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June 6, 2012

Death Valley N.P. Begins Environmental & Management Process For Saline Valley

Death Valley National Park is initiating the public scoping process for Saline Valley Warm Springs:

Death Valley National Park is pleased to announce the initiation of the public scoping process for developing the Saline Valley Warm Springs Management Plan and environmental impact statement (EIS). Your input and engagement are important to this planning process.

The purpose of the Saline Valley Warm Springs Management Plan/EIS is to:

  • Provide a framework for natural and cultural resources management at the Warm Springs area;
  • Provide a framework for administration and operations at the Warm Springs area;
  • Provide a framework for managing visitor use at the Warm Springs area;
  • Provide guidance for Death Valley National Park managers as they work with various stakeholders of the Warm Springs area; and
  • Balance management of natural resources, ethnographic resources, and visitor use.

The National Park Service is seeking public and agency input in order to help define issues and shape alternatives for this planning process.
Comment Period: 05/25/2012 - 08/06/2012

Topic Questions Instructions:

Please consider these topic questions as a starting point for focusing your comments. When responding, please number your response to match the corresponding question.

Topic Questions:

  1. What types of recreational use of Saline Valley Warm Springs are important to you?
  2. What visitor activities do you feel are appropriate in the Saline Valley Warm Springs area?
  3. What are your thoughts on management of feral burros in Saline Valley?
  4. How do you feel about the camping situation at the springs?
  5. Do you have suggestions about how the National Park Service can best manage the anticipated increase in visitors to Warm Springs over the next 15-20 years?
  6. Do you have any concerns about the use of the Chicken Strip airstrip?

Open house meetings on the subject of the management plan and environmental impact statement for Saline Valley Warm Springs will be next week.

Death Valley News Release

Release Date: May 25, 2012
Contact: Mike Cipra
Phone: 760-786-3227


Public Scoping Notice
Saline Valley Warm Springs Management Plan
Environmental Impact Statement
Death Valley National Park

The National Park Service (NPS) is seeking public input to help inform and shape the development of a management plan and environmental impact statement for the Saline Valley Warm Springs area of Death Valley National Park (Park).

The purpose of the proposed plan is to provide a framework for managing this remote yet popular area of the park, balancing the protection of unique natural and cultural resources with public health and visitor use at the Saline Valley Warm Springs.

Public input is very important to this planning process, and the NPS will be hosting three open house style public meetings in regional gateway communities on June 12-14, 2012. At the public scoping meetings the NPS will present the objectives of the plan/EIS and provide opportunity for attendees to comment in order to identify environmental impacts, issues, and concerns for the planning process. Information gathered during this time period will help planners advance to the next stage of the process, the development of draft plan/EIS, which will include a range of management alternatives.

On Tuesday June 12, the NPS will be hosting an open house from 5:00 pm until 8:00 pm at the Inyo National Forest Office located at 351 Pacu Lane in Bishop, CA.

On Wednesday June 13, the NPS will be hosting an open house from 5:00 pm to 8:00 pm in Ridgecrest, CA at the Kerr McGee Center, which is located on 100 West California Avenue in the city of Ridgecrest.

On Thursday June 14, the NPS will be hosting an open house from 5:00 pm to 8:00 pm in Victorville, CA at the Mojave Desert Air Quality Management District, located at 14306 Park Avenue in Victorville.

Comments for this phase of the planning process will be accepted until July 31, 2012. There are several ways to provide comments. Comments will be accepted in person at the public open house meetings. Additionally, public comment may be submitted online until July 31, 2012, at the NPS Planning, Environment and Public Comment website:

http://parkplanning.nps.gov/SalineValleyScoping

If you do not have internet access, you may direct comments regarding this project to the park in writing by mail or hand delivery to:

Death Valley National Park
ATTN: Saline Valley Management Plan
P.O. Box 579
Death Valley, CA 92328

Comments may also be emailed to [email protected]. Comments in any format (hard copy or electronic) submitted by an individual or organization on behalf of another individual or organization will not be accepted.

An unofficial discussion forum is here.

Filed under California | permalink | June 6, 2012 at 06:28 AM

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