US 101 Elwha Bridge Replacement Downstream Mitigation EA

The use of ELJs was identified in the 2021 EA as compensatory mitigation per the USACE CWA 404 Permit consultation, as well as per consultation with the LEKT under asserted treaty rights. The lands where the ELJs are proposed for installation under the 2021 EA are "Elwha Project Lands." These lands were legislated to Olympic National Park (ONP) under the Elwha River Ecosystem and Fisheries Restoration Act of 1992 ("the Elwha Act") for purposes related to dam removal and restoration efforts. While these lands are not within the park's established boundary, they are temporarily managed by the NPS and are subject to the Department of the Interior (DOI) and NPS National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) compliance and other legal requirements until subsequent legislation is passed turning these lands over to a permanent management entity. Due to the land designation, WSDOT and FHWA need to acquire a Highway Easement Deed (HED) from the NPS for bridge and ELJ construction. For DOI and NPS NEPA compliance, the impacts of this compensatory mitigation measure must be considered and the analysis provided for public review. While due to the project need, this is considered a connected action, though addressing river channel dynamics could be an action independent of bridge demolition and construction. This EA is therefore tiered to the bridge reconstruction EA (2021 EA) and analyzes only the installation of the proposed ELJs.

The purpose of the project is to: (1) maximize channel length to the greatest extent possible, (2) create and sustain as many pools as possible, and (3) create stable alluvial islands for forests to mature to improve shading of the river and provide a long-term source of large wood, all to improve river channel dynamics and provide salmonid habitat as mitigation for riverine impacts from bridge demolition and construction.

WSDOT and FHWA are the project proponents. ELJ construction would occur on Elwha Project Lands temporarily managed by ONP under the Elwha Act. WSDOT and FHWA are required to obtain a HED from the DOI to construct on these lands. These federal actions must comply with NPS NEPA requirements and necessitate preparation of an EA per Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) and DOI NEPA regulations (46 CFR Part 1500 and 43 CFR Part 46, respectively), and NPS Director's Order-12.

The NPS is the lead federal agency and WSDOT prepared this EA on behalf of the NPS. This EA evaluates impacts of the proposed action on natural and cultural resources, visitor use and experience, and park operations and incorporates by reference the WSDOT US 101 Elwha Bridge Replacement EA, FONSI, and associated references and appendices. The documentation will be used to help the NPS Regional Director, Interior Regions 8, 9, 10, & 12, decide whether to approve ELJ construction on Elwha Project Lands. The decision would be documented in a FONSI for this EA. Should the EA reveal significant impacts on resources that are currently under park management from the proposed action, an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) and Record of Decision (ROD) would be prepared.

Document Content:

PEPC_116039_Elwha_Bridge_NHPA_2024_02_23.doc.pdf   (140.8 KB, PDF file) OLYM_ELJ_EA_FINAL.pdf   (1.1 MB, PDF file) Disclaimer: Links within the above document(s) were valid as of the date published. Note: Some of the files may be in PDF format and can be viewed using the Adobe Acrobat Reader software. You may download a free copy of from Adobe Systems.