Date: November 1, 2011
Contact: Jim Milestone, (530) 242-3460
Whiskeytown National Recreation Area has announced the approval of the Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) for the Expansion and Redesign of the Oak Bottom Campground project. The Regional Director of the Pacific West Region signed the FONSI on October 4, 2011. This document details why this project will not have a significant impact on the environment and allows the park to move forward with implementing the selected alternative.
The environmental assessment (EA) evaluated four alternatives and their potential impacts to the environment. The Preferred Alternative was selected as the chosen alternative, which will expand the campground onto two undeveloped peninsulas adjacent to the north and west of the existing campground, develop an area northeast of the campground, create boat-in only campsites on selected sites on the shoreline of Whiskeytown Lake, reconstruct the existing campground, improve the RV camping area, and implement other improvements aimed at reducing environmental degradation such as long-term erosion control and revegetation of disturbed areas.
The FONSI is available for viewing online at the following address:
https://parkplanning.nps.gov/FONSIOakBottomCampgroundExpansion
The park also prepared an errata documenting minor corrections made to the text of the environmental assessment. This document is available at:
https://parkplanning.nps.gov/ErrataOakBottomCampgroundExpansionandRedesign
The next step will be site design, where detailed plans for the campground layout and amenities to be offered will be developed. The comments received about site design during public scoping and the environmental assessment review period will be used to refine this design. Actual construction is not anticipated to begin for several years and will be based on the availability of funding to implement the project. Additional questions or comments can be directed to Superintendent Jim Milestone at (530) 242-3460.
-NPS-
