[PCA] Help protect native plants: comment on Shenandoah outcrop management plan

[MALawler at aol.com]

The National Park Service has re-released the Shenandoah Rock Outcrop  
Management Plan Environmental Assessment and Climbing Guidelines for public  
comment. You can find the document on line at: 
_http://parkplanning.nps.gov/document.cfm?parkId=274&projectId=19298&documentI
D=25100_ 
(http://parkplanning.nps.gov/document.cfm?parkId=274&projectId=19298&documentID=25100) 
 
While reorganized, it is substantively the same as the assessment released  a 
year ago, but withdrawn for "technical" reasons.  The Virginia  Native Plant 
Society supports Alternative C: Emphasis on Natural Resource  Protection.  
While the NPS Preferred Alternative B:  Balance  between Natural Resource 
Protection and Visitor Use goes a long way toward  reducing human impacts, "state 
rare plant and lichen populations would  continue to be vulnerable to damage and 
loss..." under this  alternative. Specific impacts of the preferred 
alternative can be found on  page 89.  The growing climate crisis will make plant 
communities even  more vulnerable.  Please take the time to comment on this 
management plan  and climbing guidelines and support Alternative C before December 19. 
 We  will share the final VNPS comments before that date.  The NPS 
announcement  is below.
 
National Park Service Seeks Comments on Environmental  Assessment for Rock
Outcrop Management Plan

Park  Superintendent Martha Bogle announced today that the public is invited
to  review and comment on the revised Shenandoah National Park “Rock  Outcrop
Management Plan (ROMP) and Environmental Assessment (EA),  including
Climbing Management Guidelines.

The EA has been prepared in  compliance with the National Environmental
Policy Act (NEPA) to provide the  decision framework for the following:

Analysis of a  reasonable range of alternatives to meet management
objectives;
evaluation of potential issues and impacts to  natural and cultural
resources and values and the human  environment; and
identification of mitigation measures to lessen  the degree of those
impacts.

Shenandoah National Park has  completed an extensive three-year project to
inventory the natural resources  of and assess recreation use and impacts to
rock outcrops and cliff areas in  the park.  The result is a Rock Outcrop
Management Plan and Climbing  Management Guidelines that meet the park’s
mission goal to preserve resources  and allow recreation activities at an
acceptable level of impact.  The  plans are based on scientific inventories
and research, with involvement of  hikers, climbers, nature enthusiasts and
other park supporters who could be  affected by park management decisions.

The National Park Service  encourages public participation through the NEPA
process.  The public  has the opportunity to comment on the EA until
December 19, 2008.  The  EA is available for review and comment on-line at
the National Park Service  park planning website
http://parkplanning.nps.gov/shen where comments may be  posted on-line, or
comments can be sent to : Superintendent, Shenandoah  National Park,
Attention: ROMP EA, 3655 U.S. Highway 211 East, Luray, VA,  22835.
Requests for a printed copy of the EA can also be made by  calling
540-999-3300.  Printed copies of the EA are available for review  at park
headquarters.

The National Park Service released the original  ROMP EA on October 1, 2007,
but suspended review of that document almost  three weeks later due to
technical problems.  Comments received from the  public last October have
been retained and will be considered by park  staff.


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