Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI)

The National Park Service (NPS) prepared an environmental assessment (EA) to issue a special use permit authorizing the applicant to harvest 120 subsistence house logs in the upper McCarthy Creek valley area of Wrangell-St. Elias National Preserve. The applicant would be allowed to harvest dead standing timber only during the winter, subject to the Wrangell-St. Elias subsistence house log policy, permitting procedures, and specific permit conditions. The NPS, accompanied by the applicant, would mark 240 dead trees in the upper valley. The applicant's allowable harvest would consist of the first 120 harvested trees that are suitable for construction of a private residence. The applicant would use a tracked vehicle and sled to transport house logs to their private property. Snowmachines would be used to bring harvested logs to the tracked vehicle and sled. The NPS would designate a route that corresponds to a segment of an historic mining access alignment along McCarthy Creek. The applicant's harvest area would be limited to within 0.5 mile of the designated route, and not closer than 300 feet from McCarthy Creek or any other water body.

The NPS has selected Alternative B—Subsistence Use of Beetle-Kill House Logs (applicant proposal and NPS preferred alternative) with permit conditions.

Four parties provided comments during the EA public review period. One commenter provided substantive comments, and the NPS response to these comments is provided in the attachment to this Finding of No Significant Impact. No changes were made to the EA.

Document Content:

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