Coconino National Forest Red Rock Ranger District. File Code: Date:

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1 USDA United States z:::::;;;;; Department of iiiillll Agriculture Forest Service Coconino National Forest Red Rock Ranger District P.O. Box Sedona, Fax: File Code: Date: 1950 February 15, 2017 Project: Fossil Creek Interim Management Vault Toilets Project To: Interested Fossil Creek Wild and Scenic River Corridor Pa11ies The USDA Forest Service's Coconino and Tonto national forests seek public comments, per the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), on a Fossil Creek Wild and Scenic River interim management vault toilets project. Fossil Creek is located within the Coconino and Tonto national forests in central Arizona. On the Coconino National Forest, the area is accessed from State Highway 260 on Forest Road (FR) 708 near Camp Verde. On the Tonto National Forest, the area is accessed from Strawberry via FR 708. The proposal is to implement additional interim management actions through the installation of vault toilets to replace existing porta potties, providing existing visitors sustainable sanitation facilities to minimize impacts of human waste on natural and cultural resources. This interim measure is needed while a comprehensive river management plan continues to be developed ( expected to be finalized in 2018). Based on past experience with similar projects, a categorical exclusion is the proposed level of analysis. Two categories have been identified for use in this vault toilet project. Action to improve temporary toilet facilities with sustainable vault toilets falls within 36 CFR 220.6(d)(5): Repair and maintenance of recreational sites and facilities. Action to improve the intersection at the west entrance station to facilitate toilet access falls within 36 CFR 220.6( d)( 4): Repair and maintenance of roads, trails, and landline boundaries. The decision will be based on compliance with law, regulation and policy, consultation with regulatory agencies, tribal consultation, public input public, and a review of environmental consequences. Comments received in response to this solicitation, including names and addresses of commenters, are part of the public record. Please provide comments by March 17, 2017, via one of several methods. to comments-southwestern-coconino-redrock@fs.fed.us (subject line "Fossil Creek Toilets"). Mail to Coconino National Forest, Attn: Foss il Creek Toilets, P.O. Box 20429, Sedona, AZ Fax to (928) Provide in person at the Red Rock Ranger District Office, 8375 State Route 179, Sedona, AZ View project information on line at l 085 or contact Elizabeth Munding, NEPA Planner, at (928) or Marcos Roybal at (928) Sincerely, ~ District Ranger Enclosures Caring for the Land and Serving People,.. Pri nted o n Recycled Paper..,

2 Project: Fossil Creek Interim Management Vault Toilets Project USDA Forest Service s Coconino and Tonto National Forests The Fossil Creek Interim Management Vault Toilets project seeks to improve temporary sanitation facilities within the Congressionally designated Fossil Creek Wild and Scenic River corridor, within the Coconino and the Tonto national forests in central Arizona. The USDA Forest Service seeks public comments, per the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), on the project between February 15 and March 17, Fossil Creek is located within the Coconino and Tonto national forests in central Arizona (figure 1). On the Coconino National Forest, the area is accessed from State Highway 260 on Forest Road (FR) 708 near Camp Verde. On the Tonto National Forest, the area is accessed from Strawberry via FR 708. The 17-mile wild and scenic river contains significant cultural and natural resources, including habitat for fish and wildlife species, and is the only pure warm water native fishery in Arizona. As the only intact perennial system with continuous flow without any water diversions in Arizona, Fossil Creek creates an opportunity for river-based recreation, necessitating adequate toilet facilities for human health and safety and for resource protection, particularly water quality. The Forest Service proposes to replace temporary porta potties currently being used with vault-style toilets to offer current visitors sustainable facilities and to minimize the impact of human waste on natural and cultural resources. Figure 1. Fossil Creek vicinity map Purpose and Need for Action The purpose of this project is to improve toilet facilities in the Fossil Creek Wild and Scenic River Corridor in order to provide adequate sanitation for the high visitation the area currently receives and to protect river values, including water quality and cultural resources. Operational considerations have brought into question the ability of porta potties to function properly, especially in light of misuse they sometimes receive, as the only means of long-term sanitation in Fossil Creek. Water-quality monitoring conducted in the Fossil Creek Wild and Scenic River has shown an increase in E. coli. To prevent exceeding the E. coli standard, the Forest Service has identified a need for adequate facilities to minimize abandoned human waste and toilet paper on the landscape, thereby, keeping fecal bacteria levels within Environmental Protection Agency limits. In addition, the Forest Service is required by the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act to protect the river s water quality, considered to be a river value. As a larger planning activity, the Forest Service continues development of the Fossil Creek Wild and Scenic River Comprehensive Management Plan (CRMP) legally required since the river s designation as wild and scenic in The CRMP, along with an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS), will provide detailed management and monitoring direction needed to protect and enhance river values in the long term. Scoped for public comment in 2011 and 2016, the CRMP is expected to be finalized in To protect river values and improve public safety while the CRMP is being developed, the Forest Service proposes Fossil Creek interim management. The 2016 interim management action instituted a seasonal reservation system setting a daily limit of approximately 740 people; however, sanitation issues continue. Interim management actions are necessary or the river corridor would continue to lack the 1

3 sanitation infrastructure needed to accommodate existing visitation in an important landscape. The proposed vault toilets interim management is intended to support previous interim measures by improving human health and safety and protecting natural and cultural resources. Figure 2. Temporary toilets (left) are subject to vandalism and misuse On the ground, maintenance of porta potties has proven challenging, as they fill quickly with sewage on weekends and holidays. Due to the remote location, servicing Fossil Creek s temporary toilet facilities is not easy, even when the Forest Service added maintenance trips as urgent needs arose. The foul smell of full porta potties discourages visitors from using them, resulting in people going to the bathroom in or near the water. In the most extreme cases, porta potties have been purposely pushed over, often rammed by a vehicle, which heavily impacts resource health and closes needed toilet facilities for days until they can be repaired or replaced. Forest Service managers view precast concrete vault toilets as a sustainable sanitation option to replace the existing temporary facilities for a number of reasons that include: (1) vault toilets would be designed to blend in with the coloring of the scenic landscape, (2) vault toilets would only need to be emptied once every few months, and (3) vault toilets would not be able to be pushed over. Project Overview The Forest Service is proposing to improve sanitation within the Fossil Creek Wild and Scenic River corridor by upgrading temporary toilet facilities to vault toilets at nine recreation sites within the corridor (Mazatzal; west entrance station at junction of 502/708; Homestead upper and lower loops; Heinrich; Fossil Creek Bridge; Tonto Bench; Irving; and Waterfall Trailhead). The outcome of this project would not increase the number of toilet facilities in the corridor as much as it would make for sustainable facilities by replacing many of the existing porta potties with precast concrete vault toilets. Currently, 14 porta potties exist in the peak season (April 1 October 1) and four in the off season (October 2 March 31). Temporary porta potty facilities currently reside at Mazatzal, Purple Mountain, Sally May, Junction of NFSR 502/708, Homestead, Fossil Creek Bridge, Tonto Bench, Irving, and Waterfall Trailhead. VAULT TOILETS: The 2017 project proposes nine vault toilets. Vault toilet locations would be as follows: 1. Junction of 502/708 (West Entrance Station): Single-stall toilet 2. Homestead Upper Loop: Double-stall toilet 3. Homestead Lower Loop: Single-stall toilet 4. Heinrich: Single-stall toilet (for administrative use only) 2

4 5. Fossil Creek Bridge: Single-stall toilet 6. Tonto Bench: Double-stall toilet 7. Irving: Double-stall toilet 8. Waterfall Trailhead (to be renamed as Lewis): Double-stall toilet 9. Mazatzal: Single-stall (future installation if resource needs arise at this less-visited site within the river corridor) Note: Once this project is implemented, a minimal number of porta potties would remain. Construction of vault toilets is not possible at Purple Mountain and Sally May due to overhead power lines. VAULT TOILET DESIGNS: All vault toilet facilities would meet all accessible design standards. Toilets would use technology to minimize smell. Visually, the concrete vault toilets would have a stucco -style finish for the walls and a cedar shake roof, allowing the facilities to blend into the scenery moreso than commercial porta potties. Figure 3. Example of proposed vault toilets LOCATION AND ROAD MODIFICATIONS: See figure 4 (below) for a map of proposed toilet locations. All toilets would be located outside of the 100-year floodplain and in locations that minimize disturbance of existing vegetation. Specific locations would be finalized pending evaluation of local resource conditions, including tribal consultation and cultural resource clearances. In addition, minimal road maintenance and incidental vegetation removal are proposed to allow visitors access to enter and exit facilities safely. A newly designed T intersection at the junction, also referred to as the west entrance station, would prevent the need for visitors to cross the road to access the toilet, thereby, improving safety. Also, a temporary access to the Heinrich location would potentially be needed to allow for the installation of the vault toilet. CONSTRUCTION AND IMPLEMENTATION: Implementation is expected to occur in late spring or summer Construction would consist of excavation, installation of the vault, installations of the concrete toilet buildings, and grading proximate to the buildings to ensure accessibility. During construction, all or portions of the Fossil Creek permit area may be temporarily closed to ensure public safety and to allow for construction activities to occur. It is anticipated that this closure would be limited to one to two weeks. Advanced warning of any necessary closures would be provided to the public and would be reflected in the online Fossil Creek reservation system. 3

5 Forest Plan Management Areas On the Coconino National Forest, the management areas (MA) within the project area include MA 1 (Fossil Springs and Mazatzal Wilderness), MA 2 (Verde Wild and Scenic River), MA 7 (Pinyon Juniper woodlands less than 40 percent slopes), MA 10 (Grasslands and Sparse Pinyon Juniper above the Rim), MA 11 (Verde Valley), MA 12 (Riparian) and MA 17 (Fossil Springs Botanical Area). On the Tonto National Forest, the management areas within the project area include 4A (Mazatzal Wilderness on the Payson Ranger District), 4E (Proposed Fossil Springs Natural Area), 4F (Payson Ranger District General Management Area) and 1B (Mazatzal Wilderness that is on the Cave Creek Ranger District). Categorical Exclusions The Forest Service NEPA regulations (36 CFR 220) provide that a proposed action may be categorically excluded from further analysis and documentation through an environmental impact statement (EIS) or environmental assessment (EA) only if there are no extraordinary circumstances related to the proposed action and if: The proposed action is within one of the categories in the Department of Agriculture (USDA) NEPA policies and procedures in Title 7 Code of Federal Regulations Part 1b (7 CFR Part 1b), or The proposed action is within a category listed in Section 36 CFR 220.6(d) or (e). Based on past experience with similar projects, a categorical exclusion is the proposed level of analysis for this project. In this project, the action to improve temporary toilet facilities with sustainable vault toilets falls within category 36 CFR 220.6(d)(5): Repair and maintenance of recreational sites and facilities. In this project, the action to improve the intersection at the west entrance station to facilitate toilet access falls within category 36 CFR 220.6(d)(4): Repair and maintenance of roads, trails, and landline boundaries. USDA NON-DISCRIMINATION POLICY STATEMENT: DR USDA Equal Opportunity Public Notification Policy (June 2, 2015) In accordance with Federal civil rights law and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) civil rights regulations and policies, the USDA, its Agencies, offices, and employees, and institutions participating in or administering USDA programs are prohibited from discriminating based on race, color, national origin, religion, sex, gender identity (including gender expression), sexual orientation, disability, age, marital status, family/parental status, income derived from a public assistance program, political beliefs, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity, in any program or activity conducted or funded by USDA (not all bases apply to all programs). Remedies and complaint filing deadlines vary by program or incident. Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of communication for program information (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, American Sign Language, etc.) should contact the responsible Agency or USDA s TARGET Center at (202) (voice and TTY) or contact USDA through the Federal Relay Service at (800) Additionally, program information may be made available in languages other than English. To file a program discrimination complaint, complete the USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form, AD- 3027, found online at and at any USDA office or write a letter addressed to USDA and provide in the letter all of the information requested in the form. To request a copy of the complaint form, call (866) Submit your completed form or letter to USDA by: (1) mail: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, D.C ; (2) fax: (202) ; or (3) program.intake@usda.gov. USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer and lender. 4

6 Figure 4. Overview of proposed toilet locations 5