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Photograph of existing buildings and National Park Service staff parking at the existing Sugarlands Maintenance Area in Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

Wetlands and Floodplains Statement of Finding for Construction in the Sugarlands Area


Great Smoky Mountains National Park (the Park) is seeking public comments on a Wetlands and Floodplains Statement of Findings for a plan to construct new administrative, operational, and maintenance facilities in the Sugarlands Area. The deadline to submit comments is January 9, 2022.

The Park proposes to construct a new Park Headquarters Annex to address workspace deficiencies in the historic Park Headquarters building and replace the outmoded and inadequate Little River Ranger Station. A new Sugarlands Operations and Maintenance Complex is also proposed to replace outmoded and inadequate facilities within the existing Sugarlands Maintenance Area. All proposed construction would be within the existing Sugarlands Maintenance Area, which consists of about 10 acres of developed and previously disturbed land 0.4 miles northeast of the existing Sugarlands Headquarters building. Existing, outmoded buildings would be removed to accommodate the new construction.

A Wetlands and Floodplains Statement of Findings has been prepared to acknowledge the proposed project would affect a small wetland (0.04 acres) and the West Prong Little Pigeon River floodplain. The Statement of Findings documents compliance with the National Park Service's Director's Order 77-1: Wetland Protection, Procedural Manual 77-1: Wetland Protection, Director's Order 77-2: Floodplain Management, and Procedural Manual 77-2: Floodplain Management. The document identifies mitigation measures for unavoidable adverse effects to the small wetland and mitigation measures to reduce flood risks to human health and safety, property, and floodplain values.

In accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act, the National Park Service has determined that the proposed project qualifies for coverage under a categorical exclusion (CE) and no extraordinary circumstances exist. The proposed project is covered by CE C.19, "Construction or rehabilitation in previously disturbed or developed areas, required to meet health or safety regulations, or to meet requirements for making facilities accessible for the handicapped."
 
Comment Period: Closed        Dec 10, 2021 - Jan 9, 2022
Document Content:
GRSM98104PublicDraftSOF20211210.pdfGRSM98104PublicDraftSOF20211210.pdf   (2.2 MB, PDF file)
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