Olga Lake Right-of-Way Certificate of Access

Katmai National Park & Preserve has prepared an Environmental Assessment (EA) to analyze the environmental impacts associated with the issuance of a Right-of-Way Certificate of Access for a private inholding in the Olga Lake and Headwaters Creek area of the park, southwest of Brooks Lake. The park released the Olga Lake Right-of-Way Certificate of Access EA for public input and comment from March 22, 2019 to April 16, 2019. Based on the review of comments that have been received thus far, the park is extending the public comment period on this project. This will ensure that our local community, many members of which are out of town or out of state during the off-season, will have an additional opportunity to review and comment on this project prior to the NPS making a decision on the right-of-way.

The main aspects of this project have not changed since the initial notification of the EA. The area where this right-of-way would be issued is located within designated wilderness. The issuance of a right-of-way to access inholdings is required by the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act (ANILCA) and NPS regulation and policy. The right-of-way includes the following components:

• Construction of a 3.5 mile long off-road vehicle (ORV) trail connecting two privately owned inholdings within the park;

• The total right-of-way would be 7 feet wide and would result in impacts to approximately 3 acres of park lands; and,

• Six (6) pullouts would be required at roughly ½ mile intervals along the length of the trail to preserve the trail corridor and allow for passing vehicles.

Katmai welcomes feedback on this EA from our friends, neighbors, stakeholders, and other interested parties. The extension of the public comment period for this EA will begin on April 22, 2019 and extend through May 27, 2019.

-NPS-

Contact Information

Brian Smith
Environmental Protection Specialist
Katmai National Park and Preserve
907-644-3533