BANDELIER NATIONAL MONUMENT News
Photo by Greg Kendall/ladailypost.com
Bandelier National Monument has extended the public comment period on the management of the Tsankawi Unit to June 15.
Earlier this month, the park hosted two public meetings on the planning process.
They invited everyone who is interested in the future of Tsankawi to provide input on how best to manage the cultural and natural resources found there.
The Tsankawi Unit is an 826-acre area that is geographically separate from the main portion of Bandelier National Monument.
Tsankawi is home to more than 150 Ancestral Pueblo sites, including cavates, masonry pueblos, and petroglyphs.
It has current critical importance to the heritage, beliefs, customs, practices, and history of nearby San Ildefonso Pueblo.
San Ildefonso is home to the direct descendants of the people who inhabited the Tsankawi area, which is still a key part of their present-day cultural traditions and values.
Although approximately 60 percent of the main part of the Monument was burned in the Las Conchas Fire in June, 2011, the Tsankawi Unit was not directly impacted.
As a result, 2011 visitation at Tsankawi increased by 68 percent over 2010 figures; a trend that is expected to continue.
The parking area, Tsankawi Loop Trail, and visitor facilities are the only developed parts of the Tsankawi Unit.
Currently, visitor access is located on the east side of N.M. 4. The parking area is within the highway right-of-way and is not owned or maintained by the National Park Service.
Heavy traffic makes access challenging, particularly during morning and evening rush hour.
The purpose of the planning project is to develop alternatives for improved site access, facilities, and visitor experience for the entire site.
For additional information and to post comments online, visit the project website at: http://parkplanning.nps.gov/Tsankawi or by mail to: Bandelier National Monument, 15 Entrance Road, Los Alamos, N.M. 87544, attn: Tsankawi UMP Public Scoping.
Information about other events and ongoing activities is available by visiting the Bandelier National Monument website at www.nps.gov/band or the Monument Facebook page at BandelierNPS.
