SEQUOIA AND KINGS CANYON NATIONAL PARKS
DRAFT GENERAL MANAGEMENT PLAN WITH PREFERRED ALTERNATIVES
APRIL 2004
The “Preferred Alternative” draft of
the Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks GMP was released on May
6, 2004. It comes in two volumes. The first volume outlines 5 possible
management alternatives with one being the park preferred plan. Each
alternative addresses Mineral King as well as other management concerns.
The Environmental Impact Assessment, contained in the second volume,
considers the environmental and cultural impacts of each alternative.
Its conclusions have important bearing on the management of the Mineral
King Valley, the historic district, the power company dams, and proposed
wilderness designation. Both volumes deserve careful study.
The plan can be viewed at http://www.nps.gov/seki.
Local libraries have hard copies to view and the information officer
at Sequoia’s Ash Mountain headquarters also has hard copies
that can be requested.
Public comments are invited and will be accepted
if postmarked before August 5, 2004.
Update: Comment period has been extended
to October 6th.
"The period for submitting written public
comments has been extended 60 days from August 5. Comments must be
postmarked no later than October 6, 2004. The most efficient way to
comment is by email from the website http://www.nps.gov/seki/pphtml/documents.html,
click on “Management Docs” then choose Draft General Management
Plan." (from the July 12, 2004 NPS news release)
Comments should be written in your own words and
should offer better alternatives rather than criticism. You can e-mail
or write your comments to:
Park GMP Coordinator
David Graber, Senior Scientist
Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks
47050 Generals Highway
Three Rivers, CA 93271-9651
Phone (559) 565-3173 e-mail:
david_graber@nps.gov
NPS GMP Team Leader
Susan Spain, Landscape Architect
National Park Service – DSC
12795 W. Alameda Parkway
Denver, CO 80225-0287
Phone (303) 969-2280 e-mail:
susan_spain@nps.gov
Because of the length and intricacy of the
draft GMP, an analysis of changes needed to support preservation requirements
in the current preferred alternatives follows. It is specific to Mineral
King. A background discussion and review of pertinent
documents can be found in our Opinion and Commentary
section.
ANALYSIS OF CHANGES NEEDED IN THE CURRENT GMP DRAFT
TO SUPPORT PRESERVATION REQUIREMENTS
1) All historic structures listed on,
determined eligible for inclusion on, or potentially qualifying for
listing on the National Register of Historic Places must be physically
protected and preserved for future generations.
a) No current or potentially contributing site or structure can be
allowed to degenerate, or be altered in any manner that will decrease
or negate its historic significance or integrity. (National Historic
Preservation Act, June 27, 1960 as amended through 1992).
(The current draft GMP and its preferred alternative
suggest renovation of the historic cabins to bring them up to code
and make them handicapped accessible. This, according to the plan,
may impact the historic integrity of the structures.)
b) Features of the Mineral King Historic District that have been
determined non-
contributing should be re-assessed as part of the GMP and given the
opportunity to be made contributing if possible. The Atwell Mill Historic
District, determined eligible for listing in the National Register
of Historic Places, should be included in the Mineral King District
and the Alles Cabin included in the nomination.
(The GMP suggests listing
of Atwell’s Mill and the Atwell Mill Ranger Station but omits
inclusion of the Alles cabin.)
c) The protection and preservation of all park
historic and prehistoric resources must be monitored by the park,
all involved public and private agencies and partnerships, and reported
to the State Historic Preservation Officer and the National Preservation
Officer as determined by law.
(The current draft GMP and
its preferred alternative have no definitive provisions for accountability.
The preferred alternative on Vol. I, p. 303 states “A cultural
resource management plan for the Mineral King Road Cultural Landscape
District would be developed in consultation with the California
historic preservation officer to make decisions related to contributing
and non-contributing cabins, appropriate public uses and adaptive
uses and the management of acquired cabins.” This essentially
puts decisions regarding the historic cabins outside the responsibility
of the General Management Plan.)
2) The Mineral King
Community should be preserved as a nationally significant example
of “a living part of our community life and development in order
to give a sense of orientation to the American people! (National
Historic Preservation Act).
a) No historic cabin should be left unoccupied,
unattended or without adequate maintenance in any year.
(The current draft GMP provides
no guarantee that all historic structures will be maintained to
assure continuing contributing status to the Mineral King Historic
District as required by law. Lack of park funding and personnel
have created neglect and deterioration in the past and there is
no guarantee that maintenance will be adequate under the new plan.
Adequate sustained stewardship of all historic structures must be
guaranteed.)
b) All historic properties should be managed by the park and non-profit
organizations. No historic property should be commercialized with
profits going to a private company.
(The intent of our preservation
laws is preservation of historic sites and structures , not commercial
profiteering.)
3) Superceding laws that circumvent original preservation
laws to facilitate National Park Service management policies must be
stricken and new legislation passed to restore the integrity of the
original laws.
a) Public Law 95-625 of Nov. 10, 1978 requiring the Mineral King
historic cabins be removed on death of the lessee of record .
(The preferred alternative of the current draft
GMP suggests the Mineral King cabins be preserved for public usage
as stipulated in the National Historic Preservation Act, but it does
not suggest Public Law 95-625 be stricken or amended to preserve the
cabins.)
b) Public Law 99-338 with resulting Special Permit (PWF A-SEKI-6000-095)
which stipulates the dams above the Mineral King valley must be removed
in the year 2006.
(The Mineral King dams have been determined
eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places by
the California State Historic Preservation Office and thus must be
protected by law. However, the preferred alternative calls for their
destruction and removal. The historic dams must be protected and preserved
“to provide for the enjoyment of the same in such manner and
by such means as will leave them unimpaired for the enjoyment of future
generations.” (Organic Act of 1916.)
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