Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park is one of a number of parks in the Southeast Region participating in the development of a Forest Pest Management Plan. The National Park Service is accepting public comments pertaining to development of the Cumberland Parks Forest Pest Management Plan Environmental Assessment (EA).  The scoping period will begin July 1, 2012, and extend through Aug. 1.  Comments will be used to assist the parks in developing and evaluating feasible alternatives and analyzing the environmental consequences of each alternative.

The National Park Service is planning to prepare an Environmental Assessment (EA) for a Forest Pest Management Plan for the following parks located in the Southeast Region: Abraham Lincoln Birthplace National Historic Park (KY), Andrew Johnson National Historic Site (TN), Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area (TN/KY), Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park (GA), Cumberland Gap National Historical Park (KY/TN/VA), Mammoth Cave National Park (KY), and Obed Wild and Scenic River (TN). 

The Cumberland Parks Forest Pest Management Plan EA will be based on sound integrated pest management. Integrated pest management is defined as a decision-making process that coordinates knowledge of pest biology, the environment, and available technology to prevent unacceptable levels of pest damage, by cost-effective means, while posing the least possible risk to people and park resources. The purpose of the plan is to identify long-term management tools to reduce the impacts of (or threats from) invasive pests to natural and cultural resources and provide opportunities for restoring native plant communities and cultural landscapes.

The EA is intended to provide strategies for park staff to manage present and emergent forest pests within the designated boundaries of the parks.  An EA will be prepared in compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act to provide the decision-making framework that analyzes a reasonable range of alternatives to meet project objectives, evaluates issues and impacts to park resources and values, and identifies mitigation measures to lessen the degree or extent of these impacts.

The public scoping period for this EA will open on July 1, 2012, and will extend through Aug. . Written comments should be postmarked no later than Aug. 1. Comments may be submitted by mail, fax, email, or through the Planning, Environment, and Public Comment (PEPC) commenting system.  Comments are typically treated as public record and made available for public review.  Individuals may request that the NPS withhold their name and address from disclosure.  Such requests will be honored to the extent allowable by law.  Comments may be submitted to the project lead by the following means:

Mail:

Superintendent

Attn: Forest Pest Management Plan Environmental Assessment

Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area

4564 Leatherwood Road

Oneida, Tennessee  37841

Phone: 423 569.9778; Fax: 423 569.5505

eMail:  biso_superintendent@nps.gov

Online:  http://parkplanning.nps.gov/Scoping_FPMEA