Summary

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At Crater Lake National Park, the National Park Service proposes to rehabilitate and reconstruct the approximately 7.7-mile-long segment of Highway 62 West from the west boundary to Annie Springs Junction. The road segment is reaching the end of its 25-year design life. This action is needed to rehabilitate the deteriorated and inadequate road surface and address design deficiencies for improving visitor use and park operations, particularly snow removal.

This environmental assessment examines in detail three alternatives: alternative A (no action); alternative B (resurfacing, restoration, and rehabilitation); and alternative C (the National Park Service preferred alternative). The preferred alternative includes rehabilitation of the existing roadway surface and realigning the switchbacks, and obliterating two and part of a third turnouts.

The preferred alternative would have no or negligible impacts on wilderness values, floodplains, water quality, historic structures, archeological resources, Indian trust resources, scenic resources, wetlands, prime and unique farmlands, ecologically critical areas, environmental justice, socioeconomic environment, and lightscapes. Short-term, negligible to minor, adverse impacts on biotic communities, threatened and endangered species, soils and geology, air quality, traffic, and visitor use would result during road reconstruction activities. There would be short-term, negligible to minor impacts to soundscapes and noise. At one location, Pacific Crest trailhead, noise impacts would be very short term, adverse, and minor to moderate. Short-term, negligible, beneficial effects to safety would result during road reconstruction activities. Long-term adverse impacts to biotic communities, soils, and geology would be negligible or minor. Long-term beneficial effects to park maintenance operations, some biotic communities, visitor use, traffic, and safety would be negligible to minor.