GRANADA, Colo. – The National Park Service (NPS) is preparing a foundation document to guide future planning and management of the Amache National Historic Site and is seeking public comment on its development.

The public engagement period will take place until June 23 and will include opportunities to submit written comments and participate in public meetings. All interested members of the public are invited to participate in this effort.  

On March 18, 2022, President Biden signed the Amache National Historic Site Act into law, designating Amache as part of the National Park System. Located in southeastern Colorado near the town of Granada, Amache was one of 10 sites where the U.S. government incarcerated Japanese Americans forcibly removed from their communities on the West Coast during World War II.  

Foundation documents provide underlying guidance for future planning and management decisions by identifying a national park’s core purpose and significance; its most important resources and values; and the key interpretive themes or concepts that tell its unique story. Foundation documents also identify important issues to be addressed in future planning and data collection efforts.   

“We are pleased to offer this opportunity for the public to provide input on the future of Amache,” said Acting High Plains Group Superintendent Janet Frederick. “The foundation document’s public engagement period is an important step to obtain stakeholder, partner, and community feedback as we articulate the historic and cultural significant of Amache National Historic Site.”  

There will be one virtual information session and 11 in-person public meetings, held in California (San Jose, San Francisco, Sebastopol, Oakland, Gardena, Los Angeles, Livingston, Sacramento) and Colorado (Granada, Denver, and Arvada). During the meetings, the NPS will present background information on Amache and the foundation document process, followed by opportunities for the public to ask questions and share thoughts and ideas in an open house setting.   

Meetings will take place between April 2 and June 10. Meeting locations and dates can be found on the project website by clicking on “Meeting Notices” on the left-hand menu: https://parkplanning.nps.gov/AMCH_Foundation. The meeting presentations will be identical and interested parties are encouraged to attend the meeting that is most convenient.    

Written comments can also be submitted online on the project website (https://parkplanning.nps.gov/AMCH_Foundation) under “Open for Comment” (preferred), or postmarked by June 23 and mailed to: National Park Service, Denver Service Center, Attn: Amache Foundation Document/Charles Lawson, 12795 W. Alameda Pkwy., Denver, CO 80228  

Foundation documents are not intended to provide specific recommendations for how a park will be managed, but instead inform future decision-making by documenting what is most important about a park, and what is needed to protect and preserve its resources. Foundation documents are a required first step before comprehensive management and development planning.   

More information about Amache National Historic Site and its transition to NPS management can be found on the park website: https://www.nps.gov/amch.

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