Contact: Jim Nepstad, 563-873-3491 ext 101
On February 25, the National Park Service (NPS) will begin seeking the public's comments on a Draft Cultural Landscape Report and Environmental Assessment (CLR/EA) for Effigy Mounds National Monument. The public is encouraged to download and comment on the Draft CLR/EA during the public review period, which will run from February 25 through March 25. A Cultural Landscape Report serves multiple purposes. First, it documents what is known of the park's landscape: its origins, its evolution over time, its cultural features, and its current condition. Second, it proposes treatment recommendations for managing the landscape in order to ensure the long-term preservation of its resources and values. "In short," said Superintendent Jim Nepstad, "this is a critically important document for Effigy Mounds National Monument. It provides park staff with both the how and the why when it comes to management practices involving the mounds and their surrounding landscape." The planning effort has been underway since 2013, and has included close coordination with twenty American Indian tribes, Iowa's State Historic Preservation Office, and the Office of the State Archaeologist. "If you want a good plan, you bring in good people," Nepstad explained. "Now we're hoping the public will give it a look and let us know how it might be further improved or strengthened. Weighing in at 400+ pages, the Draft CLR/EA is a hefty document. But readers with an interest in the park will find it extremely informative." The Environmental Assessment portion of the document weighs different treatment alternatives against the park's current practices. One alternative features a mound-centered preservation approach, and another features a broader landscape rehabilitation approach. Park staff will be hosting a pair of open houses in order to discuss the Draft CLR/EA, answer questions, and receive input. The first meeting will be held on March 7, from 1:00 pm to 3:00 pm at the Marquette City Hall, located at 88 North Street in Marquette, Iowa. The second meeting will be held on March 9, from 5:00 pm to 7:00 pm at the Effigy Mounds National Monument Visitor Center, located 3 miles north of Marquette on Highway 76. How to get a copy, and how to comment: Beginning February 25, the document will be available for download at https://parkplanning.nps.gov/efmoclr. Comments may be submitted electronically from the project home page at https://parkplanning.nps.gov/efmoclrpage, or mailed to the park at Effigy Mounds National Monument, 151 HWY 76, Harpers Ferry, IA 52146. To receive consideration, comments must be received by the end of the day on March 25, 2016. For more information, or for questions about the Draft Cultural Landscape Report, please contact Superintendent Jim Nepstad at jim_nepstad@nps.gov or 563-873-3491, extension 101, or Cultural Resource Program Manager Albert LeBeau at albert_lebeau@nps.gov or 563-873-3491, extension 501. |
Last updated: February 19, 2016