News Release

Mesa Verde National Park Invites Public Comment on Proposed Fire Management Plan

Date: January 5, 2022
Contact: Kristy Sholly, 970-529-4628

MESA VERDE, CO-- The National Park Service (NPS) is proposing to develop and implement a new fire management plan (FMP) for Mesa Verde National Park (MVNP) and Yucca House National Monument (YHNM) (“the parks”). The FMP is expected to consider wildland fire management practices, techniques, and tools including ground and aviation operations, suppression, and fire fuels management such as manual, mechanical, and prescribed fire treatments.  

As part of this process, we are initiating a 30-day comment period (beginning on Thursday, January 6th, 2022) on the preliminary concepts and the environment at the parks that could be affected by this proposed project. You are encouraged to share your observations, concerns, and ideas about the information presented in a newsletter posted online to help us focus the concepts on significant issues in the parks. The newsletter is available at https://parkplanning.nps.gov/MEVE. The information obtained during this public comment period will be used to refine the concepts, identify issues, and ensure that we have the information needed to move forward in the planning process. 

More opportunities for public comment will be available during this planning process. Once we have refined the proposed action and affected resources for analysis with public input, we will begin the second phase of planning. We will initiate the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) process and prepare an appropriate NEPA document.  

Public participation is an important element of the planning process and we welcome your ideas, concerns, issues, suggestions, and potential topics for consideration as we refine the concepts. Please share your comments no later than Saturday, February 5, 2022, online through the Planning, Environment, and Public Comment (PEPC) website at https://parkplanning.nps.gov/MEVE.  

We look forward to hearing your ideas and comments. 

Before individuals include their address, phone number, email address, or other personal identifying information in their comment, they should be aware that their entire comment, including their personal identifying information, may be made publicly available at any time. Individuals may request that the NPS withhold their name and/or address from public disclosure. If individuals wish to do this, they must state this prominently at the beginning of their comment and make such a request by checking the box "keep my contact information private." on the website. The NPS will honor such requests to the extent allowable by law, but individuals should be aware that NPS may still be required to disclose personal identifying information