Timpanogos Cave National Monument Revisits Alternatives for Environmental Assessment

Date: January 31, 2012

Timpanogos Cave NM News Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: February 1, 2012
Contact: Cami McKinney [phone]

Timpanogos Cave National Monument Revisits Alternatives for Environmental Assessment

The National Park Service (NPS) has reevaluated alternatives for the Environmental Assessment regarding the construction of a new visitor facility at the cave trailhead of Timpanogos Cave National Monument as well as the construction of an interagency center in conjunction with the Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest Pleasant Grove Ranger District (PGRD) at the mouth of American Fork Canyon. NPS initiated the Environmental Assessment process in the summer of 2009 and conducted initial public scoping. Since then, a transit feasibility study was conducted for the monument. With the results from the transit feasibility study, the NPS has developed new alternatives for consideration in the Environmental Assessment.

The purpose of this project is to improve visitor and employee safety from the pedestrian hazard along the state highway and the rockfall hazard; provide for visitor enjoyment and education; and provide new efficient facilities for the monument and PGRD.

The revised alternatives currently include a no action alternative that analyzes the impacts of the current park management, and four action alternatives. Elements of all the action alternatives include construction of a new interagency center to provide administrative and visitor center functions outside of the canyon, construction of a new visitor contact station at the cave trailhead and elimination of concession and food services. Visitor access to the cave trailhead by car differs between alternatives. Alternatives include the introduction of full or part-time mandatory shuttle systems to the cave trailhead from the interagency center, elimination and/or reconfiguration of parking at the cave trailhead, and the possible relocation of State highway 92 to help reconfigure the cave trailhead site for safety.

The NPS is currently conducting the scoping phase for the revised alternatives for this project and invites the public to attend an open house in the Multi-Purpose Room at the Highland City Building, 5400 W. Civic Center Drive, Highland, UT 84003 on February 16, 2012 from 5:00 to 8:00 pm to learn more about the alternatives. The public may submit written comments about the proposal by Friday, March 2, 2012. Comments may be submitted online at https://parkplanning.nps.gov/tica, or mailed to:

Superintendent
Timpanogos Cave National Monument
R.R. 3 Box 200
American Fork, UT 84003

The NPS encourages public participation through the National Environmental Policy Act (commonly known as NEPA) process. The public will have an additional opportunity to formally comment on this project after the Environmental Assessment is released, which is expected in early fall 2012.

-NPS-

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