82 FR 8206 - Final Environmental Impact Statement for Alcatraz Ferry Embarkation, Counties of Marin and San Francisco, California

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
National Park Service

Federal Register Volume 82, Issue 14 (January 24, 2017)

The National Park Service (NPS) has prepared the Final Environmental Impact Statement (Final EIS) for the Alcatraz Ferry Embarkation project. The Final EIS evaluates four alternatives for establishing a long-term ferry embarkation site for passenger service between the northern San Francisco waterfront and Alcatraz Island, and additional occasional ferry service between the Alcatraz ferry embarkation site and the existing Fort Baker pier, as well as other excursions within the San Francisco Bay.

[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 14 (Tuesday, January 24, 2017)]
[Notices]
[Pages 8206-8207]
From the Federal Register Online  [www.thefederalregister.org]
[FR Doc No: 2017-01469]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

National Park Service

[NPS-PWR-PWRO-22324; PPPWGO6AP0/PPMPSAS1Z.YP0000]


Final Environmental Impact Statement for Alcatraz Ferry 
Embarkation, Counties of Marin and San Francisco, California

AGENCY: National Park Service, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of availability.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: The National Park Service (NPS) has prepared the Final 
Environmental Impact Statement (Final EIS) for the Alcatraz Ferry 
Embarkation project. The Final EIS evaluates four alternatives for 
establishing a long-term ferry embarkation site for passenger service 
between the northern San Francisco waterfront and Alcatraz Island, and 
additional occasional ferry service between the Alcatraz ferry 
embarkation site and the existing Fort Baker pier, as well as other 
excursions within the San Francisco Bay.

DATES: The NPS will execute a Record of Decision no sooner than 30 days 
after the date of publication in the Federal Register of the 
Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) notice of filing and 
availability of the Final EIS.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Please contact Golden Gate National 
Recreation Area at (415) 561-4930 or [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: After operating out of Pier 41 for many 
years, the Alcatraz Island ferry embarkation site moved to Pier 31\1/2\ 
in 2006 when a new ferry service concessioner was selected, which led 
to inconsistencies in the delivery of visitor services and impacts on 
surrounding communities, business interests, and transit providers. 
Federal law generally limits the term of concession contracts to 10 
years or fewer, and requires that a competitive process be used to 
select new concessioners.
    The NPS seeks to secure a site that will provide a long-term 
orientation and ferry embarkation facility for service to Alcatraz 
Island from the northern San Francisco waterfront. The NPS desires an 
identifiable and well-functioning facility that will provide a quality 
welcome and support program for visitors, orient visitors to the 
history of Alcatraz Island, and provide a connection to other Golden 
Gate National Recreation Area (GGNRA) parklands and orientation to the 
national park system in general. The NPS also seeks to establish 
additional occasional ferry service between the primary Alcatraz ferry 
embarkation site and the existing Fort Baker pier, as well as other 
excursions within the Bay departing from the primary embarkation site. 
The Final EIS evaluated additional service to and from Fort Mason, but 
this activity is not included in the preferred alternative. These 
elements would improve cross-Bay connectivity and accommodate existing 
and future visitor demand for recreational travel to Fort Baker and the 
Marin Headlands, thereby enhancing GGNRA's operational effectiveness. 
Many potential visitors are unable to obtain tickets to Alcatraz Island 
due to the high demand. Enhanced on-shore visitor facilities would 
provide those visitors with interpretive information about the island 
and options for visiting other GGNRA destinations from San Francisco.
    Public scoping was initiated in the late spring of 2012. The Notice 
of Intent to prepare an EIS was published in the Federal Register on 
June 1, 2012. Scoping meetings were held on June 26 and 28, 2012, at 
Fort Mason Building 201 in San Francisco and the City Hall in 
Sausalito, respectively. Over the comment period, approximately 90 
correspondences were collected from interested stakeholders.
    The Draft EIS was released on March 20, 2015 with comments accepted 
through June 4, 2015. During the comment period, one public meeting was 
held on March 31, 2015 at Pier 1 in San Francisco. Approximately 277 
pieces of correspondence were received. Some plan content was modified 
based

[[Page 8207]]

on public comments, but there have been very few substantial changes to 
the alternatives under consideration. Changes include adding additional 
specificity on the number of planned trips for special ferry service to 
Fort Baker and identifying the preferred alternative to include 
developing the primary embarkation site as Pier 31\1/2\ as well as 
providing occasional ferry service to Fort Baker.
    Range of Alternatives: The Final EIS describes and analyzes four 
alternatives.
    No-Action Alternative: Ferry service to Alcatraz Island would 
continue from Pier 31\1/2\, controlled by the Port of San Francisco, 
with no changes to management or site operations and infrastructure. 
This alternative serves as the environmental baseline from which 
potential effects of the three ``action'' alternatives were compared.
    Pier 31\1/2\ Alternative: Retrofit existing structures (parts of 
piers 31, 33 and associated bulkhead buildings) and establish long-term 
ferry service and embarkation site operations at Pier 31\1/2\ along the 
Embarcadero. A third berth would be constructed to support ferry travel 
to other GGNRA sites. This is the ``agency-preferred'' alternative for 
the Alcatraz Ferry Embarkation site. This alternative also includes 
consideration of limited ferry service to/from Fort Baker.
    Pier 41 Alternative: Retrofit and expand existing structures and 
establish long-term embarkation at Pier 41, controlled by the Port of 
San Francisco in Fisherman's Wharf. A third berth would be constructed 
to support ferry travel to other GGNRA sites.
    Pier 3 Alternative: Retrofit existing structures and establish a 
long-term embarkation site at Pier 3 in Fort Mason, a federal property 
managed by GGNRA. A third berth between Piers 1 and 2 would also be 
constructed.
    In the future, the selected embarkation site would include 
additional ferry services from the primary embarkation site to provide 
recreational ferry service to other destinations in the Bay, as well as 
Bay excursions, which would enhance the connectivity and accommodation 
of visitor demands to other GGNRA destinations. The details associated 
with providing any such potential ferry service to particular locations 
other than Alcatraz Island and Fort Baker would be analyzed in future 
environmental documents.
    The NPS will execute a Record of Decision no sooner than 30 days 
following EPA's notice published in the Federal Register announcing 
filing and release of the Final EIS. The official responsible for 
approval of the Alcatraz Ferry Embarkation project is the Regional 
Director of the Pacific West Region, and subsequently the General 
Superintendent, GGNRA, will be responsible for implementation.

    Dated: November 4, 2016.
Laura E. Joss,
Regional Director, Pacific West Region.
[FR Doc. 2017-01469 Filed 1-23-17; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4312-52-P