The National Park Service would use archeological monitors, as necessary, in the project area to avoid disturbance of any as yet unknown cultural resources. Because archeological resources would be avoided through highway design, no impacts to archeological resources are anticipated. However, due to the proximity to known archeological resources, this topic is addressed under the Cultural Resources heading in this environmental assessment.
Visitor Use, Traffic, and Highway Safety
An estimated 445,000 people visited the park area in 2001. The proposed project is a major access route to the lake and is needed to improve driving conditions. All alternatives in this document have the potential to impact visitor use, traffic, and highway safety. Therefore, visitor use, traffic, and highway safety are addressed as impact topics in this environmental assessment.
Park Operations
Crater Lake National Park receives an average of 522 inches of snow each winter. Although the proposed project would not diminish the need for or level of snow removal, it would improve snow removal operations. The roadway is prone to potholing and a new road surface would minimize maintenance and repairs. Therefore, these activities under park operations are addressed as an impact topic in this environmental assessment.
Air Quality
The 1963 Clean Air Act, as amended (42 USC 7401 et seq.), requires federal land managers to protect park air quality, while the 2001 NPS Management Policies address the need to analyze air quality during park planning. Crater Lake National Park was designated Class I under the 1963 Clean Air Act, as amended. A Class I area is subject to the most stringent regulations of any designation.
Should any of the action alternatives be selected, local air quality would be temporarily affected by dust and vehicle emissions. Therefore, air quality is addressed as an impact topic.
Noise and Soundscapes
In accordance with NPS Management Policies (2001) and Director’s Order – 47: Sound Preservation and Noise Management, an important part of the National Park Service mission is preservation of natural soundscapes associated with national park units. Natural soundscapes exist in the absence of human-caused sound. The natural ambient soundscape is the aggregate of all the natural sounds that occur in park units, together with the physical capacity for transmitting natural sounds. The frequencies, magnitudes, and duration of human-caused sound considered acceptable varies among National Park Service units, as well as potentially throughout each park unit, being generally greater in developed areas and less in undeveloped areas.
Construction projects would be accomplished under the implementation of either alternative B or C. Equipment and vehicles involved in hauling, construction activities, and removal of existing switchbacks (alternative C) would generate the primary source of noise. Therefore, soundscapes and noise are addressed as an impact topic in this environmental assessment.
***previous*** — ***next***
