|
|
Post by Dale Pate on Feb 7, 2007 15:25:24 GMT -5
Your last chance to comment on the Carlsbad Caverns National Park Cave & Karst Management Plan is fast approaching. The National Park Service (NPS) is soliciting comments on this EA. These comments will be considered in evaluating the EA and making decisions pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). The EA will remain available for public comment through February 12, 2007. The document is available at the park’s administrative office, in Carlsbad; on the NPS’s Planning, Environment and Public Comment (PEPC) website at parkplanning.nps.gov/cave on the park’s website at www.nps.gov/cave; and at the Carlsbad Municipal Library. Comments on the EA are welcome and may be sent via email at the PEPC website (http://parkplanning.nps.gov/cave) or via US Mail to: Carlsbad Caverns National Park Attn: Cave and Karst Management Plan EA 3225 National Parks Highway Carlsbad, New Mexico 88220-5354 |
|
L Roebuck
Technical Support
Caving
^V^ Just a caver
Posts: 2,023
|
Post by L Roebuck on Feb 7, 2007 19:42:24 GMT -5
Thanks very much for the information and links Dale. I'm just beginning to review the EA but one line stuck out already. " The purpose of this plan is to: 1) protect, restore, and perpetuate natural cave and karst systems and processes;" I just can not see why the term 'restore' and 'natural' cave are ever placed in the same sentence. Afterall, if a cave or karst sytem is 'restored' then it is no longer in its natural form.  Has anyone else reviewed the EA? Anyone want to make comment and/or discuss this EA? The comment period ends 02/12/2007. The EA is a 3.1 MB PDF file which is located here. parkplanning.nps.gov/document.cfm?parkID=39&projectId=12744&documentID=17508 |
|
|
|
Post by Azurerana on Feb 7, 2007 21:44:36 GMT -5
Thanks very much for the information and links Dale. I'm just beginning to review the EA but one line stuck out already. " The purpose of this plan is to: 1) protect, restore, and perpetuate natural cave and karst systems and processes;" Lynn-- when dealing with show caves, or one subject to a lot of visitation over time, restoration to a 'more natural' form makes perfect sense. The NPS left out the word "more" but other than that, the wording is essentially correct. For example: you have a show cave (as the one Eugene and I worked on while he was at the park) with concrete trails, handrails, concrete wire runs (bare wire protected under a concrete snake) and concreted rock walls constructed to shield light fixtures from the public. You go in with hammers, and remove the concrete wire runs, broken glass, and concrete rock walls, restoring it to a more natural condition. When people who had visited both pre and post restoration arrived, they often sensed something different, but couldn't exactly put their fingers on it. The folks who have taken out the cavefish stands, and the creosote bridge (including piering) in Echo River in Mammoth have done the same thing. Unless someone knew there had been a bridge in that passage, they would think that it looked as it was formed--or natural. Another, more potent example would be in another wild Missouri cave I know of-- It had a mud floor which had been trampled wall to wall. Restoration people rocked a 2 ft wide trail through the middle (that is, laid two lines of stones for people to walk between. The cave floods 2 or 3 times a year to 2 or 3 ft. deep (hence, flagging was useless) After a couple of years, the floor which was no longer trampled was restored by natural forces. (Including that part which still got trampled. ) I took a quick gander through it-- Since Alt. A is the preferred alternative (a limited expansion of active management, but generally doing what they've been doing, only moreso) I'm pretty happy with what they've put together. Did not read the Lech section too thoroughly--I'll never go there. If you have some points to bring up, I'll discuss. |
|
L Roebuck
Technical Support
Caving
^V^ Just a caver
Posts: 2,023
|
Post by L Roebuck on Feb 9, 2007 12:52:00 GMT -5
I still have more to read. So I will finish reading and then I may or may not have points to bring up.  |
|
