Planning

The National Park Service conducts open house events and public meetings to get input from the public about proposed management plans.

NPS Photo

 

The National Park Service uses Planning, Environment and Public Comment (PEPC) for Park Planning. PEPC is a comprehensive information and public comment site for projects. Check the PEPC website for currently open and recently open plans and projects at Reconstruction Era National Historical Park.

The National Park Service’s planning is done with full public involvement and in coordination with the City of Anniston, Calhoun County, and other stakeholders. Open houses and public meetings will be held to discuss the management plan and invite the public to share ideas for the future of the monument.

 

This site located just outside of Anniston is where the Freedom Riders were attacked and their bus was burned. This is also the site the Master Plan and Environmental Assessment is seeking feedback about.

NPS/ Kevin Chandler

Documents Open for Public Review

Bus Burning Site Master Plan and Environmental Assessment

Freedom Riders National Monument is seeking public comments on a Master Plan and Environmental Assessment for the Bus Burning Site six miles west of Anniston, Alabama along Old Birmingham Highway. The site is the location where, on May 14, 1961, a Greyhound bus carrying Freedom Riders seeking to desegregate interstate public transportation was viciously attacked and set ablaze.

Public commenting on the Master Plan and Environmental Assessment is open from August 25 to September 24, 2025. The NPS encourages the public to download and review the Master Plan and Environmental Assessment at the project website. You can add your comments in three ways.

Online:

Go the project website and select selecting “Open for Comment” on the left menu bar and then selecting “Bus Burning Site Master Plan and Environmental Assessment.” Comments must be submitted online by September 24, 2025.

Local Meeting:

A public meeting will be held at the national monument’s historic Greyhound Bus Depot site at 1031 Gurnee Avenue in Anniston on Tuesday, September 9th, from 6pm to 7:30pm.

Mail:

Mailed comments postmarked by September 24, 2025. Mailed comments should be sent to this address to be accepted:

National Park Service Denver Service Center
Attn: Freedom Riders NM Plan / Charles Lawson
1 Denver Federal Center, Building 50
Denver, CO 80225