Death Valley NP Announces Public Scoping Period

Date: May 29, 2012

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: https://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 [e-mail] in any format (hard copy or electronic) submitted by an individual or organization on behalf of another individual or organization will not be accepted.

Notice Regarding FOIA

It is the practice of the NPS to make all comments, including names and addresses of respondents who provide that information, available for public review following the conclusion of the environmental assessment process. Individuals may request that the NPS withhold their name and/or address from public disclosure. If you wish to do this, you must state this prominently at the beginning of your comment. Commentators using the website can make such a request by checking the box "keep my contact information private."NPS will honor such requests to the extent allowable by law, but you should be aware that NPS may still be required to disclose your name and address pursuant to the Freedom of Information Act. We will make all submissions from organizations, businesses, and from individuals identifying themselves as representatives or officials of organizations or businesses available for public inspection in their entirety.

-NPS-