Final Environmental Impact Statement for General Management Plan; San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park, San Francisco County, California; Notice of Availability

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

National Park Service

Final Environmental Impact Statement for General Management Plan;

San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park, San Francisco County,

California; Notice of Availability

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

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

has prepared a Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) assessing

the potential impacts of the General Management Plan (GMP) for San

Francisco Maritime National Historical Park, San Francisco, California.

Once approved, the plan will guide management of the park over the next

15 to 20 years.

The Draft Environmental Impact Statement/General Management Plan

(DEIS/GMP) was released for public review on July 25, 1996. A Notice of

Availability was published in the Federal Register on August 2, 1996 to

formally initiate a 60 day public review period (which closed on

October 3, 1996). During this period, two public meetings were held

with the park's Advisory Commission and written comments were also

received. The FEIS/GMP contains responses to the comments received and

minor modifications or clarifications to the document as needed in

response to the comments.

Alternative A (the proposed action) would provide a plan for the

preservation and maintenance of the park's collection, including the

fleet of historic vessels, small watercraft, historic structures,

library, and archival materials. Minimal measures to slow down

deterioration of the steam schooner Wapama would be implemented, but

the vessel's underlying structural decay would not be addressed. The

ship would be dismantled when it could no longer be maintained in a

safe condition. However, before this action would be taken, efforts

would be made to seek out other agencies or private organizations

interested in reconstructing or preserving Wapama as a dryberth

exhibit. The park would pursue multiple strategies for major ship

restoration, such as continued use of commercial shipyards and

appropriate agreements with San Francisco Bay Area dry dock facilities.

Greater use of the park's collection by the public for research and

interpretive purposes would be provided through the use of additional

facilities, including rehabilitation of the Haslett Warehouse. The

intersection at Hyde and Jefferson Streets would be redesigned to

enhance pedestrian access and visibility of the pier and historic ships

and to expand interpretive opportunities. Aquatic Park would be

enhanced and maintained as a public open space, and recreational

activities in the lagoon such as swimming, rowing, and the temporary

mooring of sailboats would continue to be provided to all users. Park

volunteer programs would be enhanced and visitors would be encouraged

to experience other related sites in the San Francisco Bay Area.

In addition to the proposed action, two alternatives were

considered. Alternative B emphasized preservation and maintenance of

the historic ships, small watercraft, historic structures, library, and

archival materials (as would Alternative A). Space would be upgraded

and expanded for the park's collection. The park would pursue multiple

strategies for major ship restoration work. Under Alternative B the

intersection of Hyde and Jefferson Streets would be developed further

as an expanded-permanent pedestrian plaza with public seating,

unobstructed views of the ships and Bay, and additional space for

interpretive demonstrations, displays, and public programs. Alternative

C (No Action-Minimum Requirements) would continue current management

strategies, with minimal actions implemented to stabilize and preserve

the park's collection and historic properties.

The environmental consequences of the proposed action and the

alternatives were fully documented in the DEIS/GMP, and mitigation

provided as appropriate to minimize impacts. The FEIS/GMP provides

additional information on mitigation measures for the Wapama and other

historic properties in the final Programmatic Agreement between the

California State Historic Preservation Office, the Advisory Council on

Historic Preservation, and the NPS.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: It should be noted that this FEIS/GMP is an

``abbreviated'' final environmental impact statement (changes from the

DEIS/GMP are minor, with no modification of the alternatives and no new

information which might have a significant effect on the environment).

The FEIS/GMP was prepared in accordance with environmental regulations

set forth at 40 CFR 1503.4(c). It is recommended that readers of the

FEIS/GMP have available a copy of the DEIS/GMP. The ``no-action''

period for this FEIS/GMP will end thirty (30) days after the

Environmental Protection Agency has listed the availability of the

document in the Federal Register. For further information, please

contact the Superintendent, San Francisco Maritime National Historical

Park, National Park Service, Building E, Fort Mason, San Francisco,

California, 94123; telephone (415) 556-1659.

Copies of the FEIS/GMP will be available for public inspection at

the headquarters office of San Francisco Maritime National Historical

Park (contact info above), as well as at area

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libraries and at Offices of Public Affairs, Washington Office of the

National Park Service (1849 C Street NW, Washington DC) and Pacific

West Regional Office of the National Park Service (600 Harrison Street,

Suite 600, San Francisco, California).

Dated: August 21, 1997.

Holly Bundock,

Acting Regional Director, Pacific West Region.

[FR Doc. 97-23324 Filed 9-2-97; 8:45 am]

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