Final Lake Crescent Management Plan, Environmental Impact Statement, Olympic National Park, Washington

NPS - Olympic National Park

This Final Lake Crescent Management Plan provides guidance for the development and use of the Lake Crescent area of Olympic National Park for the next 15 to 20 years. For the past several years, visitor use at Lake Crescent has increased steadily. The lake itself is used for many forms of water recreation. A longrange management plan is needed to effectively guide future management decisions concerning resource protection and visitor use of this highly scenic and popular area. The Final Lake Crescent Management Plan contains five alternative strategies for management of the Lake Crescent area. The alternatives differ in extent and location of visitor facilities, and corresponding impacts on natural and cultural resources, park operations, and visitor use and experience. The range of alternatives includes the four alternatives presented in the draft plan, with modifications based on public comment received, additional issues raised, and further impact analysis. A fifth alternative, submitted during the public comment period, has been added since publication of the draft plan. While the plan provides specific direction for future management decisions regarding resource protection and public use at Lake Crescent, it does not contain detailed site designs. Over the next several years as funding allows, individual site plans for specific areas around the lake would be completed based upon the recommendations in this plan. These site plans will address various aspects of site development including the location of roads, buildings and facilities, vehicle and pedestrian circulation, recreational facilities, and the protection of natural and cultural resources. Alternative A, identified as the NPS Proposed Action, best satisfies the park and NPS mission, as well as the park's management objectives and long-tenn vision for Lake Crescent. It recognizes both the need to protect natural and cultural resources and to provide appropriate recreational opportunities for visitors. Alternative B (the no-action alternative) represents no change from current management direction. Alternative C highlights increased recreational opportunities, offering a broader range of visitor services. Alternative D emphasizes the protection of the watershed's natural resources and reduces the overall level of development and services. Alternative E, submitted by the Friends of Lake Crescent, contains actions quite similar to those presented in Alternatives A and C. No action may be taken until at least 30 days after the Environmental Protection Agency has accepted the document and published a notice of availability in the Federal Register.

Final Lake Crescent Management Plan, Environmental Impact Statement, Olympic National Park, Washington

Series

Collections