Final Environmental Impact Statement General Management Plan SUNSET CRATER VOLCANO National Monument • Arizona SUMMARY: This general management plan will guide the management of the Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument for the next 10 to 15 years. Four alternatives were considered—a no- action and three action alternatives, including the National Park Service preferred alternative. The preferred alternative would provide increased educational opportunities and diverse experiences both within and outside of park boundaries. The park would be viewed as a destination for education and learning. Partnerships with the USFS, affiliated tribes, and educational institutions would provide interpretation and more consistent management of sites and features outside the park that are primary to the park’s purpose. Boundaries would be adjusted for ease of management and to better protect geologic features. Most existing uses would continue. The park would remain day-use only, with 24-hour access on FR545, and visitor use would be spread throughout more resources. A new multiagency visitor center would be built near US89 to serve as the primary location to orient and serve visitors, and the existing visitor center would be adapted for use as an education center. The environmental impact statement assesses impacts to archeological resources; historic character of the built environment; long-term integrity of ethnographic resources, natural systems and processes, and geological resources; threatened, endangered, and sensitive species; visitors’ ability to experience park resources; park neighbors, local, state, and tribal land management plans and land/resource managing agencies; and operational efficiency. For more information about this document, contact:: Superintendent Flagstaff Area National Monuments 6400 N. Hwy 89 Flagstaff, Arizona 86004 United States Department of the Interior • National Park Service • Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument SUMMARY The purpose of the general management approved by the National Park Service and plan is to provide a comprehensive a federal "Record of Decision" will be direction for resource preservation and issued to document the approval. visitor use and a basic foundation for decision making for the monument for the Actions Common to All next 15 to 20 years. The plan prescribes the Alternatives resource conditions and visitor experiences that are to be achieved and maintained in Within the broad parameters of the park the park over time. The clarification of mission and mission goals, various what must be achieved according to law approaches to park resource protection, and policy is based on review of the park's use and development are possible. purpose, significance, and special Management zones are the tool this plan mandates. uses to identify how different areas of the park could be managed to achieve a The plan will outline the kinds of resource variety of resources and social conditions management activities, visitor activities, to serve recreation and resource and development that would be protections needs. Each zone specifies a appropriate in the monument in the particular combination of physical, future. However, the plan will not propose biological, social and management specific actions or describe how particular conditions. Eight possible zones were programs or projects will be implemented described that could be appropriate to or prioritized. More detailed site-specific various areas in Wupatki National analysis of alternatives and specific Monument. They are the resource proposals will be required in subsequent preservation zone, the discovery zone, the phases of planning before any major extended learning zone, the guided federal actions are undertaken. Four adventure zone, the hiking zone, the alternatives are presented, and the impacts motorized sightseeing zone, the overview of implementing those alternatives are zone, and the administrative zone. analyzed. A brief summary of the major actions under the alternatives, as well as Common to all alternatives is short range the actions that are common to all planning already underway to meet alternatives and the impacts thereof, are immediate operational needs that will presented below. continue to exist regardless of the alternative selected. These are identified The Next Step in National Park Service-wide initiatives, in Flagstaff Area National Monuments This Final Environmental Impact planning documents, such as the Strategic Statement/General Management Plan, Plan, Annual Performance Plan, which includes agency and organization Comprehensive Interpretive Plan, Fire letters and response to all substantive Management Plan, and Resources comments, will be distributed to those on Management Plan, and in local action the mailing list. After distribution of this plans to resolve safety, accessibility, facility final plan, there will be a no-action period maintenance, and similar issues. of at least 30 days. After this no-action period, a final plan will be selected and i All alternatives presented recognize the will be made permanent through the opportunity for partnerships, for the formulation and publishing of a special protection of cultural and natural regulation. Although various alternatives resources, with the USFS, the State of may allow guided activities to continue in Arizona, and private landowners. USFS the park backcountry, there will be no lands surrounding Sunset Crater Volcano unguided access. will continue under USFS management, in accordance with decisions reached in the No-Action Alternative: USFS Flagstaff Lake Mary Ecosystem Existing ConditionsEntrance to Sunset Analysis (FLEA) planning process. Crater Volcano National Monument is via FR545, both ends of which connect with Planning and design of new wayside US89, creating a loop drive that also serves exhibits and museum exhibits is in Wupatki . A visitor center and progress, in accordance with the Flagstaff maintenance/housing area are one mile Areas Comprehensive Interpretive Plan, to further east, on Coconino National Forest improve visitor understanding and land near the monument boundary. These appreciation of Sunset Crater Volcano facilities were constructed and are resources. operated by NPS under an agreement with the Forest Service. Associated with the New wayside exhibits will replace and visitor center are park residences, a expand the existing system of interpretive maintenance facility, and a maintenance signs along FR545 and at major existing storage area. T visitor use areas. New museum exhibits will replace the outdated and inaccurate Sunset Crater Volcano is operated as a day- exhibits at the existing visitor center. use area, and the park is closed, but not gated, at night. Entrance fees are required Bonito Campground will be expanded by at Sunset Crater Volcano National the USFS to provide group camping, a day- Monument; access is limited to established use area for educational group gatherings, trails, roadways, and developed facilities. and an upgraded amphitheater for Areas not designated and identified for programs. public activities are closed to unguided entry. A new 4,000-square-foot curatorial building will be constructed in the A 20-car parking area and rest room are administrative area to provide for the provided near the Lava Flow Trail. The long-term care and preservation of one-mile Lava Flow Trail is a self-guided museum objects loop exploring a variety of volcanic formations. The one-mile Lenox Crater A new 20,000-square-foot maintenance, Trail provides an opportunity to climb a resources management, and ranger cinder cone. support facility will be constructed in the Sunset Crater Volcano administrative area. The Cinder Hills overlook near the eastern It will include vehicle and equipment boundary of the monument provides a storage, supplies and materials storage, view of numerous cinder cones in the area. offices, and a meeting room. About 3.5 miles east is the Painted Desert overlook, a small picnic area constructed The backcountry of Sunset Crater Volcano by the Forest Service and jointly operated National Monument (defined as all areas under a cooperative agreement. beyond designated roads, trails, or Impacts from the No-Action alternative developed facilities within the monument) would be as follows: The prehistoric and is closed to unguided entry. The closure ii Mission 66 landscapes would have an park would remain day-use only, with 24- overall reduction of historic integrity hour access on FR545, and visitor use resulting in a moderate adverse impact. would be spread throughout more Closure of the backcountry could help resources. A new multi-agency visitor protect ethnographic resources and have a center would be built near US89 to serve moderate beneficial impact. Natural as the primary location to orient and serve systems and processes would continue to visitors. The existing visitor center would have minor to moderate adverse impacts be adapted for use as an education center. caused by the existing main road and In comparison to the no-action alternative, visitor use in concentrated areas. Alternative 1 would impact a relatively This alternative would continue to provide small, but concentrated number of major benefits to visitors wanting a brief archeological resources near the new introduction to the volcanic landscape. visitor center. Increased USFS and NPS at Park facilities and many features would the new visitor center would provide remain accessible and provide access to increased opportunities to orient