Management and Regulations

White Sands is proud of the partnerships it maintains.

NPS Photo

 

The dunes have been here for thousands of years, but it was not until 1933 that it began to be preserved by the National Park Service. Today, White Sands has developed many ways of managing recreational activities while still protecting the White Sands. Volunteers and cooperating associations, like the Western National Parks Association, are key components in the teamwork that takes place to manage White Sands.

 

Management

 

NPS Photo

Establishment of White Sands National Park
On December 20, 2019, White Sands became the 62nd national park in the United States. The congressional legislation was in Subtitle E of the 2020 National Defense Authorization Act.

 

Public Domain

Enabling Legislation for White Sands National Monument

Legislation enacted by President Herbert Hoover in 1933 led to the establishment of White Sands National Monument.

 

NPS Photo

Foundation Document Overview

Every unit of the national park system will have a foundational document to provide basic guidance for planning and management decisions—a foundation for planning and management. The core components of a foundation document include a brief description of the park, park purpose, significance statements, fundamental resources and values, other important resources and values, and interpretive themes.

 

NASA Photo

White Sands Purpose and Significance Statements

Every national park or monument has a reason why it was created. White Sands National Park is no different. Learn about the significance of White Sands and what the National Park Service protects here.

 

E. Ibarra Photo

Primary Interpretive Themes for White Sands

Attaching meanings to places and things is a fundamental human trait. Story is the communication tool that most effectively facilitates exploration of resource meanings. Parks develop a set of overarching story summaries to organize the largest-scale ideas and meanings related to the park's resources. These summaries are called primary interpretive themes.

 

NPS Photo

Park Statistics
This document provides a quick overview of key park data including management, infrastructure, geography, and park resources.

 

Regulations

 

NPS Photo

Superintendent's Compendium

The purpose of the Superintendent's Compendium is to articulate the regulations that provide for the proper use, management, government, and protection of persons, property, and natural and cultural resources within areas under the jurisdiction of the National Park Service at White Sands National Park.