14

ENGES & STRATEGIES -

PRESERVATION, MAINTENANCE & PROTECTION - We Must Have
the Best Tools, Technologies, and Resources to Do the Job.

Like our natural treasures, our historical treasures are nonrenewable. Once gone, they are lost to
us forever. No re-creation can ever quite convey the power of the actual house in which Martin
Luther King, Jr. was born, for instance. No photograph of the hat wom by President Lincoln at
Ford’s Theatre can convey the wonder of looking at the real thing. The National Park Service
holds in trust for the American people an inestimable collection of prehistoric and historic struc-
tures, cultural landscapes, ethnographic resources, archeological sites, and museum and archival
collections. Likewise, other federal agencies are responsible for millions of acres of land of
archeological significance and some of the nation’s finest historic buildings, monuments, and
collections. Indian tribes manage many places and items of religious and historic significance.
State and local governments and the private sector share in holding this public trust. By their very
nature, these resources are in a constant state of deterioration and are vulnerable to damage or
destruction by theft, vandalism, fire, and natural disasters. Consequently, the Service must make all
efforts necessary to ensure that these items and places are preserved and protected for future
generations of Americans. What is the appropriate role and responsibility of the federal govern-
ment in this challenge? What is the role of state and tribal governments, of the private sector? The
federal government cannot carry the entire economic burden but must work with all its partners to
find the appropriate balance.

Challenges & Strategies:

¢ Preserving our Park Historic Places & Collections. The National Park Service is
responsible for over 80 million items in its
museum and archival collections. Though
many have been catalogued, an estimated
43 million (54%) have not, and over 36%
of the Service’s collections fail to meet
our own standards for preservation and
care and remain at risk. The 383 units of
our national parks are home to approxi-
mately 26,000 historic structures, 66% of
which are in serious need of repair and
maintenance at an estimated cost of $1.2 ‘
billion. Of the 1.5 million known archeo-
logical sites within the units of the system,  Sricnm sulsoal Ladieapes ache loge and
only about 63,000 have been recorded. Of historic sites, and museum objects are nonrenewable.
these, as many as 30% are seriously Once gone, they are lost to us forever (Hospital
threatened by decay, theft, or vandalism, Building, ae ca of Liberty National
and only 38% of them have accurate and
up-to-date information. Inventorying and cataloguing of ethnographic places has only
recently begun in our parks. We must take all actions necessary to decrease our mainte-
nance backlog and ensure that our historic places and collections are kept in good condi-
tion for future generations. Moreover, we must closely monitor their condition and respond
immediately and appropriately to preservation and maintenance problems so that we can



Five YEAR BUDGET STRATEGY

¢ Heritage Areas Local Support. Established by Congress, Heritage Areas provide one of our
nations most exciting, cost-effective, and powerful grassroots tools for citizens, local governments,
and elected officials to take control of the preservation of their own community’s heritage and
quality of life. Now numbering 25 across the nation from New England to Arizona, Louisiana to
Detroit, Heritage Areas marry the benefits of local heritage preservation with heritage- and eco-
tourism, heritage education and interpretation, and economic development. Heritage Areas are
controlled locally with the assent of local and state governments and regional planning commissions
and rarely require fee or interest acquisition of lands by State of federal government. When
requested, the National Park Service provides assistance and training and on-going support as
partners outside park units. Heritage Areas are rallying points for preserving resources and.
ensuring economic stabilization at the local level. Because Heritage Areas are based on a shared
vision for their future, communities are able to address key quality of life issues, from sprawl
development to transportation infrastructure and transportation alternatives such as bicycle
networks. Appropriations increases to Heritage Areas must be sought to ensure adequate local
and private support for these innovative operations.

© Research & Information on the American Experience. Increased appropriations are needed
to support and serve the demand for information on the nation’s history and prehistoric and historic
places. Special resources studies must be undertaken to examine themes in American history and
to evaluate the material culture represented by those themes for which good scholarship does not
exist or for which historiographic trends make urgent the need for revised or new information and
documentation. Particular emphasis needs to be given to our nation’s minorities and the 20°
Century, including World War I and the Korean War. Another area of emphasis must be the
history and preservation of post-World War Il America. The Service’s thematic framework for
history was recently revised to provide a more accessible intellectual underpinning to such studies.
New National Historic Landmark theme studies, such as “Desegregation of Public Schools” and
“Civil Rights” have greatly expanded the preservation possibilities in these areas, but additional
studies are critically needed. Finally, the documentation of our nation’s most important prehistoric
and historic places through measured drawings and photographs and using advanced recording
technologies must be supported and increased.

Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF)

* Assistance to Acquire Endangered Historic Battlefields. A stable, annual appropriation is
needed to provide matching-grant assistance to state, tribal, and local governments, not-for profits,
and citizens to acquire, in fee or interest, endangered historic battlefields nationwide. Established in
federal statute, the National Park Service’s American Battlefield Protection Program offers
technical assistance and small levels of funding to protect battlefield sites primarily from the Civil
War. Recently, however, assistance has expanded to all wars on American soil. The much-

_ anticipated NPS study on the preservation needs of sites associated with the Revolutionary War
and the War of 1812 will likely increase national attention on these pressing needs much as the
report of the Civil War Sites Advisory Commission did to raise national consciousness on the state
of our Civil War sites.

31


National Register and National Historic Landmark Nominations and Theme
Studies are credible, up-to-date, and easily available. Moreover, we must actively pro-
mote on-going research and scholarship through staff training, internships, cooperative
agreements with academic institutions, and grant and sabbatical programs. Finally, we
must support responsible technology transfer between private industry and the public
sector to ensure the best material conservation of our own and our partners’ prehistoric
and historic places, collections, and information.

¢ Inventories & Monitoring. Inventories of prehistoric and historic places, ethnographic
resources, and museum and archival collections in our national parks, cities and towns,
tribal reservations, and on federal lands directly affect how we interpret and preserve our
shared national heritage. We must know what we have so that we can do an effective job
of managing and preserving it. Major gaps and other deficiencies in the data and docu-
mentation have made it difficult for us to plan effectively for the treatment and protection
of our resources. The National Park Service and its partners in tribes and local and state
governments must continually monitor, improve, and update existing inventories in light of
new scholarship and changing property conditions. These inventories include the Cultural
Landscapes Inventory (CLD, the Cultural Sites Inventory (CSI), the Ethnographic
Resources Inventory (ERI), the List of Classified Structures (LCS), the National
Catalog of Museum Ob-
jects, and the National
Register of Historic Places.
Moreover, we must address
the major information gaps so
that we will have the most
current and reliable documen-
tation on the resources in our
care.

« Research for America’s
Families. Appreciation of our
nation’s rich and diverse
heritage begins at home. 2 : 2
Family histories and genealogi- nation isa large ferily with a dhverwe heritage. Appreciation for this
cal research directly connect hharttoge begs at home with family histories ancl geneological research.

(Versella Bates and son talking with her great-great grandson
people at the most fundamental iGdetEond =

levels with the myriad histori-

cal events that have shaped our great nation. Moreover, family ethnographies that docu-
ment ties to resources in parks and communities provide permanent records of the
meanings of culturally important places. Currently, the National Park Service’s vast
collections, archives, and libraries are either unknown or not easily accessible to Ameri-
cans interested in tracing their family histories and preserving their heritage. We must
encourage Americans to document their family histories and historic places by improving
public access to our resources and participating in genealogical networks nationwide. We
must establish links with local and national genealogical associations. We must create



18

CHALLENGES & STRATEGIES - ORGANIZATION & PARTNERSHIPS

decisions, and they desire a greater role in the national historic preservation program.
Thirty-four units of the National Park System share boundaries with sixty-five Indian
tribes. Native peoples’ interests in their ancestral lands extend to every state in the nation
on lands no longer owned by them. The magnitude of tribal historic preservation and
conservation needs was documented in the Service’s 1990 report to Congress, Keepers of
the Treasures: Protecting Historic Properties and Cultural Traditions on Indian Lands. The
Service and the national preservation partnership must accommodate and support native
peoples’ interests and enhance their ability to participate in the national historic preserva-
tion program and the decision-making processes in our parks and on other public lands.
The Service and the national preservation program must do this in a manner that respects
the sovereignty of these governments and peoples.

Reaching Out to All Americans. America has always been a nation of great cultural
complexity. This fact presents challenges and opportunities for our national parks and our
efforts to preserve our nation’s historic patrimony. The National Park Service must ensure
that all Americans and international visitors find value in our national parks, that historic
preservation practice and public policy make sense to everyone regardless of cultural
background, and that we all value and respect each other’s history, contemporary culture,
historic places and how we choose to preserve and commemorate them. The Service
must also take the lead in solving a persistent problem in historic preservation: the under-
representation of minorities in the professional and activist ranks. Unless the situation is
corrected, the profession will not receive the level of support it deserves in the next

century.

Federal Lands. Over one-third of the landmass of the United States is owned or man-
aged by the federal government. Federal agencies make decisions that affect thousands
of historic structures and landscapes, ethnographic resources, historic battlefields, and
prehistoric and historic archeological sites and artifacts. Many of these properties are
located on land controlled by the Departments of the Interior, Agriculture, Defense, and
Energy. Federal land managers are often unable to manage and protect the cultural
resources in their care because the responsibility seems far removed from their core
mission or because of funding or staffing shortfalls. Prehistoric and historic places are
damaged, lost, or rescued at great expense, resulting in the unnecessary expenditure of
funds. The National Park Service has a unique statutory mandate to support, train, and
partner with its sister agencies in preserving and protecting the prehistoric and historic
resources on public lands. The Service should be a leader in coordinating protection
efforts, sharing intelligence and specialized investigative techniques, and prosecuting those
who exploit the nation’s resources. The National Park Service must make a concerted
effort to satisfy this mandate and help other federal agencies meet their mission of
preserving the nation’s prehistoric and historic places by fostering successful, sustained
inter-agency partnerships.

The Role of Private Partners. Preserving the nation’s prehistoric and historic places
and collections has always been a cooperative endeavor. Without private-sector support in
our national parks and throughout the country, the job would not get done. Private, non-


CULTURAL RESOURCES CHALLENGE

The National Park Service’s Action Plan & Budget Strategy
For Preserving Our Nation’s Important Prehistoric & Historic

Places & Collections

2000 NPS Action Plan Approved By

Kost 4+ Qty al, 200°

Robert G Stanton Date
Director, National Park Service



FIVE YEAR BUDGET STRATEGY

Historic Preservation Fund (HPF)

e Support to States, Local Governments, & the National Trust for Historic Preservation.

A stable increase in appropriations to states, local governments, and the National Trust for Historic
Preservation is sought to administer the national preservation program and offset decades of
appropriations stagnation and rising program costs. Over the last decade, the federal share of these
costs has declined in terms of real dollars, thus jeopardizing this cost-effective partnership (states
and local governments match 40%). State and local governments administer these federal statu-
tory mandates at a fraction of what it would cost the federal government. Unless appropriations
are increased to account for program growth, states and local governments may decide to opt out
of this partnership, leaving the statutory responsibilities to devolve back to the federal government

at significantly greater cost.

Sustainable Preservation Programs in Tribal Governments. Since 1992, federally recog-
nized Indian tribes have had the option of replacing state governments on tribal lands and assuming
the full responsibilities of the national historic preservation program. To date, 26 tribes have done
so, ranging from the Narragansett Tribe in Rhode Island to the Navajo Nation in the American
Southwest. These tribes have fully supported the national preservation program and have worked
towards building sustainable programs to preserve their heritage despite a lack of secure and
dependable appropriations from the federal government. Currently, each tribe receives approxi-
mately $150,000 per year—a fraction of what state governments receive for the same purposes.
Only $4.2 million is now available each year to support these tribes and any others that join them.
Without additional funding, support for each tribe will decrease as more tribes assume these duties.

Seed Grants for Preservation of Endangered Tribal Cultures. In 1990, the National Park
Service released a seminal report to Congress, Keepers of the Treasures: Protecting Historic
Properties and Cultural Traditions on Indian Lands, documenting the preservation and cultural
conservation need of our nation’s native peoples, At the time, the need was estimated to be in
excess of $500 million. By now, that need has most likely doubled. Since 1990, appropriations to
the Historic Preservation Fund for small, tribal project grants have remained in the area of $1
million per year despite annual grant requests totaling on average $6.7 million. The preservation of
tribal cultures and important and sacred places remains a national priority. Increased appropriations
are necessary to meet the growing need for these grants.

Sharing the Burden: Help for the Nation’s Threatened Historic Places. Our nation’s
historic places are in jeopardy and in need of critical repair, conservation, and restoration work.
Archeological sites, maritime resources, National Historic Landmarks, and properties listed on the
National Register of Historic Places need to be stabilized, conserved, rehabilitated, and restored.
The federal government must play a significant role in this effort, but it cannot be expected to
carry the burden alone. A stable, annual appropriation for preservation grants nationwide is
critically needed. The Service will deliver this funding through targeted matching grants programs,
seed grants, and demonstration projects led or co-sponsored by the federal government in partner-
ship with state and local governments and the private sector.

29


TION & MAINTENANCE

prevent further damage and loss. Most importantly, we must equip our cultural resource
specialists, protection rangers, and maintenance personnel in our parks with the knowl-
edge, specialized skills, and abilities so essential to carrying out the Service’s preservation

mission.

Protecting our Park Prehistoric & Historic Places & Collections from Theft &
Vandalism. Effective stewardship of the prehistoric and historic places and museum and
archival collections in our care also depends on the National Park Service’s ability to
protect them from theft and vandalism. Given the very public nature of our national park
system, many of our museums, visitor centers, and curatorial storage facilities do not meet
the most rudimentary industry standards of protection, such as physical barriers or intru-
sion detection and response systems. Our archeological sites and battlefields attract not
only the sophisticated professional thief but also the amateur and the opportunist. Staff
downsizing, retirements, insufficient training, and lack of support have resulted in an

inability in many parks to provide even the
most rudimentary protection during operat-
ing hours. After normal visitor hours, our
capacity is even further diminished, and
many parks must depend on the goodwill of
neighboring federal agencies, local govern-
ments, or concerned individuals. The
National Park Service must ensure that our
nation’s treasures are protected from theft
and vandalism so that what we enjoy
currently will be around for future genera-
tions. The Service must keep abreast of the
latest intrusion prevention, monitoring,
detection, and response technologies and
strategies. We must ensure we are ad-
equately staffed to meet the growing need
for protection and that protection rangers,
collections management staff, and mainte-
nance personnel receive proper training
(including ARPA training) in the protection
of cultural resources.

Protecting our Park Prehistoric &
Historic Places & Collections from
Natural & Manmade Disasters. Like
theft and vandalism, natural disasters such
as fire, flood, earthquake, and storm and the
man-made effects of mining subsidence, oil

Our nation § historic resources are in a constant state of
deterioration. This creates anever-ending challenge to
try and ensure that these objects and places are
preserved for fidure generations of Americans.

(Repairing a wall at Wupatki Pueblo as part of the
National Park Service's VanishingTreasures Iratiative)

spills, fire, and toxic releases can threaten and destroy archaeological sites, historic places,
and museum and archival collections. Rapid, well-planned, trained, and informed response
can make the difference between a minor incident and a major catastrophe. Today, many

park units lack adequate emergency preparedness plans and the human capacity to



ACTIONS - UND

Workforce Diversity. The National
Park Service has inaugurated a
national cooperative initiative with
minority-serving colleges and universi-
ties to increase diversity within the
historic preservation profession. An
aggressive recruitment strategy will be
developed to ensure that a diverse
population of highly motivated and
qualified professionals is attracted to
and retained in historic preservation
positions.

Indian tribes have a unique perspectives on historic preservation.
Federal Preservation Institute. The asst pacniva ar caced heinrd ca one pero

Service, in partnership with other modern life, gaining direction from the past that is vital to the future.
federal agencies and the private sector, hts means preserving not only historic properties but languages,
has established a Federal Preserva-  “4tions, and lifeways. (Stabilizing walls, Wupasli National

tion Institute—a national institute for 4

historic preservation training, information, and public policy for federal agency managers and
personnel, The Institute will focus on technology transfer with the private sector, public policy
analysis, the state and current conditions of public lands, and the development of a national
training clearinghouse.

Education & the Internet. The National Park Service continues to build its cultural re-
source website, “Links to the Past.” This site features cultural resource and historic preserva-
tion databases, full-text electronic versions of cultural resource management reports, National
Register of Historic Places Travel Itineraries, special virtual exhibits on Service collections,
and other useful information for teachers, scholars, and the interested public.

National Heritage Education, K-12 Distance Learning Initiative. In the spring of 2000,
the National Park Service launched the National Heritage Education Distance Learning
Initiative. Working with Northwestern State University of Louisiana, the Louisiana State
School System, and other Louisiana universities, the initiative seeks to develop a replicable
model heritage education project that combines distance-learning technologies with heritage
education curricula as a way of reconnecting our children and our citizens with our history and
sense of place. A key product will be a computer- and web-based module that will supplement
K-12 heritage education lesson plans.

National Historic Landmarks (NHL) Stewards Association. The National Park Service
is helping support a National Historic Landmarks Stewards Association. The association will
provide technical support, training, and other means of empowerment to owners and constitu-
ents of our nation’s 2,310 most significant historic and archeological places.

Teaching with Historic Places. Teaching with Historic Places uses real historic place to
stimulate the imagination and enhance classroom instruction. Now with more than 75 lesson
plans, this successful national program fosters an historian’s sense of discovery in students

21



ORGANIZATION & PARTNERSHIPS - Preserving our Nation’ Past is
Everyone's Responsibility: The Federal Government is One of Many.

The National Park Service’s dual obligations are inward and outward: it must preserve and
protect the prehistoric and historic places and museum and archival collections entrusted to it and
educate, assist, and lead our citizens in preserving and protecting our national historic and cultural
patrimony for future generations. The Service is both a land management agency and an advocate
of an ethic of conservation, preservation, and community. As property managers, we must ensure
that we have an adequate number of qualified professionals with the tools and training necessary
to do the job. That means continuing education, access to the latest scholarship and expertise, and
a sense of support unparalleled in the public sector. Our partners and citizens also need the tools
and support of the Service to do their jobs. The Service leads with the assistance and consensus
of many national partners, both public and private. How that network is maintained, enlarged, and
supported in the present will determine the future of our cultural resources. The Service is not 383
fortresses but one partner in an infinitely complex web of federal, state, and local governments,
tribes, and public and private sector interests—all of whom are working towards a similar goal.
Our partners need the wherewithal to do their jobs.

Challenges & Strategies:

« Support to States & Local Governments. For most of its history, our national historic
preservation program has been a unique partnership among states, local governments, and
the federal government. Although a federal statutory mandate, much of the national
historic preservation program has been carried out by state and local governments on the
understanding that each knows its history and preservation needs better than the federal
government. This model has been a remarkable success. To date, over 1 million properties
have been included on the National Register of Historic Places, over $23 billion in historic
preservation tax incentives projects =
have been reviewed and processed
by states, and 1,235 local govern-
ments have become Certified Local
Governments. The National Park
Service must ensure that these
partners have adequate resources
and support to continue to carry out
these important tasks.

« Building Native Peoples’ Capa-
bilities. The nation’s and the ‘
National Park Service’s relationships 4
with Indian tribes, Alaska Natives, i Gere Sy
Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Tribes and native peoples seek to preserve their cultural heritage
Islanders have become increasingly reoccur rpc a

i surface during a Service-sponsore: m Pole Preservation
pia 2a aoe see = IES, vorkshop tn Wrangell, Alaa)
policies, and, importantly, to the growing assertion of native peoples’ rights nationwide.
‘Tribes and native peoples expect greater involvement in park planning and management

17



30

FIVE YEAR BUDGET STRATEGY

National Recreation and Preservation (NR&P) .

Recruitment & Placement of Minority Professionals in Historic Preservation.
Funding is needed to support the National Park Service’s Cultural Resources Diversity
Initiative, a long-term capital investment that seeks to transform the demographics of the
historic preservation and cultural resource management professions in the United States. The
goal of the initiative is to place more minorities in positions at all levels of government. A
funding increase will support a co-sponsored diversity internship program consisting of sum-
mer, semester-long, or yearlong projects. It will also support the development of curricula for
minority-serving colleges and universities; and the development and support of sabbaticals for
faculty and Service professionals and exchanges between minority-serving colleges and
universities and academic programs at over 60 universities nationwide.

Research & Training in Historic Preservation Technology. Increased appropriations will
provide support for additional research and training in preservation technology. The science of
materials research is changing at a rapid rate. Whereas in the past the National Park Service
could claim the lead in the research and development of new preservation technologies, private
industry and research universities have advanced well beyond the Service’s ability to compete.
We must work closely with private industry and university researchers to develop the best
practices and technologies for preserving the resources in our care. We must support technology
transfer through targeted grants, sabbaticals, and education programs and provide consistent
and up-to-date training opportunities to park staff, park managers, and preservation profession-
als nationwide.

Heritage Education— K-12 Distance Learning Initiative. The National Park Service seeks
additional support to implement its Heritage Education—Distance Learning Initiative.
Targeted at K-12 students, this initiative seeks to develop computer-based education curricula
and supplementary modules for heritage education lesson plans in partnership with state school
systems, university departments of education, and the private sector. Increased funding will
cover the staffing and technical support necessary to develop models in partnership with a
representative group of local and state school systems. The Service will market these models to
the private sector and other state school systems as a way of encouraging interest and invest-
ment in the initiative.

Federal Preservation Institute. Funding is needed to support the Service’s new Federal
Preservation Institute. Established in cooperation with other Federal agencies, the Advisory
Council on Historic Preservation and the national preservation community, the Federal Preser-
vation Institute will coordinate education and training programs for federal policymakers and
all federal employees whose decisions affect the preservation of our nation’s historic places.
Funding increases will provide for staff to design and administer the program, to create a
worldwide information clearinghouse on preservation information, and to develop case studies
for information dissemination and web-based synchronous and asynchronous training modules.
Funding increases will also ensure that all levels of federal management have access to
preservation technology information.


12

EDUCATION -— Americans Want to Understand the Nation’ Past and The Role Diverse
Cultures Have Played in Creating It; We Must Address Their Needs In The Most Effective Way.

Unless we rethink our approaches to teaching Americans about our shared history, we cannot expect
future generations to find value and meaning in the prehistoric and historic places we now cherish. The
National Park Service has the responsibility to teach visitors about the prehistory, history, and diverse
cultures embodied in our parks, what happened there, why it happened, how it may have affected other
individuals and institutions at the local and national levels, and why we should care. Likewise, the
Service has a responsibility to encourage people to pose these same questions along every historic trail
and at every prehistoric and historic place. If the best teaching is grounded in actuality, then our parks,
prehistoric and historic places, and national historic trails are excellent classrooms for leaning. If
Americans know nothing about the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution of the United
States, how can they understand the message of Independence Hall? To become better teachers,
National Park Service employees must become better students. We must foster an environment in
which employees are encouraged to pursue advanced studies through sabbatical and other programs
and to remain current in their fields through a better understanding of the intellectual underpinnings of
the material they present to the public. We must improve, expand, and, more importantly, update our
educational programs and materials on prehistoric and historic places and ensure that visitors have
access to them in our parks and museums, on the road, and in their homes. We must also ensure that
our educational materials are of value to everyone regardless of cultural background. We must explore
ways to meet these challenges through web-based, distance learning programs and recognize that
Americans lea differently now than from a generation ago. Moreover, we must support the efforts of
our public and private sector partners having similar goals. Above all, we must inspire Americans to
take pride in our shared natural and cultural history and the places where it actually happened.

Challenges & Strategies:

« Learning in the Parks. Our 383 national
parks are some of our nation’s best links to
the real thing. Park educational and interpre-
tive programs and museums not only inspire
and inform, they reinforce the notion that our
history does, in fact, matter. In this age of
theme parks, we must make certain the
public understands that the park experience
is real and based on actual prehistoric and
historic places and collections. We must
ensure that the educational and interpretive
brochures, and signs in our parks are accu-
rate and based on current scholarship. They
must be comprehensive, meaningful, and,
above all, engaging. We must make the best
use of the latest communications and
teaching technologies and ensure that our web pages offer substantive resource information.
We must also ensure that our park educational programs are responsive to our nation’s grow-
ing racial and cultural diversity. We must explore all new possibilities for expanding and



CULTURAL RESOURCES CHALLENGE

archeological sites in our national parks are in desperate need of identification, repair and mainte-
nance, and protection against deterioration caused by neglect, theft, and increased visitor use.

Most troubling, however, are the findings recently released by the American Council of Trustees
and Alumni (ACTA) that suggest America is losing sense of its own history. For example, of the
556 college seniors surveyed at 55 of the nation’s top colleges and universities, only 60% of the
respondents correctly placed the American Civil War in the second half of the nineteenth century.
Moreover, only 34% identified George Washington as the American general at the Revolutionary

! battle at Yorktown; 37% thought it

| was the Civil War general Ulysses
~ _ §. Grant. Only 23% correctly
identified James Madison as the
Father of the Constitution.

As if these statistics alone are not
disconcerting, ACTA also reported
that 78% of these institutions no
longer require students to take
history courses during their under-
graduate careers. “It is not surpris-
ing,” the report states, “that college
seniors know little American history.
Few students leave high school with
an adequate knowledge of American
history and even the best colleges
and universities do nothing to close
the ‘knowledge gap.’”” ACTA’s
findings all but confirmed a growing
trend among institutions of higher
education in the United States to
abandon history requirements. As
the noted American historian David
McCullough observed in the report:
“we are raising a generation of
young Americans who are histori-
cally illiterate.”

(Our historic sites impart the larger ssories and rruhs aboutus as individuals, as

famtiies, ands comenarsities. By preserving them we preserve ourreionalidertity If Americans lose their passion for,

andoomextpeople at the most findamental levels with he mpriadhiscricalevnts _ and interest in, the nation’s history,

that shaped our greatnation. (Hampton National Historic Ste, Towson. Mayland) — then, preserving objects and
places—the tangible links to our past—is ultimately meaningless. If we become historically
illiterate as a nation, then we must prepare ourselves for a time in the not too distant future when
many of our people will not understand why we shouid preserve any historic place or museum
object, whether it is Ellis Island, Effigy Mounds, Devils Tower, George Washington’s Tent, or
Wrigley Field.



Park Cultural Resources Inventories & Monitoring. A significant budget increase is
necessary to accelerate park inventory efforts, make better use of spatial mapping technology
systems such as Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and Global Positioning Sys-
tems (GPS), and improve access to and links between cultural resource databases. The
increase will also support the development of adequate monitoring systems to track the
condition and record changes in the condition of recorded resources over time. National Park
Service cultural resource databases provide critical baseline information on a wide range of
cultural resources, including archeological sites, ethnographic resources, cultural landscapes,
historic structures, and museum and archival collections. They are among our best tools for
locating, identifying, recording, assessing, and observing cultural resources over time. How-
ever, major gaps remain, making it difficult for park
managers to plan for the treatment and protection
of these resources. At current funding levels, for
example, it will take decades to complete the initial
inventory of park cultural landscapes.

Preservation, Maintenance & Protection of
Park Cultural Resources, Substantial increases
in Cultural Cyclic Maintenance, Cultural
Resource Preservation Program (CRPP), and
Museum Collections Preservation & Protec-
tion Program (MCPPP) funding will enable the
National Park Service to increase the number of
cultural resources in good condition. Maintenance
limits loss and, thus, preserves resources. With a
funding increase, the Service can considerably
improve the condition of park prehistoric and
historic structures, museum storage facilities,
cultural landscapes, 63,000 identified archeological
sites, and approximately 80 million items in park
museum and archival collections. As of 1999, only
44% of the prehistoric and historic structures, 27%
of the cultural landscapes, and 38% of the archeo- ‘The 383 units of our national parks are home to
logical sites were in good condition, and only 64% appraximately 26,000 historic structures, 66%o0f

of the museum collection meets preservation and Met chy te Serio Heed  eplak Ga mCNER IE:
Te
= seg (Pi Jefferson, Dry Tortugas National Park, Florida)

Training & Advanced Studies in the Preservation & Protection of Park Cultural
Resources. Additional financial support is needed for cultural resource training. Law
enforcement personnel, rangers, cultural resource specialists, and park maintenance person-
nel bear the primary responsibility for identifying, protecting, and preserving park archeologi-
cal sites, cultural landscapes, ethnographic resources, prehistoric and historic structures, and
museum and archival collections. Permanent budget increases will support increases in
capacity, additional preservation training for cultural resource specialists and park mainte-
nance staffs, emergency operations planning and response training for protection rangers and
concerned cultural resources specialists and maintenance staffs, and much needed advanced

27


24

ACTIONS - SLATED F¢

Develop a Service-Wide CRM Training Curriculum. Based on the survey of skills gaps
and cultural resource management competencies, the National Park Service will develop a
comprehensive training curriculum utilizing off-the-shelf training, training available from other
preservation agencies and organizations, and training developed specifically for the Service's
own needs. The curriculum will address the needs of the personnel managing park cultural
resources and of those engaged in providing technical assistance to states, communities, and
tribes.

Expand Learning Centers & Cooperative Ecosystem Study Units (CESUs). These
highly successful national initiatives will be expanded to include historical research. The model
will focus not only on broad, geographically- or theme-based historiography but also on the
conservation and preservation of material culture. The Service will develop several pilot
projects to determine the effectiveness and the applicability of joint undertakings with existing
CESUs and Learning Centers.

National Policy Analysis on Significance. The National Park Service will sponsor a
national symposium and research project on the evolving concept of historic pumice: This
symposium will place
particular emphasis on

U.S. policies and profes-
sional practices and how
they compare with other
national systems around
the world. It will also
explore how our own
national system is respond-
ing to the nation’s growing
cultural diversity.

National Tax Policy in
Support of Historic
Preservation. The .
National Park Service will Historic Main Sreets give communities a sense of uniqueness. All across the nation,
co-sponsor a national people are decrying the effects ofunplanned growth and sprawl development, traffic
symposium and research ‘congestion, the loss of sense of place and community, and the irretrievable lass of our

project on the effective- ‘historic places. History and sense of place are inextricably nterowined (Skagway,

ness of current federal tax

policy in historic preserva-

tion and economic revitalization. This symposium will address topics such as administrative
and policy barriers, proposed changes to existing regulations and laws, and the feasibility of
enacting new federal tax codes. Co-sponsors will include the National Trust for Historic
Preservation, the Urban Land Institute, representatives from the Internal Revenue
Service, Department of the Treasury, and key Congressional committees.



CULTURAL RESOURCES CHALLENGE 20(

The National Park Service’s Action Plan & Budget Strategy for Preserving
our Nation’s Important Prehistoric & Historic Places & Collections

America’s History Matters

America is blessed with a
panoramic history begin-
ning with the First Ameri-
cans and continuing with
the accomplishments of
successive waves of
every nation in the world.
Preserving the material
culture of the American
story for future genera- a
tions is, for many, a 4 4

profound article of faith.

Ourhistory andthe places [== me if

where it happened are B= ; eB ee
importanttouchstones Of — Preserving America’ historic places for funure generations is, for many, a profound
national and personal article of faith. Our history, and the places where it occurs, are important touchstones of
identity. national and personal identity. (Edmund Pettus Bridge, Selma, Alabama)

We preserve these places because they impart the larger stories and truths about who we are as
individuals, as families, as communities, and as a nation. They are authentic places in real time.
Stand where man first took flight on the barrier islands of North Carolina, where gold was discov-
ered at Sutter’s Mill in California, or on the U.S.S. Arizona Memorial at Pearl Harbor. Experience
the majesty of the trail that led Meriwether Lewis, William Clark, and their guide, the young
Shoshoni mother Sacagawea, over 150 years ago. See what they saw—experience the power of
historic place.

Many of these historic places, such as Independence Hall in Philadelphia and the Edmund Pettus
Bridge in Selma, Alabama, are our nation’s temples of democracy—places where we commemorate
the “better angels of our nature,” as President Lincoln so eloquently stated. Others serve as remind-
ers of the darker moments in our history, from slavery to Japanese-American internment during
World War II. Many of them have meaning for all Americans; many are meaningful to smaller
numbers of us. Regardless, they all strike chords of memory and resonate with our shared passion

We never speak of an environment we have known; it is always places we have known. We are
homesick for places, we are reminded of places, it is the sounds and smells and sight of places
which haunt us and against which we ofien measure our present. Alan Gussow, A Sense of Place





Ss & STRATEGIES - EDUCATION

increasing our park history education programs, including staff training and collaboration with
the public and private sector through Learning Centers and Cooperative Ecosystem
Study Units (CESUs).

Taking History at Home & On the Road—Linking Us Together. History did not
happen in a vacuum, and we are well aware that not all of America’s history happened in our
respect arbitrary boundaries on maps. The
National Park Service is part of a complex
management web of our nation’s prehistory
and history. We have a leadership role as well
as that of a partner. The Service informs the
American public inside and outside park
boundaries through traditional print and
electronic media, covering a wide range of
subjects from history and archeology to
architecture. We must tell our shared history
to those who do not come to our parks.
Moreover, we must raise public awareness of
the broader historical contexts of our shared
resources by linking similar stories among our
parks, tribal and state lands, public- and
privately-owned prehistoric and historic
places, and national historic trails. We must ~ 3 :
support the efforts of our partners at all levels serydlidothappen inavaciaan, thebest wachingis
of government and elsewhere to link interpre- grounded in actuality: Our paris and historic places are
tative and educational programs. We must pst pon ps beep
also support their efforts at research and came Merchers.

interpretation. We must maximize our use of arts hea ann ees Mee, SY
heritage- and eco-tourism itineraries. Finally,

we must make better use of the latest technologies for disseminating information about our
nation’s history and how it has played out at our sites and historic places.

K-12 Heritage Education. The future rests with our children. If succeeding generations no
longer value our history, then preserving it will not matter in the end. The National Park
Service must sponsor a sustained national dialogue with our youngest citizens about our
prehistory and history, about the culturally diverse peoples who made it happen, and about the
places where it all happened. We must continue to support such successful programs as
Parks as Classrooms, Teaching with Historic Places, and the highly effective National
History Day with local, state, and national history competitions. We must work with teachers’
colleges and universities, state departments of education, boards of education in cities and
counties, tribal communities, and teachers everywhere to stem the tide of national historical
illiteracy. We must promote this cause in the private sector and with our sister federal agencies
and federal departments. We must form partnerships with educators and private industry to
find the best ways of delivering lesson plans which will serve the needs of generations
increasingly accustomed to learning in front of a computer monitor. We must also explore the
use of simulcast and real-time broadcasts from parks nationwide.



CULTURAL RESOURCES CHALLENGE 2000

Immediate Challenges

Our nation faces impor-
tant challenges in the 21*
century. Some of our
historic resources are in
danger from vandalism,
theft, and neglect.

Others are in danger
because of inadequate
budgetary support or
insensitive national, state,
and local policies. Some
are in our national parks,
some are on other
federal lands, and many
more are in private A “ ;
hands. Protecting these = =
resources for future Our nation’s history is under assault. Development is encroaching upon our battlefields,
generations requires a where thousands shed their blood in the causes of freedom and union. (Petersburg, Virginia)
continuing renewal of the

very role of the National Park Service, our compact with the American people, how we conduct
business, how we affect national policy, how we partner with others, and how we as a nation
value and think about our heritage.

The tangible remains of our nation’s history are under assault every day. Development is en-
croaching upon our battlefields, where thousands shed their blood in the cause of liberty or union.
Our historic neighborhood schools are being abandoned. Our prehistoric archeological heritage is
being looted, vandalized, and sold. Sprawl development drains our cities and towns and consumes
our historic farmsteads and countryside. Acid rain is eating away at the nation’s Native American/
Native Hawaiian rock art. It also affects our nation’s cemetery stones, memorials, and monu-
ments. According to current estimates, 150 native languages in the United States and Canada will
disappear by 2040.

Prehistoric and historic places on public lands and in communities nationwide are in need of
identification, research, and protection. The Service must collaborate with tribes to build their own
capabilities for preserving their endangered cultures. Seventeen percent (17%) of the nation’s
National Historic Landmarks—the nation’s most significant historic places—are threatened. Even
the cultural landscapes, historic structures, museum collections, ethnographic resources, and

History is to a nation rather as memory is to an individual. As an individual deprived of
memory becomes disoriented and lost, not knowing where he's been or where he is
going, so a nation denied a conception of its past will be disabled in dealing with its
present and future. — Arthur Schlesinger



om, %

CHALLENGES & STRATEGIES- ORGANIZATION & PARTNERSHIPS

profit organizations such as the National Park Foundation and the National Trust for
Historic Preservation have been tireless supporters of historic preservation. Moreover,
private, for-profit support of park historic preservation and cultural resource management
projects has made all the difference between protecting prehistoric and historic places and
leaving them to deteriorate. Private, for-profit entities that rehabilitate historic commercial
properties under favorable provision of the federal tax code have already invested $23
billion in historic preservation in our cities and towns since 1970. The National Park
Service must seek every legitimate and appropriate way of encouraging private-sector
support and partnership in preserving our nation’s prehistoric and historic places within our
parks and nationwide. It must also establish legitimate opportunities for enlisting for-profit
partnerships in parks and in support of historic preservation projects nationwide. The
Service must also find ways of working more creatively and successfully with not-for-
profit partners.

e The National Park Service Staff. It all comes down to people. The National Park
Service’s corps of cultural resource management, protection, historic preservation, and
maintenance professionals is its best tool for preserving and protecting its cultural re-
sources. However, reorganization, staff retirements, overwhelming workloads, and
downsizing have left significant gaps in our human resource base. Steady increases in the
number of parks, historic places, and items in park museum and archival collections have
further taxed that base. The Service must improve its efforts to establish baseline skills
and competencies for preservation professionals, protection rangers, maintenance person-
nel, and all park managers and park staff with cultural resource management responsibili-
ties. We must ensure that workforce training and advanced education in cultural resource
preservation, conservation practice, protection, law enforcement, interpretation, and
management remain a priority both in budgeting and the allocation of funds. It is a long-
term capital investment.

The preservation of historic sites for the public benefit, together with their proper inter-
pretation, tends to enhance the respect and love of the citizen for the institutions of his
country, as well as strengthen his resolution to defend unselfishly the hallowed traditions
and high ideals of America. — Franklin D. Roosevelt

19



99/> -2304F

CULTURAL RESOURCES CHALLENGE

The National Park Service's Action Plan & Budget
Strategy for Preserving Our Nation's Important
Prehistoric & Historic Places & Collections

oe December 2000

BAGO 3

D5



CULTURAL RESOURCES CHALLENGE 2000

Part I identifies specific actions now or soon to be underway for meeting those challenges within
existing funding and staffing levels. Part HII proposes specific five-year budget strategies for building
on those actions and for addressing the most critical issues facing our nation.

In 1997, the National Park Service released the Cultural Resources Strategic Plan, a document
whose purpose was to provide a goal-oriented framework for guiding the Service and its partners
nationwide. In response to the Government Performance and Results Act (GPRA), the
Service also released a companion plan in 1997 (revised in 2000) in which it built upon the
previous document but developed short- and long-term performance-based indicators for these

national programs.

The Cultural Resources Challenge is a logical successor to both documents. Together, the
three constitute a blueprint outlining the National Park Service’s priorities and planning efforts
over the next several years. The challenges and core areas are based on and, in some cases,

taken directly from the previous two documents.

History is not the past, but a map of the past drawn from a particular point of view
to be useful to the modern traveler. — Henry Glassie



CULTURAL RESOURCES CHALLENGE 2000

Our responses to these challenges must take into account new technologies and ways of learning unheard of
a generation ago. We must also bear in mind that our children will have access to more information than ever
before and in ways not yet imagined. In an age of growing cultural diversity, we must ask ourselves whether
the ways in which we preserve our past and tell its stories are meaningful to all our people.

In this age of sprawl development, superstores, fast-food chains, and cultural homogenization, where “every
place looks like every other place,” Americans are increasingly concemed about preserving a sense of place
and a sense of community. What makes one community different from any other is its story—its culture or
way of life, its past, its neighborhoods and skyline, its parks, its waterfront, and its people. How effectively we
meet the challenge over the next several years will determine the health and preservation of many of our most
cherished historic places, It is up to us—this is our challenge.

This Document

This Cultural Resources Challenge is a five-year strategy for addressing these issues in our
national parks and throughout the nation. If we meet this challenge, many of our nation’s endangered
prehistoric and historic places will be in better condition in our parks, heritage areas, and elsewhere in
the nation. We will have improved and broadened our knowledge about our past and become better
stewards, planners, interpreters, and teachers. More importantly, perhaps, we will have inspired a
national dialogue on the meaning of our nation’s prehistory and history, the continuing value of our
nation’s ethnic diversity, and the importance of preserving the places where our history happened. The
Cultural Resources Challenge is a targeted strategic approach to meeting these goals.

Some increases in National Park Service staffing capacity will be required to carry out the Challenge
initiatives described below. In some situations, targeted FTE increases will be detailed as part of
Administration budget requests. In others, however, additional capacity can be achieved through
partnerships, cooperative agreements, contracts, or similar approaches not requiring additional hires.

The Cultural Resources Challenge is divided into three parts. Part I identifies challenges that the
National Park Service and the nation must address over the next five years in the following core areas:

* RESEARCH & KNOWLEDGE — We Must Have Credible Research, Documentation,
and Information in Order to Do the Best Job of Preserving and Interpreting Our
Nation’s Past and Living Traditions

¢ PLANNING — The American People Expect Their Historic Places to be Preserved for
Them in the Most Effective, Informed, and Comprehensive Manner

¢ EDUCATION — Americans Want to Understand the Nation’s Past and The Role
Diverse Cultures Have Played in Creating It; We Must Address Their Needs in the Most
Effective Way

¢ PRESERVATION, MAINTENANCE & PROTECTION — We Must Have the Best
Tools, Technologies, and Resources to Do the Job

* ORGANIZATION & PARTNERSHIPS — Preserving Our Nation’s Past is Everyone's
Responsibility: The Federal Government is One of Many



Five YEAR BUDGET STRATEGY

Table 1

The National Park Service Strategic Plan for FY 2000-2005 establishes outcome-based strategic
goals for National Park Service operations in conformity with the Government Performance and
Results Act of 1993 (GPRA). Many of these goals define targets for Service historic preservation/
cultural resource management program responsibilities addressed in this report both within the
national parks as well as for the national historic preservation programs administered by the
National Park Service.

Table | describes in broad terms those strategic goals likely to be affected by each budget increase
proposed in Part Il. Once made, appropriations will result in more refined projections of effects
and outcomes in meeting specific GPRA goals once projects and activities have been further
defined.

NPS Strategic Goal Number

1a5
Taé
1a7
Ja8
1b2A
Ib2B
1b2C
1b2D
Ib2E
1b2F
TilatA
lalB
Wlaic
WalD
Waza
1a2B
HlazC
Ila3
IVa2
IVa4

ONPS—Operation of the
National Park System

Park Research

Park Cultural Resources Inventories
& Monitoring

Preservation, Maintenance &
Protection of Park Cultural

Resources (including Vanishing _| *| *) X} X mx x
Treasures)

Training & Advanced Studies in the
Preservation & Protection of Park
Cultural Resources ;

Expand Learning Centers

Expand Cooperative Ecosystem
Study Units (CESUs)

Increased Support for American
Indian Liaison

HPF-Historic Preservation
Fund

Support to States, Local
Governments, and the National Xj XI XI XIX
Trust for Historic Preservation
Sustainable Preservation Programs :

in Tribal Governments x x x x x
Seed Grants for Preservation of

Endangered Tribal Cultures ay a
Sharing the Burden: Help for the
Nation’s Threatened Historic Places
NR&P-National Recreation &
Preservation

Recruitment & Placement of
Minority Professionals in Historic
Preservation

Research & Training in Historic
Preservation Technology

Heritage Education-K-12 Distance
Learming

Federal Preservation Institute
Heritage Areas Local Support
Research & Information on the
American Experience
LWCF-Land and Water
Conservation Fund

Assistance to Acquire Endangered
Historic Battlefields

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26


Part III: Five-Year Budget Strategy

Budget decisions must now respond to the needs, challenges, and issues detailed in this report
through targeted funding increases over a five-year period. This strategy is described in terms of
current Service appropriation authorizations:

Operation of the National Park System (ONPS)
Historic Preservation Fund (HPF)

National Recreation and Preservation Program (NR&P)
Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF)

Some increases in National Park Service staffing capacity will be required to carry out the
Challenge initiatives described below. In some situations, targeted FTE increases will be detailed
as part of Administration budget requests. In others, however, additional capacity can be achieved
through partnerships, cooperative agreements, contracts, or similar approaches not requiring
additional hires.

The items are listed without regard to order of priority.

Operation of the National Park System (ONPS)

« Park Research. The National Park Service seeks funding increases to meet its own goal of
ensuring that all parks have comprehensive and up-to-date baseline research studies and
interpretive literature. Quality : ee
research is the foundation of
sound resource stewardship.
Yet, few of our parks have
complete sets of the baseline
studies needed to guide their
preservation, planning, and
educational programs. These
studies include our Administra-
tive Histories, Historic
Resource Studies, Historic
Structures Reports, Ethno-
graphic Overview and As-
sessments, Cultural Land- a as &
scape Reports, Archeological — We must expand and increase our park history education programs to
Overviews and Assessments, — &?¥"e *hat our programs are responsive to our nation's growing diversity.
Special History Studies, (Educational program at Ft. Frederica National Monument, Georgia)
HABS/HAER Reports, Comprehensive Interpretive Plans, Collection Management
Plans, and National Register and National Historic Landmark Nominations. At present,
for example, only 62 of 383 national parks have current Historic Resource Studies and only 80
have up-to-date Administrative Histories.

25


for a sense of community and place. And so we strive to preserve these places as tangible, living
contracts with previous and future generations. History and place are inextricably tied; one
without the other is diminished.

Helping Plan a Future for America’s Past: The National Park Service’s Role

The National Park Service has a unique compact with America’s history and our people. Many
Americans associate the Service with the preservation of the nation’s finest and most pristine
natural resources—Yellowstone, Yosemite, Denali, and the Everglades. However, few know that
228 of our 383 park units—Gettysburg National Military Park, San Antonio Missions National
Historical Park, Valley
Forge National Historical
Park, Manzanar National
Historic Site, and Little Big
Horm Battlefield National
Monument to name just a
few—were designated
specifically to preserve
important aspects or
moments in our nation’s
history. Ever since the
designation of the great
Anasazi ruins of Mesa
Verde in southwest Colo-
rado in 1906, the National
Park Service has been, to
quote the Service’s second

We preserve historic places to commemorate the “better angels of our nature.” Others director Horace Albright,

serve as reminders of the darker moments in our history, from slavery to Japanese- “in the history business.”

American internment during World War Il. (Manzanar National Historic Site, California) To this day, we teach
history in all our parks, at Cane River Creole National Historical Park as well as at Sequoia and
Kings Canyon National Park in California, and we preserve prehistoric and historic places, from
archeological sites in Haleakala National Park in Hawaii to Civilian Conservation Corps buildings
in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park in Tennessee. It is a mission all our parks share.

The charge is broader still. The National Park Service is directed by law to lead and assist beyond
park borders—on all federal lands, on tribal reservations, and in the public and private sectors. The
Service’s responsibilities extend to such nationally recognized institutions as the National Register
of Historic Places, which now includes over 1 million properties. In many ways, the Service is our
nation’s heritage ministry—one that assists, supports, and guides the nation in preserving and
protecting prehistoric and historic places everywhere.



16

CHALLENGES & STRATEGIES- PRESERVATION & MAINTENANCE

respond quickly and decisively to environmental and man-made emergencies affecting
park prehistoric and historic places and collections. The National Park Service must
ensure that each park unit has a comprehensive emergency preparedness plan, including a
Structural Fire Management Plan. Moreover, the Service must make sure that all
protection rangers, cultural resource and historic preservation management staff, and
maintenance personnel receive proper Emergency Operations Planning & Response
training as critical first steps to mitigating the potentially harmful effects of unanticipated
natural and manmade disasters.

Promoting Best Practices. In the arena of preservation and maintenance, the National
Park Service leads by example. We demonstrate best practices through our own historic
preservation and conservation work, our technical publications, training programs, confer-
ences, partnerships, and through targeted research and technology transfer. In order to
equip the Service’s own staff and others with the critical knowledge and skills necessary
for preserving prehistoric and historic structures and sites, cultural landscapes, ethno-
graphic resources, and museum collections, we must improve upon our current offerings.
We must enhance our national partnership programs and actively promote best practices
through technology transfer, research, conferences, preservation, protection, and mainte-
nance programs, and hands-on training opportunities.

Helping Our Nation’s Historic Places. Our nation’s prehistoric and historic places are
in jeopardy. According to the National Park Service’s last estimate (1980s), properties
listed on the National Register of Historic Places and identified as being in poor or threat-
ened condition nationwide required repairs totaling $20 billion. Our best estimate today is
that the amount has at least doubled, if not tripled. Of the 2,310 National Historic Land-
marks nationwide, 392 (17%) are threatened. In 1990, Indian tribes and the Service put
the estimate of preserving their endangered tribal cultural heritage nationwide at $200
million. In 1993, the Civil War Sites Advisory Commission documented the state of our
nation’s Civil War battlefields and estimated an immediate protection need of $160 million
for land acquisition in fee or interest alone. A similar study now underway on the nation’s
Revolutionary War and War of 1812 battlefields will likely show similar findings. It is
neither feasible nor appropriate for the federal government to bear this financial burden
completely. However, the federal government—as both partner and leader—can provide
seed money, critical infusions of financial support when necessary, targeted granting
programs, financial support for partners, and incentives in the form of tax advantages to
private for-profits and private investors so that Americans can care for these endangered
prehistoric and historic places.


22

ACTIONS - UNDERWAY IN FY2000

and teachers alike. Through written guidance, workshops, and lesson plans, the program
blends the expertise of educators and historians and imparts both content and skills.

e NAGPRA. The National Park Service has renewed its public commitment to accelerate its

responsibilities under the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act and to
repatriate culturally affiliated objects and human remains in the most expedient, professional,
and responsive manner.

e Vanishing Treasures: A Legacy in Ruins. This recent initiative seeks to stem the tide of

decades of deterioration, vandalism, and overuse of thousands of prehistoric and historic ruins
at 38 national parks in the American Southwest. An important component of the initiative is
the training of local workforces in traditional construction and repair practices at these irre-
placeable national treasures.





educational opportunities such as elder hostels and distance-learning and interpretive
programs for our citizens to leam about the larger forces that affected and shaped their
families and communities.

Research Networks & Access. The National Park Service holds in trust a priceless
archive of information and primary documentation on the American experience. Unfortu-
nately, very little of that archive is known or readily accessible to scholars, park personnel,
and the public. Research networks are critical to the successful management and preser-
vation of all our prehistoric and historic places, historic trails, and collections. With over 80
million items in museum and archival collections in our parks and centers, for instance, we
cannot possibly give all our resources the intellectual attention they deserve. For this
reason, we must encourage independent research using our own archives, and we must
make our repositories more accessible either on site or through electronic media to
everyone. To do so will require the professional long-term cataloguing and conservation of
Service museum and archival collections.

One can read millions of words about the battle of Gettysburg, but only by going
there can one really begin to understand it. For a historian, there is no substitute
for going to the actual place where occured the events one writes about to help one
describe them in that concrete, vivid manner. — James M. McPherson



Protecting Park Boundaries & Helping Gateway Communities. The National Park
Service must build constructive working relationships with cities, towns, counties, private
landowners, and communities adjacent to parks so that we can more effectively coordi-
nate preservation and management of our shared boundaries and the places and resources
along them. Unplanned growth at these gateway communities, whether due to increasing
park visitation or land development, is among our greatest preservation challenges in the
21* century. What happens inside our park boundaries affects communities adjacent to our
parks; conversely, what happens outside our park
borders affects the parks themselves. Gateway
communities bordering America’s magnificent
national and state parks, wildlife refuges, forests,
historic places, wilderness areas and other public
lands depend on these lands for their identity and
livelihood. By assisting them in enhancing their
communities, the Service can only enhance the
preservation, protection, and management of our
park resources. We must work with public and
private partners to develop and support creative
approaches to funding projects, training, and joint
planning exercises in order to manage these fragile
areas effectively.

Preserving the Nation’s Sense of Community
& Place. All across the nation, people are decrying
the effects of unplanned growth and sprawl devel-

opment, traffic congestion, and the loss of sense Of Americans are increasingly concerned about

place and community. History and sense of place preserving asense of community and a sense of

are inextricably intertwined. Historic Main Streets place. What makes one community different from
.. 45, ; another is its story—its history, its neighborhoods

give communities a sense of uniqueness. The ee se patio

historic farmlands and pasturelands surrounding our people. (Chinatown, San Fi Califia)
towns and communities preserve a sense of place.

Unplanned development can destroy this historic

sense in an instant. The National Park Service can help our communities achieve and
maintain an equitable balance between preservation and growth. The Service must
increase its efforts to assist communities across the country in planning for the preserva-
tion of their rich patrimony and sense of place through joint ventures, training, and assis-
tance. We must continue to support the Heritage Areas Initiative as one of the most
effective tools for managing and balancing historic, cultural, and natural resource preser-
vation and economic development.

ll



“A people without history is like
the wind on the buffalo grass”

- Lakota saying

Cultural Resources Challenge 2000
The National Park Service’s Action Plan & Budget Strategy for Preserving Our Nation’s
Important Prehistoric & Historic Places & Collections

This publication contains budget information that has not yet been approved and is
intended for agency distribution only.

Published by:

U.S. Department of the Interior

National Park Service

Cultural Resources Stewardship and Partnerships

Washington, D.C.

December 2000

National Park Service

Director: Robert G. Stanton

Associate Director, Cultural Resources Stewardship and Partnerships: Katherine H.
Stevenson

Cover Photo: Our 383 national parks are some of our nation’s best links to our
history and places where Americans experience the real thing.
Park educational and interpretive programs and museums not only
inspire and inform, they reinforce the notion that our history does,
in fact, matter. (National Park Service Interpreter Crystal Lynn
with young visitors to Glen Canyon NRA, Arizona)


32

Excavations at the 1835 Albiel Smith School, Boston African American
National Historical Site, Boston, Massachusetts.

“To know what you are, and where you came from, may determine where you are going.” - Yavapai Representative



20

ACTIONS - UNDERWAY IN FY2000

Part IT: Actions

The actions below respond to one or more of the Challenges described in Part I and, if not already
underway, will be undertaken within the next few year and within existing funding and staffing
levels. These actions are listed without regard to order of priority.

Actions Underway in FY 2000

e Review of Interpretive Programs in our Parks. A renewed effort is underway in coop-
eration with the Organization of American Historians to review individual park historic and
prehistoric interpretive programs. This effort will help us ensure that we are providing broader
contextual pictures of history in our parks by telling not only what happened but also why it
happened. This, and other similar partnerships ensures that the National Park Service is best
able to incorporate the latest scholarly research into its own research and educational pro-

grams.

e Interpreting the Civil War. At Congress’s request, the National Park Service is completing
a report on the status of its interpretation of the Civil War. As a result of interpretative
deficiencies acknowledged in the report, the National Park Service has begun the process of
revising its interpretative media using current scholarship and existing funding.

e Structural Fire Initiative. A recent and urgent Service effort, the Structural Fire Manage-
ment Program is now working to establish Service-wide policy, standards, operating proce-
dures, and accountability standards for fire suppression, detection, and response in all struc-
tures throughout the park system. Protecting the system’s more than 26,000 historic structures
and the museum and archival collections housed within them will be a prominent component of
this important initiative.

e Baseline Skills & Training Competencies. The National Park Service has developed
inventories of competencies for key historic preservation and protection professions in the
Service. In FY 2000, the National Park Service completed a survey to determine the most
significant skills and competencies gaps. These inventories and surveys will form the founda-
tion of a comprehensive plan for training and supporting all Service employees who are
engaged in the preservation of park and community cultural resources.

e Resource Careers. The National Park Service has developed and launched a program to
improve career ladders for historic preservation and cultural resource management profes-
sionals within the Service.

e American Indian Liaison Office. The National Park Service has established an office
whose sole mission is to improve relations between the National Park Service and American
Indian tribes, Alaska Natives, Native Hawaiians, Pacific Islanders through consultation,
outreach, technical assistance, education, and advisory services. The American Indian Liaison
Office consults directly with park managers and tribal leaders on such key issues as tribal
sovereignty, self-determination and self-governance, sacred sites, and the federal-tribal
relationship.




Five YEAR BUDGET STRATEGY

academic studies for cultural resources specialists and interpreters. Increases will also
support the establishment of strategically located preservation teams throughout the park
system. Vigilance and strict enforcement of laws protecting historic properties from vandal-
ism and looting are urgently needed to ensure the survival of these resources. Additional
funding will also support additional training for park rangers in resource protection and
enforcement of the Archeological Resources Protection Act (ARPA) and related laws.

e Expand Learning Centers. Increased funding will enable the National Park Service to
expand the current concept of Learning Centers in our national parks to support an in-
creased focus on history and prehistory. Located at sites in our national parks, on federal
lands, in heritage areas, and throughout the nation, Learning Centers provide on-site facilities
(often in historic buildings) for scholarly research, web-based curricula, and classroom and
dormitory space for K-12 students and researchers. Learning Centers will vary in scale and
scope from modest research units to large centers accommodating 20+ researchers and
equipped with broadcasting capabilities and classroom and dormitory space for 20 to 30
students.

e Expand Cooperative Ecosystem Study Units (CESUs). The National Park Service will
seek additional funding to continue broadening the mission and network of Cooperative
Ecosystem Study Units (CESUs) to include an emphasis on history, prehistory, and ethno-
graphic research. CESUs are interdisciplinary, multi-agency partnerships based at colleges
and universities focusing on advanced research questions in bio-geological and historic re-
gions, To date, 8 federal agencies and 70 universities are involved in CESUs nationwide.
Additional funding will enable the Service to build humanities components into the existing
units and plan for their inclusion in future units.

e Increased Support for American Indian Liaison. We need to provide adequate base
support for formal liaison between and among the National Park Service and tribal govern-
ments, The current office provides technical advice and policy recommendations on matters
involving the National Park Service and Indian tribes. Funding will support efforts to encour-
age and facilitate Indian self-determination, recruit Indian employees Service-wide, consult
with tribes, accommodate access to and use of Indian sacred sites, and create cooperative
resource conservation projects.



ACTIONS- SLATED FOR 2001 - 2005

New Actions Slated for 2001-2005

The actions below will be undertaken within existing funding and staffing levels. They are
listed without regard to order of priority.

e Advanced Studies Program. The National Park Service has established an Advanced
Studies Program designed to provide Service employees with educational opportunities to
increase their knowledge and abilities in their fields and to enhance their skills for their current
positions. The Service will work with the National Park Foundation and other organizations
and educational institutions interested in providing opportunities for advanced study. This
program will maintain and enhance the intellectual vitality in resource management and
interpretation throughout the Service.

e Expand Sabbaticals in the Parks. The National Park Service will expand the current
Sabbaticals in the Parks Program within existing authorities to encourage and support
academic research in the humanities, social sciences, cultural resources management, and
historic preservation. Established in 1999, the program has already begun to develop on-site
faculty sabbaticals for biological and other scientific research in our national parks. This joint
undertaking has great potential for advancing the general state of knowledge and providing
research and information critical to the management, protection, and interpretation of our
prehistoric and historic sites and places. The Service will also encourage and support a
Sabbaticals Outside the Parks Program designed specifically for Service professionals
who seek opportunities for advanced study related to their work.

e Improve Business Practices. The National Park Service will soon develop a unified, web-
based system to link all historic preservation and cultural resource management work plans,
program needs assessments, and project status reports with budgeting and performance-based
management systems. This action will eliminate redundancies, streamline project work, and
support interdisciplinary approaches to planning and programming, but it will also ensure that
resource needs are driving budget decisions, that data are valid and dependable, and that
management decisions are based on the most current and accurate information.

e Integrate All Aspects of Park Planning. The National Park Service has recently revised its
park planning guidelines to integrate all aspects of park planning, including strategic, resource
management, interpretive, and general management planning. The Service will revise planning
processes and priorities to ensure that sufficient research and inventories are an integral part
of the General Management Plan.

e Integrate Park Cultural Resource Management & National Historic Preservation
Programs. The National Park Service is committed to integrating the skills and activities of
the park cultural resource management program and national preservation programs more
fully. The Service will institute a task force to determine how a unified approach to program
administration and delivery might best serve our resources and the public.

23



Part I: Challenges & Strategies

This section identifies the five core areas in which the National Park Service will focus its efforts,
summarizes the major challenges within each area, and outlines broad strategic approaches for
meeting them.

RESEARCH & KNOWLEDGE - We Must Have Credible Research, Documenta-

tion, and Information in Order to Do the Best Job of Preserving and Interpreting Our
Nation's Past and Living Traditions.

The National Park Service is a recognized leader in cultural resource management and steward of
one of the finest and most diverse arrays of prehistoric and historic places and collections in the
nation, if not the world. If we are to retain that position, we must ground our management prac-
tices in competent research and work closely with research universities and other organizations.
That expertise must find direct expression through the interpretive information, exhibits, and the
printed, audio-visual, and web-based materials we provide to the public. We must encourage
research and scholarship on our nation’s prehistoric and historic places not only within our parks
and heritage areas but also beyond park borders and in partnership with federal, state, and local
governments, tribes, and the private sector. We must also ensure that our own records, museum
and archival collections, and research findings are easily accessible to non-Service researchers
and the general public. Finally, our management decisions must be based upon competent research
and accurate and up-to-date information.

Challenges & Strategies:

e Research for Stewardship. Effective stewardship of
our nation’s prehistoric and historic places, ethnographic
resources, national historic trails, and collections depends
on the quality of the research and the fieldwork con-
ducted within our parks and beyond park borders.
Without serious scholarship, reliable documentation, or
an understanding of how our places and collections fit
within larger historical, cultural, or geopolitical contexts,
we cannot adequately interpret or manage them. More-
over, without serious material conservation research and
scholarship, we cannot keep abreast of technological
advances in the areas of object conservation and preser-
vation. We must ensure that our Administrative
Histories, Historic Resource Studies, Historic
Structures Reports, Ethnographic Overview and
Assessments, Rapid Ethnographic Assessments,
Cultural Landscape Reports, Archeological Over-
views and Assessments, Special History Studies,
HABS/HAER Reports, Comprehensive Interpre- “gilding cn achar ai Vensdertsit

. - Mansion National Historic Ste, Hyde
tive Plans, Collection Management Plans, and Park New York) "



10

PLANNING - The American People Expect Their Historic Places to be Preserved for
Them in the Most Effective, Informed, and Comprehensive Manner.

Good planning ensures that decisions are made in an informed and public manner. It also ensures
that they are based on up-to-date and defensible information. The National Park Service plans
how to manage, protect, preserve, interpret, and care for those places in our trust. It also partners
with neighboring communities and organizations in planning for the preservation and management
along our common borders. We also assist our partners nationwide in effectively planning for the
long-term preservation of our nation’s natural and historic patrimony. We must advocate that
credible research and data form the basis of all our planning processes and decisions, including
those of our partners, whenever possible. We must also ensure that our own planning processes
are rational and comprehensible to the public. We must guarantee that our professionals have
adequate and up-to-date training in planning, and we must make sure that actions are documented
thoroughly and used to inform all subsequent planning decisions.

Challenges & Strategies:

« Better Informed Park Planning. Effective, compre-
hensive strategic planning enables the National Park
Service to make informed decisions about the future of
our parks’ prehistoric and historic places, ethnographic
resources, and museum and archival collections. The
Service must ensure that all park planning processes,
including resource, strategic, interpretive, and general
management planning, are fully integrated and docu-
mented and that they incorporate both natural and
cultural resource priorities. Moreover, all planning must
be in keeping with current scholarship and planning
philosophies. We must make sure that resource data-
bases and studies are properly documented, kept
current, and effectively used in the park planning
process. We must also ensure that all park managers
responsible for the care of prehistoric and historic
places and collections have adequate training and
competencies in historic preservation planning, laws,
regulations, and practices to carry out their responsibili-
ties. We must advocate close collaboration among
planners, ethnographers, and peoples with traditional
associations to park natural and cultural resources so
that tribal and community perspectives contribute to
resource planning decisions. Finally, we must guarantee —_NationalHistorioal Park, California)
that the most up-to-date advances in land-use planning
theories and techniques, such as Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and Global
Positioning Systems (GPS), are available for use in managing the prehistoric and
historic places and ethnographic resources in our care.