Planning and Civic Engagement

Park staff and the public discuss issues at a climbing management meeting.

NPS photo

 

Overview

The National Park Service (NPS) invests in planning to ensure that decisions it makes are as effective and efficient as possible in carrying out the NPS mission. That mission is to preserve unimpaired the natural and cultural resources and values of the National Park System for the enjoyment, education, and inspiration of this and future generations and to cooperate with partners to extend the benefits of resource conservation and outdoor recreation.

National Park Service policy welcomes civic engagement in planning, decision-making, and considering the future of the resources held in trust for the public. Additionally, federal law requires the National Park Service to engage in transparent planning efforts and to solicit public and agency input in decision-making. These laws include the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA), and the Endangered Species Act. Actions taken by the National Park Service to implement the legal provisions of these laws are frequently referred to as “compliance.” Park staff are responsible for project management and design, review of other agency projects and neighboring development plans, and management of compliance with NEPA and other laws and regulations.

Park staff are also responsible for preparing a variety of planning and environmental documents to help guide the National Park Service in managing park resources. These documents can range from site-specific impact analyses on facility improvements to broader park-wide plans for future use and management of the park. While park staff members are responsible for preparation of these documents and ultimately making decisions, this often cannot be done effectively without public involvement.

The 2011 General Management Plan (GMP) establishes a vision for New River Gorge National River (now redesignated as New River Gorge National Park and Preserve) for the next 20 years. It guides the management of resources, visitor use, and general development at the park. The primary purpose of the plan is to provide a foundation from which to protect park resources while providing for meaningful visitor experiences. The selected alternative, Alternative 5 – Exploration Experiences, preserves primitive recreational experiences across the park. Interspersed with these primitive areas will be cultural and interpretive focal areas where visitors can explore communities and other places that once populated to gorge, experience the river, and enjoy a variety of recreational experiences. A north to south through-the-park connector composed of improved scenic roads and trails will enable visitors to travel the length of the park. Partnerships with gateway communities and improved rim-to-river experiences will foster links to the park as a whole and to specific cultural and interpretive resources.

The park developed a Foundation Document in 2016; this document provides basic guidance for planning and management decisions by laying out a single, shared understanding of what is most important about the park. The document includes the park’s purpose, significance, fundamental resources and values, and interpretive themes. The document also contains an assessment of planning and data needs that identifies planning issues, planning products to be developed, and the associated studies and data required for park planning.

 

Planning documents currently available include:

• Nuttallburg Visitor Use Area Implementation Plan/EA
• Design and Build Hike and Bike Trails and Analyze Bicycle Use of Trails in the Park
• New River Gorge National River GMP/EIS
• Trail Development Plan Phase One: Through Park Connector; Northern Half, River Left
• GAOA-Funded Demolition of NERI Non-Historic Structures
• Pike Drive Pond Decommissioning and Reclamation

 

General Management Plan

 

Documents Open for Public Review

There are currently no projects with documents open for public review for New River Gorge National Park & Preserve.

Other Plans and Projects

An archive of completed projects as well as projects without documents open for comment may be found on the PEPC website.

 

Planning, Environment, and Public Comment (PEPC) is an online collaborative tool dedicated to facilitating the civic engagement process in conservation planning, environmental impact analysis and informed decision-making. PEPC allows parks to improve efficiency and implement agency guidelines.