Fire ........................................................................................................................................................ 74 Content Analysis Process Public responses on the Preliminary Environmental Assessment (EA) for the Bonneville Shoreline Trail (BST) project were documented and analyzed using a process called content analysis. This is a systematic process of compiling, categorizing and summarizing all comments submitted on a project. This method is useful in analyzing voluminous comments both individually and collectively. Many of the comments were similar in nature and those were grouped and responded to as such, while other specific comments were responded to individually. All comments were assigned a code number and the comments, whether grouped or individual, retain their code numbers for tracking purposes. Interested parties may review the reading file of original response letters on file at the Salt Lake District Office in Salt Lake City, UT. Response to Comments 1 Bonneville Shoreline Trail Environmental Assessment 1. Purpose and Need 1. Comment H17: It honestly seems to me that government entities, particularly their leaders, get a notion to do something, obtain funding for the project, then railroad it through because they exist to do this kind of thing. Certainly, there is little democratic representation in all of this. 1. Response: The USFS has involved the public in the decision-making process. The USFS has worked closely with the BST Committee as well as with Salt Lake County and other local government agencies in BST land acquisitions, planning, and trail construction. The proposal was provided to the public and other agencies for comment during scoping March17 to April 17, 2006. A public scoping meeting was conducted on April 5, 2006 to gather comments from the public and interested agencies and organizations on the proposed alignment, construction, and use of the extended BST. Sixty-six people registered at the meeting. Over 350 people have provided comments on the project during the scoping period. 2. Comment H1, H4: Why do we need more biking and hiking trails around here when we have all of Mill Creek Canyon with its many biking and hiking trails, and Wasatch Blvd bike lanes, going north and south, and the new Parley’s Canyon trail just below I-215. I question that there is a need for any trail other than Wasatch Boulevard. Connections to the Neff’s Canyon Trail could be up Oakview Drive then east over to Park Terrace Drive and up Whites Way to the trailhead. 2. Response to Comments H1 and H4: Section 1.2 of the EA provides the purpose and need for the proposed trail. The Forest Plan details a strong commitment by the USFS to complete the BST. In addition, local government has recognized the importance and value of the BST as a community asset. The BST would be recognized and valued as a unique opportunity to provide recreation corridors across multiple ownerships in the face of continuing urban development. The proposed trail is needed to provide unique quality recreation opportunities along the urban-forest interface. In addition to recreational purposes, the trail may serve as a fire buffer and access for fire suppression to protect property in the wildland urban interface. The use of Wasatch Blvd. is reflected and analyzed under the No Action Alternative. Recreational impacts of selecting the No-Action Alternative are outlined in Section 3.3.3. The increased demand for recreation would not be met, user conflicts and conflicts with adjacent property owners would likely continue. Visitor use is expected to increase on built trails, existing user-created trails, as well as proliferation of user-created trails. 3. Comments H37, F4: Building the Bonneville Shoreline Trail above the Eastwood and Olympus Cove residential areas is unnecessary. There are already numerous hiking and biking trails close by in Millcreek Canyon. Street bikers can use Wasatch Blvd. The bridges across Parley’s Canyon are good projects because there is no other way to transverse the canyon above 20th East, but there is no real need for this trail. At this point in time, the expense of putting a trail in where none is necessary seems a foolish use of tax payer money. If someone wants to traverse the mountain side...they may certainly do it now. As well, this area has no lack of trails...many of which are seldom used. If you want to take a hike in this area and not see anyone else on the trail....try the west side of Grandeur Peak from Wasatch. Even the easy accessed Pipe Line trail is lightly used. The expense you are anticipating seems to be incredibly shortsighted. Response to Comments 2 Bonneville Shoreline Trail Environmental Assessment 3. Response to H37 and F4: The need for the proposed action is described in Section 1.2 of the EA. The Wasatch-Cache National Forest Plan describes why the USFS is considering this project: ―The BST, designated in 1999 as one of sixteen national Millennium Legacy Trails, is envisioned to be an aesthetically pleasing (though urban influenced), non-motorized recreational trail experience, nearby yet apart from the urban Wasatch Front and its many communities. The Bonneville Shoreline is a very important regional trail yet critical portions remain incomplete. The trail serves a variety of users and provides both recreational and economic benefits to local communities. Access to the national forest continues to be threatened as development near the forest continues. In the future the BST will be recognized and valued as a unique opportunity to provide recreation corridors across multiple ownerships in the face of continuing urban development. In addition to recreational purposes, the trail may serve as a fire buffer, a recognizable, defensible physical boundary for the Forest, and access for fire suppression to protect property in the wildland urban interface.‖ As for the funding and maintenance of the trail, any trail would be constructed and maintained with a substantial volunteer contribution and would be funded through a combination of public and private funds. 4. Comment M5, M23, M47, M49: On a more practical note the disruption to the neighborhoods during the construction and the lasting impact to the security and privacy to this residential community seem unreasonable when easier and more convenient alternative routes are available. When decisions concerning bridge safety, health, education, and similar social needs are being deferred, it would seem that spending public funds on an un-needed hiking trail through a residential community would be less than essential. Specific areas mentioned: south end of Mile