A Grand Canyon National Park News Release

December 17, 2004
For Immediate Release

GRAND CANYON NATIONAL PARK EXTENDS PUBLIC COMMENT
PERIOD ON DRAFT ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT
TO REVISE COLORADO RIVER MANAGEMENT PLAN

Comment Period Extended Until February 1, 2005

Grand Canyon National Park Superintendent, Joseph F. Alston, today announced an extension of the comment period on the draft environmental impact statement (EIS) to revise the Colorado River Management Plan (CRMP) for Grand Canyon National Park. The timeframe has been extended from January 7, 2005 to February 1, 2005.

"Given the complexity of the document and the intense level of interest, we felt it was best to extend the comment period until February 1," Alston said. "This will give everyone additional time to study the draft and provide us with the most substantive comments possible."

The National Park Service prepared the draft EIS for the CRMP under the provisions of the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969. The initial 90-day public comment period began on October 8, 2004, with publication of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Notice of Availability (NOA) in the Federal Register. This extension will be announced in the Federal Register as well.

A complete copy of the draft EIS can be downloaded at www.nps.gov/grca/crmp. A CD with the complete document can be ordered online at the same website.

During the past two months, seven public meetings were conducted to receive comments about the draft EIS. The meetings were held in Las Vegas, Nevada; Denver, Colorado; Salt Lake City, Utah; Phoenix, Arizona; San Francisco, California; Washington, D.C; and Flagstaff, Arizona.

The proposed CRMP is a visitor use management plan that specifies actions to preserve park resources while providing recreational opportunities in the river corridor. The plan is designed to cover the next decade, and will also establish goals and objectives for a longer timeframe.

Comments on the draft EIS can be submitted any one of the following ways:

• Mail to CRMP Project, Grand Canyon National Park, P.O. Box 129, Grand
• Canyon, Arizona 86023;
• Through the Park's website at www.nps.gov/grca/crmp;
• Fax to CRMP project at 928-638-7797; or
• Hand-deliver to Grand Canyon National Park

A summary of the scoping process and planning materials are also available on the Internet at www.nps.gov/grca/crmp. For further information on this planning process, please contact Rick Ernenwein at 928-779-6279, or Mary Killeen at 928-638-7885.

- NPS -

Editors Note: To be placed on the park's CRMP Newsletter mailing list, please send your request along with your mailing and email address to: grca_crmp@nps.gov.