Blue Ridge Parkway Draft Mgt. Plan Intro 01 Intro Chap1

8/3/2019 Blue Ridge Parkway Draft Mgt. Plan Intro 01 Intro Chap1

1/50

N a t i o n a l P a r k S e r v i c e U . S . D e p a r t m e n t o f t h e I n t e r i o r

Blue Ridge PaRkwayViRginiaand noRth CaRolina

dRaft geneRalManageMent Plan/

enViRonMental iMPaCt StateMent


2/50


3/50

Draft General Management Plan /Environmental Impact Statement

Blue Ridge ParkwayVirginia and North Carolina


4/50


5/50

i

U.S. Department of the Interior National Park Service

Draft General Management Plan /Environmental Impact StatementBlue Ridge ParkwayVirginia and North Carolina

Blue Ridge Parkway was authorized by an actof Congress on June 30, 1936 (Public Law 74-848/ August 25, 1916 and Public Law 39 Stat.535). The parkway has never had a generalmanagement plan. The National Park Servicedeveloped visitor facilities and has operatedthe parkway since establishment using amaster plan and Parkway Land Use Maps forguidance, as well as applicable laws andpolicies. This plan and the maps have servedthe parkway well for many years during theperiod of development and parkway roadcompletion. However, the master plan isseriously outdated and the parkway is nowfacing an increasing array of issues thatrequire guidance thorough an approvedgeneral management plan.

This document examines three alternatives formanaging the parkway for the next 20 or moreyears. It also analyzes the impacts ofimplementing each of the alternatives. Theno-action alternative, alternative A,consists of the existing parkway managementand trends and serves as a basis forcomparison in evaluating the otheralternatives. Alternative B has been identified

as the National Park Services preferredalternative. Under this alternative, theparkway would be actively managed as atraditional, self-contained, scenic recreationaldriving experience and designed landscape,

while enhancing outdoor recreationalopportunities and regional natural resourceconnectivity. Under alternative C, theparkway management would be moreintegrated with the larger regions resourcesand economy, while enhancing parkwayvisitor services. More emphasis would beplaced on reaching out to communities andlinking to regional natural, recreational, andcultural heritage resources and experiences.

This Draft General Management Plan /Environmental Impact Statementhas beendistributed to other agencies and interestedorganizations and individuals for their reviewand comment. The public comment period forthis document will last for 60 days after theEnvironmental Protection Agencys notice ofavailability has been published in the FederalRegister. Readers are encouraged to submittheir comments on this draft plan. Please notethat NPS practice is to make comments,including names and addresses ofrespondents, available for public review.Please see How to Comment on this Plandiscussion on the next page for furtherinformation.


6/50

ii

HOW TO COMMENT ON THIS PLAN

Comments on this plan are welcome and willbe accepted for 60 days after the Environ-

mental Protection Agencys notice ofavailability appears in the Federal Register.

Comments/responses to the material may besubmitted either over the Internet, by e-mail,or in writing. Please comment only once.

Please include your name and address in anycorrespondence, particularly in any e-mailmessages, to be sure that you are included onour mailing list.

Commenters are encouraged to use theInternet if at all possible.

Internet comments can be submitted atwww.nps.gov/blri and then choose the generalmanagement plan link.

Written comments may be sent to:

Superintendent Philip A. Francis, Jr.Blue Ridge Parkway

199 Hemphill Knob RoadAsheville, NC 28803

Verbal comments may be made at public openhouses. The dates, times, and locations ofpublic open houses will be announced in themedia following release of this document.Before including your address, phonenumber, e-mail address, or other personalidentifying information in your comment, youshould be aware that your entire commentincluding your personal identifyinginformationmay be made publicly availableat any time. Although you can ask us in yourcomment to withhold your personalidentifying information from public review,we cannot guarantee that we will be able to doso.


7/50

iii

SUMMARY

Blue Ridge Parkway was authorized by an actof Congress on June 30, 1936 (Public Law 74-848/ August 25, 1916 and Public Law 39 Stat.

535). The parkway has never had a generalmanagement plan. The National Park Servicedeveloped visitor facilities and has operatedthe parkway since establishment using amaster plan and Parkway Land Use Maps forguidance, as well as applicable laws andpolicies. This plan and the maps have servedthe parkway well for many years during theperiod of development and parkway roadcompletion. However, the master plan isseriously outdated and the parkway is nowfacing an increasing array of issues that

require guidance thorough an approvedgeneral management plan. A new plan isneeded to:

Clearly define resource conditionsand visitor experiences to be achievedat the Blue Ridge Parkway.

Provide a framework for NationalPark Service managers to use whenmaking decisions about how to bestprotect parkway resources, how toprovide a diverse range of visitorexperience opportunities, how tomanage visitor use, and what kinds offacilities, if any, to develop in thenational park system unit.

Ensure that this foundation fordecision making has been developedin consultation with interestedstakeholders and adopted by NPSleadership after an adequate analysisof the benefits, impacts, and economiccosts of alternative courses of action.

This Draft General Management Plan /Environmental Impact Statementpresentsthree alternatives for the future managementof Blue Ridge Parkway. The alternatives,which are based on the parkways purpose,significance, and special mandates, presentdifferent ways to manage resources and visitoruse and improve facilities and infrastructure.The three alternatives are the no-actionalternative (continue current management),

alternative B, and alternative C. Alternative Bhas been identified as the National ParkServices preferred alternative.

Additional actions and alternatives were

considered. However, these actions andalternatives were dismissed from furtheranalysis. These dismissed actions andalternatives are presented, along withrationale, in Chapter 2: Alternatives.

ALTERNATIVE A: THE NO-ACTION

ALTERNATIVE (CONTINUE CURRENT

MANAGEMENT)

The no-action alternative consists of a

continuation of existing management andtrends at the parkway and provides a baselinefor comparison in evaluating the changes andimpacts of the other alternatives. TheNational Park Service would continue tomanage the parkway as it is currently beingmanaged, but there is not a comprehensiveparkway-wide resource and visitor usemanagement direction for setting priorities.Resource and visitor use issues and conflictswould continue to be resolved on a case-by-case basis without the guidance of an agreedupon parkway-wide management strategy.

Under this alternative, the parkway wouldcontinue to be managed primarily as a scenicrecreational driving experience and designedlandscape, as conceived and realized overseveral decades, from the founding vision ofthe park in 1935 to at least 1955, and possiblylater. (A National Historic Landmarknomination which is now underway willprovide a comprehensive analysis of theexceptional qualities of the parkway and adefinitive statement of its period ofsignificance.) The original driving experiencewas designed for ideal picturesque sceneryranging from landscaped roadsides to quaintAppalachian settlements to rolling pastoralfarm fields to imposing mountain vistas.

Although parkway managers would continueto strive to maintain the various aspects of theoriginal designed landscape and scenic drivingconcept, the parkway would continue to


8/50

SUMMARY

iv

adjust daily management practices to respondto current laws and policies, natural andcultural resource management mandates,visitor safety needs, infrastructuredeficiencies, fiscal constraints, changes in

regional conditions, and changes in visitoruse.

Partnerships would continue to be an integralpart of park management, but would still beused for specific projects as opportunitiesarise, rather than pursuing a regional strategyto address issues through partnerships bothinside parkway boundaries and beyond.

ALTERNATIVE B (NATIONAL PARK

SERVICE PREFERRED)

Under alternative B, the parkway would beactively managed as a traditional, self-contained, scenic recreational drivingexperience and designed landscape. Tosupport that experience, many of theparkways recreation areas would provideenhanced opportunities for dispersed outdoorrecreation activities.

Although similar to alternative A, thisalternative would more proactively blendnewer law and policy requirements andoperational constraints with the traditionalparkway concept developed during theparkways historic period of significance,which is 1935 to at least 1955. (A NationalHistoric Landmark nomination which isunderway will provide a comprehensiveanalysis of the exceptional qualities of theparkway and a definitive statement of itsperiod of significance.) As a result, thisalternative would provide a better balancebetween traditional parkway experiences andmodern-day management realities. Forexample, some areas would be manageddifferently to address natural and culturalresource concerns and visitor experiences orto achieve critical operational efficiencies.

This alternative would provide acomprehensive parkway-wide approach toresource and visitor use management. Specificmanagement zones detailing acceptable

resource conditions, visitor experience anduse levels, and appropriate activities anddevelopment would be applied to parkwaylands consistent with this concept. Thisalternative would also seek to enhance

resource protection, regional natural resourceconnectivity, and build stronger connectionswith adjacent communities.

ALTERNATIVE C

Under alternative C, parkway managementwould be more integrated with the largerregions resources and economy. Moreemphasis would be placed on reaching out tocommunities and linking to regional natural,

recreational, and cultural heritage resourcesand experiences.

The parkway would continue to be managedto retain the fundamental character of thetraditional designed landscape and scenicdriving experience. However, a variety ofmore modern recreational and visitor serviceamenities would be provided, primarilyconcentrated in visitor services areas. As aresult, portions of some recreation areaswould be redesigned.

Parkway lands away from the visitor servicesareas would be managed primarily to enhanceregional natural resource connectivity andscenic qualities. This alternative would alsoenhance visitors ability to connect to,explore, and learn about the region's naturaland cultural heritage. For example, parkwayprograms and facilities would be used todirect visitors to heritage trails, scenic byways,and other public lands.

This alternative would provide a

comprehensive parkway-wide approach toresource and visitor use management. Specificmanagement zones detailing acceptableresource conditions, visitor experience anduse levels, and appropriate activities anddevelopment would be applied to parkwaylands consistent with this concept.


9/50

Summary

v

THE NEXT STEPS

After the distribution of the Draft GeneralManagement Plan / Environmental ImpactStatementthere will be a 60-day public review

and comment period after which the NationalPark Service planning team will evaluatecomments from other federal agencies, tribes,organizations, businesses, and individualsregarding the draft plan. The National ParkService will then incorporate appropriatechanges, identify an agency preferredalternative, and prepare a final generalmanagement plan / environmental impactstatement. The final plan will include lettersfrom governmental agencies, any substantive

comments on the draft document, andNational Park Service responses to thosecomments. Following distribution of the finalgeneral management plan / environmentalimpact statement and a 30-day no-action

period, a record of decision approving a finalplan will be signed by the National ParkService regional director. The record ofdecision documents the National Park Serviceselection of an alternative for implementation.With the signed record of decision, the plancan then be implemented, depending onfunding and staffing. A record of decisiondoes not guarantee funds and staff forimplementing the approved plan.


10/50


11/50

vii

CONTENTS

CHAPTER 1: PURPOSE AND NEEDINTRODUCTION 3Background on Plan Development 3Brief Description of the Park 4Purpose of the Plan 7Need for the Plan 7The Next Steps in the Planning Process 8Implementation of the Plan 8

FOUNDATION FOR PLANNING AND MANAGEMENT 9Park Purpose 9Park Significance 9Fundamental Resources and Values 10Primary Interpretive Themes 11Special Mandates and Administrative Commitments 12Servicewide Laws and Policies 13Relationship of Other Planning Efforts to This General Management Plan 18Planning Issues and Concerns 20Decision Points Arising from Issues 24Issues and Concerns Not Addressed in the General Management Plan 25Impact Topics 26Impact Topics Considered but Dismissed from Detailed Analysis 27

CHAPTER 2: ALTERNATIVESINTRODUCTION 35Relationship of Management Zones and Alternatives 35Formulation of the Alternatives 36Identification of the NPS Preferred Alternative 37Potential Boundary Adjustments 38

THE ALTERNATIVES 41Organization of Alternatives 41Alternative Concepts and Strategies 42

MANAGEMENT ZONES 52Description of Management Zones 52Management Zone Comparison Table 54Acreage Comparison of Parkway-wide Management Zones 59Comparison of Management Strategies for Parkway Segments 61Comparison of Management Strategies for Recreation Areas 71

MITIGATION MEASURES COMMON TO THE ACTION ALTERNATIVES 89Natural Resources 89

Cultural Resources 91Visitor Safety and Experience 92Hazardous Materials 93Noise Abatement 93Scenic Resources 93Socioeconomic Environment 94Sustainable Design and Aesthetics 94

USER CAPACITY 95MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES TO ADDRESS CLIMATE CHANGE 99Strategy 99


12/50

CONTENTS

viii

FUTURE STUDIES AND IMPLEMENTATION PLANS NEEDED 101Introduction 101Staffing and Cost Estimates 104

ENVIRONMENTALLY PREFERABLE ALTERNATIVE 113ALTERNATIVES CONSIDERED BUT DISMISSED FROM FURTHER ANALYSIS 115COMPARISON OF PARKWAY-WIDE MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES BY ALTERNATIVE 116SUMMARY OF THE IMPACTS OF THE ALTERNATIVES 121

CHAPTER 3: AFFECTED ENVIRONMENTINTRODUCTION 193In General 193Climate Change 193

NATURAL RESOURCES 196Introduction 196Vegetation and Wildlife 196Invasive Species 198Federal and State Listed Species, including Threatened, Endangered, and Federal Candidate Species 198Geologic Resources and Soils 204Water-related Resources, Including Wetlands, Riparian Areas, Floodplains, Streams, and Water Quality 204Air Quality 206

CULTURAL RESOURCES 210Prehistoric and Historic Setting 210Historical Development of the Parkway 211The Completed Parkway 215Historic Structures 219The Road 221The Landscapes 222The Recreation Areas 222The Exhibits 222National Historic Landmark Designation 223Cultural Landscapes 223Archeological Resources 225Ethnographic Resources 226

VISUAL RESOURCES (SCENERY AND VIEWSHED) 230A Designed Landscape 230Authority for Conserving Scenery 231

VISITOR USE AND EXPERIENCE 234Introduction 234Visitor Use Levels and Trends 234Visitor Characteristics 236Recreational Activities 240

TRAFFIC AND TRANSPORTATION 256Introduction 256Vehicular Access 257Traffic Volumes 262Level of Service 265Traffic Mix 269Traffic Safety Conditions 270Parking Conditions 271Alternative Transportation Modes 272

PARK OPERATIONS AND FACILITIES 273Park Organization 273Staffing 273


13/50

Contents

ix

Park Operations 273Park Facilities 277Parkway Partnerships 280

REGIONAL SOCIOECONOMICS 282Introduction 282Overview 282Population 283Economic Trends 285

CHAPTER 4: ENVIRONMENTAL CONSEQUENCESINTRODUCTION 295Methods and Assumptions for Analyzing Impacts 295Climate Change 296Cumulative Impacts 296

NATURAL RESOURCES 303Introduction 303Vegetation and Wildlife 303Federal and State Listed Species 322Geologic Resources and Soils 334Water-related Resources 341Air Quality 353

CULTURAL RESOURCES 359Introduction 359Historic Structures 360Cultural Landscapes 379Archeological Resources 401Ethnographic Resources 420

VISUAL RESOURCES 429Introduction 429Methods and Assumptions for Analyzing Impacts 429Alternative A No-action 429

Alternative B (NPS Preferred) 432Alternative C 434

VISITOR USE AND EXPERIENCE 438Introduction 438Methods and Assumptions for Analyzing Impacts 438Access, Circulation, and Safety 439Recreational Opportunities 453Opportunities for Orientation, Information, Interpretation 462

TRAFFIC AND TRANSPORTATION 470Introduction 470Methods and Assumptions for Analyzing Impacts 470Alternative A No-action 472Alternative B (NPS Preferred) 476

Alternative C 482

PARKWAY OPERATIONS 489Introduction 489Methods and Assumptions for Analyzing Impacts 489Alternative A No-action 490Alternative B (NPS Preferred) 497Alternative C 505

REGIONAL SOCIOECONOMICS 516Introduction 516Methods and Assumptions for Analyzing Impacts 516


14/50

CONTENTS

x

Alternative A No-action 517Alternative B (NPS Preferred) 522Alternative C 527

CHAPTER 5: CONSULTATION AND COORDINATIONPUBLIC AND AGENCY INVOLVEMENT 537Public Meetings and Newsletters 537

CONSULTATION WITH OTHER AGENCIES / OFFICIALS AND ORGANIZATIONS 539U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Section 7 Consultation 539Federal and State Agencies Based in North Carolina and in Virginia 539Workshop of Resource Experts 539Section 106 Consultation 542Consultation with American Indian Tribes 543

AGENCIES, ORGANIZATIONS, AND INDIVIDUALS RECEIVING A COPY OF THIS DOCUMENT 544Federal Agencies 544U. S. Senators and Representatives 544State Agencies 544State Officials 545American Indian Tribes Traditionally Associated with the Parkway 546Local and Regional Government Agencies 547Organizations and Businesses 548Individuals 551

APPENDIXES, REFERENCES, PREPARERS AND CONTRIBUTORS, INDEXAPPENDIX A LEGISLATION 555APPENDIX B DETERMINATION OF IMPAIRMENT 562APPENDIX C CONSULTATION LETTERS 570REFERENCES 623PREPARERS AND CONTRIBUTORS 637INDEX 640


15/50

Contents

xi

MAPSBlue Ridge Parkway Vicinity Map 6Parkway Segments Index Map Blue Ridge Parkway 63Segment 1Ridge, Mileposts 0106 64Segment 2Roanoke, Mileposts 106136 65Segment 3Plateau, Mileposts 136217 66

Segment 4Highlands, Mileposts 217305 67Segment 5Black Mountain, Mileposts 305377 68Segment 6Asheville, Mileposts 377394 69Segment 7Pisgah, Mileposts 394469 70Humpback Rocks, Mileposts 610 73

James River/Otter Creek, Mileposts 6065 74Peaks of Otter, Mileposts 8291 75Roanoke Mountain, Mileposts 118122 76Smart View, Milepost 155 77Rocky Knob, Mileposts 166174 78Mabry Mill, Milepost 176 79Blue Ridge Music Center, Milepost 213 80Cumberland Knob, Mileposts 217219 81Doughton Park, Mileposts 236247 82

Julian Price Memorial Park, Mileposts 295300 83Linville Falls, Mileposts 315319 84Crabtree Falls, Mileposts 339340 85Craggy Gardens, Mileposts 364369 86Mt. Pisgah, Mileposts 407409 87

FIGURES1: Parkway Milepost Marker 412: Roadside View Near Graveyard Fields 523: Peaks of Otter 524: Parkway Milepost 204 525: Craggy Gardens 536: Visitors Center, Blue Ridge Music Center 537: Parkway Milepost 243 538: Brinegar Cabin 539: Maintenance Facility, the Bluffs 5410: Proportion of Management Zones for all Parkway Lands under Alternative B 6011: Proportion of Management Zones for all Parkway Lands under Alternative C 6012: Proportion of Management Zones for all Parkway Segments under Alternatives B and C 6213: Proportion of Management Zones for all Parkway Recreation Areas under Alternative B 7214: Proportion of Management Zones for all Parkway Recreation Areas under Alternative C 7215: Annual Recreational Visitors at Blue Ridge Parkway 23516: Primary Purpose of Visit 23517: Variation in Seasonal Visitation 23618: Age Distribution of Visitors 23719: Frequency (%) of Parkway Recreation Areas Visited 23820: Frequency (%) of Visitor Participation In Activities 24021: Average Seasonal Occupancy Rate (%) of Parkway Campgrounds (2004) Update for 2009 24822: Average Occupancy Rate (%) of Parkway Lodges and Cabins (20062008) 24923: Annual Recreation Visitors at Blue Ridge Parkway 264


16/50

CONTENTS

xii

24: Variation in Seasonal Visitation 26525: Unsignalized Intersection Levels of Service 26726: Two-Lane Highway (Class II) Levels of Service 26827: Population Projections for Counties and Cities directly affected by the Blue Ridge Parkway (U.S. Census

Bureau, 2008; Virginia Employment Commission, 2007; State of North Carolina, 2008) 28428: Regional Economics 28729: Percentage of Federally Managed Land in Counties Adjacent to Blue Ridge Parkway 29230: Economic Impact Estimates from the Blue Ridge Parkway to the Surrounding Region In 2007 292TABLES1: Servicewide Mandates and Policies Pertaining to the Blue Ridge Parkway 142: Impact Topics 273: Blue Ridge Parkway Management Zones 554: Parkway-wide Management Zones by Action AlternativesAcreage Calculations 595: Management Zones for Parkway Segments by Action AlternativesAcreage Calculations 616: Management Zones for Parkway Recreation Areas by Action AlternativesAcreage Calculations 717: User Capacity Management Framework by Management Zones 978: Cost Estimates and Staffing for Full Implementation of the Alternatives 105

9: Estimated Staffing Levels to Implement the Alternatives 10610: Additional Staffing for the Interpretation and Education Division 10711: Additional Staffing for the Resource Management and Science Division 10812: Estimated One-time Facility Costs to Implement the Alternatives 10913: Estimated Deferred Maintenance Addressed by One-Time Facility Costs 11014: stimated One-Time Facility Costs to Upgrade Select Campgrounds and Picnic Areas 11015: Estimated One-Time Facility Costs to Upgrade Select Visitor Service Facilities 11116: stimated One-Time Facility Costs to Improve Select Trail Systems and Access Points 11217: Estimated One-Time Facility Costs to Rehabilitate Select Historic Structures & Associated Cultural

Landscapes 11218: Environmentally Preferable Alternative Analysis 11419: Summary Comparison of the Alternatives 11620-A: Summary of Impacts on Vegetation and Wildlife 12120-B: Summary of Impacts on Federal and State Listed Species 12620-C: Summary of Impacts on Geologic Resources and Soils 12720-D: Summary of Impacts on Water-related Resources 13020-E: Summary of Impacts on Air Quality 134

20-F: Summary of Impacts on Historic Structures 13620-G: Summary of Impacts on Cultural Landscapes 14420-H: Summary of Impacts on Archeological Resources 15220-I: Summary of Impacts on Ethnographic Resources 16220-J: Summary of Impacts on Visual Resources 16520-K: Summary of Impacts on Visitor Use and Experience 16820-L: Summary of Impacts on Traffic and Transportation 177

20-M: Summary of Impacts on Parkway Operations 18220-N: Summary of Impacts on Regional Socioeconomics 18821: List of Rare Plant Communities in the Blue Ridge Parkway 19722: List of Threatened and Endangered Species in the Blue Ridge Parkway 19923: Air Quality Conditions and TrendsOzone 20724: Air Quality Conditions and TrendsVisibility 20825: Air Quality Conditions and TrendsAtmospheric Deposition 20926: Identified Cultural Landscapes and Component Landscapes by Parkway District 22427: Most Frequent First Entry and Last Exit Locations (number of survey responses) 23928: Travel PatternsMost Common Trips 240


17/50

Contents

xiii

29: Recreation Areas 24530: Tent and RV sites per Parkway Campground 24731: Concession-operated Visitor Services 24832: Parkway Visitor Centers and Contact Stations 25133: Problems Identified by Visitors by Weekday/Weekend 25234: Visitors Level of Acceptability for Number of Cars Seen on the Parkway 254

35: Visitors Level of Acceptability for Number of People Seen at Developed Recreation Areas 25436: Existing Blue Ridge Parkway Traffic Volumes 26337: Existing Blue Ridge Parkway Vehicle Occupancy Values 26338: Existing Blue Ridge Parkway Trip Purposes 26439: Blue Ridge parkway Existing Level of Service for Road Segments 26640: Existing Blue Ridge Parkway Traffic Mix 26941: Blue Ridge Parkway and Statewide Accident Rates 27042: Accident Rates by Study Segment (March 2001 March 2004) 27043: Blue Ridge Parkway Accident Summary (March 2001 March 2004) 27144: Existing Blue Ridge Parkway Parking Lot Data (Weekday) 27245: Blue Ridge Parkway Facility-related Assets 27746: Projected Population Growth, 2007 to 2030, by Segment 285

47: Potential Impacts to Federal Listed Species of the Blue Ridge Parkway, Alternative A 32648: Potential Impacts to Federal Listed Species of the Blue Ridge Parkway, Alternative B 33049: Potential Impacts to Federal Listed Species of the Blue Ridge Parkway, Alternative C 33350: Baseline Annual Growth Rates for Parkway Traffic Forecasts 47151: Peak Season Average Daily 2020 Traffic Conditions - Alternative A 47352: Peak Season Average Daily 2020 Traffic Forecasts - Alternative B 47753: Peak Season Average Daily 2020 Traffic Forecasts - Alternative C 483


18/50

xiv

A GUIDE TO THIS DOCUMENT

This Draft General Management Plan /Environmental Impact Statementis organizedin accordance with the Council on

Environmental Qualitys implementingregulations for the National EnvironmentalPolicy Act, the NPS Directors Order 12,Conservation Planning, Environmental ImpactAnalysis, and Decision-making, and the NPSGeneral Management Planning DynamicSourcebook.

Chapter 1: Purpose and Need sets theframework for the entire document. Itdescribes why the plan is being prepared andwhat needs it must address. It gives guidance

for these considerations, which are based onthe Blue Ridge Parkways legislated mission,its purpose, the significance of its resources,special mandates and administrativecommitments, servicewide mandates andpolicies, and other planning efforts in the area.

The chapter also details the planningopportunities and issues that were raisedduring public scoping meetings and initialplanning team efforts. The alternativesdeveloped and presented in the next chapter

address these issues and concerns to varyingdegrees. This chapter concludes with astatement of the scope of the environmentalimpact analysisspecifically what impacttopics were retained or dismissed fromdetailed analysis and why.

Chapter 2: Alternatives begins with anexplanation of how the alternatives wereformulated and how the preferred alternativewas identified. A comparison of costs forimplementing the alternatives is also included.

The three alternatives (including continuationof current management) are then presented.Mitigation measures to minimize or eliminatethe impacts of some proposed actions aredescribed just before the discussion of future

studies and/or implementation plans thatwould be needed. The evaluation of theenvironmentally preferred alternative isfollowed by summary tables of theenvironmental consequences of implementingthe alternative actions.

Chapter 3: Affected Environment describesthose areas and resources that would beaffected by implementing actions in thevarious alternativescultural resources,natural resources, visitor use and experience,park operations, and socioeconomicenvironment.

Chapter 4: Environmental Consequencesanalyzes the impacts of implementing thealternatives on topics described in Chapter 3:Affected Environment. Methods that wereused for assessing the impacts in terms of thelocality, intensity, type, and duration ofimpacts are outlined at the beginning of thechapter.

Chapter 5: Consultation and Coordinationdescribes the history of public and agencycoordination during the planning effort andany future compliance requirements; it alsolists agencies and organizations who will bereceiving copies of the document.

The Appendixes present supportinginformation for the document, along withreferences, and a list of the planning team andother consultants.


19/50

1intRoduCtion, PuRPoSe, and need

Puckett Cabin

Julian Price Lake


20/50


21/50

3

INTRODUCTION

This Draft General Management Plan /Environmental Impact Statement(GMP/EIS)

presents and analyzes three alternative futuredirections for the management and use of theBlue Ridge Parkway. The potentialenvironmental impacts of the alternativeshave been identified and assessed.

General management plans are intended to belong-term documents that establish andarticulate a management philosophy andframework for decision making and problemsolving in units of the national park system.General management plans usually provide

guidance during a 15- to 20-year period.

Actions directed by general managementplans or in subsequent implementation plansare accomplished over time. Budgetrestrictions, requirements for additional dataor regulatory compliance, and competingnational park system priorities preventimmediate implementation of many actions.Major or especially costly actions could beimplemented 10 or more years into the future.

BACKGROUND ON PLANDEVELOPMENT

Developing a vision for the parks future (andidentifying the management direction thatwould help create that future) is the primaryrole of the general management plan.However, before a particular vision is decidedupon, several possible visions andmanagement directions are developed andanalyzed. These different possibilities are

called alternatives. Each alternative includes avariety of potential strategies that fit togetherin a unified management direction. Thedevelopment of alternatives included a widerange of input from the public, National ParkService (NPS) staff, and other agencies.

Evaluating alternatives enables one tocompare and contrast the advantages anddisadvantages of one course of action overanother. Such comparison is a requirement of

the National Environmental Policy Act and isat the core of the NPS general management

plan process. In order to organize informationand formulate alternatives appropriate to the469-mile length of the parkway, plannersapproached the analysis of the parkway atthree levels: (1) the parkway as a whole; (2) theparkway divided into seven segments basedprimarily on physiographic characteristics;and (3) the parkways pearls on a stringthe recreation areas.

Management Zones

An important tool used by planners in theGMP process is the development ofmanagement zones. These zones prescribedesired conditions for parkway cultural andnatural resources and for visitor experiences.The conditions are different in each zone andare intended to represent the widest possiblerange of conditions that would be appropriateto a parks purpose and significance. Eightmanagement zones were developed for theparkway; ideas for the range of management

zones came from public comments and fromparkway staff.

Exploration of Alternatives

In NPS planning, alternative future directionsfor a park are developed by allocatingmanagement zones to various geographiclocations in different combinations.Allocation of management zones is guided bythe overall concept for each alternative. For

example, a park could be managed under aconcept emphasizing high recreational activityand visitor interaction, or a conceptemphasizing primitive natural resource values,or a concept emphasizing remote recreationand visitor solitude. While these conceptswould overlap in some ways, it is easy toimagine that these different emphases wouldrequire various areas of the park to bemanaged differently. These kinds ofdifferences are presented on maps that


22/50

CHAPTER1:PURPOSE AND NEED

4

allocate management zones according to thedifferent alternative concepts.This general management plan presents thethree alternatives for future management thatare being developed for the Blue Ridge

Parkway. Management zones consistent witheach alternative are presented on a map thatshows the entire parkway and on other mapsthat show each of the parkway segments andthe recreation areas in that segment.

To facilitate comparison of the threealternatives, each one has been developed asclosely as possible in accordance with itsguiding concept. Public comments on thepreliminary alternatives helped the NationalPark Service refine the alternatives andmanagement zones. Those alternatives arepresented in this Draft General ManagementPlan / Environmental Impact Statement. It ispossible that none of the alternativesrepresent ideal conditions for the parkway.Your comments on the alternatives are aparticularly important part of the review ofthis draft. Your input will assist the NationalPark Service to finalize the plan.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PARK

Congress allocated funds for the initialconstruction of the Blue Ridge Parkway totraverse a substantial portion of Virginia andNorth Carolina, on June 16, 1933, underauthority of the National Industrial RecoveryAct (48 Stat. 195, Public Law 73-67). Congressthen authorized the National Park Service toadminister and manage the parkway on June30, 1936 (49 Stat. 2041, Public Law 74-848) asamended on June 8, 1940 (54 Stat. 249, PublicLaw 76-566).

The parkway is in Virginia and NorthCarolina in the central and southernAppalachian Mountains. It is 469 miles longand connects Shenandoah National Park tothe north with Great Smoky MountainsNational Park to the south. Created as anational rural roadway with limited access, theparkway was designed for pleasant motoring,a form of recreational driving free fromcommercial traffic. The Blue Ridge Parkway

travels the crests, ridges, and valleys of fivemajor mountain ranges, encompassing severalgeographic and vegetative zones ranging from600 to over 6,000 feet above sea level. Itprovides visitors with many varied vistas of

scenic Appalachian landscapes ranging fromforested ridge tops and mountain slopes torural farm lands to urban areas. The parkwayoffers a ride-a-while, stop-a-whileexperience that includes scenic pullouts,recreation areas, historic sites, and visitorcontact stations. It is known nationally andinternationally for its designed landscape as ascenic motorway.

The parkway is many things to many people. Itis the longest road planned as a single parkunit in the United States. It is an extremelyelongated national park system unit thatprotects significant mountain landscapes farbeyond the shoulders of the road itself. It is aseries of parks providing visitors access tohigh mountain passes, splendid naturalgardens of flowering mountain plants,waterfalls and water gaps, deep forests andupland meadows. It is a continuous series ofpanoramic views, the boundaries of its limitedright-of-way rarely apparent and miles of theadjacent countryside seemingly a part of theprotected scene. It is a museum of themanaged American countryside, preservingthe roughhewn log cabin of the mountainpioneer, the summer home of a textilemagnate, and traces of early industries such aslogging railways and an old canal. It is theproduct of a series of major public worksprojects which provided a boost to the traveland tourism industry and helped theAppalachian region climb out of the depths ofthe Great Depression. It is an importantneighbor that links 29 counties through twostates and shares boundaries with other

national park system units, national forests,tribal lands, and state parks.

The Blue Ridge Parkway corridor is a complexarea of overlapping jurisdictions, interests,and responsibilities. Strong and coordinatedexternal relations are vital to the parkway'srole and mission in the region. Formal andinformal partner organizations provideessential services, staffing, funding, and


23/50

Introduction

5

innovative solutions to management of thislinear park and the corridor through which itpasses. And, it is the most heavily visited unitof the national park system.

To help the reader comprehend the sheer sizeand extent of the parkway, the followingparkway by the numbers highlights a fewremarkable statistics:

CULTURAL RESOURCES

Historic Buildings: 91

Cultural Landscapes: 20

Miles of Roads: 558

Road Tunnels: 26

Road Bridges: 176

Road Overlooks: 281

Parking Areas: 101

Maintained Roadside Vistas: 910

Total Number of Views: 1,228

Archeological sites identified: >200

Artifacts in collection: >690,000

10,500 archeological

32,000 biological

2,400 geological

NATURAL RESOURCES

Vascular Plant Diversity: 1,614 species

Amphibian Diversity: 43 species

Distinct Plant Communities: 75 (24 consideredglobally rare, 7 considered globally imperiled)

Federally Listed Threatened and EndangeredSpecies: 9

Watersheds: 15

Miles of Streams: 600 (115 Headwaters)

Peaks above 5,000 feet: 16

Parkway Intersects:

3 mountain ranges

6 Army Corps districts

4 state land & water quality districts2 Fish & Wildlife service agencies

29 Natural Resource Conservation Serviceoffices

INTERPRETATION AND EDUCATION (2010)

Curriculum Based Programs: 1,348 (42,246students)

Completed Jr. Ranger Program: 2,199 students

Visitor Center Contacts: 944,712

INTERPRETATION AND EDUCATION (2010)

Demos/Performance Art Events: 1,466 (351,854visitors reached)

Special Events: 31 (68,830 visitors attended)Website Hits: 1.5 million

LANDS

Fee Simple: 81,785 acres

Scenic Easement: 2,776 acres

Miles of Boundary: 1,200

Adjacent Private Landowners: >4,000

Private Road At-grade Accesses: 101

State Secondary Road At-grade Accesses: 199

National Forests Crossed: 4

Counties Traversed: 29

LAW ENFORCEMENT AND PROTECTION (2009)

Special Use Permits Issued: 607Class A & B offenses: 627

Basic Life Support incidents: 69

Advanced Life Support incidents: 35

Searches and Rescues by NPS: 21

Agreements with external law enforcementagencies: 20

Rural Fire Agreements: 53

ANNUAL VISITATION

Recreational Visitors: 17 Million

Annual Off Pkwy Economic Impact: $2.3 Billion

VISITOR SERVICES

Visitor Centers: 14

Miles of Trails: 369

Campgrounds: 9

Amphitheaters: 10

Picnic Areas: 13

Concession Lodges: 3

Concession Food Service: 6

Book or Craft Shops: 18

OTHER INFRASTRUCTUREWater Systems: 45

Sewer Systems: 95

Dams: 29

Maintenance Offices: 14

Ranger Offices: 13

Park Radio Towers: 10

Road Signs: 14,000+


24/50

Blue Ridge Parkway Vicinity Map


25/50

Introduction

7

PURPOSE OF THE PLAN

The approved general management planwould be the central document for managingthe Blue Ridge Parkway for the next 20+ years.

The purposes of this general managementplan are as follows:

Confirm the purpose, significance,and special mandates of the BlueRidge Parkway

Clearly define resource conditionsand visitor uses and experiences to beachieved in the parkway

Provide a framework for parkwaymanagers to use when making

decisions about how to best protectresources, provide quality visitor usesand experiences, manage visitor use,and develop facilities in/near the park

Ensure that this foundation fordecision making has been developedin consultation with interestedstakeholders and adopted by NPSleadership after an adequate analysisof the benefits, impacts, and economiccosts of alternative courses of action

Legislation establishing the National ParkService as an agency and governing its man-agement provides the fundamental directionfor the administration of the parkway (andother units and programs of the national parksystem). The general management plan wouldbuild on these laws and the legislation thatestablished the parkway to provide a visionfor the parks future. The ServicewideMandates and Policies section of this chaptercalls the readers attention to topics that areimportant to understanding the management

direction at the park. The alternatives in thisgeneral management plan address desiredfuture conditions that are not mandated bylaw and policy and must therefore bedetermined through a planning process.

The general management plan does notdescribe how particular programs or projectsfor the parkway should be prioritized orimplemented. Those decisions would be

addressed in the future through more detailedplanning efforts. All future plans relating toprograms or projects would tier from theapproved general management plan.

NEED FOR THE PLAN

The Blue Ridge Parkway has never had anapproved general management plan. For thefirst 52 years of the parkways existence, amajor focus of management was to completeconstruction of the parkway, its designedlandscape, and several major and minorrecreation areas. This development wasguided by master plans developed in the late1930s and early 1940s. Once sections of the

parkway were constructed, their managementand maintenance was guided by a series ofParkway Land Use Maps, designed tomaintain various aspects of the parkwaydesigned landscape. With the parkwayscompletion in 1987, the focus of parkwaymanagement shifted to ensuring that theparkways scenic, natural, cultural, andrecreational qualities would be protected intothe future.

The Parkway Land Use Maps provided the"as-built" documentation and long-termmanagement intent for the roadway andassociated roadside plantings and structures,recreation areas, trails, etc. Other informationwas illustrated on the maps, such as adjacentland ownership, location of deed reservedprivate and public roads, utilities and sceniceasements. The Parkway Land Use Mapscontinue to serve as the parkways guidancefor the location of reserved easements.However, today these maps are largelyoutdated due to changed conditions and lacka comprehensive management approach to

address an increasing array of issuesconfronting the park.

With a 20+ year lifespan, the generalmanagement plan provides the far-reaching,comprehensive management approach that isessential to guide the future of the parkway.The plan also fulfills the requirements of theNational Parks and Recreation Act of 1978and NPS policy, which mandate development


26/50


8

of a general management plan for each unit inthe national park system.

Today, the parkway encompasses 82,000 acresof federal land. It shares over 1,000 miles of

boundary with some 4,000 adjacentlandowners, eight associated federallyrecognized tribal governments, 29 counties,and several towns and cities. The parkwayoffers 500,000 acres of scenic viewshedswithin a mile of its boundary. There are 199public secondary at-grade access points fromregional road systems. Many of these roadshave recently been or are in the process ofbeing improved by the states of NorthCarolina and Virginia, resulting in moreresidential development, traffic, and loss ofscenery adjacent to the parkway.

The parkway is now situated in a muchbroader resource and visitor context thatextends both physically and philosophicallyfar beyond its boundaries. It is this ever-changing dynamic that is driving the need toreexamine past and current approaches to theparkways management and use.

THE NEXT STEPS IN THE PLANNINGPROCESS

After distribution of the Draft Blue RidgeParkway General Management Plan /Environmental Impact Statement, there will bea 60-day public review and comment period.After this, the NPS planning team will evaluatecomments from other federal agencies, tribes,organizations, businesses, and individualsregarding the draft plan and incorporateappropriate changes into a final generalmanagement plan / environmental impactstatement. The final plan will include lettersfrom governmental agencies, any substantivecomments on the draft document, and NPSresponses to those comments. Followingdistribution of the final general managementplan / environmental impact statement and a30-day no-action period, a record of decisionapproving the final plan will be prepared forsignature by the NPS regional director. Therecord of decision documents the NPSselection of an alternative for implementation.

With the signing of the record of decision,implementation of the plan can begin.

IMPLEMENTATION OF THE PLAN

Implementation of the approved plan woulddepend on future funding. The approval of aplan does not guarantee that the funding andstaffing needed to implement the plan wouldbe forthcoming. Full implementation of theapproved plan could be many years in thefuture.

The implementation of the approved plan alsocould be affected by other factors. Once thegeneral management plan has been approved,

additional feasibility studies and moredetailed planning and environmental docu-mentation would be completed, asappropriate, before any proposed actions canbe carried out. For example:

Appropriate permits would beobtained before implementing actionsthat would impact wetlands.

Appropriate federal and state agencieswould be consulted concerningactions that could affect threatened

and endangered species.

Native American tribes, state historicpreservation officers, localgovernments, and the public would beconsulted.

The general management plan does notdescribe how particular programs or projectsshould be prioritized or implemented. Thosedecisions would be addressed during moredetailed planning efforts associated with the

development of future strategic andimplementation plans. All future plans wouldtier from the approved general managementplan and would be based on the goals, futureconditions, and appropriate types of activitiesestablished in it.


27/50

9

FOUNDATION FOR PLANNING AND MANAGEMENT

PARK PURPOSE

Purpose statements provide the foundationfor the management and use of each unit ofthe national park system; they also reaffirmthe reasons why each area was established as aunit of the national park system. Thesestatements help visitors, neighbors,cooperating agencies, and other usersunderstand the framework in which parkmanagers make decisions.

The following purpose statements are basedon the Blue Ridge Parkways enabling

legislation as well as laws and policiesgoverning management of all national parksystem units. The purposes of the Blue RidgeParkway are to

Connect Shenandoah and GreatSmoky Mountains national parks byway of a national rural parkwayadestination and recreational road thatpasses through a variety of scenicridge, mountainside, and pastoral farmlandscapes.

Conserve the scenery and preserve thenatural and cultural resources of theparkways designed and natural areas.

Provide for public enjoyment andunderstanding of the natural resourcesand cultural heritage of the central andsouthern Appalachian Mountains.

Provide opportunities for high-qualityscenic and recreational experiencesalong the parkway and in the corridorthrough which it passes.

PARK SIGNIFICANCE

Significance statements capture the essence ofthe parks importance to our countrys naturaland cultural heritage. Significance statementsdo not inventory resources; rather, theydescribe the parkways distinctiveness andhelp to place the parkway in its regional,national, and international contexts. Defining

the parks significance helps managers makedecisions that preserve the resources and

values necessary to accomplish the nationalparks purpose.

The following statements define thesignificance of the Blue Ridge Parkway:

The Blue Ridge Parkway was the firstnational rural parkway to beconceived, designed, and constructedfor a leisurely driving experience. Itsvaried topography and numerous vistapoints offer easy public access tospectacular views of central and

southern Appalachian rurallandscapes and forested mountains.

As an example of pre- and post-WorldWar II era automotive rural parkwaydesign, the parkway retains anexceptionally high degree of integrity.The parkway is further recognizedthroughout the world as aninternational example of landscapeand engineering design achievementswith a roadway that lies easily on theland and blends into the landscape.

The parkway is the highest and longestcontinuous route in the Appalachianarea. Along its 469-mile length, theparkway provides scenic access tocrests and ridges of five major rangesin the central and southernAppalachian Mountains,encompassing geographic andvegetative zones that range from 649feet at James River in Virginia to 6,047feet at Richland Balsam in North

Carolina. The parkways uninterrupted corridor

facilitates the protection of a diverserange of flora and fauna, includingrare and endangered plant and animalspecies and globally imperiled naturalcommunities.

The parkway preserves and displayscultural landscapes and historicarchitecture characteristic of the


28/50


10

central and southern Appalachianhighlands.

The parkway is a primary catalyst forpromoting regional travel and tourism,serving as a unifying element for 29

counties through which it passes,engendering a shared regionalidentity, providing a common link ofinterest, and being a major contributorto regional economic vitality.

FUNDAMENTAL RESOURCES ANDVALUES

Fundamental resources and values warrantprimary consideration during planning

because they are critical to achieving theparks purpose and maintaining itssignificance. The following resources andvalues are central to managing the parkwayand express the importance of the parkway toour natural and cultural heritage.

Cultural Resources

The Parkw ay Historic Designed

Landscape. The Blue Ridge Parkway is the

premier example of a national parkwaydesigned for recreational motoring throughrural scenery. The parkway is an exceptionallyimportant work of design in the fields oflandscape architecture and civil engineering.As a combination of scenic road and linearpark, it represents a fusion of modernengineering with scenic landscape design. Theoriginal parkway road right-of-way and thesites and developments proposed as part ofthe 1936 master plan are elements of thedesigned landscape.

Landscapes of Southern and Centra l

Appalachian Context . Several sites along theparkway, including the Blue Ridge MusicCenter and the Folk Art Center, are focusedon the perpetuation and interpretation ofregional cultural expression. The origins ofBlue Ridge traditional culture are dying out,and the National Park Service plays a role in

documenting and celebrating examples oftraditional culture.

Sites Associat ed w ith Local Comm unit ies.Many sites along the parkway have an

affiliation with the parkway purpose andsignificance, but have greater values ascharacter defining features of localcommunities and traditions. Such sites includeYankee Horse Railroad, Kelley School, HarrisFarm, Moses H. Cone Park, and the Over theMountain Victory Trail, among others.

Natural Resources

Globally Imperiled Comm unities. The

parkway protects several ecosystems that areof global significance. These include spruce/firforests, rocky outcrops and granitic domes,grassy balds, and high-elevation wetlands. Theparkway is also considered a keystone area inwhich to track environmental changes relatedto water and air quality that could affect theentire region.

Rare and Endangered Plant s, Anim als,

and Communit ies. The parkway contains 8federally listed and over 100 state listedspecies; and new species are being discovered.These species of concern include the Peaks ofOtter salamander, bog turtles, timberrattlesnakes, and numerous others.

Visitor Experience Values

Visual and Leisure Driv ing Experiences.When asked about the special values that aremost important to their parkway experience,visitors describe the beauty of the views fromand along the roadway. The natural setting of

mountains and valleys, the peacefulness ofrural and pastoral landscapes, and thedramatic high-elevation vistas are frequentlyhighlighted by visitors. This idyllic scenerywas integral to the experience intended byparkway designers.

The character of the parkway travelexperience is also featured. Peace, solitude,leisure, freedom from traffic and speed, and


29/50

Foundation for Planning and Management

11

the absence of commercial advertising arefrequently mentioned as aspects of theparkway experience that are particularlyvalued.

Recreational Experiences. Ready access torecreational opportunities also has high valueto parkway visitors. Trails, both in theparkway and accessible from the park, aremost frequently mentioned as importantrecreational facilities.

Regional Connectivity

Travel and Tourism. The Blue RidgeParkway, by virtue of its 469-mile length,

provides a travel and tourism facility thatunites a 29-county region in Virginia andNorth Carolina. The opportunity for some 20million visitors each year to sample its scenicand recreational resources has established theparkway as a primary tourism magnet for theregion. Parkway visitors spend some 2.2billion dollars per year in communities outsidethe parkway boundary.

PRIMARY INTERPRETIVE THEMES

Primary interpretive themes are the mostimportant ideas or concepts to becommunicated to the public about a nationalpark system unit. Their consistent use in parkprograms, events, exhibits, and publicationshelps increase visitor understanding andappreciation of park resources and values.The following interpretive themes have beendeveloped for the Blue Ridge Parkway.

Parkway Design / Landscape

The Blue Ridge Parkway originated togenerate employment and promote tourism inthe mountains of southern Appalachia; itcontinues to influence and provide greateconomic benefits to the region.

The Blue Ridge Parkway incorporatesinnovative and enduring design, engineering,

and construction techniques that harmonizewith the southern Appalachian landscape.

The Blue Ridge Parkway is a linear park unitthreaded by a road in which visitor driving

and enjoyment of scenery is the primaryobjective.

The Blue Ridge Parkway is a human-manipulated environment that continues toshape parkway management practices.

Biology

The Blue Ridge Parkway has a wide diversityof habitat, and thus supports as many plant

species as any other national park system unitin the Unites States.

The Blue Ridge Parkway provides a protectedmigration corridor for many forms of life.Visitors and residents have long interactedwith the Appalachian environment, bothadapting to and altering the natural history ofthe area.

Geology

The Blue Ridge Parkway stands at the summitof many local and regional watersheds thatdefine the hydrological patterns of much ofthe southeastern United States. The fivemountain ranges of the parkway include theoldest mountain-building processes in theworld and contain economically significantminerals.

Air Quality, Weather, Climate

Activities of people living outside the BlueRidge Parkway and extreme weatherconditions in the southern AppalachianMountains influence the natural resources,visitation patterns, and air quality of theparkway.


30/50


12

Human Culture

The Blue Ridge Parkway conserves diverseand important examples of architecture,industry and transportation associated with

the people and communities of the mountainsin southern Appalachia.

The Blue Ridge Parkway preserves evidenceof human occupation from prehistoric tocontemporary times.

Many Blue Ridge Parkway sites have beentourist and vacation destinations for morethan two centuries.

A unique Appalachian culture, defined by arts,

crafts,

music and social institutions, hasevolved and persist in the region throughwhich the Blue Ridge Parkway passes.

SPECIAL MANDATES ANDADMINISTRATIVE COMMITMENTS

Special mandates and administrative commit-ments refer to requirements for the parkwaythat are specified in laws or formalagreements. Consequently, theserequirements are not open for reevaluation asa part of the general management plan;instead, they serve as guidelines with whichplanning proposals must be consistent.Mandates and administrative commitmentsthat influence the Blue Ridge Parkway generalmanagement plan include the following:

Memorandum of Understandingbetween the National Park Serviceand U.S. Forest Service

OnJune 20, 1941, established procedures fordetermining the boundaries of the parkwaywhere it passes through national forests andfor protecting the scenic values of these landsand identified the managementresponsibilities of each agency to meet thesegoals.

Eastern National

A nonprofit cooperating association charteredin 1948 to provide interpretive book sales atvisitor centers and, in turn, promote

educational and interpretive activities byreturning profits to the National Park Service.The Blue Ridge Parkway serves as an agent ofEastern National under Public Law 79-633,authorizing cooperating associations.

Mountains-to-Sea Trail Memorandumof Agreement

This is an agreement of cooperation amongthe parkway; the U.S. Forest Service; the

North Carolina Department of Environment,Health, and Natural Resources; and theFriends of the Mountains-to-Sea Trailorganization for planning and construction ofthe Mountains-to-Sea Trail system. Much ofthis trail is on parkway lands in NorthCarolina between the Great SmokyMountains National Park and the DoughtonPark recreation area. Trail maintenance is theresponsibility of the Friends of theMountains-to-Sea Trail volunteers.

Agricultural Leases

Agriculture has had an important influenceon the land and the people of the Blue RidgeMountains. Under the parkways AgriculturalLand Use Program, lands are leased out toother landowners for agricultural use toensure and perpetuate the cultural andtraditional pastoral scenes typical of theAppalachian hill country. This blending of theparkway and the adjoining lands helps createthe impression of a park that extends, in someinstances, to the horizon.

Roanoke River Parkway

The Surface Transportation and UniformRelocation Assistance Act of 1987(Public Law100-17) authorized the National Park Serviceto design and build an extension of the BlueRidge Parkway to connect to Explore Park in


31/50


13

the Commonwealth of Virginia. Thecompleted Roanoke River Parkway nowprovides a direct link for visitors from theparkway to the 1,100-acre property nowowned by Virginia Living Histories. In June,

2005, the Virginia Recreational FacilitiesAuthoritythe state authority tasked with thedevelopment and operation of Explore Parkentered into a lease option agreement withVirginia Living Histories for the developmentof Explore Park. Explore Park was to becomean outdoor living history museum andrecreational park near milepost 115 on theBlue Ridge Parkway in Roanoke. Thedownturn in financial markets at the end ofthe decade created financing challenges andconstruction did not begin as planned. As aresult, the Virginia Recreational FacilitiesAuthority appointed an economicdevelopment consortium to create alternativeplans for Explore Park if Virginia LivingHistories was not able to proceed. Futureoptions for programming and activities atExplore Park have been developed by theconsortium and the Virginia RecreationalFacilities Authority plans to hold monthlyboard meetings throughout 2011.

Concurrent Legislative Jurisdiction

Memorandum of Agreement forConcurrent Jurisdiction at NationalPark Service Units in the State ofNorth Carolina, dated July 27, 1984.

Memorandum of Agreement andDeed for Concurrent Jurisdiction atAreas of the Blue Ridge Parkway in theState of Virginia, dated July 12, 1982.

SERVICEWIDE LAWS AND POLICIES

This section identifies what must be done atthe Blue Ridge Parkway to comply withfederal laws and policies of the National ParkService. Many park management directivesare specified in laws and policies guiding theNational Park Service and are therefore notsubject to alternative approaches. Forexample, there are laws and policies about

managing environmental quality (such as theClean Air Act, the Endangered Species Act,and Executive Order 11990 Protection ofWetlands); laws governing the preservationof cultural resources (such as the

Archaeological Resources Protection Act,National Historic Preservation Act, and theNative American Graves Protection andRepatriation Act); and laws about providingpublic services (such as the Americans withDisabilities Act). A general management planis not needed to decide, for instance, that it isappropriate to protect endangered species,control exotic species, protect archeologicalsites, conserve artifacts, or provide foruniversal access. Although total compliancewith these laws and policies may have beentemporarily deferred in the park because offunding or staffing limitations, the NationalPark Service will continue to strive toimplement these requirements with orwithout a new general management plan.

Some of these laws and executive orders areapplicable solely or primarily to units of thenational park system. These include the 1916Organic Act that created the National ParkService; the General Authorities Act of 1970;the act of March 27, 1978, relating to themanagement of the national park system; andthe National Parks Omnibus Management Act(1998). Other laws and executive orders havemuch broader application, such as theEndangered Species Act, the National HistoricPreservation Act, and Executive Order 11990that addresses the protection of wetlands.

The NPS Organic Act (16 USC 1) providesthe fundamental management direction for allunits of the national park system:

[P]romote and regulate the use of the Federal

areas known as national parks, monuments,and reservationsby such means andmeasure as conform to the fundamentalpurpose of said parks, monuments andreservations, which purpose is to conserve thescenery and the natural and historic objectsand the wildlife therein and to provide for theenjoyment of the same in such manner and bysuch means as will leave them unimpaired forthe enjoyment of future generations.


32/50


14

The National Park System General AuthoritiesAct (16 USC 1a-1 et seq.) affirms that whileall national park system units remain distinctin character, they are united through theirinterrelated purposes and resources into one

national park system as cumulativeexpressions of a single national heritage. Theact makes it clear that the NPS Organic Actand other protective mandates apply equallyto all units of the system. Further, amend-ments state that NPS management of parkunits should not derogat[e]the purposesand values for which these various areas havebeen established.

The National Park Service also has establishedpolicies for all units under its stewardship.These are identified and explained in NPSManagement Policies 2006 and severalguidance documents referred to as directorsorders (DOs). The action alternatives(alternatives B and C) considered in this

document incorporate and comply with theprovisions of these mandates and policies.To truly understand the implications of analternative, it is important to consider therelationship between the servicewide

mandates and policies and the managementactions described in an alternative.

Table 1 lists some of the most pertinentservicewide mandates and policy topicsrelated to planning and managing the BlueRidge Parkway; a statement of the idealconditions that the parkway staff is striving toachieve is presented for each. Although thetable is written in the present tense, these arenot necessarily the conditions that existcurrently. The alternatives in this generalmanagement plan address the desired futureconditions that are not mandated by law andpolicy and must be determined through aplanning process.

TABLE 1.SERVICEWIDE MANDATES AND POLICIES PERTAINING TO THE BLUE RIDGE PARKWAY

Topic Current laws and policies require the following conditions be achieved

Relations with Other Communities

Relations withPrivate and PublicOrganizations,Owners of Adjacent

Land, andGovernmentalAgencies

The Blue Ridge Parkway is managed as part of a greater ecological, social, economic, andcultural system.

Good relations are maintained with adjacent landowners, surrounding communities, andprivate and public groups that affect, and are affected by, the park. The park is managedproactively to resolve external issues and concerns and ensure that park values are notcompromised.

Because the parkway is an integral part of the larger regional environment, the National ParkService works cooperatively with others to anticipate, avoid, and resolve potential conflicts,protect national park resources, and address mutual interests in the quality of life forcommunity residents. Regional cooperation involves federal, state, and local agencies, Indiantribes, neighboring landowners, and all other concerned parties.

Government-to-GovernmentRelations betweenAmerican IndianTribes and the BlueRidge Parkway

The National Park Service and tribes culturally affi liated with the park maintain positive,productive, government-to-government relationships. Park managers and staff respect theviewpoints and needs of the tribes, continue to promptly address conflicts that occur, andconsider American Indian values in park management and operation.

Natural ResourcesAir Quality Air quality in the park meets national ambient air quality standards for specified pollutants.

The parks air quality is maintained or enhanced with no significant deterioration.

Nearly unimpaired views of the landscape both in and outside the park are present. Scenicviews are substantially unimpaired.

EcosystemManagement

The park is managed holistically, as part of a greater ecological, social, economic, and culturalsystem.

Exotic Species The management of populations of exotic plant and animal species, up to and includingeradication, are undertaken wherever such species threaten park resources or public healthand when control is prudent and feasible.


33/50


15


Fire Management Park fire management programs are designed to meet resource management objectivesprescribed for the various areas of the park and to ensure that the safety of firefighters andthe public is not compromised.

All w ildland f ires are effectively managed, considering resource values to be protected and

firefighter and public safety, using the full range of strategic and tactical operations asdescribed in an approved fire management plan.

Floodplains Natural floodplain values are preserved or restored.

Long-term and short-term environmental effects associated with the occupancy andmodifications of floodplains are avoided.

When it is not practicable to locate or relocate development or inappropriate human activitiesto a site outside the floodplain or where the floodplain will be affected, the National ParkService:

Prepares and approves a statement of findings in accordance with DO 77-2. Uses nonstructural measures as much as practicable to reduce hazards to human life

and property while minimizing impacts on the natural resources of floodplains.

Ensures that structures and facilit ies are designed to be consistent with the intent ofthe standards and criteria of the National Flood Insurance Program (44 CFR 60).

General NaturalResources /Restoration

Native species populations that have been severely reduced in or extirpated from the park arerestored where feasible and sustainable.

Populations of native plant and animal species function in as natural a condit ion as possibleexcept where special considerations are warranted.

Land Protection Land protection plans are prepared to determine and publicly document what lands orinterests in land need to be in public ownership, and what means of protection are available toachieve the purposes for which the national park system unit was created.

Native Vegetationand Animals

The National Park Service maintains all native plants and animals in the park as parts of thenatural ecosystem.

Natural Soundscapes The National Park Service preserves the natural ambient soundscapes, restores degradedsoundscapes to the natural ambient condition wherever possible, and protects naturalsoundscapes from degradation due to human-caused noise. Disruptions from recreational usesare managed to provide a high-quality visitor experience in an effort to preserve or restore the

natural quiet and natural sounds.Soils The National Park Service actively seeks to understand and preserve the soil resources of the

park, and to prevent, to the extent possible, the unnatural erosion, physical removal, orcontamination of the soil, or its contamination of other resources.

Natural soil resources and processes function in as natural a condition as possible, exceptwhere special considerations are allowable under policy.

Threatened andEndangered Species

Federal and state-listed threatened and endangered species and their habitats are protectedand sustained.

Native threatened and endangered species populations that have been severely reduced in orextirpated from the park are restored where feasible and sustainable.

Water Resources Surface water and groundwater are protected, and water qualit y meets or exceeds allapplicable water quality standards.

NPS and NPS-permitted programs and facilities are maintained and operated to avoid pollution

of surface water and groundwater.

Wetlands The natural and beneficial values of wet lands are preserved and enhanced.

The National Park Service implements a no net loss of wetlands policy and strives to achievea longer-term goal of net gain of wetlands across the national park system through therestoration of previously degraded wetlands.

The National Park Service avoids to the extent possible the long- and short-term adverseimpacts associated with the destruction or modification of wetlands and avoids direct orindirect support of new construction in wetlands wherever there is a practicable alternative.

The National Park Service compensates for remaining unavoidable adverse impacts onwetlands by restoring wetlands that have been previously degraded.


34/50


16


Cultural Resources

ArcheologicalResources

Archeological sites are identified and inventoried and their signif icance is determined anddocumented. Archeological sites are protected in an undisturbed condition unless it isdetermined through formal processes that disturbance or natural deterioration is unavoidable.

When disturbance or deterioration is unavoidable, the site is professionally documented andexcavated and the resulting artifacts, materials, and records are curated and conserved inconsultation with the North Carolina and Virginia state historic preservation offices (andAmerican Indian tribes if applicable). Some archeological sites that can be adequatelyprotected may be interpreted to visitors.

Historic Structures Historic structures are inventoried and their signif icance and integrity are evaluated underNational Register of Historic Places (National Register) criteria. The qualities that contribute tothe listing or eligibility for listing of historic structures on the National Register are protected inaccordance with the Secretary of the Interiors Standards and Guidelines for Archeology andHistoric Preservation(unless it is determined through a formal process that disturbance ornatural deterioration is unavoidable).

EthnographicResources

Ethnographic resources are identified, significance is documented, and resources are protectedin consultation with associated and affiliated groups. Appropriate cultural anthropologicalresearch is conducted in cooperation w ith groups associated with the park. The National Park

Service accommodates access to and ceremonial use of Indian sacred sites by Indian religiouspractitioners and avoids adversely affecting the physical integrity of these sacred sites.American Indians and other individuals and groups linked by ties of kinship or culture toethnically identifiable human remains, sacred objects, objects of cultural patrimony, andassociated funerary objects are consulted when such items may be disturbed or areencountered on park lands.

NPS general regulations on access to and use of natural and cultural resources in the park areapplied in an informed and balanced manner that is consistent with park purposes and doesnot unreasonably interfere with American Indian or other affiliated or associated groups useof traditional areas or sacred resources and does not result in the degradation of national parkresources.

Access to sacred sites and park resources by American Indians and other individuals andgroups continues to be provided when the use is consistent with park purposes and theprotection of resources.

All ethnographic resources determined eligible for listing or listed on the National Register areprotected. If disturbance of such resources is unavoidable, formal consultation with the statehistoric preservation off icer, the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation, and AmericanIndian tribes as appropriate, is conducted.

The National Park Service will consult with American Indian tribes or other groups traditionallyassociated with park lands to develop and accomplish the programs of the park in a way thatrespects the beliefs, traditions, and other cultural values of the American Indians, individuals,or groups who have ancestral ties to the park lands. . These consultations are to be open andcandid so that all interested part ies may evaluate for themselves the potential impact ofrelevant proposals.

The identities of community consultants and information about sacred and other culturallysensitive places and practices are kept confidential when research agreements or othercircumstances warrant.

Cultural Landscapes Cultural landscapes inventories are conducted to identif y landscapes potentially eligible for

listing on the National Register, and to assist in future management decisions for landscapesand associated resources, both cultural and natural.

The management of cultural landscapes focuses on preserving the landscapes physicalattributes, biotic systems, and use when that use contributes to its historical significance.

The preservation or rehabilitation of cultural landscapes is undertaken in accordance with theSecretary of the Interior's Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties with Guidelinesfor the Treatment of Cultural Landscapes.

Museum Collections All museum collections (objects, specimens, and manuscript collections) are ident if ied andinventoried, catalogued, documented, preserved, and protected, and provision is made fortheir access to and use for exhibits, research, and interpretation. The qualities that contributeto the significance of collections are protected in accordance with established standards.


35/50


17


Visitor Use and Experience

Visitor Use andExperience

Park resources are conserved unimpaired for the enjoyment of future generations. Visitorshave opportunities for forms of enjoyment that are uniquely suited and appropriate to thesuperlative natural and cultural resources found in the park. No activities occur that would

cause derogation of the values and purposes for which the park has been established.For all zones, districts, or other logical management divisions in a park, the types and levels ofvisitor use are consistent with the desired resource and visitor experience conditions prescribedfor those areas.

Park visitors have opportunit ies to understand and appreciate the signif icance of the park andits resources, and to develop a personal stewardship ethic.

To the extent feasible, programs, services, and facilities in the park are accessible to and usableby all people, including those with disabilities.

Commercial Services Same as Visitor Use and Experience and Park Use Requirements above.

All commercial services are authorized, are necessary and/or appropriate, and are economicallyfeasible. Appropriate planning is done to support commercial services authorization.

Public Health andSafety

While recognizing that there are limitations on its capability and constraints imposed by theOrganic Act to not impair resources, the service and its concessioners, contractors, and

cooperators are required to meet codes and regulations to provide safe and healthyenvironments for visitors and employees.

The park staff strives to identify recognizable threats to safety and health and protect propertyby applying nationally accepted standards. Consistent with mandates and nonimpairment, thepark staff reduces or removes known hazards and/or applies appropriate mitigation, such asclosures, guarding, gating, education, and other actions.

Other Topics

Sustainable Designand Development

National Park Service and concessioner visitor management facilities are harmonious with parkresources, compatible with natural processes, aesthetically pleasing, functional, as accessible aspossible to all segments of the population, energy-efficient, and cost-effective.

All decisions regarding park operations, facilities management, and development in the parkfrom the initial concept through design and constructionreflect principles of resourceconservation. Thus, all park developments and park operations are sustainable to themaximum degree possible and practical. New developments and existing facilities are located,built, and modified according to the Guiding Principles of Sustainable Design (NPS 1993) orother similar guidelines.

Management decision making and activities throughout the national park system use valueanalysis, which is mandatory for all Department of the Interior bureaus, to help achieve thisgoal. Value planning, which may be used interchangeably with value analysis/valueengineering/value management, is most often used when value methods are applied ongeneral management or similar planning activit ies.

Transportation toand in the Park

Visitors have reasonable access to the park, and there are connections from the park toregional transportation systems as appropriate. Transportation facilities in the park provideaccess for the protection, use, and enjoyment of park resources. They preserve the integrity ofthe surroundings, respect ecological processes, protect park resources, and provide the highestvisual quality and a rewarding visitor experience.

The National Park Service participates in all transportation planning forums that may result in

links to parks or impact park resources. Working with federal, tribal, state, and local agencieson transportation issues, the National Park Service seeks reasonable access to parks, andconnections to external transportation systems.

Utilit ies andCommunicationFacilities

Park resources or public enjoyment of the park are not denigrated by nonconforming uses.Telecommunication structures are permitted in the park to the extent that they do not

jeopardize the parks mission and resources. No new nonconforming use or rights-of-way arepermitted through the park without specific statutory authority and approval by the director ofthe National Park Service or his representative, and are permit ted only if there is no practicablealternative to such use of NPS lands.


36/50


18

RELATIONSHIP OF OTHER PLANNINGEFFORTS TO THIS GENERALMANAGEMENT PLAN

The parkway is bordered by 29 counties and

crosses 4 national forestsGeorgeWashington and Jefferson National Forests inVirginia and Pisgah and Nantahala nationalforests in North Carolina. Several NorthCarolina state parks are adjacent to theparkwayMount Mitchell, Stone Mountain,and Grandfather Mountain state parks.Several more are in close proximity, includingLake James, Mount Jefferson, Elk Knob, andNew River state parks. There are also severallong-distance regionally and nationallydesignated trailsthe Appalachian National

Scenic Trail (Appalachian Trail), Mountains-to-Sea Trail, and the Overmountain VictoryTrail all cross the parkway or are on parkwayland for some distance. Each of thesejurisdictions has multiple plans which mayrelate to the parkway. Parkway staff iscurrently working with those neighbors andpartners to better understand theinterrelationship of these planning efforts tothe parkway. In addition, the parkway literallyhas hundreds of implementation level plans inall divisional areas that govern day to day parkmanagement.

Given the volume of parkway implementationplans and planning undertaken byneighboring jurisdictions, this section islimited to parkway and neighboring plans thatare directly adjacent to parkway land, arecurrently underway (or recently completed),and particularly relevant to generalmanagement plan topics.

Trails, Recreation, and RecreationAreas

Roanoke Val ley Trail Plan /

Environmental Assessment (Virginia).The Roanoke Valley Trail Plan /is apartnership effort between Roanoke County,the city of Roanoke, and the Blue RidgeParkway. The plan focuses on the landsadjacent to the parkway in the city of Roanokeand Roanoke County between mileposts 110

and 126. The plan identifies safe andappropriate access for trail connections,closure of unsafe/inappropriate trailconnections, providing parking and stagingfor trail use on the parkway, and examines the

potential for mountain biking on existing ornewly constructed trails on federal land in theRoanoke Valley corridor. The draft plan /environmental assessment should be out tothe public for review in spring/summer 2011.This plan provides site specificrecommendations for the development oftrails along/adjoining the parkway in theRoanoke Valley.

Asheville Corridor Plan (North Carolina).Buncombe County, the U.S. Forest Service,the Blue Ridge Parkway, the city of Ashevilleand others are partnering to complete agreenway master plan for Buncombe County,North Carolina. The plan would informmanagement actions within the Ashevillecorridor of the parkway, from mileposts 375to 395. This plan would look at safe andappropriate trail access to the parkway,identify parking for access to trails on and offthe parkway, identify trails to be closed forsafety and habitat concerns, and looks atrecreational needs within the parkwaycorridor to determine if new uses/trails maybe appropriate. This plan, which is currentlyin the beginning stages, would provide sitespecific recommendations for thedevelopment of trails along/adjoining theparkway in the Asheville corridor. It should beavailable for public review in fall of 2011.

M oses H. Cone Developed Area

M anagement Plan.The National ParkService is currently working to complete adeveloped area management plan for theMoses H. Cone Estate, a 3,500-acre developed

area on the parkway near Blowing Rock,North Carolina. Because this property wasdeeded to the parkway and has a unique set ofcharacteristics, including the historicManor House and 25 miles of constructedcarriage trails, it requires study at the site-specific level and is being consideredseparately from the general management plan.The plan would determine futuremanagement direction for the estate and


37/50


19

should be available for public review in fall of2011.

Blue Ridge Parkw ay Climbing

M anagement Plan.The parkway plans to

undertake a climbing management plan in thewinter of 2011. This plan would lookcomprehensively across the parkway atclimbing use to determine where it is or is notappropriate, how access can be safelyprovided, how to minimize or mitigateresource damage, and what adaptivemanagement strategies would be used toaddress and manage the recreational activityin the future.

High Country Council of Governments

Trail Planning.Along the Highlands andBlack Mountain segments of the parkway, theHigh Country Council of Governments hascompleted a road cycling map for WilkesCounty, and plans to do similar maps for theother six counties within their jurisdiction(Alleghany, Ashe, Avery, Mitchell, Watauga,and Yancey). While the Wilkes County cyclingmap does not include any routes that includeparkway segments, the other county mapsmay. Watauga County also plans to emphasizethe acquisition of land for development ofgreenways, bike trails, and other recreationopportunities, such as stream access.

The High Country Council

Blue Ridge Parkway Draft Mgt. Plan Intro 01 Intro Chap1

Documents

Transcript of Blue Ridge Parkway Draft Mgt. Plan Intro 01 Intro Chap1