Final General Management Plan / Environmental Impact Statement - Rock Creek Park, Volume 1 and Summary

Four alternatives were identified for the management of Rock Creek Park and the Rock Creek and Potomac Parkway.

Alternative A: Improved Management of Established Park Uses, is the NPS' preferred alternative. It would improve visitor safety, better control traffic volumes and speeds through the park, enhance interpretation and education opportunities, and improve the use of park resources, especially cultural resources. It would retain the current scope of visitor uses.

Alternative B: Continue Current Management/No Action, would continue the current management approach into the future.

Alternative C: Nonmotorized Recreation Emphasis, would permanently eliminate automobile traffic along three segments of Beach Drive, and better control traffic volumes and speeds elsewhere. Management of resources other than traffic would be the same as in Alternative A.

Alternative D: Mid-Weekday Recreation Enhancement, would eliminate automobile traffic along three segments of Beach Drive from 9:30 A.M. to 3:30 P.M. each weekday. Management of resources other than traffic would be the same as in Alternative A. This would be the environmentally preferred alternative.

Alternatives A, C, and D would improve management of the resources of the park and parkway relative to Alternative B. Impact topics that would experience major improvements would include native wildlife, historic structures and cultural landscapes, and visitor safety. Major adverse effects on the existing pattern of park use of automobile travel along the length of Beach Drive would occur with Alternative C.

Alternative A, the NPS' preferred alternative, would not impair park resources or values. As a result, it would not result in a violation of the Organic Act.

Document Content:

Final GMP/EIS, Summary - Part 1, Table of Contents, Purpose and Need   (1.5 MB, PDF file) Final GMP/EIS, Summary - Part 2, Alternatives   (4.2 MB, PDF file) Final GMP/EIS, Summary - Part 3, Affected Environment, Env. Consequences, and Summary of Impacts   (2.5 MB, PDF file) Final GMP/EIS Cover thru Executive Summary   (964.2 KB, PDF file) Final EIS Table of Contents   (318.5 KB, PDF file) Final EIS Purpose and Need for Action   (1.3 MB, PDF file) Final EIS Alternatives   (2.8 MB, PDF file) Final EIS Affected Environment   (1.2 MB, PDF file) Final EIS Environmental Consequences   (1.2 MB, PDF file) Final EIS Consultation and Coordination   (215.1 KB, PDF file) Final EIS Bibliography   (220.2 KB, PDF file) Final EIS Index   (213.7 KB, PDF file) Final EIS Appendices   (941.5 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.