Written inquiries regarding the General Plan should be submitted to the address below: MAILING ADDRESS: California State Parks Strategic Planning and Recreation Services Division Recreation Planning P.O. Box 942896 Sacramento, CA 94296-0001 EMAIL: [email protected] © 2018 California State Parks All photographs copyright California State Parks unless otherwise noted. Carmel Area State Parks Preliminary General Plan and Draft Environmental Impact Report State Clearinghouse #2012041016 July 2018 Edmund G. Brown, Jr. Governor, State of California John Laird Secretary, Natural Resources Agency Lisa Mangat Director, California State Parks P.O. Box 942896 Sacramento, CA 94296-0001 www.parks.ca.gov TABLE OF CONTENTS Chapter/Section Page Executive Summary Park Description .............................................................. ES-1 Purpose of the General Plan .......................................... ES-3 Planning Efforts and Public Outreach .......................... ES-4 Carmel Area State Parks Declaration of Purpose ................................................................. ES-5 Carmel Area State Parks Vision Statement ................ ES-5 Key Issues .......................................................................... ES-5 Visitor Use Management, Sustainable Use, and Resource Protection ........................ ES-6 Traffic and Parking .............................................. ES-6 Protection of Natural Resources .................... ES-7 Protection of the Native American Heritage and Prehistoric Cultural Resources ............................................................. ES-8 Protection of Historic Cultural Resources ............................................................. ES-8 Facilities and Operations .................................. ES-9 Overview of the Park Plan ............................................. ES-9 Major Features of the Park Plan ................... ES-10 Plan Implementation ..................................................... ES-13 Environmental Analysis ................................................ ES-14 1 Introduction 1.1 Location and Regional Context ...................................... 1-1 1.2 Site Characteristics ............................................................ 1-2 1.2.1 Point Lobos State Natural Reserve .................. 1-5 1.2.2 Carmel River State Beach ................................... 1-5 1.2.3 Point Lobos Ranch Property .............................. 1-6 1.2.4 Hatton Canyon Property .................................... 1-6 1.3 Purpose of Acquisition ...................................................... 1-7 1.3.1 Point Lobos State Natural Reserve .................. 1-7 1.3.2 Carmel River State Beach ................................... 1-8 1.3.3 Point Lobos Ranch Property .............................. 1-8 1.3.4 Hatton Canyon Property .................................... 1-9 Carmel Area State Parks Preliminary General Plan and Draft Environmental Impact Report i Table of Contents Chapter/Section Page 1.4 Sense of Place ..................................................................... 1-9 1.4.1 Point Lobos State Natural Reserve .................. 1-9 1.4.2 Carmel River State Beach ................................ 1-10 1.4.3 Point Lobos Ranch Property ............................ 1-10 1.4.4 Hatton Canyon Property .................................. 1-11 1.5 Purpose of the General Plan ......................................... 1-11 1.5.1 Combined State Park General Plan and Program EIR ......................................................... 1-12 1.6 Organization and Contents of the General Plan and EIR ............................................................................... 1-13 1.7 Planning Process ............................................................... 1-14 1.7.1 Public Involvement ............................................. 1-15 1.7.2 Interagency and Stakeholder Involvement ......................................................... 1-18 1.8 Planning Hierarchy ........................................................... 1-20 1.8.1 California State Parks Mission ......................... 1-20 1.8.2 Classification ........................................................ 1-20 1.8.3 Declaration of Purpose ..................................... 1-20 1.8.4 Regional Planning Considerations ................... 1-21 1.8.5 Vision..................................................................... 1-21 1.8.6 Carmel Area State Parks (Parkwide) Goals and Guidelines ......................................... 1-21 1.8.7 Management Zone Intent, Goals, and Guidelines ............................................................ 1-21 1.9 Subsequent Planning ........................................................ 1-22 2 Existing Conditions 2.1 Regional Land Use and Facilities ..................................... 2-1 2.1.1 Regional Land Use ................................................ 2-1 2.1.2 Regional Recreational Facilities ......................... 2-2 2.2 Park Land Use and Facilities ............................................ 2-5 2.2.1 Existing Land Uses ................................................ 2-5 2.2.2 Visitation and Recreation Uses ......................... 2-9 2.2.3 Existing Facilities ................................................. 2-12 2.3 Important Resource Values ........................................... 2-23 2.3.1 Physical Resources ............................................. 2-25 2.3.2 Natural Resources ............................................. 2-46 2.3.3 Cultural Resources ............................................ 2-77 2.3.4 Aesthetic Resources .......................................... 2-97 ii Carmel Area State Parks Preliminary General Plan and Draft Environmental Impact Report Table of Contents Chapter/Section Page 2.4 Park Operations and Maintenance ............................ 2-102 2.4.1 Facility Management ........................................ 2-102 2.4.2 Public Safety ...................................................... 2-102 2.4.3 Concessions ...................................................... 2-102 2.4.4 Point Lobos State Natural Reserve ............. 2-103 2.4.5 Carmel River State Beach .............................. 2-104 2.4.6 Point Lobos Ranch Property ......................... 2-104 2.4.7 Hatton Canyon Property ............................... 2-105 2.5 Interpretation and Education ...................................... 2-105 2.5.1 Existing Interpretation and Education ......... 2-106 2.5.2 Interpretive Audience Demographics ......... 2-109 2.5.3 Support for Interpretation ............................ 2-109 2.5.4 Local, Regional, and Statewide Context ..... 2-110 2.6 Park Support .................................................................. 2-111 2.6.1 Volunteers ......................................................... 2-112 2.6.2 Cooperating Associations and Supporting Groups .......................................... 2-113 2.7 Planning Influences ........................................................ 2-115 2.7.1 Systemwide Planning ....................................... 2-115 2.7.2 Regional Planning ............................................. 2-117 2.7.3 Regulatory Influences ...................................... 2-118 2.7.4 Demographics, Trends, and Projections .... 2-124 2.7.5 Public Concerns, Interests, and Opportunities ................................................... 2-128 3 Issues and Analysis 3.1 Planning Assumptions ........................................................ 3-1 3.2 Carmel Area State Parks Issues ...................................... 3-2 3.2.1 Visitor Capacity Management ............................ 3-2 3.2.2 Resource Protection ............................................ 3-4 3.2.3 Circulation, Access, and Parking .................... 3-10 3.2.4 Public Safety ........................................................ 3-14 3.2.5 Visitor Facilities .................................................. 3-15 3.2.6 Recreation Opportunities ............................... 3-16 3.2.7 Interpretation and Education .......................... 3-17 3.2.8 Maintenance and Renovation Needs ............. 3-19 3.2.9 Partnerships and Regional Integration .......... 3-20 3.2.10 Communication and Public/ Stakeholder Involvement ........................................................ 3-22 3.2.11 Financial Sustainability ....................................... 3-23 Carmel Area State Parks Preliminary General Plan and Draft Environmental Impact Report iii Table of Contents Chapter/Section Page 3.3 Area-Specific Issues ......................................................... 3-23 3.3.1 Visitor-Caused Resource Degradation at the Reserve .......................................................... 3-23 3.3.2 Traffic Congestion and Access to the Reserve ................................................................. 3-24 3.3.3 Carmel River and Lagoon Flooding ............... 3-25 3.3.4 Opening the Point Lobos Ranch Property ............................................................... 3-27 3.4 Planning Alternatives ....................................................... 3-28 4 Park Plan 4.1 Classification ....................................................................... 4-1 4.1.1 State Natural Reserve ......................................... 4-2 4.1.2 State Park ............................................................... 4-2 4.2 Purpose and Vision ............................................................ 4-5 4.2.1 Carmel Area State Parks