THOUSAND OAKS, Calif.- The National Park Service (NPS) has released an Environmental Assessment (EA) that analyzes the redevelopment of sites that were burned in the 2018 Woolsey Fire within the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area (SMMNRA).
The proposed recovery work would replace facilities at three sites: Paramount Ranch, Rocky Oaks, and Peter Strauss Ranch. The project seeks to restore visitor services, employee housing, administrative functions, and cultural features. While the park plans to use the same locations for the redevelopment, the goal is to make the new facilities meet modern codes and be more functional and efficient.
The EA was prepared in compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) to provide the decision-making framework that 1) analyzes a reasonable range of alternatives to meet objectives of the proposal, 2) evaluates potential issues and impacts to the SMMNRA’s resources and values, and 3) identifies mitigation measures to lessen the degree or extent of these impacts.
The EA analyzes a “no action" alternative and the “proposed action" alternative. The “proposed action" alternative was identified based on NPS goals and objectives, internal and external scoping, guidance from existing SMMNRA plans, and policy guidance from the NPS.
How to Comment
The EA is available for public review and comment for 30 days, from October 25 to Nov. 24, 2021. The NPS encourages public participation throughout the planning process. During this current phase, the NPS invites the public to submit written suggestions, comments, and concerns regarding the EA. There are two ways to submit comments now:
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Submit comments electronically through the NPS PEPC system (preferred method). The PEPC can be accessed at https://parkplanning.nps.gov/WoolseyFireRecovery. From here, you can access the EA document and select the "Comment Now" button.
* Submit written comments by sending a letter to: Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area, ATTN: Woolsey Fire Disaster Recovery, 401 W. Hillcrest Drive, Thousand Oaks, CA 91360.
Comments will not be accepted verbally or by fax, email, or in any way other than those specified above. Bulk comments in any format (hard copy or electronic) submitted on behalf of others will not be accepted. All comments must be received or postmarked by midnight, Nov. 24, 2021.
Please include your full name and address and/or email address with the comments so we may add you to our mailing list for future notices about this process.
You should be aware that your entire comment-including personal identifying information such as your address, phone number, and e‐mail address-may be made publicly available at any time. While you can ask us in your comment to withhold your personal identifying information from public review, we cannot guarantee that we will be able to do so.
Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area (SMMNRA) is the largest urban national park in the country, encompassing more than 150,000 acres of mountains and coastline in Ventura and Los Angeles counties. A unit of the National Park Service, it comprises a seamless network of local, state, and federal parks interwoven with private lands and communities. As one of only five Mediterranean ecosystems in the world, SMMNRA preserves the rich biological diversity of more than 450 animal species and 26 distinct plant communities. For more information, visit nps.gov/samo.
About the National Park Service. More than 20,000 National Park Service employees care for America's 419 national parks and work with communities across the nation to help preserve local history and create close-to-home recreational opportunities.
Source: U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service
