Sloan Canyon NCA – Visitor Contact Station – Environmental Assessment - Virtual Public Meeting
Proposed Action and Alternatives
Proposed Action and Alternatives
The BLM is proposing to develop and maintain a permanent visitor contact station and improved infrastructure to replace the temporary visitor contact station at the north boundary of the Sloan Canyon NCA. The proposed action would involve constructing a 3,000 square foot Visitor Contact Station facility which incorporates administrative office space, interpretive display areas, and restrooms. The Proposed Action would also construct an outdoor ADA accessible half-mile interpretive loop trail and outdoor amphitheater, and parking spaces for approximately 80 cars and several buses.
A description of the No Action Alternative and action Alternatives A and B follows.
Photo of temporary visitor contact station facility.
Alternative A
The BLM Red Rock/Sloan Field Office proposes replacing the temporary visitor contact trailer with a new permanent facility and associated site developments, funded through a special account for management and planning at Sloan Canyon NCA. The auction of a 500-acre parcel near the NCA in November 2003 established the funding. Creation of this permanent facility would enhance visitor experiences, provide sufficient parking and visitor access, and provide the necessary space, materials, and opportunities for the BLM to properly educate the public on protecting the Sloan Canyon NCA, the Sloan Canyon Petroglyph Management Area, and the North McCullough Wilderness Area.
Under Alternative A, total maximum disturbance anticipated at the project site would be restricted to an approximate 30-acre area; however, at this time, not all of this acreage would require ground disturbance for permanent structures. Portions of the 30-acre area would be left with existing vegetation, such as the area surrounded by the nature trail loop.
The new proposed 3,000-square-foot visitor contact station main building would be comprised of the following:
Welcome center area
Gift shop
Conference room
Offices and open office area
Men’s and women’s public restrooms
Staff restroom
Mechanical and electrical room
Janitorial supply room
Break room
Storage area
The associated site developments, outside of the main building, would include an expanded parking lot, outdoor exhibit and museum area, outdoor amphitheater, new paved nature trail loop, connector trails, shade pavilions, fencing, informational signs, and benches.
The new 0.4-mile paved nature trail loop would be south of the visitor contact station and would be contained within a post and cable fence to help prevent visitors from straying off the trail. Total anticipated disturbance from establishing this trail would be approximately 0.4 acres. Trail heads for new connector trails would be established to the east of the facility and parking lot. These provide access to existing trails leading to Henderson and the Sloan Canyon Petroglyph Trail. These connector trails would collectively be 0.3 miles in length and would create 0.08 acres of disturbance.
Under Alternative A, electric, water, and sewer utilities would be connected to the City of Henderson’s municipal connections at the intersection of Nawghaw Poa Road and Democracy Drive. The utility lines would be installed along either side of Nawghaw Poa Road, using portions of existing disturbance from previous development of the road, where feasible. Total acreage associated with the utility installation would be approximately 24 acres.
Alternative B
Alternative B would include all of the design features described under Alternative A, except the water and sewer utilities would not connect to the municipal services; this is because the utilities would be designed as a self-contained unit. Water would be delivered to the site as needed and would be stored in a cistern to be pumped directly to the building. The sewer system would be designed as an underground septic system. Disturbance associated with this utility option would be about 1 acre. Overall, total maximum disturbance anticipated under this alternative would be 24.5 acres, 5 acres less than Alternative A This design would be required, should municipal connections to the City of Henderson be unattainable.
Sloan Canyon NCA Visitor Contact Station EA Overview Map
The data can be downloaded as Google Earth kmz files.
For more information on the Project or to be added to the mailing list, please contact Ray Tsui at (702-515-5000) or BLM_NV_LV_Sloan_ContactStation@blm.gov.