Atchafalaya National Heritage Area Heritage National Atchafalaya COMMISSION REVIEW- October 1, 2010 Vol. II SEPTEMBER 2011 Environmental Assessment Environmental Management Plan Note: This is a low resolution file of the painting, “Hope” to show artwork and placement. Artwork will be credited to Melissa Bonin, on inside front cover. AtchafalayaAtchafalaya NationalNational HeritageHeritage AreaArea MANAGEMENT PLAN / ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT SEPT DRAFT MANAGEMENT PLAN / ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT 2011 As the nation’s principal conservation agency, the Department of the Interior has responsibility for most of our nationally owned public lands and natural resources. This includes fostering sound use of our land and water resources; protecting our fish, wildlife, and biological diversity; preserving the environmental and cultural values of our national parks and historical places; and providing for the enjoyment of life through outdoor recreation. The department assesses our energy and mineral resources and works to ensure that their development is in the best interests of all our people by encouraging stewardship and citizen participation in their care. The department also has a major responsibility for American Indian reservation communities and for people who live in island territories under U.S. administration. Front cover photo credit: Louisiana Office of Tourism NPS ABF/P77/107232 SEPTEMBER 2011 Printed on recycled paper Atchafalaya National Heritage Area Management Plan/ Environmental Assessment Volume Two 1 2 CONTENTS OF VOLUME TWO CHAPTER FIVE: THE ALTERNATIVES, INCLUDING THE PREFERRED ALTERNATIVE INTRODUCTION 3 DESIRED FUTURE CONDITIONS 4 Natural Resources 4 Cultural Resources 5 Visitor Use and Experience 7 Socioeconomic Environment 7 ACTIONS COMMON TO ALL ALTERNATIVES: 8 DEVELOPMENT OF THE ALTERNATIVES 9 ALTERNATIVE A: NO ACTION 10 ALTERNATIVE B: FOCUS ON NATURAL RESOURCES AND RELATED RECREATION 11 Description 11 Potential Key Partners 12 Related Interpretive Themes 13 ALTERNATIVE C: FOCUS ON HISTORY AND CURRENT CULTURES 14 Description 14 Potential Key Partners 15 Related Interpretive Themes 16 ALTERNATIVE D: THE HERITAGE CONNECTION—NATURE, CULTURE, HISTORY, AND RECREATION (THE PREFERRED ALTERNATIVE) 17 Description 17 Potential Key Partners 19 Related Interpretive Themes 19 IDENTIFICATION OF THE PREFERRED ALTERNATIVE 21 CHAPTER SIX: THE AFFECTED ENVIRONMENT INTRODUCTION 27 IMPACT TOPICS 28 Identification of Impact Topics 28 Impact Topics Included in the Analysis 28 Impact Topics Dismissed from Analysis 30 NATURAL RESOURCES 35 Overview 35 Geology, Physiography, and Soils 35 Floodplains 37 Wetlands 38 Water 38 Vegetation 40 Wildlife 42 National Natural Landmarks 49 CULTURAL RESOURCES 50 Introduction 50 Archeological Resources 50 i Ethnographic Resources 55 Prehistoric and Historic Structures 66 Cultural Landscapes 80 Museum Collections 88 RECREATIONAL RESOURCES 93 General Description 93 National Parks 95 State Parks 96 Atchafalaya Basin Program 97 U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Recreation Facilities 97 Wildlife Management Areas, Wildlife Refuges 97 SCENIC RESOURCES 100 Louisiana Natural and Scenic Rivers System 100 National and State Scenic Byways 100 SOCIOECONOMIC ENVIRONMENT 102 Population Growth 103 Highlighted Demographics 104 Economic Overview 106 Tourism 114 Land Use 119 THREATS TO RESOURCES 123 Climate Change 123 Development and Urbanization 123 FUTURE STUDIES NEEDED 126 Archeological Research 126 Ethnographic Research 126 Historical Research 126 Cultural Landscape Research 126 Natural Resources Research 126 Socioeconomics Research 127 Visitor Experience Research 127 CHAPTER SEVEN: ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS PURPOSE AND NEED 131 METHODOLOGY FOR ANALYZING IMPACTS TO ALL NON-CULTURAL RESOURCES 133 Introduction and General Definitions 133 Definitions of Intensity Levels 133 METHODOLOGY FOR ANALYZING IMPACTS TO CULTURAL RESOURCES 136 Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act and Impacts to Cultural Resources 136 Definitions of Intensity Levels 136 CUMULATIVE IMPACTS METHODOLOGY 138 Actions of Others 138 2010 Oil Spill 139 COMPARISON OF ALTERNATIVES 141 POTENTIAL IMPACTS TO NATURAL RESOURCES 149 Introduction 149 Potential Impacts Associated with the Alternatives 149 Potential Cumulative Impacts to Natural Resources 156 ii POTENTIAL IMPACTS TO CULTURAL RESOURCES 161 Introduction 161 Actions Common to All Alternatives 161 Archeological Resources 162 Ethnographic Resources 167 Historic and Prehistoric Structures 173 Cultural Landscape Resources 178 Museum Collections 183 POTENTIAL IMPACTS TO VISITOR EXPERIENCE 190 Recreation Resources 190 Scenic Resources 192 POTENTIAL IMPACTS TO THE SOCIOECONOMIC ENVIRONMENT 194 CHAPTER EIGHT: CONSULTATION AND COORDINATION PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT 203 Scoping 203 Tribes, Agencies, and Organizations Contacted 204 Other Consultation 204 List of Recipients of the Document 206 Substantive comments and Responses 206 LETTERS OF SUPPORT/COMMITMENT FROM PARTNERS 207 APPENDIXES, REFERENCES, PREPARERS AND CONSULTANTS APPENDIX C: LIST OF CULTURAL LANDSCAPES 219 REFERENCES 221 PREPARERS AND CONSULTANTS 229 FIGURES AND TABLES Figure 1. Generalized Geologic Map of Louisiana 36 Figure 2. Composite Map of Louisiana Recreation Opportunities 95 Figure 3. Population Within the Heritage Area 104 Figure 4. Population Distribution Within the Heritage Area 104 Figure 5. Growth in Employment, 2001-2007 107 Figure 6. Unemployment Rate by Parish, 2006-2008 Estimate 108 Figure 7. Median Household Income by Parish 111 Figure 8. Percentage of Individuals Below Poverty Level by Parish 112 Figure 9. Educational Attainment by Parish 113 Figure 10. Land Cover for the Four Regions 121 Table 1. Evaluation of Alternatives in Relationship to Legislative Requirements and Heritage Area Goals 23 Table 2. Nonnative Invasive Plant Species 42 iii Table 3. Nonnative Invasive Species 43 Table 4. Threatened, Endangered, or Species of Concern: Other Mammals 44 Table 5. Threatened, Endangered, or Species of Concern: Birds 45 Table 6. Threatened, Endangered, or Species of Concern: Fish, Reptiles, Amphibians, and Invertebrates 47 Table 7. Top 10 Important Outdoor Recreational Activities among households (2008) 93 Table 8. Resident Top 3 Important Activities and Participation for Outdoor Recreation Louisiana Region 4 94 Table 9. Recreation Provider Limitations and Priorities, Louisiana Region 4 94 Table 10. Population by Race for all parishes within the Heritage Area, 2008 105 Table 11. Population by Ancestry for all parishes within the Heritage Area 105 Table 12. Major Religious Traditions 106 Table 13. Employment by Major Category, 2007 110 Table 14. Welcome Center Visitation, 2004 to 2009 114 Table 15. Traveler Spending (Heritage Area Parishes), 2004-2007 118 Table 16. Traveler Expenditures in the Heritage Area and the State, 2007 118 Table 17. Domestic Travel Impact, Alphabetical by Parish (Heritage Area Parishes), 2006 119 Table 18. Parish Information 122 Table 19. Historic and Cultural Protection Districts in Atchafalaya NHA 125 Table 20. Summary of Direct and Indirect Impacts of the Alternatives 141 iv Chapter 5 The Alternatives, Including the Preferred Alternative Above: Lake Warner Left: Bayou Sorrel Photo Credits: Charlie Fryling 2 INTRODUCTION This chapter presents four alternatives for The alternatives outline different future management of the Atchafalaya management concepts or ways to fulfill the National Heritage Area. The four mission, goals, and other legislative alternatives are labeled as follows: requirements of the national heritage area. Alternative A No Action, Alternative B: The desired resource conditions for the Focus on Natural Resources and Related heritage area remain the same for all of the Recreation, Alternative C: Focus on History alternatives, but each alternative emphasizes and Current Cultures, and Alternative D: different interpretive themes or “stories” The Heritage Connection – Nature, Culture, and uses those themes to focus on particular History and Recreation. Alternative D is the kinds of resources and visitor experiences. preferred alternative. 3 DESIRED FUTURE CONDITIONS Regardless of which management alternative Louisiana Department of Natural Resources, is selected, there are certain conditions that Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries, and other are desired for the future of Atchafalaya agencies, as appropriate. The ecosystem National Heritage Area. These conditions would be protected. Natural resources and are described here. visitors would be managed through collaboration with partners; this The Atchafalaya National Heritage Area collaborative management would take into would be managed as part of a greater account the ecological and social conditions ecological, social, economic, and cultural of the heritage area. The Commission would system. Effective management would be work with partners to encourage natural accomplished through a network of heritage resource management that balances area partners. Regional cooperation would preservation and conservation needs with involve federal, state, and local agencies, sustainable economic uses. American Indians, neighboring landowners, and other concerned parties. Ecological integrity would be maintained or restored in sensitive areas not developed for Good relations would be maintained with visitors. The Commission and its partners partners, adjacent landowners, surrounding would adapt to changing ecological and communities, and private and public groups social conditions within and external to the that affect and are affected by the heritage heritage