[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 37 (Wednesday, February 25, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Pages 10159-10161]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-03847]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
National Park Service
[NPS-PWR-PWRO-17253; PX.PD077160I.00.4]
Draft Environmental Impact Statement for Alcatraz Ferry
Embarkation Plan, San Francisco County, California.
AGENCY: National Park Service, Interior.
ACTION: Notice of availability.
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SUMMARY: The National Park Service (NPS) has prepared a Draft
Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) for the Alcatraz Ferry
Embarkation project. The project would establish a new, long-term ferry
embarkation site for passenger service between the northern San
Francisco waterfront and Alcatraz Island. It would also establish
occasional special ferry service between the selected Alcatraz ferry
embarkation site and the existing Fort Baker pier, as well as between
Fort Mason and other destinations in San Francisco Bay.
DATES: All comments must be postmarked or transmitted not later than 90
days from the date of publication in the Federal Register of the
Environmental Protection Agency's notice of filing and release of the
DEIS. Upon confirmation of this date, we will notify all entities on
the project mailing list, and public announcements about the DEIS
review period will be posted on the project Web site (http://parkplanning.nps.gov/ALCAembarkation) and distributed via local and
regional press media.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Please contact the Golden Gate
National Recreation Area Planning Division at (415) 561-4930 or
[email protected].
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The purpose and need for the project is
driven by the following factors: (1) Alcatraz Island ferry service has
been subject to location changes every 10 years, which has led to
visitor confusion, community concerns, and inconsistency in visitor
support services. The site and associated connections should be a
consistent feature for visitors to Golden Gate National Recreation Area
(GGNRA). (2)
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The ability to make improvements at the existing site is constrained by
lease provisions between the Port of San Francisco and the
concessioner. The site should allow for efficiency in making facility
improvements when necessary and for consistency in projecting facility
costs. (3) Condition of existing facilities constrains and negatively
affects NPS and the concessioner's abilities to create a quality
visitor experience. The site and associated facilities should serve as
a gateway to GGNRA, reflecting the NPS's identity and providing a
quality experience for recreational visitors. (4) The current facility
has insufficient space to appropriately orient visitors to Alcatraz
Island or provide information to the many visitors who are unable to
visit the island. The site should provide the space, circulation, and
interpretive materials to appropriately and effectively orient
recreational visitors to Alcatraz Island and GGNRA. (5) There is
currently very limited opportunity to provide cross-bay ferry service
to other GGNRA areas.
Key project objectives include: (1) Establish a long-term (50 years
or more) primary location that is economically feasible and
sustainable, and enables substantial reinvestment in Alcatraz Island
and other park facilities and visitor programs; (2) provide visitor
access to Alcatraz Island that is compatible with nearby land uses,
including neighborhoods, businesses, and transportation services; (3)
accommodate the critical facilities and programs needed for the safety
and comfort of visitors and staff, and provide for efficient ferry
operations; (4) locate within a reasonable crossing time from Alcatraz
Island and meet specific basic program element requirements for
logistics; (5) provide an identifiable area for a quality welcome,
orientation, and interpretation of the natural, cultural, scenic, and
recreational resources of Alcatraz Island, other GGNRA system
parklands, and the larger national park system; and (6) provide
facilities for expanded ferry service to accommodate existing and
future visitor demand for travel to Alcatraz Island and other GGNRA
sites and NPS units.
Alternatives: The DEIS describes and analyzes the following four
alternatives:
No Action Alternative: Ferry service to Alcatraz Island would
continue from Pier 31\1/2\, controlled by the Port of San Francisco,
with no changes to management or site operations and infrastructure.
This alternative serves as the environmental baseline from which
potential effects of the three ``action'' alternatives were compared.
Pier 31\1/2\ Alternative: Retrofit existing structures (parts of
piers 31, 33 and associated bulkhead buildings) and establish long-term
ferry service and embarkation site operations at Pier 31\1/2\ along the
Embarcadero. A third berth would be constructed to support ferry travel
to other GGNRA sites. This has been determined to be the
``environmentally preferred'' alternative.
Pier 41 Alternative: Retrofit and expand existing structures and
establish long-term ferry service and embarkation site operations at
Pier 41, controlled by the Port of San Francisco in Fisherman's Wharf.
A third berth would be constructed to support ferry travel to other
GGNRA sites.
Pier 3 Alternative: Retrofit existing structures and establish a
long-term embarkation site at Pier 3 in Fort Mason, a federal property
managed by GGNRA. A third berth between Piers 1 and 2 would also be
constructed.
All action alternatives analyzed in the DEIS would also provide the
aforementioned occasional, special ferry service operated to/from Fort
Baker and to/from Fort Mason. At this time, the ``Preferred
Alternative'' has not been identified. Determination of which
alternative is preferred will be informed by public comment on the DEIS
and the outcome of ongoing discussions with the Port which may affect
cost and logistics at the potential Port sites--Piers 31\1/2\ and 41.
The ``Preferred Alternative'' will be identified in the Final EIS.
Public Involvement: The Notice of Intent to prepare an EIS was
published in the Federal Register on June 1, 2012. Two public meetings
were held; on June 26, 2012, at Fort Mason in San Francisco, and on
June 28, 2012, in Sausalito. Both meetings presented information about
the purpose, need, and objectives of the project and concepts for
possible alternatives in an open-house format. The primary goal of
these meetings was to solicit public input on the preliminary
alternatives. A summary of all comments received during the initial 60-
day scoping period was documented by the Park Service in a report
titled ``Public Scoping Comment Summary.'' Comments from these
meetings, as well from additional stakeholder and agency outreach
meetings and subsequent internal planning workshops, were used to
further refine the alternatives and identify the key topics to be
addressed in the DEIS.
In preparing the DEIS, the NPS consulted with elected officials in
San Francisco and Sausalito, representatives of the Port of San
Francisco, the Fort Mason Center, the State Office of Historic
Preservation, and numerous other stakeholders, among them neighborhood
associations, ferry boat operators and Native American tribes. The NPS
completed over a dozen working papers and reports for this DEIS,
including a feasibility analysis, visitor flow survey report, wind-wave
analysis, value analysis report, and transportation and circulation
study.
During the public review and comment period, visits to alternative
sites will be offered and a public meeting will be conducted in San
Francisco. The date, time, and location of the meeting and site visits
will be publicized through local and regional news media, via the
project Web site (http://parkplanning.nps.gov/ALCAembarkation), and
email to the park mailing list. Interested individuals, organizations,
and agencies are invited to attend this meeting to discuss the DEIS
with the planning team and/or provide written comments.
Copies of the DEIS (printed and electronic) will be distributed to
congressional delegations, state and local elected officials, federal
and state agencies, tribes, organizations, local businesses, public
libraries, and the news media. Printed copies (in limited quantity) and
CDs will be supplied in response to email, phone or mail requests.
Printed copies will be available at public libraries in San Francisco
and Sausalito.
How to Comment: Written comments may be transmitted electronically
through the project Web site (noted above). If preferred, comments may
be mailed to the General Superintendent, GGNRA, Attn: Alcatraz Ferry
Embarkation DEIS, Fort Mason, Building 201, San Francisco, CA, 94123.
Before including your address, phone number, email address, or other
personal identifying information in your comment, 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 your personal identifying
information from public review, we cannot guarantee that we will be
able to do so.
Decision Process: All comments received on the DEIS will be duly
considered in preparing the Final EIS, which is expected to be
available in late 2015. Availability of the Final EIS will be announced
in the Federal Register, as well as through regional and local press
media and park Web site postings. A Record of Decision will be prepared
not sooner than 30 days after release of the Final EIS. As a delegated
EIS, the NPS official responsible for approval of the project is the
Regional Director, Pacific West Region. The official
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responsible for project implementation is the Superintendent, Golden
Gate National Recreation Area.
Dated: January 29, 2015.
Christine S. Lehnertz,
Regional Director, Pacific West Region.
[FR Doc. 2015-03847 Filed 2-24-15; 8:45 am]
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