Environmental Assessment Juneau Ranger District Trail of Time
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Environmental Assessment Juneau Ranger District United States Department of Agriculture Forest Service Trail of Time, Adjacent Area Trails, Tongass National and Mendenhall Glacier Visitor Forest Alaska Region Center Improvements Project Juneau Ranger District, Tongass National Forest, Alaska February 2010 ACRONYMS & ABBREVIATIONS ACMP Alaska Coastal Management Plan ADF&G Alaska Department of Fish and Game ANILCA Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act BMP Best Management Practice CEQ Council on Environmental Quality CFR Code of Federal Regulations CZMA Coastal Zone Management Act EA Environmental Assessment EFH Essential Fish Habitat EIS Environmental Impact Statement Forest Plan Tongass Land and Resource Management Plan FSH Forest Service Handbook FSM Forest Service Manual GIS Geographic Information System LUD Land Use Designation MIS Management Indicator Species NEPA National Environmental Policy Act NFS National Forest System USDA United States Department of Agriculture WAA Wildlife Analysis Area The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits discrimination in all its programs and activities on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, disability, and where applicable, sex, marital status, familial status, parental status, religion, sexual orientation, genetic information, political beliefs, reprisal, or because all or part of an individual's income is derived from any public assistance program. (Not all prohibited bases apply to all programs.) Persons with disabilities who require alternative means for communication of program information (Braille, large print, audiotape, etc.) should contact USDA's TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TDD). To file a complaint of discrimination, write to USDA, Director, Office of Civil Rights, 1400 Independence Avenue, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20250-9410, or call (800) 795-3272 (voice) or (202) 720-6382 (TDD). USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer. Chapter 1, Purpose and Need Background This Environmental Assessment (EA) describes and analyzes the effects of the Juneau Ranger District proposal to reconstruct the Trail of Time, Steep Creek Dike, and upper Powerline Trails to provide a fully accessible trail corridor, correct safety hazards, minimize resource damage, improve and upgrade interpretive information, and provide additional interpretive and trail opportunities. It also includes installation of elevated walkways on the Photo Point and Nugget Falls Trails and installation of handrail fencing to reduce bear/human encounters around portions of the Mendenhall Glacier Visitor Center (MGVC) complex. The Juneau Ranger District began Trail of Time planning in the 1990’s. Design Narratives were produced in 1994 and 2002. Additional drawings to improve the Trail of Time were submitted in 2008. Some of the described work in those plans has been completed. Present planning efforts have incorporated ideas from previous proposals, and include new ideas to keep pace with changes to the physical and human environment of the area. This project will complete the objectives of the past planning efforts. In this EA the Forest Service will analyze the effects of the proposed plans on resources and people. The decision on how this project will proceed will be made by the Juneau District Ranger in February 2010. Project Area Description The project area for this EA is bounded by Mendenhall Lake, Glacier Spur Road, and the eastern boundary of the Mendenhall Glacier Recreation Area (MGRA) on the Juneau Ranger District of the Tongass National Forest (see Figures 1 and 2 at the end of the EA). The project area includes the MGVC, Trail of Time, Nugget Falls, and Photo Point Trails and encompasses approximately 35 acres. The surrounding MGRA was established in 1947, and encompasses 5,815 acres. This area is located at the head of the Mendenhall Valley, approximately 12 miles from downtown Juneau, Alaska. Elevations through much of the area are less than 100 feet above sea level. On both sides of the area, mountains rise abruptly to over 4,000 feet. The Mendenhall Glacier is currently retreating between Mount McGinnis on the west and Mount Bullard on the east, and may soon retreat up and out of Mendenhall Lake, its current terminus. The glacier’s source originates approximately twelve miles up in the Juneau Icefield. The MGRA includes parts of Mount McGinnis, the terminus of the Mendenhall Glacier, Mount Bullard, Mendenhall Lake, the beginning of the Mendenhall River, and the uplands bordering the lake. In 1962 the MGVC was completed and dedicated to the furtherance of the “understanding and enjoyment of glacial phenomena.” Area trails were first established by gold seekers at the turn of the century, and over time have been improved and expanded for recreational use. The Mendenhall Glacier is the primary tourist attraction for the City of Juneau, Alaska. Juneau Ranger District 1 Trail of Time-Mendenhall Glacier Visitor Center Improvements Project Purpose and Need In 2009, the MGVC complex received over 400,000 visitors during May through September. Over 3,000 visitors a day use the Photo Point Trail during the summer season. A large percentage of visitors are older people, many of whom have restricted mobility. There has been increased interest in providing more recreation opportunities that are fully accessible in the vicinity of this heavily visited site. The Trail of Time has been the focus of these planning efforts because of its proximity to the MGVC and because it offers many interpretive opportunities. With glacial retreat vegetation has advanced, and runs of sockeye and silver salmon have become established in Steep Creek next to the MGVC. As a result, the MGVC complex now also includes a fish and black bear viewing component. Each year approximately a dozen adult black bears use the complex for foraging from mid-April through mid-November. These bears wander throughout the complex and require active management by center staff. Black bears are creatures of habit and year after year use the same routes to access food sources in the complex. Some of these routes cross heavily used pedestrian trails. Black bears cross the Photo Point Trail at its junction with Nugget Falls Trail, and both trails are interconnected with the Trail of Time. When a bear crosses at this location staff must actively direct people out of this location to allow bears to get across the trail while providing for visitor safety. Platforms have been used successfully at this site in other locations; currently the Steep Creek viewing platforms and elevated walkways have handrail fences around them which allow visitors to view salmon and bears safely at close distances while enabling bears to move through their habitat freely. There is a need for enhanced accessibility and safety, increased visitor capacity, and additional interpretation on and along the trails and other developments at the MGVC because of the changing uses and conditions in this area. The purpose of this project is to provide accessible parking, a fully accessible trail corridor, correct safety hazards, minimize resource damage, improve and upgrade existing interpretive information facilities, and provide additional interpretive and trail opportunities at MGVC. Proposed Action The Proposed Action (Alternative 2) is divided into two components: Trail of Time and adjacent trails improvements, and the Photo Point/ Nugget Falls trails elevated walkway and MGVC handrail fencing components (see Figure 3). The first component is reconstruction of the Trail of Time, Steep Creek Dike, and upper Powerline Trails and associated facilities. The first component would include: constructing a 4-5 vehicle parking lot; improving accessibility of trails as well as constructing accessible trail; constructing small sections of trail to provide access to interpretive sites; adding railings and fixing bridges; restoring the Cobble Shelter; paving about 940 feet of trail; and construction/reconstruction and new signing at interpretive sites. Reconstruction activities would take place along the entire length of the existing trail with portions of the trail needing removal of rock by blasting or drilling and adding or removing fill. The total length of trail improvement for the first component is 6,030 feet. Juneau Ranger District 2 Trail of Time-Mendenhall Glacier Visitor Center Improvements Project The second component involves installation of elevated walkways at the intersection of the Photo Point and the new Nugget Falls Trails, and installation of handrail fencing to reduce bear/human encounters around portions of the MGVC complex. A full description of the Proposed Action is included in Chapter 2 of this EA. Regulatory Framework This proposal is consistent with the direction in the Tongass National Forest Land and Resource Management Plan (Forest Plan - USDA Forest Service 2008). The MGVC and associated trails and developments are located in a Special Interest Area Land Use Designation (LUD). The objective of this LUD is to preserve areas with unique archaeological, historical, scenic, geological, botanical, or zoological values. This proposal is consistent with direction given in the Mendenhall Glacier Recreation Area 1996 Management Plan (USDA Forest Service April 1996). This plan outlines “Approved developments not yet constructed” that include completing the rehabilitation of the Cobble Shelter and to complete interpretation of the Trail of Time. The plan’s objective is also: to emphasize environmental education programs and ethical wildlife