Kettle Falls Site Development Environmental Assessment

The National Park Service is seeking public feedback and comments on the environmental assessment for a site development plan for the Kettle Falls Historic District in Voyageurs National Park. The site development plan provides the park with a road map to enhance the visitor and employee experience in the area, while ensuring the protection of natural and cultural resources. The environmental assessment will analyze a range of options that would enhance the visitor experience such as employee housing; overnight opportunities for visitors; improvements to recreational amenities and day-use areas, landscaping, and accessibility; and access for watercraft. Alternatives within the plan and analyzed in the environmental assessment were developed, in part, through a public scoping process held by the park in November 2019.

Both the plan and the environmental assessment are available for review and comment using the links on the left-hand side or below. The plan is presented first, with the environmental assessment following.

This 45-day public review period is intended to cover the requirements of National Environmental Procedure Act (NEPA) and Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA). (Please note that in-person public meetings will not be held for this review period in order to support social distancing during the COVID-19 pandemic.)

Topic Questions Instructions:

As you review the document, please keep the following questions in mind.

Topic Questions:

1. The National Park Service is particularly interested in comments regarding the accuracy and adequacy of the information and analysis contained in the environmental assessment. Do you see any factual errors within the analysis sections in the environmental assessment?

2. The Kettle Falls Historic District, which is on the National Register of Historic Places, is the primary historic feature in the area; other historic properties are also present. Did we adequately describe these historic resources and potential impacts in the environmental assessment?

Document Content:

VOYA_Plan_EA_DRAFT_2020-0520_508.pdf   (19.5 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.