Copeland Prairie Mitigation Plan

A portion of Copeland Prairie in the Preserve has been adversely affected by road/canal construction, water diversion, and agricultural practices in the last century. The National Park Service (NPS) has prepared a plan, accompanied by an Environmental Assessment (EA), to restore the original hydrology and vegetation. This restoration would also serve as required wetland mitigation for impacts from off-road vehicle trail stabilization.

The EA analyzes the impacts of two alternatives- -the no action alternative, i.e., continuing current management and maintenance of existing infrastructure, and an action alternative to restore hydrology and marl prairie habitat through removal of abandoned roads, culvert rehabilitation, and installation of canal plugs, together with exotic vegetation removal and prescribed fire. The EA analyzes the impacts of both alternatives on surface water flow, water quality, wetlands, soils, floodplains, vegetation, special status species, wildlife, visitor use/experience, and NPS management/operations, as well as cumulative impacts of other past, present, and foreseeable future projects. The EA concludes that there are no significant impacts.

Document Content:

draft_EA_3-5-14.pdf   (1.4 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.