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Guadalupe Mountains National Park Invites Public Input on Proposal
to Enhance Visitor Use at Salt Basin Dunes Area

(Pine Springs, TX) Guadalupe Mountains National Park Superintendent Dennis A. Vásquez announced that the National Park Service (NPS) is initiating a plan to enhance visitor use at the Salt Basin Dunes area on the west side of the park. The NPS is seeking public input on a proposal to improve trail head facilities in an area of the park that includes the second largest gypsum dune field in the United States, as well as cultural sites, wildlife and plant life. The area was added to the national park in 1998 and has been accessible to the public on a limited basis. The NPS proposes to improve public access by improving road access and providing facilities to include parking for up to 10 vehicles, restrooms, and a shaded picnic shelter. The public is invited to review a draft document, which outlines the background and possible alternatives. The document can be found at the NPS Planning Site.

The NPS will complete an environmental analysis consistent with the National Environmental< Policy Act (NEPA) and National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA). It is anticipated that this process will take approximately 90 days to complete and this is the first of two points in the process where public comments will be invited. The plan and environmental assessment will take into consideration ideas, issues, concerns and visions of park staff and the public for the Salt Basin Dunes. Visitor access to the Salt Basin Dunes has been addressed in the park’s Draft General Management Plan/Environmental Impact Statement (February 2008).

Vásquez stated, “We would like to hear from the public about our proposal to improve the visitor access and experience in the Salt Basin Dunes area. Once we have a complete list of issues, we will define planning alternatives and prepare a Development Concept Plan/Environmental Assessment for public review and comment.”

Chihuahuan Desert Links

-Chihuahuan Desert Natural History Course Online from the UTEP Centennial Museum website
-The Mammals of Texas Online Edition
-Takota, a Golden Eagle from the El Paso Zoo.
-Trans Pecos Audubon Bird Checklists. Discover our Chihuahuan Desert Birds
-Share El Paso with Native Plants and Wildlife.
-Native Tree List. Help create wildlife habitat in your neighborhood, plant a native tree in your front yard to provide shade on your street near the sidewalk and somewhere in your backyard. 
-Ever Seen a Big Bend Quonker?  
-Eco-based Conservation in the Chihuahuan Desert - WWF     
-Chihuahuan Desert Nature Center, Fort Davis, Texas
-El Paso Naturally Blog
-Checklist to Mammals of Carlsbad Caverns National Park

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