Meeting to be Held on Wilderness Stewardship Strategy at Theodore Roosevelt National Park

Date: May 11, 2010

Theodore Roosevelt National Park will hold an informal public meeting on Wednesday, May 19 to discuss the park's Wilderness Stewardship Strategy. The meeting will be an open-house format from 5 to 8 PM MDT, in the Roosevelt Room of the Medora Community Center. Refreshments will be served.

"The park's Theodore Roosevelt Wilderness was established in 1978, but we have never had an official document that outlines our management strategy for the Wilderness Area," said Superintendent Valerie J. Naylor. "We are now formalizing a document so that all park staff and visitors know what activities are appropriate in the Wilderness and what our goals are for the Wilderness Area in the park."

Theodore Roosevelt National Park has released a Draft Wilderness Stewardship Strategy for managing the 29,920 acres of designated Wilderness in the north and south units of the park.  The public may comment on the draft document until June 15, 2010.  Those who would like to read the draft plan in advance can find it on the park's website at https://www.nps.gov/thro/parkmgmt/planning.htm after Friday, May 14.

"We are not proposing any new wilderness within the park boundaries, and we are not planning any major changes in our stewardship of the Theodore Roosevelt Wilderness area," said Naylor. "However, we hope the public will read the document and make any comments that might be helpful as we finalize our stewardship strategy."

Comments on the document will be taken at the meeting, or can be mailed to Superintendent, Theodore Roosevelt National Park, P.O. Box 7, Medora, North Dakota 58645 or e-mail to e-mail us.

Printed copies of the draft wilderness stewardship strategy will be available for review after May 14 at the park visitor centers in the North and South Units.