White Mountain National Forest. Campton Day Use Area Development Project. Scoping Report. Prepared by the Pemigewasset Ranger District May 2013

Transcription

1 White Mountain National Forest Campton Day Use Area Development Project United States Department of Agriculture Forest Service Eastern Region Towns of Thornton and Campton, Grafton County, NH Scoping Report Prepared by the Pemigewasset Ranger District May 2013 For Information Contact: Thomas Giles White Mountain National Forest 71 White Mountain Drive Campton, NH Phone: Fax:

2 This document is available in large print. Contact the Pemigewasset Ranger District White Mountain National Forest TTY The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits discrimination in all its programs and activities on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, religion, age, disability, political beliefs, sexual orientation, and marital or family status. (Not all prohibited bases apply to all programs.) Persons with disabilities who require alternative means for communication of program information (Braille, large print, audiotape, etc.) should contact USDA s TARGET Center at (202) (voice and TDD). To file a complaint of discrimination, write USDA, Director, Office of Civil Rights, Room 326-W, Whitten Building, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, DC or call (202) (voice and TDD). USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer. Printed on Recycled Paper Cover photo: Aerial view of Campton Day Use Area focused on the primary area of development proposed for this project. Courtesy of Google Maps. 2

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4 Introduction The Pemigewasset Ranger District of the White Mountain National Forest (WMNF) is seeking your input on a proposal to develop the Campton Day Use Area. The proposal includes developments in infrastructure and amenities to provide recreation opportunities including picnicking, walking, nature viewing, and open space for other recreation activities. This report includes the purpose and need for the project, a description of the proposed action, the decision to be made, and information on how you can submit comments on this project to the Forest Service. Background The Campton Day Use Area is on the site of the former Campton Group Campground. This area has a history of being used for a variety of public recreational activities dating back to the mid-1930s when the Civilian Conservation Corp originally built the Campton Dam and established the Campton Pond Forest Campground. Due to its location in the flood plain of the Mad River, the campground has repeatedly experienced significant flooding and damage to its infrastructure. In 1959, an October flood washed out the beach and campground and a decision was made to build a new 58 unit campground on the north side of Highway 49. A portion of the old Campton Pond Forest Campground was repaired for temporary use while the new campground was being constructed. The Figure 1. Layout of the Former Cmpton Campton Group Campground temporary campground continued to be used for group camping and overflow from the new campground across the highway and became referred to as Campton Group Campground, not to be confused with the Campton Campground (sometimes referred to as Campton Family Campground) on the north side of the highway. 4

5 Figure 2. Flood debris from Tropical Strom Irene Tropical Storm Irene arrived in New England on August 28, Several inches of rain fell on the WMNF in just a couple of hours. By the time the storm passed the hardest hit areas received more than 10 inches of rain. The Mad River, which runs around the east and southern side of the campground, surged quickly and exceeded the riverbanks capacity. Upstream of the campground an overflow channel clogged with large woody debris diverted the flooding river into the campground. The campground became immersed in flowing water, in places over four feet deep. Infrastructure such as picnic tables and metal fire rings were dislodged and pushed across the campground before eventually becoming hung up in trees. Sections of the campground road system were eroded and large washouts were created making motorized travel impossible. Prior to the storm, the campground was evacuated in order to ensure public safety. After the storm, the WMNF mobilized several assessment teams and specialists to evaluate the damage as well as the risk for future flooding in the area. The reports pointed out the vulnerability of the area to future flooding events due to parts of the area which are located in a floodplain and its proximity to the Mad River, which is prone to rapid changes in flow due to the size and topography of the watershed which it drains. Figure 3. Entrance to Group Area A Site on Based on a comprehensive review of the history and potential for future flooding, public safety, and the area s infrastructure investment, Forest Supervisor Thomas Wagner signed a decision on April 2, 2012 to administratively change the Campton Group Campground to a day use only site. As part of that decision, direction was provided to 5

6 the District Ranger and staff to work with interested parties to redesign the area into a site that will continue to provide value to the local community. Purpose and Need for Action The decision to convert Campton Group Campground to a day use area prompted a review of the area to determine what types of recreational activities would be possible and potentially desirable. Given that overnight camping was not going to be possible in the future, to what degree to restore the area or let it return to a natural state was also considered. Recognizing the potential loss to the surrounding communities in terms of visitors and business generated by campers that used to enjoy this area, part of the decision to close the area to camping included a desire, on the part of the Forest Service, to find uses for the area that would yield multiple public benefits. In order to provide value to communities, consideration was given to what type of recreational opportunities and amenities would have enough appeal to attract both local users as well as visitors. In order to meet this intent, recreation specialists on the Forest met to start developing a proposal that would include a range of day use recreational opportunities and identify what infrastructure and amenities would be necessary to facilitate these activities. These ideas were shared with ProSports, Inc., the concessionaire responsible for managing the WMNF campgrounds, for their input as well. The results of this effort were then shared with an interdisciplinary team of specialists in a collaborative design process. A range of possible options emerged from this process. These options were reviewed with the District Ranger to hone in on a proposal that would best use the existing area to provide for recreational opportunities consistent with the WMNF Forest Plan direction while recognizing the area was prone to future flooding events which could put any infrastructure at risk. The primary recreation goal of the WMNF Forest Plan is to provide for a range of quality recreation activities and opportunities. The proposal for Campton Day Use Area focused on the attractiveness of the area s grassy open space combined with level terrain, which is not commonly found at many of the Forest s day use areas. Typical day use areas on the Forest are scenic overlooks or smaller picnic areas often in a partially wooded setting such as Beaver Brook Wayside. Other typical day use areas are located near rivers or ponds such as Zealand Picnic Area, Glen Ellis Falls, Diana s Bath, Sabbaday Falls, Rocky Gorge Scenic Area, Long Pond and South Pond Picnic Area. It became evident that Campton Day Use Area would lend itself nicely to open field recreation as well as a variety of recreation activities focused on families and children. Due to the natural setting 6

7 of the area, another likely use would be a place for groups to gather and have an outdoor function, such as weddings, family reunions or possibly for organizations to host an outing. The open spaces of the former campground provide areas to locate amenities which would enhance group gatherings. Some areas of the old campground were heavily impacted by the flooding during Tropical Storm Irene. Consideration was given to not rebuild or develop new infrastructure in these areas due to concern for their long term sustainability in the event of future flood events. This helped shape the physical layout of the possible recreational facilities and Figure 4. South End of Entrance Road Looking East focused the proposal on the relatively unique opportunities afforded by the large open area, which previously served as an overflow tenting area for campers. These proposals have evolved to consider the flooding potential of the area as was witnessed most recently during a recent rain event which occurred in March 2013 and the ice jam that had formed in the Mad River upstream of the day use area this past winter. These two events provided the first true test of the area to see Figure Ice Jam Upstream of the Day Use Area what would happen in the event of an ice out or rain or frozen ground event when the Mad River came out of its banks following Tropical Storm Irene. Channels of water and ice formed through the open field and water moved through the area directly through where we had considered installing a pavilion for group events. Due to the potential risk associated with siting a pavilion in the middle of this channel and the lack of a suitable area to relocate it, the pavilion was dropped from further consideration. 7

8 Parts of the former campground continue to be at risk for future flooding and will therefore not be redeveloped. Compacted areas in the floodplain increase the velocity of flood flows and the potential for erosion. Undersized culverts pose a risk to channel function and can be a barrier to fish and other aquatic organisms. There is a need to decommission portions of the campground by de-compacting road surfaces, promoting revegetation and removing undersized culverts. Proposed Action Based on identified needs, input from resource specialists, guidance in the Forest Plan, and estimates of available funding, a proposed action was developed and is itemized below. Please refer to the enclosed conceptual plan; it may be most useful to separate the conceptual plan from this package and have it open to review while reading down this list. Depending on funding availability, all or a portion of these amenities proposed may be implemented. Actions are grouped into two phases which anticipate funding availability and project sequencing. Some federal emergency relief funds were identified to repair the road system in Phase 1. The actual sequencing of all actions is subject to change based on funding and resource availability. Phase 1 (target implementation estimated 2013 and 2014) 1. Reclaim existing road surface from the entrance at Route 49 for approximately 200 feet. Pave this section with asphalt. Construct five pull-in parking spaces on the west and north side of the entrance road as shown on the conceptual plan. To minimize erosion, parking spaces will be either asphalt or an engineered compacted gravel surface. 1. Reclaim the remaining portions of the road network in the area, beyond the initial 200 foot paved section. Block further motorized access to the area with a barricade (i.e. boulders). Install barrier rocks alongside the entrance road near the large grassy areas to prevent motorized vehicles from driving off-road. 2. Remove three undersized road culverts associated with overflow channels: two at the entrance to Group Areas B and C and one leading into Group Area A. 3. Construct three walk-in picnic sites on the north side of the road that formerly provided access to Group Areas A. Each site will have an accessible picnic table and a pedestal fire grill. Plant native shade trees around these sites. 8

9 Phase 2 (target implementation estimated 2014 or beyond) 1. Construct a double vault accessible toilet behind the five new parking spaces added in Phase Re-establish walking paths around the former campground as feasible. 3. Decommission the remaining campground amenities at areas formerly known as Group Areas A, B and C. 4. Decommission the two existing toilet buildings. Toilet vaults will be pumped empty and then filled with gravel, covered and revegetated. Restore the natural drainage function on the trail leading to the toilet building near the Former Group Area B by removing fill used to create a foot bridge along the trail. 5. Establish a pedestrian crossing on Route 49 in the vicinity of the entrance to the day use area which extends across the highway into Campton Campground. One campsite may need to be eliminated or altered to accommodate the access path that will be created into the campground. Decision to be Made This decision is expected to be a routine activity that can be categorically excluded from documentation in an environmental impact statement or environmental assessment pursuant to 36 CFR 220.6(d)(5). I have considered the potential for impacts to resources listed in 36 CFR 220.6(d)(5) and, based on preliminary analysis, do not believe there are any extraordinary circumstances associated with this project. How are you involved in this decision? The purpose of soliciting your comments during this scoping period is to collect additional information and to identify any unresolved issues regarding this proposal. To be sure your comments are responsive they should be specific to the proposed action. Be sure to provide supporting rationale for your comments. Please be aware that your name, address and comments will become part of the public record and may be available for public inspection. If you provide comments during this scoping period, you will be notified when a decision is made on this project. Written comments must be postmarked by the Postal Service, ed, FAXed or otherwise submitted by May 24,

10 Postal or hand delivered comments must be submitted to Jon Morrissey, District Ranger at: 71 White Mountain Drive, Campton, New Hampshire, Oral comments may be provided in person at the above address or by phone to (TTY ). The office hours for submitting comments in person are 8:00 am - 4:30 pm, M-F, excluding holidays. Comments may be FAXed to Electronic comments should include an identifiable name and must be submitted as an message, plain text (.txt), rich text (.rtf), Word (.doc) or portable document format (.pdf) document to comments-eastern-white-mountain-pemigewasset@fs.fed.us. In your comments, please include the following information: Your name, address, and telephone number. The project you are commenting on: Campton Day Use Development Project. Site-specific comments about the project, along with supporting information you believe will help the Forest Service identify issues, develop alternatives, or predict environmental effects of our proposal. This document is available for review at the Pemigewasset Ranger District, 71 White Mountain Drive, Campton, New Hampshire, 03223; or on our website at For further information contact Thomas Giles at (603) (voice), (603) (TTY), or by at tjgiles@fs.fed.us 10

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