2006 Avalanche News
Glacier National Park Avalanche Control Program Draft EIS Released
This is the letter from the Park announcing the DEIS with some background information and a bottom line summary. There is a link to the full DEIS in the Current Issues section.
23 October 2006
Dear Friends:
Enclosed is the Avalanche Hazard Reduction by Burlington Northern Santa Fe
Railway in Glacier National Park and Flathead National Forest Draft
Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) for your review and comment. It is
available for public review for 60 days and comments are due by December
22, 2006.
Burlington Northern Santa Fe (BNSF) Railway requested Glacier National Park
to issue a special use permit to conduct on-going avalanche testing and
triggering using explosives in Glacier National Park to protect BNSF
employees, equipment and Amtrak passengers. This request was in response to
an incident on January 28, 2004, when a series of avalanches derailed an
empty 118-car train and nearly missed railroad cleanup crews in John F.
Stevens Canyon. Passenger service on Amtrak was temporarily stopped and 70
miles of freight trains were backed up on both sides of Marias Pass for 29
hours. A three-day emergency special use permit was issued for explosive
avalanche hazard reduction, however; the snowpack stabilized naturally and
explosive use was not necessary.
The railroad lies within a right-of-way on Flathead National Forest lands
and is adjacent to the parkâ~@~Ys southern boundary. US Highway 2 shares the
same traffic corridor adjacent to the railroad on a separate right-of-way
across Flathead National Forest lands.
The Flathead National Forest and Montana Department of Transportation are
cooperating agencies. An interagency team consisting of staff from all
three agencies prepared the DEIS. The DEIS presents four alternatives
addressing a range of explosive and non-explosive avalanche hazard
reduction actions on Glacier National Park lands, Flathead National Forest
lands, and within the adjacent BNSF and US Highway 2 transportation
corridor. Alternative A: No Action is the status quo alternative that
addresses the consequences of continuation of the current conditions.
Alternative B is the Preferred Alternative and recommends that BNSF
construct less than one mile of snowsheds. No explosive use is permitted
under this alternative. Alternative C permits limited explosive use
(excluding military artillery) to reduce avalanche hazard for up to 10
years upon a commitment from BNSF to construct recommended snowsheds.
Alternative D is the BNSF proposal to use explosives (including military
artillery) indefinitely in the park for avalanche hazard reduction and
includes the extension of two snowsheds. This DEIS has been prepared in
accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act and analyzes the
natural, cultural and socioeconomic consequences of each alternative.
Our practice is to make comments, including names, home addresses, home
phone numbers, and email addresses of respondents, available for public
review. Individual respondents may request that we withhold their names
and/or home addresses, etc., but if you wish us to consider withholding
this information, you must state this prominently at the beginning of your
comments. In addition, you must present a rationale for withholding this
information. This rationale must demonstrate that disclosure would
constitute a clearly unwarranted invasion of privacy. Unsupported
assertions will not meet this burden. In the absence of exceptional,
verified circumstances, this information will be released. We will always
make submissions from organizations or businesses, and from individuals
identifying themselves as representatives of or officials of organizations
or businesses, available for public inspection in their entirety.
Public open houses and hearings are scheduled for Tuesday, December 5, 2006
at the Red Lion Inn Kalispell (20 Main Street-Kalispell mall) from 6:00
p.m. â~@~S 8:00 p.m. and on Wednesday, December 6, 2006 in West Glacier at
the
West Glacier Community Building from 4:30 p.m. â~@~S 6:30 p.m. Open houses
will
be held during the first hour and hearings will be held during the second
hour at each session.
If you wish to comment on the draft environmental impact statement, you may
mail comments to the name and address below or post comments online at
http://parkplanning.nps.gov or by mail to Superintendent Glacier National
Park, Attn: Avalanche Hazard DEIS, P.O. Box 128, West Glacier, Montana
59936. Comments are due by December 22, 2006.
Thank you for your continued support of Glacier National Park.
Sincerely,
/s/ Michael O. Holm
Michael O. Holm
Superintendent
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