AMISTAD NRA DEVELOPS NEW MANAGEMENT PLAN

The National Park Service will be asking for public input as it develops a new management plan for Amistad National Recreation Area. Public comment will be included in an environmental impact statement for a general management plan (GMP) for Amistad. The final product will be a comprehensive GMP to provide the frame work for making management decisions about the preservation of natural and cultural resources, visitor use and interpretation, and development of the appropriate park facilities.

According to Superintendent Alan Cox, “The primary purpose of the GMP is to provide a long-range vision of where we want Amistad National Recreation Area to be in the future and provide broad goals for achieving that vision.” Cox continued, “We will be issuing a newsletter during the scoping phase. If you would like to be on our mailing list, contact us at the addresses below.”

Major issues at Amistad National Recreation Area include:

• Lower water levels have reduced the number of access points to the reservoir, which has affected recreational uses and caused the development of a network of social roads and trails.
• The need to consider establishing fees for hunting within in the park.
• The need for a new administrative facility and visitor’s center.
• Trans-boundary issues and the need for increased cooperation between the National Park Service and its counterparts in the governments of Mexico.
• Declining water levels in the reservoir have exposed numerous significant archeological sites to erosion, vandalism, and damage from livestock.
• Increasing numbers of domestic livestock and exotic game species are grazing on park land, posing potential impacts on cultural sites and habitats for native species.
• The need to address the potential acquisition of additional private lands within the legislated boundaries of the park.

The National Park Service will conduct public meetings and solicit comments from state, county, and city agencies, and organizations; park neighbors; state historical preservation officer, and associated American Indian tribes for Amistad’s environmental assessment and GMP. This process is under the provisions of the National Environmental Policy Act, and notice was published in the Federal Register on January 16, 2003.

Public involvement will play a critical role in the preparation of the environmental impact statement that will analyze the impacts of the management alternatives in the draft general management plan. The superintendent and the planning team will consult continuously with adjacent landowners, park users, local and state government officials, and the general public to gather input relevant to the development of the general management plan. The superintendent will work closely with these interested parties to ensure that their concerns are considered in the planning process and to gain consensus for the plan.

For further information contact Superintendent Alan W Cox or Management Assistant Mark Morgan at (830) 775-7491, extension 201 or 234, respectively. Email can be addressed to amis_superintendent@nps.gov. The mailing address is Amistad National Recreation Area, HCR 3 Box 5J, Del Rio TX 78840.

Press Releases
http://www.nps.gov/amis/newgmp.htm
Released 1-28-2003
For more information regarding this press release, or for further information, contact the Park's Public Information Officer at 830-775-7491,
or write:  Amistad National Recreation Area . HCR 3, Box 5-J . Del Rio, TX 78840