McCarthy Communications Sites Public Review EA

The National Park Service (NPS) has released an Environmental Assessment (EA)analyzing a proposal by Copper Valley Wireless (CVW) to construct two new communications facilities and improve one existing communications facility on public lands within Wrangell-St. Elias National Preserve (WRST). This project would connect the McCarthy, Alaska, area to an existing fiber optic cable in Chitina, Alaska, providing local residents, businesses and visitors access to state-of-the-art broadband and telecommunications services. The NPS is considering issuing two new rights-of-way and amending one existing right-of-way for the purpose of permitting this action.

CVW proposes to build one of its two new communications facilities on land identified as eligible wilderness in WRST's 1986 General Management Plan, Land Protection Plan, Wilderness Suitability Review (GMP). The NPS has determined the proposed project would be consistent with the 1986 GMP, following approval of the wilderness eligibility boundary revision described in Appendix C of the EA.

The EA provides an overview of the proposed project and analyzes two alternatives and their impacts on the environment: Alternative 1, the No Action Alternative, and Alternative 2, the Proposed Action Alternative to construct, modify, operate, and maintain the three McCarthy Communications Sites. It has been prepared in accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 and regulations of the Council on Environmental Quality (40 Code of Federal Regulations 1500 et seq.)

Document Content:

McCarthy Communications Sites EA Notice of Availability   (10.9 KB, PDF file) McCarthy Communications Sites EA (Text)   (1.7 MB, PDF file) McCarthy Communications Sites EA (Appendices)   (1.5 MB, PDF file) McCarthy Communications Sites FONSI   (975.5 KB, 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.