Date: August 26, 2014
Contact: Sabrina Henry, 435-719-2100
The National Park Service (NPS) has announced that its Environmental Assessment (EA) for the Delicate Arch/Wolfe Ranch Site Plan is now available for public review and comment. The EA identifies strategies for more effectively managing vehicle congestion and visitor use in the Delicate Arch/Wolfe Ranch trailhead parking area within Arches National Park. Strategies proposed include expansion of the existing parking lot, eliminating roadside parking, implementing a future reservation system for parking at the trailhead, and re-channeling Winter Camp Wash to reduce the frequency of road closures due to flooding and sediment deposition.
Three alternatives are identified in the EA. One alternative describes expected conditions if no changes are made at the Delicate Arch/Wolfe Ranch area. Another alternative addresses the implementation of a reservation system in lieu of expanding the parking area. And the third alternative outlines both expanding the parking area and implementing a reservation system. Elimination of roadside parking, construction of a bike/pedestrian path along the road between the Delicate Arch Viewpoint and the Delicate Arch/Wolfe Ranch parking lots, and re-channeling the Winter Camp Wash are included in both "action" alternatives.
The EA will be available for public review and comment (August 26th through September 25th) on the NPS Planning, Environment, and Public Comment (PEPC) website (here) under Delicate Arch/Wolfe Ranch Site Plan. Hard copies will be available for review at the Southeast Utah Group Headquarters on Resource Blvd., the Arches National Park Visitor Center, and the Grand County Public Library. Comments unable to be made on the PEPC website can be sent to: National Park Service, Southeast Utah Group, Attn: Planning and Compliance Coordinator, 2282 S. West Resource Blvd, Moab, Utah 84532.
Deadline for comments is September 25, 2014.
