CUIS Partners Comment Letter for DO41
On August 14, 2026, Wild Cumberland and our partners, submitted a joint comment letter to the National Park Service regarding Director’s Order #41, the agency’s policy guiding wilderness stewardship in national parks.
The letter addresses NPS’s ongoing review of DO41, which shapes how wilderness areas like Cumberland Island National Seashore’s nearly 20,000 acres of designated and potential wilderness are managed.
If, after reviewing public comments, the NPS or DOI propose to make any substantive
changes in NPS wilderness stewardship guidance, we urge the administration to reengage
the public about such proposed changes. In brief, we request that NPS provide another
public comment opportunity on any proposed revisions to DO41.
Learn More About the Land Exchanges Below
The Short Version:
The National Park Service has proposed four land exchanges on Cumberland Island that could move federal land into private ownership. The NPS says the exchanges would consolidate parkland and steer development away from sensitive areas. Wild Cumberland opposes all four: the deals were negotiated behind closed doors, key details like maps, acreage, and valuations have never been disclosed, and the proposed homesites sit next to Wilderness and Potential Wilderness. Nothing is final. A federal environmental assessment is expected in fall 2026, and public comments on the first two proposals are open September 9–October 16, 2026.
