Dearfield Special Resource Study Newsletter

The National Park Service (NPS) is pleased to announce the launch of a special resource study (SRS) of the historic Dearfield Settlement, located approximately 25 miles east of Greeley in Weld County, Colorado. Established by entrepreneur Oliver Toussaint Jackson in 1910, Dearfield was the largest African American homesteading settlement in Colorado, reaching its peak in the late 1910s and early 1920s.

The NPS is preparing the SRS to evaluate Dearfield for potential inclusion in the National Park System. When conducting an SRS, a study team considers public input and evaluates a site according to four congressional criteria: 1) national significance, 2) suitability, 3) feasibility and 4) the need for NPS management. All four criteria must have positive findings for the study to identify a site or area as eligible for potential inclusion.

The NPS invites the public to submit thoughts, ideas, and information to help inform the study. Public input helps the NPS better understand what is most important and unique about Dearfield, how much support exists for preservation and possible designation, and what the public envisions for Dearfield's future. Comments also inform whether there are any issues or concerns which should be considered during the study process.

Please review the attached newsletter for more information about the study and consider submitting written responses to the topic questions below during the comment period from December 8, 2023, to February 23, 2024. Please also consider joining the NPS study team during one of the public meetings advertised under the "Meeting Notices" tab to the left.

Thank you for your interest in Dearfield and the NPS.

Topic Questions:

1. What is your vision for preserving Dearfield and how would you like to see the site managed?

2. What types of activities and experiences would you want to see as part of the site in the future?

3. What features, values, and stories do you believe are most important or unique at Dearfield and why?

4. Do you have any other ideas or concerns that the National Park Service should be aware of and address in the study process?

5. Do you support or oppose a potential national park unit designation for Dearfield? Why or why not?

Document Content:

Dearfield_SRS_Newsletter_508_2023-1208.pdf   (4.4 MB, PDF file) Disclaimer: Links within the above document(s) were valid as of the date published. Note: Some of the files may be in PDF format and can be viewed using the Adobe Acrobat Reader software. You may download a free copy of from Adobe Systems.