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Management Plan
Management Elements
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The Wild and Scenic Rivers Act calls for the development of a comprehensive management plan to preserve the free-flowing condition of the river and to protect and enhance the unique values for which the river was designated Wild and Scenic. The Merced Wild and Scenic River Comprehensive Management Plan (Merced River Plan) does not specify detailed actions, but provides broad guidance for future approved actions that affect the river corridor. It applies seven management elements to prescribe desired future conditions, typical visitor activities and experiences, and park facilities and management activities allowed in the river corridor. The management elements are detailed in this section of the plan and include the following:
Boundaries define the areas to be managed under the comprehensive management plan.
Classifications (Wild, Scenic, or Recreational) are applied to each segment of the river corridor and are based on the existing conditions in that portion of the corridor.
Outstandingly Remarkable Values are the river-related values that make the river segment unique and worthy of special protection. They form the basis for the river’s designation as a Wild and Scenic River.
The Wild and Scenic Rivers Act Section 7 determination process is a procedure to ensure that projects in the bed and banks of the river do not directly and adversely impact the values for which the river was designated Wild and Scenic.
The River Protection Overlay is a buffer area within and adjacent to the river that allows for the protection and restoration of natural and aquatic ecosystem processes.
Management zoning seeks to protect and enhance the Outstandingly Remarkable Values of the Merced River while allowing visitor access to the river corridor. The various zones are applied to each segment of the river corridor to allow for desired future uses and resource conditions.
The Visitor Experience and Resource Protection (VERP) framework guides research and monitoring activities to identify indicators and set standards for assessing appropriate levels of visitor use and facilities in each zone within the corridor.
In addition, a set of mitigation measures must be applied to future actions and projects guided by this plan (see Appendix B, Requirements for Project Implementation). These requirements ensure the protection of natural and cultural resources, Outstandingly Remarkable Values, and the free-flowing condition of the Merced River as projects are implemented.
The Merced River Plan meets important resource protection goals while also allowing for appropriate levels and types of visitor use within the river corridor. The intent of the Merced River Plan is to protect and enhance all Outstandingly Remarkable Values with a focus on integrating the Merced River Plan goal to "protect and enhance natural resources" with the goal to "provide diverse recreational and educational experiences."
Given its combination of management zoning, boundaries, classifications, and River Protection Overlay, the Merced River Plan enables the National Park Service to protect resources within the river corridor while also ensuring appropriate levels and types of visitor use. This in turn enables the National Park Service to fulfill the mandate of the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act without compromising the National Park Service’s ability to manage the park and the El Portal Administrative Site in accordance with other applicable laws and policies.
With regard to the specific factors contained in Section 1274(d) of the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act, the adoption of the Merced River Plan satisfies the act’s requirements for a comprehensive management plan. Future development of lands and facilities would be guided by all seven of the management elements, as would resource protection. User capacity would be addressed through the elements of river classification, the River Protection Overlay, management zoning, and the VERP process. Resource protection, development of lands and facilities, and user capacity also would be managed pursuant to existing National Park Service authorities in the Code of Federal Regulations (Title 36) and the Superintendent’s Compendium, as well as under general National Park Service policies, such as those pertaining to wilderness and fire management. The combination of these elements and the ability to incorporate the best-available data will enable the National Park Service to administer the river in a manner that protects and enhances each of the Outstandingly Remarkable Values while allowing for appropriate levels of use and development.
In order to guide future decisions regarding specific actions in the Merced River corridor, the National Park Service will use the management elements as a set of decision-making criteria with which to evaluate projects in terms of visitor use, facility siting and design, and other potential actions (e.g., habitat restoration, maintenance activities). For actions that meet these mandatory criteria, the National Park Service then will apply additional considerations to further evaluate the actions. All proposed actions will be evaluated against these criteria and considerations. Also, existing facilities in the Merced River corridor will be evaluated when major reconstruction is needed, a facility is no longer of use, or a management initiative occurs (such as those based on planning efforts or new information). In addition, the National Park Service will follow the requirements of other regulatory processes, such as the National Environmental Policy Act and the National Historic Preservation Act.
Criteria
The following criteria, which integrate the management elements of the Merced River Plan, must be met:
Actions within the boundaries of the river corridor must protect and enhance the Outstandingly Remarkable Values.
Actions must be consistent with the classification of that river segment.
Actions must protect all Outstandingly Remarkable Values, regardless of where they are located. When Outstandingly Remarkable Values lie within the boundary of the Wild and Scenic River, the value must be protected and enhanced. When values are in conflict with each other, the net effect to Outstandingly Remarkable Values must be beneficial.
Actions that are considered water resources projects under Section 7 of the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act (i.e., occurring within the bed or banks of the Merced River and affecting free flow) must follow a Section 7 determination process to determine if they have a direct and adverse impact on the values for which the river was designated Wild and Scenic. Proposed actions outside the river corridor in the Merced River tributaries will also undergo Section 7 determinations to determine if they affect the values for which the river was designated Wild and Scenic.
Actions within the River Protection Overlay must comply with its established conditions.
Actions must be compatible with the appropriate management zone.
Actions must be compatible with desired visitor experience and resource conditions under the VERP framework.
Considerations
If a proposed action meets the above criteria, the National Park Service will apply additional considerations to (1) minimize an impact by locating facilities outside the river corridor if there is a feasible alternative; (2) designing facilities or actions to minimize or mitigate impacts to the river; and (3) avoiding, minimizing, or otherwise mitigating negative impacts to visitor experience.
The Management Decision-Making Process illustrates the general decision-making framework proposed under the Merced River Plan. The physical extent to which the management elements and requirements of the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act apply are illustrated in the Merced Wild and Scenic River Cross-Section. Each management element and its application is further detailed in the following sections.
