The news that the Flagstaff Area National Monuments headquarters office in Flagstaff was to be closed by the end of August appeared in media last month. NPS personnel were advised not to make any public comment about the closure. There was no communication with the staff that work there, nor a plan outlined on how their work would continue should the office close. Even the landlord of the facility began showing perspective new tenants the building.
Late yesterday afternoon (May 8), I learned that the building had been removed from the closure list; the official language was 鈥渓ease termination rescinded.鈥� The news was met with some relief, but there is no indication that the building is safe from future closure. Given that uncertainty, I think it is important to understand the history of headquarters.
This office, located at 6400 N. Highway 89 in Flagstaff, is the central hub from which management of Walnut Canyon National Monument, Wupatki National Monument and Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument occurs. These parks collectively are visited by roughly a half million people every year.
Given their proximity to each other and the city of Flagstaff, it may come as surprise to learn that collective management of the three areas was a somewhat recent decision. Until 1990, Walnut Canyon National Monument was its own entity with a full staff that fell under what was then known as the Western region with a regional office in San Francisco. Wupatki National Monument and Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument were administered together with its own full staff, but the management was overseen by what was then called the Southwest region with a regional office in Santa Fe.
Regional management decided that the three parks should be administered collectively as it would significantly streamline park management, so the parks were realigned as the unit now known as the Flagstaff Area National Monuments. I spoke with retired NPS employee Sam Henderson, who had been the superintendent at Walnut Canyon prior to the merger. When the Flagstaff National Monuments was established, he became the superintendent of all three units and managed the transition. Henderson held this job until his retirement in 2004. Henderson told me that he and the staff were given a unique opportunity to create an office space that would meet current and future management needs for the parks.
The first NPS administration office in Flagstaff was established in 1984 but served only Wupatki and Sunset Crater. After the three parks were merged in 1990, staff moved to a slightly larger office off Steves Boulevard, but that office quickly overflowed with administrative, cultural and natural resource and maintenance staff, so it was clear that an alternative location needed to be found. Visitation to the parks was also increasing, which meant an increase in staff to manage the visitors and the resources. A 1994 Statement for Management document indicates the expressed need for a larger facility to house personnel and manage resources. There had never been enough room at the parks for an administrative structure nor would such construction be considered as it would impact cultural and natural resources.
Henderson told me there were very specific needs for the function of the headquarters building that were addressed. The site was chosen in part because of its high visibility off N Highway 89 and its rather central point between the three parks. The need to have a central location where park staff could meet and begin cultivating a shared identity was identified.
The land was acquired and construction begun after a lot of planning and foresight. Henderson called it a 鈥淏uild to Suit鈥� plan that after careful consideration would include office space for division leads, a central meeting room, library, visitor contact area and a sales area for what is now Western National Parks Association. This new office space would consolidate expertise, provide support for all three parks and strive to create a new identity for staff as the Flagstaff Area National Monuments, not as separate staff at each park.
What鈥檚 important to understand is that the creation of the NPS headquarters was the government鈥檚 attempt to streamline, save costs and in general improve efficiency. As former Chief Ranger Kim Watson, who retired in 2005, remarked to me in an interview, 鈥渋t was DOGE before DOGE; it was the streamlining of a local government operation that actually worked.鈥�
Over the years there have some changes in the building. There is no longer a sales area for books and maps and since COVID the building has not been open to the public. The conference room is still used for park wide meetings and trainings. The library is of course an invaluable resource. Communication infrastructure is still sketchy in the parks and often times staff must complete required digital training at headquarters as internet speed is insufficient. Cell connectivity is so limited, particularly at Wupatki, that staff must sometimes travel to headquarters for conference calls. When the recent announcement was made that government employees could no longer work from home, plans were made to carve out office space for 5-6 such employees to begin reporting to headquarters, some of whom are from federal agencies outside the NPS.
This building, so carefully planned and constructed, continues to be the hub for management of the parks. Infrastructure needs to be maintained, cultural and natural resources protected, and the visitors to these parks provided with a safe and educational experience. The staff provide oversight and critical support of the NPS mission. The headquarters building is the central nerve center for the parks, not a tiny office space for a few forgotten employees. The superintendent, administrative officer, facilities manager, cultural and natural resource management specialists, interpretation and fee collection staff, western national parks and monuments association staff -- some 15-20 employees report to work there. All of these staff provide assistance and/or program oversight to activities in the three parks.
The closure of this building would have consequences for the continued management of the parks. The mission of the National Park Service as stated in the Organic Act of 1916 is to 鈥減reserve and protect the natural and cultural resources therein, and to provide for their enjoyment in such a manner and by such means that will leave them unimpaired for future generations.鈥� The closure of this facility and the upheaval to the staff would jeopardize that mission. Indeed, the very mission of the National Park Service is in peril given the current direction from Washington.
These parks are considered three of the seven wonders of Flagstaff and compared to the over 4 million visitors that go to Grand Canyon National Park, these are hidden gems where crowds are smaller and experiences are heightened. These wonders need to be managed and the staff to do that job need a place to work.
For now, there is a reprieve and the building will stay open. But we can’t stay silent as the threats to all units of the National Park Service continue. Contact your representatives (go to and ) and let your concerns be heard.