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Contact: Yvonne Menard, 805-658-5725
Channel Islands National Park Superintendent Russell Galipeau announces the release of a Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) to replace the pier at Scorpion Anchorage on East Santa Cruz Island. The park plans to replace the existing pier to provide safe, accessible, efficient, and sustainable access for visitors and park staff. Scorpion Anchorage is the most visited destination in the park with over 55,000 people coming ashore each year to enjoy recreational activities such as hiking, picnicking, camping, kayaking, and swimming. The existing Scorpion pier is a flatbed railcar that was installed as a temporary pier in 2000 and is rapidly deteriorating due to wave action and saltwater. It has been closed numerous times due to weather hazards, wave damage, and required maintenance. During low tides vessels sometimes cannot use the pier due to the shallow water depths. The two alternatives for this pier currently under consideration are to replace the pier in its existing location or replace the pier at a location approximately 150 feet to the south. Replacing the pier in its present location would require some armoring of the shoreline to protect the pier access road and sensitive resources. Constructing the pier to the south would require a shorter access road with minimal hardening of the shoreline. In either location, the new pier will need to be longer and higher than the existing pier in order to facilitate safer vessel access in deeper water. A DEIS for this project has been published in the Federal Register. The DEIS is available for public review and comment. The public comment period will close on December 18, 2015. Public involvement is essential to the success of the project. For interested individuals, organizations, and agencies it is preferable to submit written comments at www.parkplanning.nps.gov/ScorpionPier. For more information, visit: www.nps.gov/chis/learn/management/scorpion-pier-replacement.htm |
Last updated: October 6, 2015