NATIONAL PARK SERVICE ADMINISTRATIVE POLICIES for Natural Areas of the National Park System

UNITED STATES
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
National Park Service
Washington, D.C. 20240

October 28, 1969

PROCEDURES FOR PUBLIC REVIEW OF DRAFT MASTER PLANS

General
A public meeting will be held for the purpose of soliciting comments on drafts of master plans prepared for all existing areas of the National Park System. This procedure does not preclude the holding of meetings to obtain public reaction at an earlier stage in planning studies.

Purpose of Meeting
The meeting will provide opportunities for local residents, representatives of private organizations, and other Governmental agencies to participate in the park planning process. Such participation should result in helpful suggestions for park management and should contribute to an approved master plan which has a broad base of public understanding and support. Also, the meeting will focus more attention on the interrelationships between the park and its surrounding region.

Scope and Type of Meeting
The meeting will be "informal" and will not require a formal notice, such as publication in the "Federal Register" and recorded transcript, although an official transcript may be taken if the Regional Director determines that the size of the area or scope of the planning problems warrant.

The scope of the meeting is to discuss the proposed master plan—not wilderness proposals. Wilderness proposals will be presented later at a formal public hearing in conformance with the requirements of the Wilderness Act.

Scheduling and Notification
Master plans are ready for consideration at a public meeting or public meetings when the Regional Director has determined that they satisfactorily reflect the approved management objectives, the administrative policies of the Service, and the mandates of Congress. The Regional Director is responsible for preparing press releases and notifying all interested organizations and other Federal, State and local agencies of the public meeting. The public will be given 30 days before and 15 days after the date of the last public meeting, if a series of meetings are held, to review and comment on the working draft master plans. Copies of the draft plan will be available in the affected parks, the Regional Office, and the State Coordinator's Office, and in the Washington Office of the National Park Service.

The Superintendent will review the master plan with the local area Advisory Committee, where such exists, prior to the public meeting.

Conduct of the Public Meeting
The Superintendent in consultation with the Regional Director and Chief, Office of Resource Planning, will make local arrangements for the meeting. The meeting will be held in the immediate vicinity of the area under consideration. A suitable meeting place will be secured which is large enough to accommodate the number of persons expected to attend.

The Regional Director or his designee will conduct the public meeting. He will explain the ground rules of the meeting and make other appropriate remarks regarding the purpose of the meeting and the planning procedures of the National Park Service.

The Team Captain, who was responsible for field studies and preparation of the master plan, will make a succinct, informative presentation and provide technical backup assistance. His presentation will be an objective explanation of the rationale of the master plan. The reaction of the public will be sincerely sought and questions and answers will be encouraged.

Follow Up
Following each meeting (including the 15-day post-meeting period), a résumé will be prepared by the Superintendent which indicates the number in attendance, the names and affiliations of those who actively participated, a summary of major suggestions presented at the meeting as well as correspondence received before and after, and other pertinent factors. In cases where a transcript or tape recording is made, it must be summarized.

An evaluation of the public meeting and all related materials will be made by the Regional Director, Superintendent, Team Captain, local area Advisory Committee (if one exists), and Regional Advisory Committee, to determine what changes, if any, should be made to the proposed master plan before approval by the Regional Director.

The Regional Director will notify, by appropriate means, organizations, agencies and other interested parties of the approval of the master plan and the location where copies will be available for examination.