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Date: June 29, 2006
Contact: KellyAnn Gorman, 540-999-3393

Superintendent Chas Cartwright announced today the completion of a Fire Management Plan for Shenandoah National Park. After closing the public review period for the Environmental Assessment (EA) for the new Fire Management Plan, park staff carefully considered each comment received. Several small changes were made to the EA, and these are recorded in an Errata Sheet and are a permanent part of the decision record. Park staff determined, based on analysis in the EA and on comments received during public review, that the selected alternative will have no significant impacts. A Finding of No Significant Impact Decision Notice (FONSI) has been prepared to document this decision. The FONSI includes the Record of Decision, the park’s responses to the comments received, and the Errata Sheet documenting the changes to the EA.

Following approval of the FONSI, Shenandoah National Park has revised and updated the park’s Fire Management Plan. The selected alternative is Alternative 2. The 2006 Fire Management Plan (FMP) describes in detail the way the park will implement Alternative 2. It identifies how natural and prescribed fire and fuels management projects will be used to achieve desired natural resource conditions while protecting park and adjacent values from the adverse impacts of fire. Changes have been made to the fire management program to bring fire management activities in the park up to date with new federal fire policies, such as the 2001 Federal Wildland Fire Management Policy. Modifications have been made to park fire management strategies and goals to incorporate the latest available scientific information about the role and effects of fire in ecosystems. The new program incorporates suppression, prescribed fire, wildland fire use, and non-fire treatments.

Copies of the FONSI and the FMP are available on CD from several sources. Written requests may be mailed to Superintendent, Shenandoah National Park, 3655 U.S. Highway 211 East, Luray, VA 22835-9036, or faxed to (540) 999-3601. You may call the park’s Fire Office at 540.999.3441/3442/3393 to request a CD. The documents may also be downloaded electronically through the following web site: http://parkplanning.nps.gov. (search for Shenandoah National Park).