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Contact: Danette Woo, (760) 252-6107
The National Park Service (NPS) will be preparing an environmental assessment (EA) to analyze the environmental effects of the installation of a climate monitoring station at the OX Ranch in Mojave National Preserve by the National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).NOAA has a need to install climate monitoring stations throughout a network of sites across the United States as part of its ongoing climate change monitoring program entitled the U.S. Climate Reference Network (USCRN).The density of the stations within this network is not presently sufficient to provide conclusive analysis of regional data for scientific studies.NOAA has identified a need to provide a denser regional network of climate monitoring sites to allow accurate detection of regional climate change signals. NOAA is thus augmenting its USCRN with 538 newly sited and automated climate observing stations across the nine NOAA Climate Regions known as the US Regional Climate Reference Network (USRCRN). These stations will maintain the same level of quality of climatic measurements as the USCRN, but will be spaced more closely - about 130 km apart - and will focus on collecting temperature and precipitation information. NOAA has identified the OX Ranch in Mojave National Preserve as a suitable site for a USRCRN monitoring station.The proposed site will be placed on undisturbed land approximately 100 meters southeast of the OX Ranch buildings.Construction would involve a 24' x 24' concrete pad mounted with weather instruments.Two cubic yards of concrete would be placed in three holes.Five cubic yards of soil would be excavated; the monitoring equipment would be installed in an 18' long by 18" deep trench.The site would then require periodic maintenance to keep vegetation clear of the instruments.
The National Park Service is seeking comments on NOAA's proposal, and is asking you to participate in the compliance process.To obtain information about the EA or to add your name to the mailing list for public involvement, please contact Ms. Danette Woo (e-mail us).
Comments may be submitted through October 20, 2011 either in writing, via email, or through the National Park Service's Planning, Environment, and Public Comment site, at https://parkplanning.nps.gov/publicHome.cfm.They can be directed to:
Superintendent ATTENTION:NOAA Climate Monitoring Station EA Mojave National Preserve 2701 Barstow Road Barstow, CA92311 |
Last updated: February 28, 2015