Environmental Assessment Scoping Newsletter, April 2019

Hyde Farm Trail
Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area

 

Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area (CRNRA) is proposing to create two miles of trail along the Chattahoochee River and connect the park’s Johnson Ferry North Unit with the historic Hyde Farm. This trail connection would close a gap to the very popular Silver Comet trail from existing trails.

Our plans are in the early stages of development. This newsletter is being distributed to our partners, neighbors, and stakeholders to solicit comments related to the development of an Environmental Assessment (EA) for this project under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969.

Please tell us what you think. If you would like to provide comments on this project, or request a copy of the EA, you may do so using one of the following methods:

• Comment through the National Park Service’s Planning, Environmental, and Public Comment (PEPC) website at http://parkplanning.nps.gov/ or
• Submit written comments to: Chattahoochee River NRA, 1978 Island Ford Parkway, Sandy Springs, GA 30350, Attention: Erich Melville

We would appreciate your comments by May 2, 2019 to be considered in this phase of the planning process. If you wish to be added to the park’s mailing list, please be sure to indicate that in PEPC or in your written response.

You will have additional opportunities to comment when the EA will be made available to the public for review in summer of 2019. We look forward to hearing from you.

 

Photo Credit: Atlanta Outdoor Club

Project Background

CRNRA consists of a series of 16 park units along a 48-mile stretch of the Chattahoochee River between Peachtree Creek, Atlanta, and Buford Dam, just north of Atlanta, Georgia. The park manages 7,000 acres and provides about three-quarters of the green space in the greater Atlanta area as well as outdoor recreation (hiking, biking, horseback riding, fishing, boating, nature study, and other outdoor activities) for almost three million visitors per year. The project involves two of the 16 park units, Hyde Farm and Johnson Ferry North.

The park contains a rich assemblage of natural resources and the park’s green space provides a variety of outdoor recreation opportunities as well as cultural and educational activities. The Chattahoochee River is more than a water source, and stands out as a thread of nature running through a bustling, growing major metropolitan area, offering an irreplaceable asset that adds immensely to Atlanta’s quality of life.

Hyde Farm, which originated in the 1830s and comprises 95 acres, is located on the northwest bank of the Chattahoochee River north of and adjacent to the Johnson Ferry Unit in Cobb County. The farm is 1.8 miles northeast of the hiking trails and boat ramp at Johnson Ferry North.

Johnson Ferry was an important 19th-century ferry linking what is now Atlanta with much of north Georgia on the other side of the Chattahoochee River. The Johnson Ferry North unit consists of approximately 310 acres of parkland with an entrance located at the corner of Johnson Ferry Road and Columns Drive in Marietta, Georgia. This unit currently offers approximately 2.6 miles of trails that border the Chattahoochee River, as well as a boat launch and a covered pavilion. It is also the outpost for Nantahala Outdoor Center concessionaire, where visitors can rent equipment such as rafts and kayaks. The trails are informal, mostly utilizing open utility corridors and historic road beds.

Project Description

Two action alternatives have been identified for this project. Under Alternative B, NPS would improve 0.6 miles of existing social trails at Hyde Farm and 2.2 miles at Johnson Ferry North by formalizing them, adding signage in two locations, and installing four pedestrian bridges at creek crossings. The trail would begin on the former road bed and then branch off to follow a ridgeline through the woods in route to the river and the utility easement.

Alternative C would be similar to Alternative B but 2.6 miles of trail at Johnson Ferry North and 0.4 miles of trail at Hyde Farm would be improved; the trail would be steeper and less scenic, following a former road bed down to the utility easement and the river; and there would be five pedestrian/biking bridges installed at stream crossings.

Under both Alternatives, the trails would be for both walking and bicycle riding. The goal is for the trails created to be safer for visitors, benefit natural resources, be more aesthetically pleasing, and require less maintenance.

NEPA Process

The National Park Service must follow NEPA to assure consideration of important issues. The trail construction that is being considered at CRNRA will be analyzed during the NEPA process.

As part of the NEPA process, the proposed trail improvements will be evaluated in an EA, which will analyze the potential environmental effects of the proposed project. This analysis will consider impacts to topics such as water quality, air quality, soundscapes, vegetation, wildlife, visitor use, public health and safety, and cultural resources.

Proposed Hyde Farm Trail under Alternative B	Proposed Hyde Farm Trail under Alternative C