Sequoia National Park Seeks Public Comment: Environmental Assessment for Cellular Facility at Wuksachi Village

SEQUOIA AND KINGS CANYON NATIONAL PARKS, Calif. October 24, 2018 – The National Park Service (NPS) has released an environmental assessment that evaluates a proposal by Verizon Wireless to install a wireless communications facility near Wuksachi Village in Sequoia National Park. The NPS is required by the Telecommunications Act of 1996 to consider all applications for the installation of cellular equipment on NPS lands.

Verizon Wireless is proposing to construct a 138-foot cellular tower west of Wuksachi Village to achieve a coverage objective that includes a portion of the Generals Highway, the Wuksachi Village, Lodgepole, and Wolverton areas. Antennas would be directed, as much as possible, away from the wilderness. The proposed tower would be located in an established utility site west of Wuksachi Village at the end of an existing paved access road, which provides access to existing above-ground water storage tanks. No improvements to the access road would be necessary for either construction activities or subsequent maintenance of the new telecommunications facility.

The proposed wireless communications facility would include the following components within a 40-foot by 40-foot area adjacent to two existing above-ground water storage tanks:

• A 138-foot tall tower with panel antennas and microwave dishes, potentially constructed to simulate a pine tree, mounted on a 4 to 5-foot diameter footer
• A covered 28-foot by 13-foot steel equipment platform
• A 500-gallon propane tank mounted on a concrete pad
• An estimated 1,420 feet of buried electrical cable would be installed along the existing access road to connect the tower to an existing electrical transformer. Two 14-inch diameter fir trees would be removed from the facility site. A total of approximately 0.23 acres of land within the park would be affected by the project, including the trenched area adjacent to the access road (0.19 acres), and the communications facility (0.04 acres).

Sequoia National Park is interested in public input on the environmental assessment for this project. The environmental assessment can be reviewed, and comments provided, through the NPS Planning, Environment and Public Comment (PEPC) website at https://parkplanning.nps.gov/WuksachiCellTower. A limited number of printed copies are available and can be obtained by calling Nancy Hendricks, Chief of Planning and Compliance, at 559-565-3102.

Written comments may be sent via mail or hand-delivery to:

Superintendent
Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks
Attn: Wuksachi Village Cell Tower
47050 Generals Highway
Three Rivers, CA 93271

Written comments may also be faxed to (559) 565-4202.

All written comments about this project must be transmitted, postmarked, or hand-delivered by November 26, 2018.

Before including your address, phone number, email 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.