National Park Service News Release
Contact: Tamara Delaplane, 303-969-2113
National Park Service to Host Virtual Meetings on Amache Special Resource StudyDENVER— The National Park Service invites the public to participate in one of three virtual public meetings regarding a special resource study of the Granada Relocation Center, commonly known as Amache, to take place during the following dates and times:
- Thursday, July 16th: 5:00 pm – 7:00 pm PDT (6:00 pm – 8:00 pm MDT)
- Saturday, July 25th: 12:00 pm – 2:00 pm PDT (1:00 pm – 3:00 pm MDT)
- Saturday, August 1st: 12:00 pm – 2:00 pm PDT (1:00 pm – 3:00 pm MDT)
A link to join the virtual meetings can be accessed via the project website: https://parkplanning.nps.gov/Amache
It is also possible to sign up for schedule notifications on the Japanese American Memorial Pilgrimages website—https://www.jampilgrimages.com/vpregistration. Links to join virtual meetings will be included on this schedule as well.
The National Park Service is conducting this study to determine whether Amache should be considered for inclusion as a unit of the National Park System. These meetings will be held in partnership with TADAIMA! A Community Virtual Pilgrimage, an online event hosted on the Japanese American Memorial Pilgrimages organization website. In each of these two-hour virtual meetings the NPS team will share information about the special resources study process, including the criteria used to evaluate a site for inclusion in the national park system, as well as answer questions from those in attendance. Smaller breakout group sessions will follow where participants will have the opportunity to provide input. Members of the community are encouraged to take the time to share their thoughts and ideas.
Anyone unable to participate in the virtual meetings is welcome to submit comments or questions about the special resource study either online via the project website, https://parkplanning.nps.gov/Amache, or by mail to the following address:
National Park Service, Denver Service Center 12795 West Alameda Parkway PO Box 25287 Denver, CO 80225-0287
Please note that comments must be received by September 15, 2020 to be considered as part of the study.
“The National Park Service values input from the public,” said National Park Service Project Manager Tamara Delaplane. “Feedback from communities and stakeholders will be a fundamental element of the Amache special resource study.”
This special resource study will take place over the next two years. At the conclusion of the study, the National Park Service will forward its findings to the Secretary of the Interior who will then make a recommendation regarding creating a national park at the site and submit the study and recommendation to Congress.
Amache was one of 10 centers built during World War II to detain Japanese Americans forcibly removed from the West Coast of the United States under the terms of Executive Order 9066. Over 10,000 people passed through Amache, which housed over 7,300 incarcerees at its peak, two-thirds of whom were U.S. citizens. Today, the Amache site consists of a cemetery, a monument, building foundations, and elements of the historic landscape. Amache was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on May 18, 1994 and designated a National Historic Landmark on February 10, 2006.
More information about the study can be found at: https://parkplanning.nps.gov/Amache
