B08_Att_19_Environmental_Assessment.pdf

Gettysburg National Military Park Little Round Top Rehabilitation

Environmental Assessment/Assessment of Effect April 2017

National Park Service US Department of the Interior

Pennsylvania

Cover Photo by: VHB i

United States Department of the Interior

National Park Service

Pennsylvania

Little Round Top Rehabilitation

Environmental Assessment/Assessment of Effect

April 2017

Gettysburg National Military Park (the park) is located on 6034 acres of land in Adams County, Pennsylvania. The park was established in 1895 with the purpose of preserving the lines of battle, for marking the positions occupied by both armies on the field and for opening and improving avenues along the positions occupied by troops upon those lines. These positions were to be marked with suitable tablets, compiled “without praise, or censure.” In addition, important topographical features of the battlefield are to be preserved.

The National Park Service (NPS) proposes to improve vehicle circulation patterns, parking areas, pedestrian circulation, and gathering areas within the Little Round Top area. The purpose of the proposed action is to provide solutions for overuse, overcrowding, and landscape degradation, as well as identify appropriate locations for visitor accommodations within the project area.

This document was prepared to satisfy the requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act

(NEPA) and Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA). This environmental assessment/assessment of effect (EA/AoE) examines two alternatives: the no-action alternative and the proposed action. The proposed action would result in both adverse and beneficial impacts on visitor use and experience, soils, vegetation, cultural landscapes, historic structures, and archeological resources. These impacts would be associated with construction activities, vehicle circulation patterns, parking capacity, pedestrian circulation patterns, and visitor gathering capacity.

Note to Reviewers and Respondents:

If you wish to comment on this environmental assessment/assessment of effect, you may you may post your comments on this document electronically at http://parkplanning.nps.gov/GETT within 30 days of release of this document. Before including your address, phone number, email address, or other personal identifying information in your comment, you should be aware that your entire comment, including your personal identifying information, 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.

GETTYSBURG NATIONAL MILITARY PARK

LITTLE ROUND TOP REHABILITATION

ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT/ASSESSMENT OF EFFECT

APRIL 2017

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CONTENTS

Purpose and Need 1

Purpose of and Need for Action 1

Project Area and Area of Potential Effect 2

History and Significance of Gettysburg National Military Park 5

Project Background 7

Impact Topics 9

Alternatives 13

Development of Alternatives 13

No-Action Alternative 13

Proposed Action/NPS Preferred Alternative 17

Mitigation Measures 32

Summary of the Alternatives 35

Alternative Elements Considered but Dismissed 37

Affected Environment 39

Visitor Use and Experience 39

Soils 40

Vegetation 41

Cultural Landscapes 42

Historic Structures 46

Archeological Resources 49

Environmental Consequences 51

General Methodology for Analyzing Impacts 51

Visitor Use and Experience 53

Soils 58

Vegetation 61

Cultural Landscapes 65

Historic Structures 70

Archeological Resources 73

Summary of Environmental Consequences 77

Assessment of Effect 79

Consultation and Coordination 81

References 83 iv

LIST OF FIGURES

Figure 1. Project Vicinity Map 3

Figure 2. Project Area and Area of Potential Effect 4

Figure 3. Existing Conditions 15

Figure 4. Existing Conditions: Summit Enlargement 16

Figure 5. Proposed Action 19

Figure 6. Proposed Action: Summit Enlargement 20

Figure 7. Proposed Action: Schoolhouse Enlargement 21

Figure 8. Areas of Potential Pavement Demolition and Land Clearing 25

Figure 9. Areas of Potential Revegetation 29

LIST OF TABLES

Table 1. Proposed Trail Types 27

Table 2. Proposed Gathering Areas 32

Table 3. Summary of the Alternatives 35

Table 4. Alternative Elements Considered but Dismissed 37

Table 5. Summary of Environmental Consequences 77 v

ACRONYMS

ACHP Advisory Council on Historic Preservation

ADA Americans with Disabilities Act

AoE Assessment of Effect

CEQ Council on Environmental Quality

CFR Code of Federal Regulations

DO Director’s Order

EA Environmental Assessment

ITS intelligent transportation system

National Register National Register of Historic Places

NEPA National Environmental Policy Act

NHPA National Historic Preservation Act

NPS National Park Service the park Gettysburg National Military Park

PNDI Pennsylvania Natural Diversity Inventory

USFWS US Fish and Wildlife Service vi

Purpose and Need 1

PURPOSE AND NEED

The events that occurred during the Battle of Gettysburg and the iconic views that directly contribute to its strategic, cultural, and historic significance make Little Round Top one of the most heavily visited sites within the Gettysburg National Military Park (the park). Current visitation levels at Little Round Top far exceed the present capacity of the site’s trails, which is defined by the cultural landscape report as 283 people, causing considerable and recurring damage to both natural and cultural resources (NPS 2012).

Individuals and groups often stray from the authorized trail system onto a web of unauthorized trails and gathering spaces; these have been worn into the landscape by visitors wishing to make their own connections between monuments and key views throughout the site. Little Round Top has degraded over time, and this environmental assessment/assessment of effect was developed to establish a plan for rehabilitating Little Round Top while maintaining an appropriate visitor experience.

This environmental assessment/assessment of effect was prepared in accordance with the National

Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA); the regulations of the Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ)

(40 CFR 1500- 1508); and the NPS Director’s Order (DO) 12: Conservation Planning, Environmental

Impact Analysis, and Decision Making (NPS 2011) and accompanying NPS NEPA Handbook (NPS 2015).

In addition, the National Park Service is integrating the NEPA compliance process with that for Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966 and using the NEPA documentation and coordination processes for Section 106 compliance pursuant to 36 CFR 800.8(c); therefore, this environmental assessment also serves as an assessment of effect to historic properties under Section 106.

PURPOSE OF AND NEED FOR ACTION

The purpose of this project is to preserve the site by providing solutions for overuse, overcrowding, and landscape degradation, as well as to identify appropriate locations for visitor accommodations at Little

Round Top, one of Gettysburg National Military Park’s most heavily visited sites. This project is needed because current levels of visitor use at Little Round Top exceed infrastructure designs. During peak season, there are more visitors than current parking areas and authorized trails are designed to handle.

High numbers of visitors result in overcrowding, which compromises the visitor experience and resource protection. Overcrowding and overuse lead visitors to step off authorized trails (defined as all NPS sanctioned pedestrian routes, including everything from paved walkways to single track dirt paths) and create their own routes to certain monuments and markers, which in turn leads to soil compaction, erosion, and vegetation loss and damage. The off-season, when visitation is lower, does not provide the

Purpose and Need 2 landscape enough time to heal. The park seeks to accommodate peak season visitor numbers and needs and to provide an appropriate level of access while ensuring the protection and stewardship of this culturally and historically significant site.

Visitors use roadways to access the project area by foot, bicycle, Segway, tour bus, and passenger vehicle.

Currently, passenger vehicles and buses are parked along the roadsides leading to the summit during the peak season when parking spaces are not available. Because the summit parking area is not visible over the crest of the hill, visitors familiar with the limited parking may choose to park along the sides of the road before reaching the summit because they know that if no spaces are available they are required to drive the entire vehicle circulation route again. Visitors unfamiliar with the parking spaces at the summit may choose to park along the side of the road before reaching the summit because they see other cars parked along the side of the road and follow the traffic pattern. Buses drop off their passengers on the opposite side of the road from the summit of Little Round Top, requiring passengers to cross the road. In some instances, buses drop off their passengers on the summit side of the parking area, requiring riders to step into the flow of traffic before heading east to the summit. Parked buses and cars restrict sight lines as pedestrians and visitors on bicycle and Segway navigate between vehicles. Guided and unguided tour groups often impede visitor flow, as they spend prolonged amounts of time near monuments, artillery pieces, and vistas, contributing to congestion on already crowded trails and gathering areas. In addition, there is no formal on-site guidance or orientation outside of guided tours to direct visitor flow, and the current authorized trails pose accessibility issues. As a result, many unauthorized trails exist, which visitors use to access monuments and markers in a manner they find more convenient than by the authorized trails.

PROJECT AREA AND

AREA OF POTENTIAL EFFECT

The park is located in south-central Pennsylvania, just 75 miles from Washington, DC; 55 miles from

Baltimore, Maryland; and 37 miles from Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. Little Round Top, which played a central role in the Battle of Gettysburg, is located in the southeastern corner of the park. Little Round Top is a site featured on the park’s self-guided auto tour which takes visitors to 16 locations tracing the three-day

Battle of Gettysburg in chronological order. Figure 1 shows the project area vicinity and auto tour route. The project area includes the area bound by Wheatfield Road to the north, Taneytown Road to the east, Wright

Avenue and Warren Avenue to the south, and Crawford Avenue to the west, as well as the area around the

Round Top Schoolhouse. This approximately 171-acre area encompasses the Little Round Top summit, including Sykes Avenue, and contains numerous monuments and markers, defensive works, and fencing.

Terrain leading up to the summit is steep and rocky, densely forested in some areas, and covered with grasses and shrubs in others. See figure 2 for a map of the project area.

In compliance with NHPA Section 106 regulations (36 CFR 800), an area of potential effect was also defined for this project, as shown on figure 2. The area of potential effect is defined as the geographic area in which an undertaking may directly or indirectly cause alterations in the character or use of historic properties if such properties exist.

BR

BR

Square

Gettysburg Hospital

Gettysburg College

G E T T Y S B U R G

(reservation only)

(summer only)

Seminary Ridge Museum

Observation Tower

Observation Tower

Meade’s Head-quarters

Soldiers’ National Monument

Copse of Trees

Brian Farm

Codori Farm

Rose Farm

The Peach

Orchard

The Angle

Amphitheater

Devils Den

South Cavalry Field

Observation Tower

McPherson Barn

The Railroad

Cut

Youth Group Campground

McMillan Woods

Information

Guides

Culps Hill

S E

M I N

A R

Y

I D

G E

C

M E

T E

R Y

R I D

W A

R F

I E L

D R

I D

BIG ROUND

TOP

Benner Hill

Cemetery Hill

Hagerstown (Fairfield) Road

Chambersburg Pike

C a rlisle R o a d

York

Pike

Chambersburg Road

Biglerville Road

M um m asburg Road

O ld

H ar ris bu rg

Ro ad

York oad Cavalry Field Road

Unite d S tates Cava lry A ve

Lo w

D ut ch

R oa d

Gregg Avenue

Fairfield R oad

Hanover Road

Baltimore Pike

Pumping S tation Road ed o ck ad

Waterworks Rd H orse Tavern Road

Black

Tan eyto w n

R o ad

Warren Avenue

Ro ad

Em m its bu rg

W est C o n fed erate A ve

Bu fo rd ve nu e ey n o ld s n u e

W es t C o n fe d er at e

Howard

Avenue

MeredithAvenue

W as h in g to n

S tr ee t

Knoxlyn Road

Lincoln Ave

D o u b le d ay A ve

C o lle g e ve H ar ris bu rg S tr ee t

Jones Battalion Avenue

St ra tt

St re et

B al ti m

S tr ee t

York Street

East Middle StreetWest Middle Street

St ei nw eh r nu e

Hunt

Pleasonton Ave

H an co ck A ven u e

Si ck le s

A ve

United States Ave

A ve

Granite School House Lane

Wheatfield

Sed g w ick

A ven ue

C ra w fo rd A ve

Road

Ayr es

Ave

Wright Avenue

Millerstown Rd

Coster Avenue

C ar lis le et

Buford Avenue Sy ke s

A ve nu e

B la ck sm it h

Sh p oa d

Confederat e C av al ry A ve nu e

East Confederate Avenue

Sem in a ry R id g e A ve

South C on fe de ra te venue

To Pennsylvania Turnpike and Harrisburg

To and Chambersburg

To York, , and Lancaster

To Baltimore

M arsh

C reek

Pl um u

Pl m

W hite un ev en s

Ru

W ill ou gh by R un

Littles Run

W ill o u gh by un ck Creek

GETTYSBURG NATIONAL

MILITARY PARK

E I S E N H O W E R

N AT I O N A L

H I S T O R I C S I T E

EAST CAVALRY

BATTLEFIELD SITE

Visitor Center

Begin Auto Tour

10 11

McPherson Ridge

Eternal Light Peace

Memorial

Oak Ridge

North Carolina Memorial

Virginia Memorial

Pitzer Woods

Warfield Ridge

Little Round

Top

The Wheatfield

The Peach Orchard

Plum Run

Pennsylvania Memorial

High Water Mark

Soldiers’ National Cemetery

East Cemetery Hill

Spanglers Spring

Barlow Knoll

B

A David Wills House

Gettysburg Train Station

Racehorse Alley Parking Deck

Entrance to East Cavalry Battlefield Site is approximately 4 miles/6 kilometers from Visitor Center.

To visit Eisenhower National Historic Site, obtain tickets and board shuttle bus at Gettysburg National Military Park Visitor Center.

Picnic area

Parking

Restrooms

Restrooms (open seasonally)

Tour stops

Historic road name

A complete tour of the park consists of the Self-guiding Auto Tour —16 numbered tour stops, the Barlow Knoll Loop, and the Historic Downtown Gettysburg stops—and East Cavalry Battlefield Site.

A

York Pike

1 Self-guiding Auto Tour

One-way traffic

Historic Downtown Gettysburg

Trail

0 0.5

0 0.5 1 Mile

1 Kilometer

North

Project Location

Park Boundary

Little Round Top Rehabilitation Environmental Assessment/Assessment of Effect

FIGURE 1

Project Vicinity Map

Source: NPS GIS Data

National Park Service US Department of the Interior

Gettysburg National Military Park

National Park Service US Department of the Interior

Source: NPS GIS Data; USGS 7.5 minute Fairfield and Gettysburg, PA Quadrangles

Trostle Farm

Houck’s Ridge

TA

N

EY

TO

W N

R D

Little Round Top Rehabilitation Environmental Assessment/Assessment of Effect

FIGURE 2

Project Area and Area of Potential Effect

0 2,000

NORTH

SCALE IN FEET

Munshower Field

Project Area

Area of Potential Effect

National Park Service US Department of the Interior

Purpose and Need 5

The area of potential effect for this project includes the project area as described above plus the surrounding historic roads, farms, sites, and other historic properties from which the project area is visible. These properties include United States Avenue, Trostle Farm, Munshower Field, Houck’s Ridge, Emmitsburg

Road, South Confederate Road, Crawford Avenue, and Devil’s Den.

HISTORY AND SIGNIFICANCE OF

GETTYSBURG NATIONAL MILITARY PARK

Gettysburg National Military Park is the site of the American Civil War Battle of Gettysburg, the

Gettysburg National Cemetery, and the commemoration of the great battle by Civil War veterans. The

Battle of Gettysburg was the one of the largest and bloodiest to occur on the North American continent and contributed to the ultimate preservation of the United States. Ever since the immediate post-Civil War years, private and government organizations have struggled to simultaneously preserve and provide access to the important battlefield and commemorative landscape at Gettysburg. Important sites on the battlefield were preserved immediately after the 1863 battle, and the Gettysburg Battlefield Memorial

Association, a state-chartered corporation, presided over the preservation of Gettysburg battlefield from

1863 to 1895. Congress established the park in 1895, at which point the War Department took over management responsibilities. Management of the park, including the preserved sections of the battlefield and Gettysburg National Cemetery where President Abraham Lincoln gave the Gettysburg Address, was transferred from the War Department to the National Park Service in 1933.

The park’s mission is “to preserve and protect the resources associated with the Battle of Gettysburg and the

Gettysburg National Cemetery, and to provide understanding of the events that occurred here, within the context of American history” (NPS 1999). Administered by the National Park Service since 1933, the park now comprises 6,034 acres of land, across which the battle, its aftermath, and commemoration occurred.

More than 1,700 monuments and cannons were placed in the park by battle survivors to commemorate their comrades who served or fell in battle. The park also owns collections of more than one million artifacts, printed texts, historic photographs, and other archival documents. These collections are notable because the great majority of them are directly related to the Battle of Gettysburg and the creation of the park.

As a result of the various initiatives to identify and understand historic properties, the National Park

Service identified three landscapes and their associated resources in the park’s 1999 General Management

Plan as nationally significant (NPS 1999). These landscapes were recognized in the 2004 National

Register of Historic Places (National Register) documentation (NPS 2004). The landscapes of significance are the historic field of the Battle of Gettysburg, the Gettysburg National Cemetery, and the commemoration of the battle by its veterans. The period of significance for the park is 1863–1938, which includes the battle and its commemoration. The care taken by veterans during the development of the narrow commemorative corridors helped to ensure that the important topographical features were preserved and the battlefield retained most of its defining natural and cultural features.

Purpose and Need 6

HISTORY AND SIGNIFICANCE OF LITTLE ROUND TOP

One of the most significant actions of the Battle of Gettysburg was the battle for Little Round Top, which began in the late afternoon of July 2, 1863, and ended in the evening of the same day. Realizing the strategic importance of Little Round Top, Union General Gouverneur K. Warren called for troops to defend the top of the hill. Regiments from Maine, Michigan, New York, Pennsylvania, and Massachusetts arrived at the summit to defend against Confederate regiments from Alabama and Texas. After a fierce battle, the Union successfully held their line, and Little Round Top was secure.

As defined by its National Register nomination form, the period of significance for the park and Little

Round Top is 1863 to 1938. The period of significance is divided into two eras, the Battle Era (1863) and the Commemorative Era (1864-1938). 1938 represents the 75th anniversary of the Battle of Gettysburg and the last Blue and Gray Reunion, a reunion of surviving Civil War veterans from the both the north and the south, which was held at the park.

Character Defining Features

Little Round Top. Rising 160 feet above the surrounding terrain, the western slope of Little Round Top had been cleared of most timber a year or more before the battle; this afforded excellent observation and fields of fire from its summit to the west, northwest, and southwest. On July 2, the Union army anchored its left flank upon it and repulsed several attempts by Confederate infantry to capture it. The hill's boulder-strewn slopes provided Union infantry ample materials to build stone breastworks during the night of July 2 and morning of July 3. The rough and steep sides of Little Round Top proved to be a substantial obstacle during the Confederate advance on July 2. Union wounded used the reverse, or eastern, slope of the hill for cover from Confederate artillery. The general appearance of Little Round Top is little changed since the battle. It still is mostly cleared of vegetation, still is boulder and rock strewn, still is precipitous, and still provides excellent and wide ranging observation from its summit.

Park Avenues. Character defining features of the avenues include their linearity, alignment, and construction methods. Sykes Avenue has been the most altered of avenues within the area of potential effect. In locations where the avenue was realigned (direct line over Little Round Top) the base is macadam, not its historic Telford. In its altered state, Sykes Avenue retains little to no integrity. Even though it has recently been repaved, Chamberlain Avenue still retains its Telford road base, its linearity, and its alignment, all of which are character defining features of the avenues.

Monuments. Although attrition and alteration of some of the park-related commemorative design features have decreased the integrity of small-scale elements (shell stones, avenue drainage, avenue section identification markers), almost every one of the 1,830 monuments, markers, tablets, and statuary within the park remain from the historic period and they retain integrity.

Purpose and Need 7

PROJECT BACKGROUND

PREVIOUS PLANNING EFFORTS

Little Round Top/Devil’s Den Development Concept Plan

In 1986, the National Park Service created the Development Concept Plan for Little Round Top and

Devil’s Den to provide solutions to the environmental and cultural degradation due to heavy pedestrian use. Proposed development actions included adding additional bus and car parking spaces at the summit of Little Round Top and completing a circulation study in order to design the developed area of Little

Round Top. However, the development actions proposed in this plan were never realized.

Traffic Report, Little Round Top Cultural Landscape Report

In 2011, the park conducted a transportation study to evaluate the circulation in and use of Little Round

Top as part of the data collecting effort for the cultural landscape report. Included in the document were results from a May 2011 parking survey in the study area, which looked at parking supply, demand, and duration, as well as made general observations. The survey observed a maximum of 50 vehicles parked in the study area, and determined that because visitors stay in the area a relatively short time, parking should be located within 1,500 feet from the destination. This report described the existing conditions related to traffic and parking at Little Round Top and informed the development of the treatment options presented in the cultural landscape report. This environmental assessment/assessment of effect used these findings to build upon the treatment options and develop the action alternatives presented in chapter 2.

Little Round Top: Cultural Landscape Report, Treatment & Management Plan

In March of 2012, the National Park Service completed a cultural landscape report for the Little Round

Top area. The cultural landscape report focused on providing documentation of the site history, existing conditions, and historic integrity in the study area. The intent of the cultural landscape report was to provide solutions for “overuse, overcrowding and landscape degradation and identify appropriate locations for visitor conveniences at Little Round Top.” The document included recommended treatments for circulation and gathering options for the study area. However, the park chose to re-examine the recommended treatment plan and treatment options in order to find alternatives that better suit the park’s vision for Little Round Top in the wider context of the park. The action alternatives presented in this environmental assessment/assessment of effect were developed through this re-examination of the treatment options presented in the cultural landscape report.

PLANNING ISSUES AND CONCERNS

During the scoping process, specific considerations and concerns were identified as critical to this project at

Little Round Top. Along with the purpose and need for the proposed action, these topics guided the development of alternatives and contributed to the selection of impact topics, as identified in the next section.

Purpose and Need 8

Visitor Capacity

Little Round Top is one of Gettysburg National Military Park’s most heavily visited sites. According to the Little Round Top Cultural Landscape Report, Treatment & Management Plan the visitor capacity of the existing authorized trails at the summit is being exceeded during peak season and special events (NPS

2012). Any proposed action must take this into consideration and take steps to better match visitor capacity of the summit with current visitor demand, acknowledging that future increases in capacity to meet an ever-increasing demand may not be appropriate.

Vehicular Circulation

Due to the amount of passenger vehicles, buses, bicycles, and Segways accessing the site, vehicular circulation is of particular concern. Current conditions should be improved and the park also wants to find ways to make the current conditions more useable. Congestion occurs below the summit when visitors park along the roadsides because they cannot see parking at the summit upon approach. If visitors continue to the summit and no formal parking spaces are available, they either park informally along the side of the road heading down the summit or are forced to complete the one-way loop over again to look for another formal parking space. Any proposed action in this plan should seek to improve vehicular circulation within the project area.

Parking

The current parking configuration and number of designated parking spaces at Little Round Top does not meet current demand. Parking needs vary based on the visitor; some visitors require short term parking options, while others require options for longer visits. Parking demand also varies seasonally, as different groups of visitors arrive at the site during different seasons. During peak times, parking capacity can be an issue due to the number of passenger cars, buses, bicycles, and Segway users at the summit. Any proposed action in this plan should address the parking capacity, visitor parking needs, and any additional issues that arise.

Pedestrian Circulation

Little Round Top sees both short-term and long-term visitors. Circulation options for both types must be considered, including direct access to monuments for short visits and loop trails for those who want to take longer walks on the site. Any proposed action in this plan should seek to improve pedestrian circulation and offer authorized walking trails within the project area.

Gathering Areas

Visitors to Little Round Top spend time at the many monuments, markers, and landmarks on the site and sometimes travel off the authorized trails when popular locations are crowded. To counter this issue, larger gathering areas have been deemed appropriate at some of the more popular landmarks. These areas must be accessible, provide more space than is currently available for use, provide good views to enhance interpretation, and provide relevant views from a place based location. Any proposed action in this plan should take into account how gathering areas would be used to provide appropriate locations and capacities for visitor demands.

Purpose and Need 9

Visitor Orientation and Comfort

The creation of the Little Round Top orientation station is under consideration because the park needs to be able to provide visitors with information so they can best make decisions about how to use the site.

Restrooms are another consideration because though there are temporary restrooms on the site, the park would like to improve visitor comfort by providing a permanent restroom facility. The Round Top

Schoolhouse, which is considered a contributing resource to the Gettysburg Battlefield Historic District is a resource that could be used for restrooms and visitor orientation information because a parking area is proposed for this location. If visitors park at this location, they would require wayfinding and orientation to direct them to the summit. The character defining features of the Round Top Schoolhouse are its exterior façade and materials; therefore, adaptive reuse of the structure should maintain the exterior features and façade. Any proposed action in this plan should seek to provide orientation and wayfinding information, as well as restroom facilities.

IMPACT TOPICS

IMPACT TOPICS RETAINED FOR ANALYSIS

Visitor Use and Experience

Enjoyment of park resources and values by the people of the United States is part of the fundamental purpose of all parks (NPS 2006). The National Park Service strives to provide opportunities for forms of enjoyment and education that are uniquely suited and appropriate to the natural and cultural resources found in parks. Currently, the visitor experience is degraded due to heavy visitation and trails and gathering areas that are often crowded and over capacity. Additionally, the limited parking at the summit leads to visitors unsure where they are supposed to park to access the summit. The proposed action is meant to enhance the visitor experience, which encompasses interpretation, understanding of the park, enjoyment, safety, circulation, and accessibility. Therefore, the impact topic of visitor use and experience is retained for further analysis in chapter 4.

Soils

Large numbers of visitors contribute to the degradation of the natural landscape and erosion of soils by travelling off of the asphalt trails, creating unauthorized trails, and parking along the roadside. This is a result of gathering areas and trails that do not meet the capacity demand and limited parking at the summit.

Visitors often choose to walk off of the authorized trails. Compaction of soils on these unauthorized trails then increases as more visitors use the trails. The proposed action would protect or rehabilitate previously disturbed or eroded soils in some areas and increase soil compaction in other areas. Therefore, the impact topic of soils is retained for further analysis in chapter 4.

Vegetation

Currently, some vegetation in the project area is trampled due to heavy foot traffic and visitors stepping off of authorized trails. This is particularly the case along the edges of formal trails and gathering areas of the summit and along unauthorized trails throughout the project area. Also, the forested area near the 20th

Purpose and Need 10

Maine Infantry monument lacks sufficient understory to support the natural regeneration of hardwood trees due to heavy foot traffic and brush clearing in the area. The proposed action includes closing unauthorized trails, formalizing some unauthorized trails, and temporarily closing some authorized trails to allow sensitive areas to revegetate. In addition, there would be disturbance and removal of vegetation associated with proposed parking areas, trails, and gathering areas. Therefore, the impact topic of vegetation is retained for further analysis in chapter 4.

Cultural Landscapes

The cultural landscape of Little Round top is an important aspect of the site’s historic and cultural significance. According to the NPS Director’s Order 28: Cultural Resource Management (NPS 2002), a cultural landscape is

…a reflection of human adaptation and use of natural resources and is often expressed in the way land is organized and divided, patterns of settlement, land use, systems of circulation, and the types of structures that are built. The character of a cultural landscape is defined both by physical materials, such as roads, buildings, walls, and vegetation, and by use reflecting the cultural values and traditions.

In addition to the human use associated with cultural landscapes, the development of the landscapes is tied to and includes topographic features and relief, site elevation, slope orientation, rock exposure, and modification of soil types and vegetation. Currently, soil erosion and vegetation trampling due to heavy foot traffic is putting some features of the cultural landscape at risk. Additionally, the implementation of any of the proposed alternatives would result in changes to visual features of the landscape, including the introduction of modern materials and the protection against future erosion of slopes and natural features.

Therefore, the impact topic of cultural landscapes is retained for further analysis in chapter 4.

Historic Structures

The project area contains a number of historic buildings, monuments, and structures within its boundaries. A historic structure is defined by the National Park Service as “a constructed work, usually immovable by nature or design, consciously created to serve some human act” that is listed in, or eligible for listing in, the

National Register (NPS 2006). The markers, monuments, and earthworks on Little Round Top are classified as structures, and may be subject to impacts by the proposed action. Some historic structures are currently at risk of damage due to erosion of the soils upon which they sit and from direct visitor contact, particularly of stone earthworks. Authorized trails and gathering areas would assist in maintaining an appropriate distance between visitors and sensitive historic structures than are currently reached by unauthorized trails.

Therefore, the impact topic of historic structures is retained for further analysis in chapter 4.

Archeological Resources

NPS Management Policies 2006 states that archeological resources “will be maintained and preserved in a stable condition to prevent degradation and loss” (NPS 2006). There has not been a comprehensive survey of archeological resources within the project area, and therefore, the National Park Service does not have a complete understanding of the existence and condition of archeological resources at Little

Round Top. Therefore, until more surveys and testing are undertaken, the National Park Service intends

Purpose and Need 11 to treat the entire project area as archeologically sensitive. Some ground disturbance would occur during construction of parking lots, trails, and gathering areas, which has the potential to impact unknown archeological resources if they occur in these areas. Erosion of soils due to heavy foot traffic is an existing concern at the summit and it is unknown if any archeological resources exist in these sensitive soils. The proposed action has the potential to protect unknown archeological resources that may be intact in these areas by limiting visitor access to unauthorized trails and sensitive areas. Therefore, the impact topic of archeological resources is retained for further analysis in chapter 4.

IMPACT TOPICS DISMISSED FROM FURTHER ANALYSIS

Rare, Threatened, and Endangered Species

Federally-listed Species. The project area is within the range of several federally-listed rare, threatened, or endangered species. These species include the northeastern bulrush (Scirpus ancistrochaetus) flowering plant, the Indiana bat (Myotis sodalis), the Northern long-eared bat (Myotis septentrionalis), and several species of migratory birds. Impacts to these species would be avoided for all actions proposed in this environmental assessment/assessment of effect. No action proposed would take place within or adjacent to wetlands, which some species use as habitat. Tree clearing and construction would be avoided during the sensitive roosting and pupping seasons of the Indiana bat and the Northern long-eared bat, and surveys for active nests of migratory birds would be conducted prior to construction as needed. Therefore, this project may affect, but is not likely to adversely affect federally-listed species. In a Pennsylvania

Natural Diversity Inventory (PNDI) environmental review dated January 11, 2016, the US Fish and

Wildlife Service responded that no impacts to federally listed or proposed species are anticipated. The

National Park Service would reinitiate consultation in the unlikely event that any federally listed threatened or endangered species are encountered during construction.

State-listed Species. A PNDI environmental review dated January 11, 2016 concluded that the project area is within the range of several state-listed rare, threatened, or endangered species. These include puttyroot (Aplectrum hyemale), brown sedge (Carex buxbaumii), rigid sedge (Carex tetanica), Dion skipper (Euphyes dion), grass-leaved rush (Juncus biflorus), short-fruited rush (Juncus brachycarpus), Heller’s witchgrass (Dichanthelium oligosanthes), giant swallowtail (Papilio cresphontes), downy phlox

(Phlox pilosa), Shumard’s oak (Quercus shumardii), and the Eastern coneflower (Rudbeckie fulgida).

However, impacts to these species would be avoided for all actions proposed in this environmental assessment/assessment of effect. Many of these species occur in the lower elevations of Little Round Top and would be avoided by this project. Prior to any clearing activities, the National Park Service would conduct surveys as needed to identify any state-listed species occurring within the area and identify measures to avoid impacts. In letters dated February 3, 2016 and February 17, 2016, respectively, the PA

Game Commission and the PA Department of Conservation and Natural Resources concluded that no impacts to these species are anticipated due to the nature of the project and the immediate location of the action proposed for the project.

Therefore, the impact topic of rare, threatened, and endangered species was considered but dismissed from further analysis.

Purpose and Need 12

Environmental Justice

The Department of the Interior requires its bureaus to specifically discuss and evaluate the impacts of their actions on minority and low-income populations and communities in environmental documents, as well as the equity of the distribution of the benefits and risk of the decision (NPS 2015). There are minority and low income populations in the vicinity of the park; however, these populations would not be particularly or disproportionately affected by activities associated with the alternatives evaluated in this environmental assessment. Therefore, the impact topic of environmental justice was considered but dismissed from further analysis.

Indian Trust Resources

The Department of the Interior requires its bureaus to explicitly consider effects of its actions on Indian

Trust resources in environmental documents (NPS 2015). The federal Indian Trust responsibility is a legally enforceable obligation on the part of the United States to protect tribal lands, assets, resources, and treaty rights, and it represents a duty to carry out the mandates of federal laws with respect to Native

American tribes. There are no known Indian Trust resources in the project corridor, and the lands comprising the park are not held in trust by the Secretary of the Interior for the benefit of Indians due to their status as Indians. Therefore, the impact topic of Indian Trust resources was considered but dismissed from further analysis.

Alternatives 13

ALTERNATIVES

DEVELOPMENT OF ALTERNATIVES

The alternatives development process for this environmental assessment/assessment of effect began with a review of the treatment options presented in the 2012 cultural landscape report. On October 29, 2014, the park held an alternatives development workshop which was attended by representatives from the park, the NPS northeast regional office, stakeholders, and the park’s consultant. The alternatives developed during the workshop were then refined through a series of reviews, which resulted in the action alternatives presented below.

NO-ACTION ALTERNATIVE

VEHICULAR CIRCULATION AND PARKING

Under the no-action alternative, existing vehicular circulation and parking would remain. The self-guided auto tour route through the project area would remain unchanged; visitors on the auto tour would approach the summit from South Confederate Avenue, north on Sykes Avenue, and west on Wheatfield

Road. Crawford Avenue would remain one-way southbound, Warren Avenue would remain one-way eastbound, Sykes Avenue would remain one-way northbound, and Wheatfield Road would remain two-way. One bus drop-off area would continue to be used at the summit. There would continue to be 36 passenger vehicle parking spaces and 1 bus parking space available at the summit, with additional space for 10 passenger vehicles at the Round Top Schoolhouse parking area and 3 passenger vehicles on Wright

Avenue. The gravel area located near the intersection of Wright Avenue and South Confederate Avenue where visitors informally park would remain in place. See figures 3 and 4 for maps of the existing conditions within the project area.

Under the no-action alternative, there would continue to be space for a total of 49 passenger vehicles and

1 bus to park within the project area, for a total of 50 vehicle parking spaces.

Alternatives 14

98th Pennsylvania Infantry Mounment

121st New York Infantry Monument

1st Ohio Light Artillery Battery L Marker

155th Pennsylvania Infantry Marker

146th New York Infantry Monument

Warren Monument

91st Pennsylvania Infantry Marker

140th New York Infantry Monument

Vincent Boulder 44th New York Infantry Monument

16th Michigan Infantry

Vincent Wounded Monument

83th Pennsylvania Infantry Monument

38th Pennsylvania Infantry Monument

9th Pennsylvania Reserves

20th Maine Infantry Monument

5th US Battery

20th Maine Infantry Monument

Source: NPS GIS Data

0 200

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SCALE IN FEET

Little Round Top Rehabilitation Environmental Assessment/Assessment of Effect

FIGURE 3

Existing Conditions

Paved Roads and Parking

Existing Trails (widths not to scale)

Unauthorized Trails (widths not to scale)

Areas Currently Used for Gathering

WARREN AVENUE

SK

YE

S

AV

EN

UE

W

RIGH

T AVEN

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WHEATFIELD ROAD

ONE WAY

ON

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W

AY

SED

G

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ICK AVEN

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Round Top Schoolhouse:

• 10 passenger vehicle spaces

• Temporary restrooms

Summit Area:

• 36 passenger vehicle parking spaces

• 1 bus parking space

• Bus drop-off area

Wright Avenue:

• 3 passenger vehicle spaces

National Park Service U.S. Department of the Interior

1st Ohio Light Artillery Battery L Marker

155th Pennsylvania Infantry Marker

146th New York Infantry Monument

Warren Monument

91st Pennsylvania Infantry Marker

140th New York Infantry Monument

Vincent Boulder

44th New York Infantry Monument

16th Michigan Infantry

Vincent Wounded Monument

5th US Battery

Little Round Top Rehabilitation Environmental Assessment/Assessment of Effect

FIGURE 4

Existing Conditions: Summit EnlargementSource: NPS GIS Data

0 100

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SCALE IN FEET

Paved Roads and Parking

Existing Trails (widths not to scale)

Unauthorized Trails (widths not to scale)

Areas Currently Used for Gathering

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National Park Service

Alternatives 17

PEDESTRIAN CIRCULATION

Under the no-action alternative, trails to serve Little Round Top would be limited to existing trails that are paved and designated for pedestrians. No new trails would be added. Any trail that is not paved and designated (unauthorized) would be closed with a temporary barricade and signage. For long-term closure, the National Park Service would revegetate these unauthorized trails by aerating and seeding the soil in areas where vegetation is currently trampled.

GATHERING

Existing erosion in and near unpaved gathering areas would be stabilized with clean soil fill and grass seed under the no-action alternative. The existing paved gathering areas would remain in their current locations and configurations. None of the paved gathering areas would be expanded. No new gathering areas would be added. The current visitor capacity of the existing paved gathering areas would remain at approximately 283 people, as determined by the cultural landscape report (NPS 2012).

PROPOSED ACTION/

NPS PREFERRED ALTERNATIVE

VEHICULAR CIRCULATION AND PARKING

Under the proposed action, vehicular circulation patterns would remain the same as under the no-action alternative; however, an intelligent transportation system (ITS) could be installed to supplement infrastructure improvements and improve circulation. This system would be used to provide parking and circulation information such as when summit and bus parking lots are full, and directions to the overflow parking lot at the Round Top Schoolhouse. This information could be displayed both on-site and at the visitor center. The details of the intelligent transportation system would be determined during a later design phase, but it could include digital signs, under-paving detectors, computer hardware, and a network interface to the existing system in use at the visitor center. The following improvements would be made to parking and vehicular circulation within the project area. See figures 5, 6, and 7 for maps of the proposed action.

Sykes Avenue would be repaved and restriped from Wright Avenue to Wheatfield Road. At the summit of

Little Round Top, 20 angled passenger vehicle spaces would be striped on the west side of Sykes Avenue

(including 3 universally accessible spaces), and 17 parallel parking spaces for passenger vehicles would be added along the east side of Sykes Avenue. A bicycle rack would also be installed at the summit. A bus drop-off area would be created on the east side of Sykes Avenue, across from the summit. This drop-off area would be made of steel framing on posts with a surface made of wood, concrete, or metal grating, to be specified at a later design phase. The specific size and placement of the drop-off area would be determined at a later design phase; however, the maximum area would be approximately 1,990 square feet, with a maximum capacity of approximately 142 visitors.

Alternatives 18

1st Ohio Light Artillery Battery L Marker

155th Pennsylvania Infantry Marker

146th New York Infantry Monument

Warren Monument

91st Pennsylvania Infantry Marker

140th New York Infantry Monument

Vincent Boulder 44th New York Infantry Monument

16th Michigan Infantry

Vincent Wounded Monument

83th Pennsylvania Infantry Monument

38th Pennsylvania Infantry Monument

9th Pennsylvania Reserves

20th Maine Infantry Monument

5th US Battery

20th Maine Infantry Monument

Little Round Top Rehabilitation Environmental Assessment/Assessment of Effect

FIGURE 5

Proposed ActionSource: NPS GIS Data

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Paved Roads and Parking Crosswalk

“A” Trails: 8 feet wide, hardened surface “B” Trails: 6 feet wide, hardened surface “C” Trails: 4 feet wide, crushed stone surface “D” Trails: 2 feet 6 inches wide, crushed stone surface

Decks

Terraces

Note: figure shows maximum footprints; actual sizes to be determined during future design phases

WARREN AVENUE

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WHEATFIELD ROAD

ONE WAY

ON

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Crescent Portion of Historic Sykes Avenue

• 4 bus parking spaces

Summit Area:

• 24 passenger vehicle parking spaces

• 3 universally accessible parking spaces

• Bus drop-off area

Round Top Schoolhouse:

• 48 passenger vehicle parking spaces

• 2 universally accessible parking spaces

• 6 bus parking spaces

North section could be constructed in the future if needed.

Wright Avenue:

3 passenger vehicle parking spaces

National Park Service

1st Ohio Light Artillery Battery L Marker

155th Pennsylvania Infantry Marker

146th New York Infantry Monument

Warren Monument

91st Pennsylvania Infantry Marker

140th New York Infantry Monument

Vincent Boulder

44th New York Infantry Monument

16th Michigan Infantry

Vincent Wounded Monument

5th US Battery

Little Round Top Rehabilitation Environmental Assessment/Assessment of Effect

FIGURE 6

Proposed Action: Summit EnlargementSource: NPS GIS Data

0 100

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SCALE IN FEET

Paved Roads and Parking Crosswalk

“A” Trails: 8 feet wide, hardened surface “B” Trails: 6 feet wide, hardened surface “C” Trails: 4 feet wide, crushed stone surface “D” Trails: 2 feet 6 inches wide, crushed stone surface

Decks

Terraces

Accessible Trail

Retaining Walls

Guard Rails

Edging/Toe-Rail

Curbs and Steps

Note: figure shows maximum footprints; actual sizes to be determined during future design phases

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Orientation Station Specific location to be determined during future design phases

Bus Drop-off

National Park Service

Source: NPS GIS Data

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Little Round Top Rehabilitation Environmental Assessment/Assessment of Effect

FIGURE 7

Proposed Action: Schoolhouse Enlargement

Paved Roads and Parking Crosswalk

“B” Trails: 6 feet wide, hardened surface “C” Trails: 4 feet wide, crushed stone surface

Retaining Walls

ONE

W

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SK

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WHEATFIELD ROAD

Orientation Station Specific location to be determined during future design phases

Round Top Schoolhouse Restroom Facilities

North section could be constructed in the future if needed.

National Park Service

Alternatives 23

The actual capacity of the drop-off area may be smaller and it may be placed anywhere within the maximum footprint; the maximum is analyzed in this environmental assessment/assessment of effect to provide flexibility of size and placement. Installation of this drop-off area would require the removal of up to 0.11 acres of vegetation, including mixed hardwoods.

Curbing would be installed on the east side of Sykes Avenue from the Warren/Wright Avenue intersection north over the summit to the proposed crescent portion of the historic Sykes Avenue alignment to discourage visitors from parking vehicles off of the roads. This curbing would also define the boundary between vehicular and pedestrian zones (described under “Pedestrian Circulation” below), while allowing storm water to run off the road edge. No bus parking would be available at the summit.

Stormwater runoff for all improvements at the summit would be captured by a series of inlets and conveyed to multiple discharge points along the eastern slope, each of which would have an endwall with a riprap apron to prevent erosion.

The Freedom Transit’s Gold Line Shuttle Service from May through October could be extended to include a Friday through Sunday loop through the Little Round Top summit.