More controversial was construction of the concessioner’s employee dormitory that began in August 1972. Originally planned for a site next to the cafeteria, the master plan revision of 1972 now showed it on a site south of the lodge so that it could be hooked up to the lodge’s sewer line. Passage of the National Environmental Policy Act in 1969 meant that an environmental assessment (EA) had to be written to address the impact of the building’s construction, as well as to present alternatives to constructing the dorm at Rim Village. The document stated that the building was required by the 1967 concession contract and that its purpose was to eliminate overcrowding in the lodge (employees had been housed there along with guests). It was also to provide housing for employees when the lodge was being converted to a two story structure. The EA further justified the $350,000 dormitory by stating that the building would improve the appearance of the area by allowing the lodge to be reduced to two stories.[82] When construction of the dormitory began in June 1973, seven conservation groups protested that it should have been built on Peyton’s property near the park’s south boundary. [83] The groups argued that the building’s site in Rim Village was inconsistent with the stated NPS intent to shift new development away from prime resource areas.[84] Although the dormitory was completed, further expansion of concession facilities at Rim Village was halted by order of Assistant Secretary of Interior Nathaniel Reed with the support of Oregon Senator Bob Packwood. Plans for motel units at Rim Village and Park Headquarters were dropped, with Reed directing the NPS to prepare a revised master plan that would be subject to public hearings. [85]
Crater Lake’s last master plan appeared in draft form in March 1975 and lent little credence to earlier justifications for building the employee dormitory. It noted that the lodge had been nominated for the National Register of Historic Places. This meant that conversion of the building into a two story structure would now require a Historic Structure Report, as part of a feasibility study. The lodge was entitled to protection under Executive Order 11593 (Protection and Enhancement of the Cultural Environment, May 13, 1971) under which historical surveys are required on buildings nominated to the National Register prior to any construction.
A visitor center was again proposed in the master plan, this time through conversion of the cafeteria. Rerouting of the roadway to a south access for Rim Village was recommended, as was the conversion of the Rim Campground to a day use area. [86] An environmental assessment was prepared for the draft master plan in May 1975. In June, a plugged outfall line at a sewer manhole near the lodge allowed raw sewage to mix with surface runoff from snowmelt, resulting in contamination of Munson Springs. The resulting water supply problem closed the park for almost three weeks. Both the lodge and the Rim Campground remained closed after the park reopened. Emergency funds allowed for the completion of a new water line from Annie Spring in September, and Munson Springs were abandoned as a water supply.
Although the lodge had its sewage system reworked as a result of the contamination, emergency funds were not extended to cover projects in the master plan. The abandonment of the septic tank and leachfield system serving the cafeteria and cold water cabins was not accomplished. [87] The contamination had other ramifications. The Rim Campground was converted to a picnic area in the summer of 1976. In the midst of litigation arising from his role in the water contamination, Peyton sold the concession on March 1, 1976, to the Canteen Company of Oregon. Canteen was to assume the remainder of the 30 year contract. [88]
General management plans began to replace master plans in the national parks during 1977. This was in response to congressional pressure to improve administration of NPS holdings and would include public comment in park planning. The new document was done in advance of legislation mandating GMPs and consisted of a statement for management, a resource management plan, a visitor use plan, a general development plan, and subsidiary plans. [90] Accompanied by an environmental assessment, the draft GMP for Crater Lake was issued for public comment in July 1977.
