The National Park Service (NPS) recently issued an internal memorandum which provides guidance for NPS’ involvement with other agencies’ projects, including comments NPS makes pursuant to any environmental review of those projects. Because NPS units are often surrounded by or near National Forests and BLM lands, NPS regularly comments on these agencies’ projects on those lands pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) review and comment process.
The guidance emphasized the need for NPS’ involvement to be limited to providing pertinent and relevant comments that protect NPS lands and resources, and that all comments should go through “appropriate management level review.” It also directed that all comments be “appropriate in tone and format,” focus on the facts and be “solution-oriented.” With regard to any comments that relate to the Department of Interior’s “priorities,” which include energy development and broadband access among others, all comments are required to first be emailed to NPS’ Natural Resource Stewardship and Science Directorate.