News Release

Tobin Roop selected as superintendent of Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park and Curecanti National Recreation Area

News Release Date: September 18, 2026

MONTROSE, Colo. - The National Park Service has selected Tobin Roop as superintendent of Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park and Curecanti National Recreation Area. Roop brings 24 years of National Park Service experience in leadership, resource management, park operations, partnerships and major project management.

“Tobin brings extensive experience in resource stewardship, partnership building and collaborative leadership to this position,” said Herbert Frost, National Park Service Intermountain Regional Director. “Black Canyon of the Gunnison and Curecanti are extraordinary places that provide world-class recreational opportunities while supporting conservation and the economy of surrounding communities. I’m confident Tobin will work closely with park staff, partners, stakeholders and local communities to steward these important resources for the future.”

Roop currently serves as chief of the Branch of Cultural Resources at Yellowstone National Park, where he leads a multidisciplinary program responsible for cultural resource stewardship, planning, compliance, Tribal consultation and collections management. He works across park divisions and with external partners on projects ranging from resource protection and facility maintenance to major infrastructure improvements.

During his career at Yellowstone, Roop has also served in several acting leadership positions, including chief of the Yellowstone Center for Resources, deputy chief of the Yellowstone Center for Resources and chief of the Branch of Environmental Quality and Compliance. His work has included environmental planning, natural and cultural resource management, emergency response and work on some of the park’s largest infrastructure projects.

Before joining Yellowstone in 2009, Roop served as chief of maintenance and cultural resources at Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve in Kansas, where he oversaw preservation and maintenance of the historic Spring Hill/Z-Bar Ranch. He began his National Park Service career at Salinas Pueblo Missions National Monument in New Mexico, where he served as park archeologist and managed cultural resource programs, historic and prehistoric structures, environmental compliance and project planning. Roop earned a bachelor’s degree in anthropology from Kansas State University.

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About the National Park Service. Established in 1916, the National Park Service preserves America’s most treasured natural and cultural places for the enjoyment, education and inspiration of current and future generations. Learn more at nps.gov.

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