Environmental Consequences

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IMPACTS OF IMPLEMENTING ALTERNATIVE 2 – PREFERRED ALTERNATIVE

OPERATIONS

Park Operations

Under alternative 2 existing buildings and facilities would be adaptively used for new functions and uses. Researchers and scientists would stay in the park yearround increasing all season use of park buildings. Use of park facilities is expected to be constant but short term with frequent turnover, necessitating increased maintenance responsibilities in preparing and maintaining park buildings for and in use. Maintenance of year- round residences at Steel Circle and summer season residences at Sleepy Hollow in Munson Valley would continue. Park maintenance staff would continue to support park operations from the central maintenance facility located at Munson Valley. Munson Valley Road to Rim Village would continue to be cleared of snow during the winter months and Rim Drive would continue to be plowed to allow summer season access as early in the spring as weather dictates. Because changes in the ability of the park to provide desired services and facilities would be small but perceptible, minor, long- term, adverse impacts to park operations would be expected under alternative 2.

To accommodate new and expanded visitor use, some park functions that are not, of necessity, park resource- based, would be relocated outside the park in surrounding communities. Fewer employees would reside in the park and more staff functions would be accomplished outside the park boundary. This action would disperse the staff and associated inconveniences in communication and coordination among employees would be expected to occur. This would be offset by increased telecommunication efficiency and reliability. Locating staff in surrounding communities would also contribute to increased efficiencies in developing partnerships and would contribute a moderate beneficial impact on park operations. Different options for accommodating operations outside the park would be studied before implementing any actions. Actions that propose purchasing additional property outside the boundary would require additional authorization. Staff functions would shift to a greater emphasis on research, education, and interpretation. There would also be an increased need for maintenance operations to maintain yearround use of park facilities and to manage frequent turnover of park residential spaces. Because changes in park operations would be readily apparent and would have an appreciable effect on the ability of the park to provide new services and facilities, there would be moderate, beneficial impacts on park operations.

Cumulative Impacts. Past and ongoing projects including reconfiguration of Rim Village, adaptive reuse of historic structures in Munson Valley and Rim Village, upgrading infrastructure at Cleetwood Cove, and highway road improvement projects on Highway 62, have had longterm moderate beneficial impacts on park operations. Overall these projects have the potential to have an appreciable effect on park operations and improve the ability of the park to provide desired services and facilities. Impacts of the above other actions in conjunction with the no- action alternative would result in moderate, long- term, beneficial cumulative impacts. The no action alternative would contribute a moderate, beneficial, and minor adverse increment to cumulative impacts to park operations.

Conclusion. Alternative 2 would result in moderate, beneficial impacts on park operations. Cumulative actions in conjunction with the no- action alternative would result in a moderate, long- term, beneficial cumulative impact. Alternative 2 would contribute a moderate, beneficial and minor, adverse increment to cumulative impacts to park operations.

Concession Operations

Under alternative 2 impacts on concession activities would be similar to alternative 1. Relative to the no- action alternative, there would be no measurable or perceptible change to concession operations under alternative 2, resulting in no new impacts on concession operations.

Cumulative Impacts. Past actions, including restoration of the Crater Lake Lodge, and ongoing actions, such as reconfiguration of park facilities at the rim and at Mazama Village, have had a beneficial impact on concessioner activity. Consolidation of concession activity at Mazama and the closeness of Mazama Village to Oregon State Highway 62 facilitate concession operations and inventory staging. These actions would result in moderate, long- term, beneficial impacts. Alternative 2 would not contribute to cumulative impacts on concession operations.

Conclusion. Alternative 2 would have negligible, long- term adverse impacts and would not contribute to cumulative impacts on concession operations.