11 Jul Participate in Planning the Reconstruction Era Monument
National Park Service News Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 10, 2021
Contact: Melissa English-Rias, (404) 227-1507 melissa_english-rias@nps.gov
Reconstruction Era National Monument planning gets underway National Park Service hosts open house, invites public comment
Beaufort, S.C. — The National Park Service (NPS) will hold three public forums in the South Carolina lowcountry this month to begin establishing a framework for managing the new Reconstruction Era National Monument.
The open house sessions — scheduled for July 24, 25 and 27 at the Penn Center, Town of Port Royal, and City of Beaufort, respectively — are part of a comprehensive planning process that will also include targeted stakeholder meetings, research and analysis that contribute to the development of an NPS foundation document. A foundation document identifies a national park unit’s core purpose and significance, its most important resources and values, and the interpretive themes that tell its unique and significant American story.
“The foundation document will be critical to helping the National Park Service map out management plans and priorities for the new park,” said Reconstruction Era National Monument Superintendent Melissa English-Rias. “We are inviting the public to play a role in shaping the park’s future operations.”
Reconstruction Era National Monument’s foundation document will inform future park management decisions by outlining what is most important about the park and documenting what is needed to protect and preserve those assets.
Get Involved:
Interested citizens can participate by sharing their thoughts on what is most important about the Reconstruction Era National Monument, potential issues that could threaten future preservation and commemoration of the site, and what opportunities exist to improve the protection of and provide access to this national treasure. The project team will consider public input while developing the plan.
During next week’s open house sessions, attendees will have an opportunity to hear formal presentations about the foundation document process (at 7:00 pm), review material about the process, ask questions and share ideas directly with NPS staff. Sessions will be held:
July 24, 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
Penn Center
Frissell Community House
16 Penn Center Circle West
St. Helena Island, SC 29920
July 25, 6:30 pm to 8:30 p.m.
The Town of Port Royal
Town Hall Council Chambers
700 Paris Avenue
Port Royal, SC 29935
July 27, 6:30 pm to 8:30 p.m.
Tabernacle Baptist Church, Sanctuary
907 Craven Street
Beaufort, SC 29902
Public commenting is also available through August 18, 2021 through one of the following channels:
Online: parkplanning.nps.gov/REER
Email: reer_information@nps.gov
Phone: (404) 227-1507
Mail: Reconstruction Era National Monument, P.O. Box 1719, Beaufort, SC 29901
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More than 20,000 National Park Service employees care for America’s 417 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.