Environmental Assessment on Replacement of Hotel Creek Bridge Available for Public Comment

Date: August 18, 2014
Contact: Kris Fister, 907-683-9583

DENALI PARK, Alaska:The National Park Service (NPS) is considering replacing two pedestrian bridges over Hotel Creek in the
entrance area of Denali National Park and Preserve. This project would take place during the summer of 2015.

The Taiga Trail and Healy Overlook Bridges were constructed close to the water surface of Hotel Creek and
usually capture waterflow on top of winter ice, creating a dam of ice by and on each bridge that does not melt until mid-June in most years. The ice causes the bridges to be unsafe for visitor use in May and June and induces wider areas of ice accumulation than would happen without the bridges. A new bridge that wouldserve both trails and that would have a 12 foot freeboard is proposed.About 700 feet of new trail alignment would
be required to connect the new trails to the new bridge site. About 800 feet of existing trails would be abandoned and reclaimed.

The Environmental Assessment evaluates two alternatives.The preferred alternative would replace the bridges with a 100-foot long bridge, and reroute
some trail segments. The no-action alternative would retain the existing bridges.

The NPS has published an environmental assessment (EA) for this project entitled "Hotel Creek Bridge Construction and Trail Reroute." It is available at the NPS planning website at https://parkplanning.nps.gov. The EA analyzes the impacts of the "No Action" alternative and the proposed action. It was
completed in accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 and the regulations of the Council on Environmental Quality (40 CFR 1508.9).

Comments on the EA may be submitted through September 17, 2014, preferably via the web site at https://parkplanning.nps.gov. Comments may also be mailed to Superintendent, Attn: Hotel Creek Bridge EA, Denali National Park and Preserve, P.O. Box 9, Denali Park, AK 99755 or faxed to 907-683-9612. For questions or paper copies of the EA, please contact Steve Carwile at 907-644-3612 or
[e-mail].

www.nps.gov