Rehabilitation of Highway 62 West, Crater Lake National Park, Klamath County, Oregon

 ENVIRONMENTAL CONSEQUENCES

ALTERNATIVE C: PREFERRED ALTERNATIVE

This section evaluates the potential impacts of alternative C, the preferred alternative.

Cultural Resources

Archeological Resources

There are historic-period archeological sites associated with segments of the Fort Klamath-Jacksonville wagon road located in the vicinity of the project corridor. There are no known archeological resources at the Pacific Crest trailhead parking lot, the area around turnout B, and a turnout to the west of Whitehorse Crossing, and therefore, no impacts are anticipated in these areas. At Whitehorse Creek, all known archeological resources would be avoided. Therefore, there would be no impacts to archeological resources under alternative C.

Should previously unidentified archeological resources be discovered during construction, work in that location would stop until a qualified archeologist could inventory and evaluate the resource and appropriate measures could be implemented, either to avoid further resource impacts or to mitigate their loss or disturbance in consultation with the Oregon SHPO.

Cumulative Impacts. In conjunction with all past, present, and reasonably foreseeable future actions, including trails rehabilitation and relocation, the reconstruction of the Rim parking lot, the waterline replacement from Munson Springs to Garfield, the lagoon project at Munson Valley, and rehabilitation of the superintendent’s house; implementation of alternative C would not contribute to cumulative impacts to archeological resources.

Conclusion. Alternative C would have no impact on archeological resources and would not contribute to cumulative impacts.

Because there would be no major adverse impacts to a resource or value whose conservation is (1) necessary to fulfill specific purposes identified in the park’s establishing legislation, (2) key to the natural or cultural integrity of the park or to opportunities for enjoyment of the park, or (3) identified as a goal in the park’s General Management Plan or other relevant National Park Service planning documents, there would be no impairment of park resources or values.

Section 106 Summary. Under alternative C, the majority of the road work would be confined within the existing roadbed and previously disturbed areas. Reconstruction of the switchbacks would avoid known archeological resources. After applying the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation’s criteria of adverse effect (36 CFR 800.5), the National Park Service proposes that implementing alternative C would result in a determination of no historic properties affected.

Historic Structures

A contributing feature of the Fort Klamath-Jacksonville wagon road is located within the area of potential effect. This resource would be avoided through road design in the switchback segments by increasing the steepness of the slope for the fill on the upper (southern) switchback to 1.5:1. This road design would avoid the two 1911 road segments and the revetment wall resulting in no impacts to historic structures.

Cumulative Impacts. In conjunction with other past, present, and reasonably foreseeable actions, including trail rehabilitation and relocation, the reconstruction of the Rim parking lot, the waterline replacement from Munson Springs to Garfield, the lagoon project at Munson Valley, and rehabilitation of the superintendent’s house; implementation of alternative C would not contribute to cumulative impacts on historic structures.

Conclusion. Alternative C would have no impact on known cultural resources and would not contribute to cumulative impacts.

Because there would be no major adverse impacts to a resource or value whose conservation is (1) necessary to fulfill specific purposes identified in the park’s establishing legislation, (2) key to the natural or cultural integrity of the park or to opportunities for enjoyment of the park, or (3) identified as a goal in the park’s General Management Plan or other relevant National Park Service planning documents, there would be no impairment of park resources or values.

Section 106 Summary. Project design avoids known historic structures in the area of potential effect. After applying the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation’s criteria of adverse effect (36 CFR 800.5) the National Park Service proposes that implementing alternative C would result in a determination of no historic properties affected.

 

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