Old Spanish National Historic Trail Comprehensive Administrative Strategy

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Dear Friends:

The Old Spanish Trail was added to the National Trails System on December 4, 2002. The trail is jointly administered by the National Park Service (NPS) and the Bureau of Land Management (BLM).

In 2006, the NPS and BLM began scoping for a Comprehensive Management Plan and Environmental Impact Statement (CMP/EIS) for the trail. Twenty-one public scoping meetings were held across the trail states. Based on the results of the scoping meetings, NPS and BLM developed several alternatives for detailed environmental analysis.

By 2011, the NPS and the BLM had completed a draft CMP/EIS. Upon review by the BLM NEPA compliance staff in the BLM's Utah State Office, concerns were raised that the administrative nature of the proposed alternatives did not rise to the level of requiring an EIS, although the NPS felt that it was an appropriate level of planning given the nature of previous CMPs.

Between 2011 and 2014 the NPS and the BLM continued to discuss how to complete the process. In 2012, the BLM approved new policy manuals regarding national historic trail administration and management, which changed how they wished to approach the comprehensive planning process for the Old Spanish NHT.

In 2014, National Park Service and BLM administrators met to resolve differences in approaches to administration and agreed to create a strategy document, now complete, that will address comprehensive administrative duties the two agencies will follow. The document is a comprehensive administrative strategy (CAS). Because there are no land use management decisions included in the strategy, the two agencies agreed that it would not be necessary to complete the environmental impact statement (EIS).

The BLM and the NPS will use the comprehensive administrative strategy, their trail administration manuals, and other direction for their guidance in trail administration. The two agencies will work together to provide the best possible administration of trail resources across all six states through which the trail passes. The comprehensive administrative strategy is now complete, approved, signed, and will be implemented.

We thank each of you for your time and interest. Your participation has been important, and we urge your continued involvement in helping us administer the trail.

Sincerely,

Aaron Mahr Yáñez
Superintendent
National Trails System, Intermountain Region
National Park Service

Contact Information

Aaron Mahr
Superintendent
National Park Service
National Trails Intermountain Region
P.O. Box 728
Santa Fe, New Mexico 87504
505-988-6736
aaron_mahr@nps.gov