News Release

Public Comments Sought on Proposed Woolsey Fire Recovery

Peter Strauss Ranch after the Woolsey Fire. November 2019.

National Park Service

News Release Date: June 15, 2021

Contact: Ana Beatriz Cholo, 805-750-9356 (cell); 805-370-2385 (office)

THOUSAND OAKS, Calif.— The public is invited to provide comments on the redevelopment of sites within Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area that were burned in the 2018 Woolsey Fire. The National Park Service (NPS) is initiating a public scoping phase to kick off the preparation of an environmental assessment under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA).   

The proposed recovery work would replace facilities at three sites: Paramount Ranch, Rocky Oaks, and Peter Strauss Ranch. The planning team strives to evaluate the restoration of visitor services, employee housing, and cultural features.

While the park plans to use the same locations for the redevelopment, the goal is to make the new facilities meet modern codes and be more functional and efficient. Additional details about the Woolsey Fire are available on the park website here.  

During this initial public scoping period, the following types of comments are particularly helpful:  

• Information about the project area that the NPS should consider during the analysis,  

• Information about how you use the project area and how the project might affect that use,  

• Other projects or activities that might affect or be affected by the project,  

• Resource and other impacts that should be considered, and  

• Other ideas, studies, data, or alternative ways of meeting the project objectives.  

How to Comment:
The NPS encourages public participation throughout the planning process. There will be two opportunities to comment formally on the proposed project—once now during scoping and again following release of the environmental assessment.  During this current scoping phase, the NPS invites the public to submit written suggestions, comments, and concerns regarding the proposed project. There are two ways to submit comments now: 

• Submit comments electronically here (preferred method)
• Submit written comments to: Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area, ATTN: Woolsey Fire Disaster Recovery, 401 W. Hillcrest Drive, Thousand Oaks, CA 91360.   

Comments will not be accepted verbally or by fax, email, or in any way other than those specified above. Bulk comments in any format (hard copy or electronic) submitted on behalf of others will not be accepted. All comments must be received or postmarked by midnight, July 16, 2021. 

Please include your full name and address and/or email address with the comments so we may add you to our mailing list for future notices about this process.

You should be aware that your entire comment—including personal identifying information such as your address, phone number, and e‐mail address—may be made publicly available at any time. While you can ask us in your comment to withhold your personal identifying information from public review, we cannot guarantee that we will be able to do so.  
 

Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area (SMMNRA) is the largest urban national park in the country, encompassing more than 150,000 acres of mountains and coastline in Ventura and Los Angeles counties. A unit of the National Park Service, it comprises a seamless network of local, state, and federal parks interwoven with private lands and communities. As one of only five Mediterranean ecosystems in the world, SMMNRA preserves the rich biological diversity of more than 450 animal species and 26 distinct plant communities. For more information, visit nps.gov/samo.

About the National Park Service. More than 20,000 National Park Service employees care for America's 419 national parks and work with communities across the nation to help preserve local history and create close-to-home recreational opportunities. Learn more at www.nps.gov, and on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube. 

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