Public Comment Period for Two Environmental Assessments

Date: February 3, 2010
Contact: Carl Brenner, (831) 389–4486 x 265

Pinnacles National Monument – Pinnacles National Monument has completed 2 planning documents (‘Habitat Restoration Including an Update to the Fire Management Plan Environmental Assessment’ and ‘Radio Coverage Improvement Project Environmental Assessment’) and is seeking the public’s input during the 30-day public comment period from February 4 through March 5, 2010. The full EA documents are available on the park’s web page at: www.nps.gov/pinn/parkmgmt/planning.htm

YOUR COMMENTS ARE IMPORTANT

    After reviewing the proposed alternatives stated in each EA, you are invited to submit your comments for park review. The comment period is open through March 5, 2010. Please have your comments transmitted electronically or postmarked by this date. Comments may be submitted by  e-mail us

 or:

Send a letter to:

    Pinnacles National Monument

    5000 Highway 146

    Paicines, CA 95043

    ATTN: (Habitat Restoration or Radio Repeater)

Overview of the Two EAs:

Habitat Restoration Including an Update to the Fire Management Plan Environmental Assessment. 

    Over the past decade, Pinnacles National Monument has acquired nearly 2,000 acres along the east side of its boundary. Although the Monument’s Fire Management Plan (FMP) was completed in 2006, these lands were acquired too recently to have been included in that plan. As a result, an update to the plan was necessary. This Environmental Assessment (EA) updates the FMP to the entire Monument, including the new lands, and would also allow the implementation of a programmatic parkwide invasive plant control and revegetation program.

The purpose of the Habitat Restoration EA and FMP Update are:

1.        To update the FMP to include wildland fire management for the Monument’s recently acquired New Lands;

2.       To include use of prescribed burning and other integrated pest management (IPM) techniques as available tools among a range of IPM techniques used to suppress targeted invasive plants and promote the reestablishment of the native plant community;

3.       To include use of prescribed burning to mimic the role of wildfire as an essential ecological process to restore and revitalize native vegetation, including plants that are valuable ethnographic resources for California Indian Peoples.

Pinnacles National Monument Radio Coverage Improvement Project Environmental Assessment

    Pinnacles proposes to install a new radio repeater to improve NPS radio reception in high priority areas of the Monument.   

The purpose of the Radio Coverage Improvement Project EA is:

1.        To improve radio coverage by installing a new radio repeater in the northeast backcountry Wilderness overlooking the canyons and trails that are most in need of coverage.

2.       To provide radio communication to alleviate a potentially dangerous situation which without radio communication would be a serious and potentially life-threatening officer safety, visitor, and staff concern for the park.    

    General park information can be obtained by visiting www.nps.gov/pinn or by calling 831-389-4485.

-NPS-