National Park Service U.S. Department of the Interior Gettysburg National Military Park Pennsylvania Final Disposition of the Gettysburg Cyclorama Building Environmental Assessment GETT179110 August 2012 U.S. Department of the Interior National Park Service Gettysburg National Military Park Pennsylvania Final Disposition of the Gettysburg Cyclorama Building Environmental Assessment August 23, 2012 This Environmental Assessment (EA) evaluates three alternatives for the Final Disposition of the Gettysburg Cyclorama Building. The EA describes the environment and resources that would be affected by the alternatives and the environmental consequences of implementing these alternatives. The mission of Gettysburg National Historical Park (the park) is to preserve and protect the resources associated with the Battle of Gettysburg and the Soldiers’ National Cemetery, and to provide understanding of the events that occurred here, within the context of American history. The Cyclorama building is located on some of the Battle of Gettysburg’s most historically significant land along North Cemetery Ridge. In 1998, the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation (ACHP) determined that the Cyclorama building was eligible for listing on the National Register of Historic Places (National Register). As part of the National Park Service’s (NPS) long- term plan to rehabilitate North Cemetery Ridge to its historic 1863 and commemorative-era appearance, the NPS is proposing to demolish the Cyclorama building. The decision to demolish the Cyclorama building was addressed in the Gettysburg National Military Park General Management Plan/Environmental Impact Statement (GMP) and approved in a 1999 Record of Decision (ROD). Demolition of the Cyclorama building was also considered and approved in the 1999 Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) between the NPS, the Pennsylvania State Historic Preservation Officer (SHPO), and the ACHP. In 2006, the NPS was sued by the Recent Past Preservation Network and two individuals challenging the government’s compliance with both the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA) and the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA) concerning its decision to demolish the Cyclorama building. While the NPS was found to have complied with the NHPA, in March 2010, the United States District Court for the District of Columbia directed the NPS to undertake a “site-specific environmental analysis on the demolition of the Cyclorama Center” and to consider “non-demolition alternatives” to its demolition before “any implementing action is taken on the Center.” Accordingly, the NPS initiated the present EA. The EA evaluates the no-action alternative (alternative A) and two action alternatives. The NPS identified Alternative B: Demolition of the Cyclorama Building as the NPS preferred alternative because it best meets the project’s purpose and need to continue to rehabilitate the landscape of the North Cemetery Ridge to its 1863 and commemorative-era appearance in accordance with the decision in the 1999 approved GMP by removing the Gettysburg Cyclorama building, which is a modern intrusion on the North Cemetery Ridge landscape. Action is needed at this time to improve visitor understanding of the major battle action and the commemoration that took place on the ridge by rehabilitating the landscape in accordance with the decisions made in the GMP and approved ROD and the treatment recommendations in the 2004 CLR. Implementation of the NPS preferred alternative would result in impacts to historic structures, cultural landscapes, archeological resources, scenic resources, local roads and park access, gateway communities, visitor use and experience, and park operations and park facilities. For Further Information Contact: Zach Bolitho, Chief of Resource Management Gettysburg National Military Park Note to Reviewers and Respondents: If you wish to comment on this EA, you may post your comments electronically at http://parkplanning.nps.gov/cycloramaea or you may mail comments within 30 days to the address below. Whether you comment on the website or through the mail, if you include your address, phone number, e-mail address, or other personal identifying information, you should be aware that your entire comment – including your personal identifying information – may be made publicly available at any time. While you can ask us in your comment to withhold personal identifying information from public review, we cannot guarantee that we will be able to do so. Superintendent Gettysburg National Military Park 1195 Baltimore Pike, Suite 100 Gettysburg, PA 17325 This page intentionally left blank. Gettysburg National Military Park Final Disposition of the Gettysburg Cyclorama Building Environmental Assessment CONTENTS Contents ............................................................................................................................ iii List of Figures ....................................................................................................................v List of Tables ......................................................................................................................v Acronyms and Abbreviations ......................................................................................... vi Purpose and Need ..............................................................................................................1 Introduction ................................................................................................................................ 1 Purpose of and Need for Action ................................................................................................. 1 Study Area ................................................................................................................................. 3 History and Significance of Gettysburg National Military Park ................................................... 3 History and Significance of the Gettysburg Landscape and Cyclorama Building ..................... 4 Project Background ................................................................................................................... 8 Issues and Impact Topics .......................................................................................................... 12 Planning Issues and Concerns ........................................................................ 12 Regulatory Issues and Management Concerns ............................................... 13 Impact Topics Retained for Further Analysis ................................................... 15 Impact Topics Considered but Dismissed from Further Analysis ..................... 18 Alternatives ...................................................................................................................... 25 Development of Alternatives .................................................................................................... 25 Actions Common to the Alternatives ........................................................................................ 26 Actions Common to Alternatives B and C ................................................................................ 27 Alternative A: No-action: Mothballing of the Cyclorama Building ............................................. 28 Alternative B: Demolition of the Cyclorama Building (NPS Preferred) ..................................... 31 Alternative C: Relocation of the Cyclorama Building Outside the Park by a Non-NPS Entity . 35 Mitigation Measures ................................................................................................................. 43 Alternatives Considered But Dismissed from Further Analysis ....................................................... 44 Summary Comparison of the Alternatives ............................................................................... 48 Summary of Environmental Consequences ............................................................................ 51 Environmentally Preferable Alternative .................................................................................... 54 NPS Preferred Alternative ....................................................................................................... 54 Affected Environment ..................................................................................................... 55 Historic Structures ................................................................................................................... 55 Cultural Landscapes ................................................................................................................ 57 Archeological Resources ......................................................................................................... 59 Scenic Resources .................................................................................................................... 60 Local Roads and Park Access ................................................................................................. 60 Gateway Communities ............................................................................................................. 62 Visitor Use and Experience ..................................................................................................... 63 Park Operations and Park Facilities ........................................................................................ 64 iii Contents Gettysburg National Military Park Final Disposition of the Gettysburg Cyclorama Building