Draft Environmental Impact Statement/Comprehensive Plan Fort Baker Site at Golden Gate National Recreation Area Marin County, California; Notice of Availability

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

National Park Service

Draft Environmental Impact Statement/Comprehensive Plan Fort

Baker Site at Golden Gate National Recreation Area Marin County,

California; Notice of Availability

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

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

Service (NPS), Department of the Interior, has prepared a draft

Environmental Impact

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Statement (DEIS) identifying and evaluating potential impacts of a

proposed Comprehensive Plan for Fort Baker, a developed site in Golden

Gate National Recreation Area (GGNRA). When approved, this

Comprehensive Plan will guide implementation of future building uses,

site improvements, visitor services, and cultural and natural resource

management actions.

Proposal

The Proposed Action would create a conference and retreat center in

a combination of historic buildings, non-historic buildings and new

construction. It would provide space for meetings, dining and

accommodations. Existing tenants, the Bay Area Discovery Museum

(Museum) and the U.S. Coast Guard Golden Gate Station (Station), would

be retained and their facilities and programs expanded.

Public services and short-term boat moorings would be provided in

the historic boat shop and marina. The waterfront landscape would be

improved, the beach restored, and natural and cultural resources of the

site preserved and maintained. Approximately 40 acres of native

habitats (including habitat for the endangered mission blue butterfly)

would be restored. Some roads and trails on the site would be improved.

Alternatives

In addition to the proposed action, three alternatives are

identified and evaluated. The 1980 General Management Plan Alternative

would implement the 1980 GGNRA General Management Plan (GMP)

development concept to create a conference center, artist-in-residence

program and hostel in the historic buildings with no new construction;

remove non-historic residences to construct a 700 car shuttle staging

parking lot and NPS maintenance facility; restore the beach; convert

the boat shop and marina to a public facility with visitor services and

short term boat mooring; improve the waterfront with a more urban

landscape treatment; and create a ferry landing at the historic pier.

Roads and trails would be improved.

The Office and Cultural Center Alternative would use the historic

buildings for meeting, program, restaurant, performance and program

space needs for private and non-profit groups. Non-historic residences

would be retained and some removed to provide parking for the center.

The marina would continue to provide long-term boat mooring and some

public boat mooring and visitor services. Other treatments would be the

same as the Proposed Action.

The No Action Alternative would lease or permit residential

buildings in the historic parade ground area and adjacent non-historic

area as residences. Non-residential structures would be stabilized for

preservation with no new use. There would be minimal changes to the

waterfront to provide for visitor safety, and no expansion of the

Museum or Station. The marina would be closed, the slips and docks

removed, and the boat shop would be stabilized for preservation with no

new use. Minimal preservation treatment of natural and cultural

resources would be carried out to meet legislative requirements and to

complete currently underway restoration efforts.

Comments

Printed or CD-ROM copies of the DEIS are available at park

headquarters, Building 201, Fort Mason, San Francisco, as well as at

libraries in the nine-county San Francisco Bay Area. The documents are

also available on the Internet at ``www.nps.gov/goga/ftbaker/

ftbaker.htm''.

Written comments must be postmarked not later than December 7,

1998, pursuant to the notice of filing in the Federal Register by the

Environmental Protection Agency. Comments should be sent to the

Superintendent, Golden Gate National Recreation Area, Building 201,

Fort Mason, San Francisco, CA 94123. The Fort Baker telephone number is

(415) 561-4844.

In addition, comments will be accepted during the November 18

regular meeting of the GGNRA Advisory Commission (Building 201, Fort

Mason, San Francisco, CA; meetings convene at 7:30 pm). NPS managers

and planning officials will provide an overview of the DEIS and

Comprehensive Plan, answer questions, and listen to comments. Written

copies of comments would be helpful, however it is not required as all

comments will be recorded in full and considered as part of the DEIS

administrative record.

Decision

Following the formal DEIS review period, all comments received will

be considered in preparing a final EIS (FEIS). The FEIS is anticipated

to be completed during winter, 1999. Its availability will be similarly

announced in the Federal Register. Subsequently, a Record of Decision

would be approved by the Regional Director, Pacific West Region, no

sooner than 30 days after release of the FEIS. The responsible

officials are the Regional Director, Pacific West Region and the

Superintendent, Golden Gate National Recreation Area.

Dated: September 29, 1998.

Patricia L. Neubacher,

Acting Regional Director, Pacific West.

[FR Doc. 98-27469 Filed 10-13-98; 8:45 am]

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