Dear Friends,

"The period for submitting written public comments has been extended 60 days. Comments must be postmarked no later than October 6, 2004."

The schedule for public meetings that will take place during the SEKI GMP/DEIS public comment period is listed below. At the meetings, a brief presention of the plan alternatives and planning issues will be followed with opportunities for you to meet with the team, ask questions and compare alternatives. You are welcome to share your ideas, comments and concerns. As described later in this letter, the most efficient ways to comment are on the website or email, since it will save time and ensure your ideas are readable. Typed letters are greatly appreciated. You can help us further by organizing comments by topic categories listed on the website.

I invite you to attend any of the following meetings:

• 07/14/2004
  Three Rivers
  6:00 - 9:00 pm
  Three Rivers School
  
• 07/15/2004
  Sacramento
  1:00 - 3:00
  Sacramento Library Galeria
  828 I Street
  Sacramento, CA 95814
  
• 07/15/2004
  San Francisco
  7:00 - 9:00
  Golden Gate HQ
  Fort Mason, Building 201
  San Francisco, CA 94123-0022
  
• 07/16/2004
  Los Angeles
  6:00 - 8:00
  Central Library
  630 W. Fifth Street
  Los Angeles, CA 90071
  
• 07/17-18
  OFF - No meetings scheduled
  
• 07/19/2004
  Lodgepole
  10:00 - 12:00
  Lodgepole VC Auditorium
  
• 07/19/2004
  Visalia
  6:00 - 9:00
  College Of Sequoias
  915 S Mooney, Old Choir Room
  
• 07/20/2004
  Grant Grove
  10:00 - 12:00
  Grant Grove VC Auditorium
  
• 07/20/2004
  Cedar Grove
  3:00 - 5:00
  Cedar Grove Amphitheater
  
• 07/21/2004
  Bishop
  7:00 - 9:00
  BLM Field Office, 351 Pacu Lane, Suite 100
  just off West Line Street)
  Bishop, CA 93514
  
• 07/22/2004
  Fresno/Clovis
  6:00 - 8:00
  Rex Phebus Veteran's Memorial Building
  453 Hughes Avenue
  Clovis, CA 93612

Attached for your review and comment is the Draft General Management Plan and Comprehensive River Management Plan / Environmental Impact Statement for Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks and Middle and South Forks of the Kings River and North Fork of the Kern River. The plan presents a preferred alternative for the first time for public comment. The two volume plan is presented in six parts on this website, and can be found in the "What's New" section.

The purpose of the Draft General Management Plan is to establish a vision for what Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks should be, including desired future conditions for natural and cultural resources, as well as for visitor experiences. This document also includes a comprehensive river management plan for the portions of the Middle and South Forks of the Kings River and the North Fork of the Kern River, which have been designated by Congress as components of the national wild and scenic rivers system. The purpose of the river management plan is to provide direction and overall guidance on the management of lands and uses within the river corridors. This NPS comprehensive management plan will guide park management for the next 15 - 20 years.

This plan and previous newsletters are located on this website under "What's New" or at the parks website http://www.nps.gov/seki under Management Documents - General Management Plan. As previously announced, in order to hold printing and mailing costs down, print copies will be sent to those who requested them and CDs will be sent to all others. Print copies of the plan will soon be available at Tulare, Fresno, Kern and Inyo County libraries.

The National Park Service mission is to preserve natural and cultural resources unimpaired while simultaneously providing for public enjoyment. This document presents five alternatives that are being considered for the management and use of Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks over the next 15–20 years.

• The no-action alternative would continue current management direction, and it is the baseline for comparing the other alternatives (it was originally alternative B when the alternatives were first presented to the public in the winter of 2000).
• The preferred alternative is the National Park Service’s proposed action, and it would accommodate sustainable growth and visitor enjoyment, protect ecosystem diversity, and preserve basic character while adapting to changing user groups. The preferred alternative was developed by combining elements of other alternatives through a process known as "Choosing by Advantages." It would bring additional benefits to the parks, and it would be the most cost-effective.
• Alternative A would emphasize natural ecosystems and biodiversity, with reduced use and development.
• Alternative C would preserve the parks' traditional character and retain the feel of yesteryear, with guided growth.
• Alternative D would preserve the basic character and adapt to changing user groups.
  
  

Continued public participation is very important to the successful development of this plan. Therefore, we ask for your thoughtful evaluation and comment. A single submission is all you need, whether on the web or sent to one of the addresses below. The most efficient way to comment is on the website since it will save time and ensure your ideas are readable. You can help us further by organizing comments by topic categories listed on the website.

The Freedom of Information Act requires the National Park Service make comments, including names and addresses of respondents, available for public review. Individual respondents may request that we withhold their address from the record, which we will honor to the extent allowable by law. We will make all submissions from organizations or businesses, and from individuals identifying themselves as representative or officials of organizations or businesses, available for public inspection in their entirety.

Public meetings held in California during the comment period will be publicized on the parks website and through media announcements. All written comments must be postmarked no later than August 5, 2004, which is 90 days from the date that EPA's notice of filing was published in the Federal Register. Please reference the SEKI GMP on your mail or email comments and send them to:

• NPS GMP Team Leader
  Susan Spain, Landscape Architect
  National Park Service – DSC
  12795 W. Alameda Parkway
  Denver, Colorado 80225-0287
  (303) 969-2280
  E-mail: susan_spain@nps.gov
  
  
• Park GMP Coordinator
  Dr. David Graber, Senior Scientist
  Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks
  47050 Generals Highway
  Three Rivers, California 93271-9651
  (559) 565-3173
  E-mail: david_graber@nps.gov

We thank you in advance for your attention and we appreciate your concern for the future of Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks.

Sincerely,

Richard H. Martin, Superintendent
Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks