A new connector trail will link hikers to the Berry Glen Trail at Redwood National Park. Photo by Ted Humphry

Redwood National Park will be able to move forward with construction of a connector trail to the Berry Glen Trail and the California Coastal Trail.

From a National Park Service news release Thursday:

Crescent City, Calif. – Redwood National Park announced the availability of the Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) for the 2020 Centennial Grove Trail and Berry Glen Connector Trail Environmental Assessment (EA). The FONSI identifies the selected alternative and is the decision-making document for the project. 

Redwood National Park will create additional recreational opportunities for hiking in Redwood National Park with the construction of a new trail that will provide direct visitor access to the primary park resource—old-growth coast redwood forest. 

Two alternatives were evaluated in the EA: The No Action Alternative and the Proposed Action. The FONSI authorizes implementation of the Proposed Action, which includes the construction of approximately 5,266 feet of new trail in Redwood National Park north of Orick, Calif. The No Action Alternative, as stated in the EA would mean that there would be no change from the current management direction at the site. By taking no action there would not be a concern that the project site would be impacted by visitor or construction-related effects.   

Under the selected action, the trail will connect a proposed developed area north of Orick, Calif. with existing park trails. It will lead directly to the Berry Glen Trail, which links into the popular Lady Bird Johnson Grove, and to the Lost Man, Davison, Prairie Creek, and Redwood Creek areas and beyond. On a regional scale, the trail will serve as a new segment of the California Coastal Trail, an organization that seeks to connect 1,200 miles of California coast with a single trail.  

The trailhead will be located at an elevation of 60 ft. above sea level and terminates at 620 ft. elevation. The trail will not meet accessibility guidelines due to the steep grade of the hillslope. The finished width of the trail will be approximately 5 feet, and the route will be laid out to minimize removal of trees.

Vegetation and soils removed during trail construction will be conserved and reused to create the finished trail. The trail is sited between two drainages to avoid crossing active waterways and a puncheon bridge will be installed to carry the trail above the surface of the forest floor in an area where moist conditions are found.  

Implementation of the selected action will begin in 2021. The FONSI and EA are available for viewing on-line via the Planning, Environment, and Public Comment (PEPC) website:  https://parkplanning.nps.gov/documentsList.cfm?projectID=94140.

For a printed copy of the FONSI, please contact Saylor Moss, Chief of Planning and Compliance, Redwood National and State Parks, at: (707) 498-4080. 

 

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