Zion National Park Begins Environmental Assessment

Public Input Requested on Highway Rehabilitation

Zion National Park is beginning an environmental assessment (EA) to
evaluate the potential impacts from the proposed rehabilitation of the Zion
Mt. Carmel Highway within the park. The proposed project would be to
rehabilitate, restore and resurface approximately 9 miles of road from
Canyon Junction to the East Entrance (excluding the Zion Mt. Carmel
Tunnel).

The road was completed in 1930 and since then has only had routine cyclic
maintenance including asphalt patches, crack-sealing and chip-sealing.
Because of environmental effects (rain, snow, heat), heavy traffic, and
time the road has deteriorated.

The proposed project is planned for two years. The first year would focus
on the road from Canyon Junction to the west entrance into the tunnel and
is proposed for fall 2009. The second year would complete the project from
the east entrance to the tunnel to the east park boundary and is proposed
for fall 2011.

The National Park Service (NPS) encourages public participation throughout
the EA process. The public will have two opportunities to comment on this
project: first during scoping (now), and again following the release of the
EA. We are currently in the scoping phase of this project and invite you to
submit your comments.

If you wish to submit comments during scoping we encourage you to do so
online at http://parkplanning.nps.gov/zion. Comments may also be mailed to:
Zion National Park, Zion Mt. Carmel Road Rehabilitation, Springdale, UT
84767. Please submit all comments before December 11, 2008.

Before including your address, phone number, e-mail 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.

For more information on this proposed project contact Kezia Nielsen,
Environmental Protection Specialist, at (435) 772-0211 or visit the NPS
planning website at http://parkplanning.nps.gov/zion.
-NPS-

Back to Visitor Information Page