Jemez Springs, NM. - The National Park Service (NPS) is seeking public comment on a proposal to designate “significant thermal features" within Valles Caldera National Preserve in accordance with the Geothermal Steam Act (30 U.S.C. §§ 1001-1028).
The designation as “significant" under the Geothermal Steam Act would provide additional protections to important geothermal features within Valles Caldera, and require other federal agencies to work with the NPS to determine if the features would be adversely affected by geothermal development on adjacent federal lands. Valles Caldera would become the 17th National Park unit with designated significant thermal features. Other National Parks include Yellowstone, Crater Lake, and Hawaii Volcanoes.
The NPS encourages public input on the proposal, which is open for comment through Jan. 26, 2017. Interested individuals may comment or learn more by visiting the NPS Planning, Environment, and Public Comment (PEPC) website at https://parkplanning.nps.gov/vallgeo.
Tags: geothermal significant thermal features valles caldera valles caldera national preserve protect
Source: U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service
