Draft Environmental Impact Statement, Elwha River Ecosystem Restoration Implementation, Olympic National Park, WA

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

National Park Service

Draft Environmental Impact Statement, Elwha River Ecosystem

Restoration Implementation, Olympic National Park, WA

ACTION: Notice of Availability of Draft Environmental Impact Statement.

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SUMMARY: This notice announces the availability of a draft

environmental impact statement (DEIS) for the restoration of the Elwha

River Ecosystem in Olympic National Park, Washington. This notice also

announces public meetings for the purpose of receiving comments on the

draft document.

DATES: There will be a 60-day public review period for comment on this

document. Comments on the DEIS should be received no later than June

26, 1996. Public meetings will be held in Seattle, Washington, on

Tuesday, May 21, 1996, from 5:30 to 9:00 p.m. at The Mountaineer's

Building, Olympus Room, 300 3rd Ave. West; and in Port Angeles,

Washington, on Wednesday, May 22, 1996, from 1:30 to 4:00 p.m. and from

5:30 to 9:00 p.m. at the Vern Burton Community Center, 308 E. 4th

Street.

ADDRESSES: Comments on the DEIS should be submitted to: Sarah Bransom,

National Park Service--RP, P.O. Box 25287, Denver, CO 80225-0287.

Public reading copies of the DEIS will be available for review at

the following locations:

Office of Public Affairs, National Park Service, Department of the

Interior, 18th & C Streets, NW, Washington, DC 20240, Telephone: (202)

208-6843

Columbia/Cascades System Support Office, National Park Service, Rm.

650, 909 First Ave., Seattle, WA 98104-1060, Telephone: (206) 220-4154

Olympic National Park, National Park Service, 600 E. Park Ave., Port

Angeles, WA 98362, Telephone: (360) 452-4501

North Olympic Library System, Port Angeles Branch, 207 S. Lincoln St.,

Port Angeles, WA, Telephone: (360) 452-9253

Government Documents, Seattle Public Library, 1000 4th Ave., Seattle,

WA 98104-1193, Telephone (206) 386-4686

Government Publications, Suzzallo Library, University of Washington,

Seattle, WA 98195, Telephone: (206) 543-1937

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Brian Winter, Elwha River Restoration Coordinator, Olympic National

Park, 600 E. Park Ave., Port Angeles, WA 98362, Telephone: (360) 452-

0302. A limited number of copies of the DEIS are available on request.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In 1994 and 1995, draft and final EISs were

released which determined the Department of the Interior's policy on

Elwha River Restoration. The Record of Decision on that EIS process,

documenting the decision to purse removal of the dams, is available

from the Superintendent, Olympic National Park at the above address.

This document and analysis has resulted from the passage of Public

Law 102-495, the Elwha River Ecosystem and Fisheries Restoration Act of

1992. The DEIS has been completed by the National Park Service in

cooperation with the US Fish and Wildlife Service, Bureau of

Reclamation, Bureau of Indian Affairs, and the Lower Elwha Klallam

Tribe.

This draft environmental impact statement on implementing ecosystem

restoration describes and analyzes a

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proposed action and two alternatives. Under the proposed action, the

Secretary of the Interior would remove both the Elwha and Glines Canyon

dams, and allow natural river erosion to transport accumulated

reservoir sediments to the ocean. The other alternatives are: remove

both dams and dredge accumulated sediments into a slurry pipeline for

transport to the ocean; and no action--continue to operate the dams

without anadromous fish mitigation.

Impacts are analyzed on the following topics: fluvial processes and

sediment transport, flooding, groundwater, surface water, native

anadromous and resident fisheries, vegetation, wildlife, species of

special concern, living marine resources, air quality and noise,

cultural resources, socioeconomics, public health and safety, traffic,

Indian trust resources, recreation, land use, and aesthetics.

All review comments received will become part of the public record

and copies of comments, including names, addresses and telephone

numbers provided by respondents, may be released for public inspection.

Dated: April 8, 1996

William C. Walters,

Deputy Field Director, Pacific West Area, National Park Service.

[FR Doc. 96-9979 Filed 4-22-96; 8:45 am]

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