NPS/Big Bend National Park

Remains of the Dorgan House, near Santa Elena Canyon

Date: November 26, 2007
Contact: David Elkowitz, 432 477-1108

The National Park Service (NPS) proposes to construct a ½-mile walking trail for visitor access to the Dorgan and Sublett historic sites near the Rio Grande River between Castolon and Santa Elena Canyon in Big Bend National Park (Park).  The trail would provide interpretation of the Rancho Estelle Historic District, which is important to communicating Park farming and ranching history.  The trail is needed to address erosion and resource damage caused by multiple informal “social trails” formed by foot traffic from visitors exploring the historic sites adjacent to Park Route 16 (Santa Elena Canyon Road).  Following trail construction, areas damaged by social trails would be rehabilitated to prevent further resource damage.  The new trail would provide visitors a safer opportunity to experience important Park resources, and it would facilitate the correction of erosion problems that threaten natural and cultural resources.

An Environmental Assessment (EA) analyzing the proposed action will be prepared in compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and the Council on Environmental Quality’s regulations implementing NEPA (40 CFR 1508.9).  The EA will also include an “assessment of effect” to cultural resources, in compliance with Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA).

Big Bend National Park invites comments from interested agencies and the public.  For more information, please visit the Big Bend National Park website or the National Park Service Planning, Environment and Public Comment (PEPC) website at: http://parkplanning.nps.gov/bibe.  Written comments may be submitted on the PEPC website or may be sent to:  Superintendent, P.O. Box 129, Big Bend National Park, Texas, 79834.

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.  The 30-day scoping comment period starts on November 29, 2007 and ends on December 29, 2007.