The Secretary, Department of the Interior, proposes that Congress legislatively provide for land and water additions to Mount McKinley National Park in central Alaska under provisions of the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act. This proposal will increase the size of Mount McKinley National Park from 1,939,493 acres to 5,150,000 acres. The Park Service also proposes a conceptual master plan to guide the administration of this enlarged park. The Secretary further proposes a cooperative planning and management zone to the south and east of the park. 3. Summary of Environmental Impact: 4. 5. 6. The proposal may affect: (A) Fulfillment of the intent of the original act establishing Mount McKinley National Park. (B) The long-term regional and State economy through increased visitation. (C) Preservation of an entire, unhunted, naturally regulated large mammal subarctic ecosystem, including wolves, Dall sheep, caribou, moose, and grizzly bear. (D) Preservation of the scenic and geologic features of the Mount McKinley portion of the Alaska Range, including the glacial systems and the Cathedral Spires. (E) The nation's culture by setting aside an ecologically manageable valuable and representative portion of the earth's surface. (F) Natural resource extraction, including mining, hunting, trapping, and lumbering. (G) Possible commercial or private developments on lands and waters to be added. (H) Freedom of choice for possible ground transportation or developments. (I) Existing private entry patents, claims, leases or applications. (J) Commitment of parcels of land for visitor use and administrative developments. Alternatives Considered: (A) No action. (B) Additions of some size other than that proposed. (C) Public land, but with a different management philosophy, including the existing park. (D) Private land. (E) A different master plan. |