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Contact: Melissa Wilson, 406 888-7895 Contact: Mary Riddle, 406 888-7898
WEST GLACIER, MONT. – Officials at Glacier National Park seek comments to help in the preparation of an environmental assessment (EA) for the Logan Pit area. The area known as Logan Pit in Glacier National Park received a great deal of damage from storms in November 2006 which also cut off access to the area until June. The delayed access raised concerns about the continued viability of the area as a staging area for the Going-to-the-Sun Road (Sun Road) rehabilitation project, general road materials storage for the park and use as an emergency and administrative helicopter landing site. Logan Pit was identified in the May 2003 Going-to-the-Sun Road Rehabilitation Plan/Final Environmental Impact Statement as the primary staging and stockpiling site for the multi-phase Plan. During the November event, the water in McDonald Creek flowed through a scour channel and then through the Logan Pit site and access road permanently changing the streamflow. Therefore, locations must be found for a staging and storage area or instream work must occur in McDonald Creek to prevent water from flowing into the area. Glacier National Park intends to prepare an EA to evaluate rehabilitating Logan Pit and performing instream work to prevent flooding or utilizing alternative locations. In addition to minimizing impacts on natural and cultural resources at the alternative locations, the other considerations include: distance to the project site, size of staging area and safe access in and out of the staging area. The Federal Highway Administration will be assisting with developing the alternatives. Three alternative sites located off the Sun Road have been identified, thus far, as possible locations for the staging and material stockpiling. These sites are: Packer’s Roost (mile post (MP) 22), Moose Country (MP 13.7), and the old ballfield area near Apgar that is currently being used as a staging or storage area (MP 0.9). All of these sites would need to be enlarged. Scoping is an early and open process which occurs prior to the development of an EA. Scoping comments are used to identify issues and alternatives that should be addressed in the EA. Once the EA has been written, the public will be provided the opportunity to comment on the document. Comments can be provided directly through the park’s planning website (https://parkplanning.nps.gov/parkHome.cfm?parkId=61) by selecting this project. Or write to: Superintendent, Glacier National Park, Attn: Logan Pit EA, West Glacier, Montana 59936. Comments are due by September 17, 2007. - NPS - |
Last updated: February 24, 2015