Draft General Management Plan for Cabrillo National Monument, California;Notice of Management Proposals and Notice of Availability of Draft Environmental Impact Statement

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

National Park Service

Draft General Management Plan for Cabrillo National Monument,

California;Notice of Management Proposals and Notice of Availability of

Draft Environmental Impact Statement

SUMMARY: Pursuant to section 102(2)(C) of the National Environmental

Policy Act of 1969 (P.L. 91-190 as amended), the National Park Service

has prepared an environmental impact statement (EIS) and General

Management Plan for Cabrillo National Monument, California.

This Draft General Management Plan and Environmental Impact

Statement presents a proposal and three other alternatives for the

management, use, and development of Cabrillo National Monument. The

Proposal (Alternative B) would add staff and facilities to more

adequately protect and interpret the monument's significant resources.

Resource management programs would be increased to protect the tidepool

ecosystem and coastal sage scrub habitat and to open safe military

defense structures to public use and enjoyment. The Proposal would

result in a broader range of visitor choices and experiences within the

monument than is available now. A new location for the entrance station

would provide better orientation to the monument, allow entrance fees

to be collected from those who use the tidepools, and include the

tidepools and western part of the monument in the visitors' perception

of the monument. An interpretive building would be constructed at the

lighthouse. The Navy Marine Science facility near the tidepools would

be converted to an intertidal interpretive center, if the Navy declares

the facility excess to its needs and it is transferred to the monument.

Outdoor educational facility seating would be improved at the Ballast

View rest area. The Whale Overlook would be replaced to accommodate

more visitors and improve its aesthetic quality. The Bayside Trail

would be extended to form a loop trail. Administrative and storage

space would be added to increase staff efficiency and effectiveness and

to better care for museum artifacts and resources.

Alternatives described in this document, in addition to the

Proposal, include No Action (Alternative A), Minimum Requirements

(Alternative C), and Enhanced Visitor Use (Alternative D). Alternative

C would improve resource management, relocate the entrance station,

improve the outdoor educational facility, and open some defense

structures to the public, but would not include adding interpretive

facilities at the lighthouse or the tidepools or extending the Bayside

Trail. Administrative or storage needs would only be partially met.

Alternative D is similar to the Proposal but includes construction of

an amphitheater at the Ballast View rest area as the outdoor

educational facility and considers an alternative location for the

lighthouse interpretive facility.

The environmental consequences of the proposed action and other

alternatives are documented.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The public review period for this document

will end 60 days after the publication of a notice of availability in

the Federal Register. Comments will be accepted until August 18, 1995.

All review comments must be received by that time and should be

addressed to Regional Director, Western Region, Attention Meredith

Kaplan, National Park Service, 600 Harrison Street, Suite 600, San

Francisco, CA 94107-1372. For further information, write to the above

address or telephone at 415-744-3968. For copies of the document,

please contact the Superintendent of Cabrillo National Monument by

writing to P.O. Box 6670, San Diego, CA 92166-0670 or by telephoning to

619-557-5450. Copies of the documents are also available at libraries

in San Diego, California.

Dated: June 6, 1995.

Patricia L. Neubacher,

Acting Regional Director, Western Region.

[FR Doc. 95-14594 Filed 6-14-95; 8:45 am]

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