U.S. Department of the Interior
Office of the Secretary Stephanie Hanna (202)208-6416
For Release: December 5, 1995
STATEMENT BY DEPARTMENT OF INTERIOR ON DESIGNATION OF YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK AS A WORLD HERITAGE SITE IN DANGERToday's decision by the World Heritage Committee to name Yellowstone National Park to the List of World Heritage Sites in Danger alerts the rest of the world to serious potential threats to natural resources in the world's first national park. In taking this action, the commission recognized that these are domestic issues and that we are seeking solutions through existing environmental laws and agency actions. We share the goal of the World Heritage Committee to raise awareness of the need to protect this premier national park and to draw attention to potential and existing environmental threats. However, today's action does not supersede any U.S. law. It will also have no effect upon the orderly public process of developing an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) on the proposed New World Mine that is now underway. This process will identify and analyze the potential impacts of the mine and a range of alternatives. We look forward to the publication of a draft EIS early in 1996, and the continuing public and federal agency review that will follow.
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