News Release

Public Comment Period Opens April 3 for Ridgeland Firing Range Report

NPS photo

News Release Date: April 3, 2026

TUPELO, Miss. — On April 3, the National Park Service will release a report and administrative record file about the former Ridgeland Firing Range on Natchez Trace Parkway for public review and comment. 

The firing range operated from 1984 to 2002 in Ridgeland, Miss. The NPS is working to address possible contamination at the site under a federal environmental law. 

The report, known as an Engineering Evaluation/Cost Analysis, explains the current environmental conditions at the site and presents possible cleanup options, including a recommended plan. The administrative record file consists of information considered or relied upon in preparing the report. 

The report and administrative record file are available online at  parkplanning.nps.gov/RidgelandRange. It can also be reviewed in person at the Natchez Trace Parkway Visitor Center, 2680 Natchez Trace Parkway in Tupelo, Miss. during regular business hours from Monday to Friday. 

The public is invited to review the report and administrative record and submit comments from April 3 through May 3. Comments can be submitted online at: parkplanning.nps.gov/RidgelandRange. 

Requests to extend the comment period by 15 days must be submitted before May 3 to [e-mail]. 

All comments will be part of the public record and may be reviewed by others. Commenters may ask that personal identifying information be withheld from public view, but the NPS cannot guarantee that it will be able to do so. 

###