Date: August 17, 2011
Contact: Jim Milestone, (530) 242-3460
Whiskeytown National Recreation Area (NRA) park officials today announced the release of the Expansion and Redesign of the Oak Bottom Campground Environmental Assessment (EA) for public review. To assist the National Park Service with this project, the public is invited to provide comments during the review period, running from August 17, 2011 to September 16, 2011. The Environmental Assessment may also be downloaded and comments posted directly to the National Park Service Planning, Environment and Public Comment website at:
https://parkplanning.nps.gov/OakBottomEA. Copies of the document are available for viewing at Park Headquarters or the Anderson, Burney or Redding Branches of the Shasta Public Libraries.
This EA evaluates the potential environmental impacts to NRA resources by four proposed alternatives to the expansion of the campground, construction of an enlarged campground store along the access road, reduction in the overall density of the existing campsite (Oak Bottom Campground) up to 50%, and redesign of the existing Oak Bottom Recreational Vehicle Campground Area.
An analysis of the four alternatives and their potential impacts to the environment are presented in the EA, including a no-action alternative. The preferred alternative identified in the EA would expand the campground onto two undeveloped peninsulas adjacent to the north and west of the existing campground, develop an area northeast of the campground, create boat-in only campsites on selected sites on the shoreline of Whiskeytown Lake, improve roads and parking, build a new camp store and restrooms, reconstruct the existing campground, improve the RV camping area, and other improvements aimed at reducing environmental degradation like long-term erosion control and revegetation of disturbed areas.
To provide comments, or for additional information, please feel free to contact the Whiskeytown National Recreation Area Division of Interpretation and Resources Management at 530-242-3445 or write to Sean Denniston, Whiskeytown NRA, P.O. Box 188, Whiskeytown, CA 96095. Comments via email may be addressed to sean_denniston@nps.gov. In the subject line, commenters should note that these comments are for the Expansion and Redesign of Oak Bottom Campground Project EA.
-NPS-
