Extension of Public Comment Period

Date: June 11, 2012

The National Park Service (NPS) has extended the scoping period for public input to help inform the development of a management plan and environmental impact statement for the Saline Valley Warm Springs area of Death Valley National Park (Park). Comments for this phase of the planning process will now be accepted until August 6, 2012.

Public input is very important to this planning process, and the NPS is extending the comment period to allow for all members of the interested public to share their perspectives and suggestions. Comments may be submitted online until August 6, 2012, at the NPS Planning, Environment and Public Comment website: https://parkplanning.nps.gov/SalineValleyScoping

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.

Additionally, 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.

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.

If you do not have internet access and cannot attend the meetings, 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.

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