BANDELIER NATIONAL MONUMENT News
Bandelier National Monument has announced that the park is initiating a 30-day scoping period, from April 16, 2012 to May 15, 2012, as part of planning to improve resource protection and visitor understanding of the unique Tsankawi Unit. The resulting decisions will provide guidance and direction for managing visitor safety, accessibility, and natural and cultural resource protection for the next ten years.
Photo by Greg Kendall/ladailypost.com
According to Park Superintendent Jason Lott, “We invite everyone who is interested in the future of Tsankawi to participate in the 30-day scoping period. We are hoping for lots of public input on how best to manage the cultural and natural resources there.”
The public is invited to attend an open house on May 9, 2012 at Fuller Lodge from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. and from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. Fuller Lodge is located at 2132 Central Avenue in Los Alamos, NM. This meeting will provide an opportunity for members of the public to meet and speak with park staff, learn more about the project, and provide comments.
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 sixty 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 sixty-eight 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 State Road 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 your comments online, please visit the project website at: http://parkplanning.nps.gov/Tsankawi or by mail to: Bandelier National Monument, 15 Entrance Road, Los Alamos, NM 87544 attn: Tsankawi UMP Public Scoping. The comment period ends on May 15, 2012.
