Los Alamos Reporter

National Park Service Invites Public Comment On Bandelier National Monument’s Fire Management Plan Environmental Assessment

Pile burning off Highway 4 in Bandelier National Monument. Photo by K. Honig, 2003

BANDELIER NEWS RELEASE

The National Park Service seeks public input on the Fire Management Plan Environmental Assessment for Bandelier National Monument, New Mexico.

Bandelier’s Fire Management Plan will outline strategies to protect the public, surrounding communities, and critical infrastructure; reduce wildfire risk; conserve natural and cultural resources; preserve ecosystem processes; and ensure responsible stewardship of the park’s diverse landscapes.

The Environmental Assessment evaluates two alternatives – a no action option and the park’s proposed action. Under the no action option, the park would continue to implement the 2005 Wildland Fire Management Program. Under the park’s proposed option, an update would allow strategic management of wildfire, defensible space, forest thinning, and prescribed fire across a broader area of the park and would enhance partnerships, fire education, and adaptive management.

“Community perspectives are essential in shaping a fire management plan that reflects safety, wildfire risk reduction, preservation of cultural and natural resources, science, and local values,” said Superintendent Patrick Suddath. “Your input will help guide how we protect this fire-prone landscape for generations to come.”

The public is invited to review the Fire Management Plan Environmental Assessment and share feedback during an extended 45-day comment period from Dec. 19, 2025, to Feb. 1, 2026, to allow adequate time for public comment during the holidays. Comments can be submitted online through the National Park Service Planning, Environment, and Public Comment (PEPC) website: https://parkplanning.nps.gov/BANDFMPEA2025 or mailed to the address below.

 How to Participate

  • Review the Fire Management Plan Environmental Assessment and explore the interactive StoryMap, available online at https://parkplanning.nps.gov/BANDFMPEA2025
  • Submit comments via the PEPC website or by mail to:
    Bandelier National Monument, Attn: Laura Trader, Fire Management Plan EA15 Entrance Road, Los Alamos, New Mexico 87544

Bandelier National Monument | Bandelier protects, preserves, and interprets an outstanding portion of the Pajarito Plateau, including one of the largest concentrations of Ancestral Pueblo archaeological sites in the American Southwest. The park provides opportunities for people to connect with and enjoy a diversity of cultural and natural resources, striking scenery, wildlife habitats, remnants of a volcanic landscape, and wilderness. For more information about Bandelier visit www.nps.gov/band. Follow us on Facebook and Instagram.

National Park Service | More than 20,000 National Park Service employees care for America’s 430+ national parks and work with communities across the nation to help preserve local history and create close-to-home recreational opportunities. Learn more at www.nps.gov, and on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube