HSSP master plan meeting Monday

The Hot Springs State Park Master Plan was released to the public on April 18. An open house seeking public input on the draft master plan will be Monday, May 2 from 5-7 p.m. at the fire hall in Thermopolis.

Director of the Wyoming Department of State Parks and Cultural Resources Milward Simpson said this is a really exciting master plan that needs public input.

"It is crucially important that the community feels like they have some input on the park," he said. "In a sense, they are part owners of the park for helping to envision its future."

The purpose of the 20-year master plan is to guide the long-term physical improvement, management and use of the entire 1,110-acre park. The plan includes publicly and privately owned buildings, lands west of Highway 20, the bison pasture and the recreational and thermal features. It provides a comprehensive planning and decision-making structure to accommodate recreational and developmental amenities, infrastructure and access in balance with the preservation of cultural and natural resources.

Many changes are slated in the draft of the master plan, including some additions to the park such as the addition of two acres designated for camping areas where there currently are none.

Some park facilities will also be eliminated, according to the draft plan. The plan shows Hot Springs State Park having only one outdoor pool and only one indoor pool, which means one of the already existing outdoor pools and one of the already existing indoor pools will be eliminated.

For more information, to read the plan in full or to leave public comment on the plan, visit hotspringsmasterplan.com. Maps and a copy of the draft master plan are also on display at the Hot Springs County Library and Hot Springs State Park Headquarters. Comment cards are available at both locations.