Guide to Partnership 

Certification Along 

National Historic Trails 

April 2009 

National Trails Intermountain Region 

National Park Service 
 

Table of Contents 

The National Historic Trails .............................................................................................1 

Introduction............................................................................................................................... 2 

Purpose of and Need for this Guide ...................................................................................................... 3 

Legal Authority for Partnership Certification ....................................................................... 3 

Purposes of Certification .......................................................................................................... 3 

Criteria and Guiding Principles for Certification.................................................................. 4 

Certification Provisions ........................................................................................................................ 4 

Historic Sites and Segments and the “High Potential” Concept ........................................................... 6 

Interpretive Facilities ............................................................................................................................ 7 

National Historic Trails Certification Eligibility Criteria ..................................................................... 7 

General Principles for Nomination and Management of Certified Properties .................................... 10 

Benefits of Certification for Trails Partners......................................................................... 11 

Costs and Concerns................................................................................................................. 12 

Costs ................................................................................................................................................... 12 

Personal Liability................................................................................................................................ 12 

Property Rights and Responsibilities .................................................................................................. 13 

Planning and Development ................................................................................................................. 14 

How to Certify: Procedures.................................................................................................... 14 

Multiple-Trail Certifications............................................................................................................... 15 

Maintaining the Partnership................................................................................................................ 16 

Appendix A ....................................................................................................................... 17 

Glossary ................................................................................................................................... 17 

Appendix B ....................................................................................................................... 22 

Forms and Fact Sheets............................................................................................................ 22 

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The National Historic Trails 

(Trails administered by the NPS’s Intermountain Region are noted in italics) 

National Historic Trail Agency/Region Office Location 

Ala Kahakai NPS/Pacific West Region Kailua-Kona, Hawaii 

California NPS/Intermountain Region Salt Lake City, Utah 

Captain John Smith 

Chesapeake 

NPS/Northeast Region Annapolis, Maryland 

El Camino Real de los Tejas NPS/Intermountain Region Santa Fe, New Mexico 

El Camino Real de Tierra 

Adentro 

NPS/Intermountain Region 

and BLM/New Mexico 

Santa Fe, New Mexico 

Iditarod BLM/Alaska Anchorage, Alaska 

Juan Bautista de Anza NPS/Pacific West Region Oakland, California 

Lewis and Clark NPS/Midwest Region Omaha, Nebraska 

Mormon Pioneer NPS/Intermountain Region Salt Lake City, Utah 

Nez Perce (Nee-Me-Poo) USFS/Region 1 Orofino, Idaho 

Old Spanish NPS/Intermountain Region 

and BLM/New Mexico 

Santa Fe, New Mexico 

Oregon NPS/Intermountain Region Salt Lake City, Utah 

Overmountain Victory NPS/Southeast Region Blacksburg, South 

Carolina 

Pony Express NPS/Intermountain Region Salt Lake City, Utah 

Santa Fe NPS/Intermountain Region Santa Fe, New Mexico 

Selma to Montgomery NPS/Southeast Region Hayneville, Alabama 

Star-Spangled Banner NPS/Northeast Region Annapolis, Maryland 

Trail of Tears NPS/Intermountain Region Santa Fe, New Mexico 

Washington-Rochambeau 

Revolutionary Route 

NPS/Northeast Region Annapolis, Maryland 

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Introduction 

The partnership certification1 of sites and segments associated with America’s national historic 

trails is an authority outlined in Section 7 of the National Trails System Act (16 USC 1241-

1251). It is a tool used by Federal trail administrators to officially recognize trail resources on 

non-Federal lands. The outcome of certification is not simply a paper certificate acknowledging a 

property’s link to trail history, but an ongoing partnership between the property owner/manager 

and the trail administrator. These partners work together to preserve the trail resource and make 

it accessible, as appropriate, to the visiting public. 

Along a national historic trail there typically are many types of partnerships. Each trail is 

administered by one or sometimes two Federal agencies (the National Park Service, Bureau of 

Land Management, and U.S. Forest Service), which coordinate trail-wide partnerships, planning 

efforts, and similar activities. Actual on-the-ground management of trail properties, however, is 

accomplished by many types of landowners along the trail: Federal and state land management 

agencies, regional and local park authorities, departments of transportation, and private 

landowners. Non-Federal owners or managers of properties associated with a national historic 

trail can choose to enter a certification partnership with the administering agency. The purpose of 

such partnerships is to meet the needs of the resource (e.g., stabilization, preservation, 

archeological investigations, landscape planning), the landowner (e.g., conditions of public 

access and use, concurrent land uses), and the visiting public (e.g., meaningful interpretation, 

signing, safe access). 

Certification begins with a conversation between the property owner/manager and the trail 

administrator about the historical significance and management needs of a particular trail-related 

property. As shared interests emerge, the land owner/manager and trail administrator may agree 

to enter a voluntary partnership to manage and interpret the site for visitors. Commitment to that 

partnership is formalized with a simple, legally non-binding agreement that says that the parties 

will work together toward those general mutual goals. The administering agency provides a 

certificate and trail logos designating the property as a national historic trail certified site or 

segment. 

Trail certification cultivates civic pride and community identity, promotes a public preservation 

ethic, and stimulates heritage tourism. It also presents the Federal trail administrator with 

opportunities for public service and fosters productive public/private partnerships—increasingly 

a priority for Federal agencies. With these accomplishments, certification benefits the public, 

landowners and site managers, and the administering Federal agency. It also establishes a formal 

record of all non-Federal site owners and managers officially recognized as on-the-ground trail 

partners. 

Note: This certification guide is an informal document that has been written primarily for 

National Trails-Intermountain Region. However, copies may be provided to anyone—including 

other Federal and state agencies, partners, and others—who may wish to have detailed 

information about the National Historic Trail certification process. 

A glossary of terms commonly used in the certification process is provided in Appendix A. 

1

 “Partnership certification” is the proper term that describes the relationship, as noted in this publication, between 

Federal agencies and their non-Federal partners, but for descriptive simplicity, the term “certification” is also used. 

2 
Purpose of and Need for this Guide 

Therefore, it is the purpose of this document to provide guidance for the consistent development 

and management of certification agreements between Federal national historic trails offices and 

their non-Federal partners. This guidance is intended to allow maximum operational flexibility 

and to offer a range of preferred approaches rather than delineate a strict protocol. 

Legal Authority for Partnership Certification 

Certification of non-Federal properties on national historic trails is authorized by Section 7(h)(1) 

of the National Trails System Act (P.L. 90-543), which states: 

When deemed to be in the public interest, [the] Secretary may enter written 

cooperative agreements with the States or their political subdivisions, landowners, 

private organizations, or individuals to operate, develop, and maintain any portion of 

such a trail either within or outside a federally administered area. Such agreements 

may include provisions for limited financial assistance to encourage participation in 

the acquisition, protection, operation, development, or maintenance of such trails, 

provisions providing volunteer in the park or volunteer in the forest status ... to 

individuals, private organizations, or landowners participating in such activities, or 

provisions of both types. [16 USC 1242 §7(h)(1)] 

Section 3(a)(3) of the Act establishes that Federal agencies would control segments of historic 

trails within existing Federal areas. Federally owned or controlled segments of national historic 

trails are declared by the Act to be “Federal protection components,” and hence are ineligible for 

certification. This section also, however, provides a legal basis for certification when it states 

that “The appropriate Secretary may certify other lands as protected segments of an historic trail 

upon application from state or local governmental agencies or private interests involved if such 

segments meet the national historic trail criteria established in this act and such criteria 

supplemental hereto as the appropriate Secretary may prescribe.” Through certification, nonFederal parties (as noted in Section 7(h)(1), above) may choose to work with the appropriate 

federal trail administrator to manage their trail properties as officially recognized parts of a 

national historic trail. 

Purposes of Certification 

Congress established each national historic trail for the purpose of identifying and protecting an 

“historic route and its historic remnants and artifacts for public use and enjoyment” [16 USC 

1242 §3(a)(3)]. Certification, in turn, extends national trail identity and status to non-Federal 

trails resources. Therefore, the purpose of certification, narrowly defined by Congress in this 

section of the Act, is to afford recognition of non-federal trail remnants and associated artifacts, 

and to make them available for public use and appreciation. Certification, as it applies to sites as 

well as segments, is also provided for in Section 7(h) of the Act. Certification is not exclusively 

for the benefit of the property owner/manager, even if the property is a significant, privately 

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owned resource in need of protection or stabilization. Instead, certification is a public program 

that should provide some public benefit. Therefore, conditions of certification should include 

some allowance for “public use and enjoyment” – a way for people to experience parts of the 

trail that otherwise would be unavailable for visitation. 

Criteria and Guiding Principles for Certification 

Certification Provisions 

The National Trails System Act either directly or indirectly provides for three types of certified 

sites: trail segments, historic sites, and interpretive facilities. 

A. General Provisions and Requirements 

The National Trails System Act establishes three broad criteria that must be met by a prospective 

national historic trail to qualify for authorization to the system. The Act further requires that 

certified properties meet those same criteria (“The appropriate Secretary may certify other lands 

as protected segments of an historic trail ...if such segments meet the national historic trail 

criteria established in this Act....”). Criteria for national historic trails, as stated in Section 

5(b)(11) of the National Trails System Act, are as follows: 

(A) It must be a trail or route established by historic use and must be 

historically significant as a result of that use. The route need not currently 

exist as a discernible trail to qualify, but its location must be sufficiently 

known to permit evaluation of public recreation and historical interest 

potential.... 

(B) It must be of national significance with respect to any of several broad 

facets of American history, such as trade and commerce, exploration, 

migration and settlement, or military campaigns. To qualify as nationally 

significant, historic use of the trail must have had a far-reaching effect on 

broad patterns of American culture. Trails significant in the history of Native 

Americans may be included. 

(C) It must have significant potential for public recreational use or historical 

interest based on historic interpretation and appreciation.... 

[16 USC 1244] 

These specifications were written for the national historic trails (and, by implication, the entire 

length of those trails) and not for individual trail sites and segments. In fact, it is extremely 

difficult for individual trail properties to fulfill each of these requirements as written. Rather, 

certified properties should be consistent with these umbrella criteria. 

Under Part A, a trail “must be established by historic use and must be historically significant as a 

result of that use.” It follows, then, that a non-Federal trail-related site or segment must be 

associated with the historic use of a national historic trail in order to be certified. (See Appendix 

A for definition of “Association.”) A property that is located along a national historic trail but is 

not associated historically or thematically with trail use or history does not meet the criterion. 

4 
 

Although specific language in the National Trails System Act does not provide for the 

certification of historic sites, the Act’s delineation of high potential sites (as well as historic 

segments) in Section 5(e)(1) suggests that Congress has a continuing interest in demarcating 

trailside historic sites. Federal agency staff, in response to Congress’s interest, sanctions 

certification for both historic segments and historic sites, and it also sanctions sites in the trail’s 

vicinity that interpret the trail and its resources. 

Part A also requires a trail to be historically significant as a result of its historic use, and Part B 

requires it to be of “national significance,” a concept drawn directly from the National Historic 

Preservation Act of 1966 (NHPA). (The NHPA also provides for state and local levels of 

significance.) Generally, “significance” means that a property is eligible for listing on the 

National Register of Historic Places. Under the NHPA, a property is National Register-eligible if 

it meets one or more of the following four criteria: 

1. It is associated with events that have made a significant contribution to the broad patterns 

of national, state, or local history. 

2. It is associated with the lives of persons who are significant in the past of our nation, 

state, or local area. 

3. It embodies the distinctive characteristics of a type, period, or method of construction, or 

represents the work of a master, or possesses high artistic values, or represents a 

significant and distinguishable entity whose components may lack individual distinction. 

4. It has yielded or maybe likely to yield information important in prehistory or history. 

Once a property is determined to be eligible, then its level of historic significance—national, 

state, or local—may be evaluated. To be nationally significant—and thus qualify under Criterion 

B, as noted above—a property must be related to historic events, trends, or persons of national 

importance. An example of a nationally significant trail property is Nauvoo, Illinois, where the 

Mormon Pioneer National Historic Trail begins. Followers of the Mormon prophet Joseph Smith, 

Jr. began settling Nauvoo in 1839. Smith’s assassination in 1844 triggered an American religious 

war and forced a mass exodus of Mormons from Nauvoo two years later. Mormon emigration to 

Utah in turn had profound influence on the ensuing settlement of the rest of the West. Because of 

its significance in American history, privately-owned Nauvoo is now a National Historic 

Landmark. The Bingham-Waggoner Home and Estate, a residence located in Independence, 

Missouri (along the Santa Fe, California, and Oregon trails), is a National Register property 

significant at the state level. The Tremonti-Rice House, a historic residence in Raytown, 

Missouri, and also located along the above three trails, provides an example of a National 

Register-listed property that is significant at the local level. 

An authorized national historic trail is, by definition, of national significance. However, many 

trail sites and segments, evaluated as isolated, individual properties, may be determined 

significant only at a local or state—not national—level of significance. Some historic locations 

associated with a trail might not be National Register-eligible nor significant at any level because 

the historical integrity of physical trail remnants or setting has been destroyed, yet those 

locations might still be of interpretive interest. An overly narrow interpretation of this stipulation 

relative to trail-associated sites and segments would result in very few properties being eligible 

for certification. 

In considering this criterion, then, a national historic trail may be conceptualized as a linear 

cultural landscape (or rural historic district). Within this context, sites and segments along its 

5 
length should be evaluated as contributing resources to that landscape or district and not as 

individual, isolated properties. A “contributing” resource to a national historic trail would be one 

that a) independently meets one or more of the four National Register eligibility criteria; b) was 

present during the trail’s period of significance or historic use; c) relates to the significance of the 

trail; and/or d) has good information value (including interpretive value) relating to the trail. 

Following this line of reasoning, a non-Federal trail property that somehow contributes to the 

overall significance of a national historic trail would be eligible for certification. A number of 

these properties are listed in the trail’s comprehensive management plan (CMP) as a high 

potential site or segment. 

Eligibility criterion C simply requires that a certified site or segment have some potential 

recreational use and/or historic quality that can be interpreted for and appreciated by the public. 

It must also provide for public access (at least to some extent) and also provide accessibility to 

those persons subject to the Americans With Disabilities Act, as specified below (see page 11). 

B. Historic Sites and Segments and the “High Potential” Concept 

Section 5(e)(1) of the National Trails System Act introduces the terms “high potential historic 

sites” and “high potential route segments.” Later, in Section 12, subsections 1 and 2, it provides 

definitions that offer (but do not mandate) further guidance in determining what kinds of 

individual properties may be eligible for certification: 

(1) The term “high potential historic sites” means those 

historic sites related to the route, or sites in close 

proximity thereto, which provide opportunity to 

interpret the historic significance of the trail during the 

period of its major use. Criteria for consideration as 

high potential sites include historic significance, 

presence of visible historic remnants, scenic quality, 

and relative freedom from intrusion. 

(2) The term “high potential route segments” means those 

segments of a trail which would afford high quality 

recreation experience in a portion of the route having 

greater than average scenic values or affording an 

opportunity to vicariously share the experience of the 

original users of a historic route. 

[16 USC 1251 §12(1-2)] 

The Act directs the Secretary to submit a comprehensive management plan (CMP) for each 

national trail, and further directs that high potential sites and high potential segments be 

identified and listed in those plans [16 USC 1244(e)(1). However, those “high potential” lists are 

compiled based on information available when the CMP is being drafted, and so should not be 

regarded as complete, conclusive, or final. Lists may be amended to add or remove properties, as 

appropriate. That point is important because it highlights why a CMP list of high potential sites 

and segments should not be regarded as a complete list of certifiable trail properties, but rather as 

a work in progress that will be either augmented or reduced based on subsequent research 

findings. The Act does not require that a property be identified in a CMP as a high potential site 

6 
or segment in order to be eligible for certification. In fact, the Act does not link “high potential” 

designation with certification at all. 

The high potential designation itself is not subject directly to National Register eligibility 

criteria or level of significance guidelines, although the “high potential criteria” cited in 

16 USC 1251 §12(1-2) above are certainly consistent with those criteria and guidelines. 

Many high potential properties do, in fact, meet National Register listing criteria, but 

others might not. As a result, not all high potential sites and segments are necessarily 

eligible for certification, and not all certified properties are eligible for listing as high 

potential sites and segments. Certification and high potential designation are two distinct 

processes. 

National Register eligibility and significance criteria should be considered during evaluation of 

historic (not purely interpretive) properties for certification. To be certified, a site or a segment 

(high potential or not) ideally retains either visible vestiges of trail or characteristics of open 

space or vista similar to those that existed during the trail’s period of significance. However, a 

trail site or segment without physical traces of use may be eligible for certification if it is along 

the documented historical route of travel. Because national historic sites and segments were 

created by actual historical use, by definition they are historically and geographically associated 

with one or more trails. 

C. Interpretive Facilities 

Another broad class of certifiable properties, usually termed “interpretive facilities” (but also 

sometimes called “visitor centers,” “interpretive centers,” and “interpretive sites”) comprises 

facilities that interpret or otherwise provide substantial information about, or interpretation of, 

historic trails. Examples include visitor centers, museums, and other venues with significant trail 

related information, orientation, or interpretation. 

Interpretive facilities are not mentioned in the text of the Act as specifically eligible for 

certification, but they sometimes are certified because of their contributions to public 

understanding and appreciation of national historic trail resources. Certification of interpretive 

sites and centers, however, is deemed permissible under the Act. No interpretive facility can be 

certified unless it is near a specific national historic trail and has existing interpretive media 

(waysides, films, programs, brochures, etc.) that are thematically related to that trail. 

National Historic Trails Certification Eligibility Criteria 

From the three criteria established by the Act for national historic trails, and the definitions of 

high-potential sites and segments, it is possible to derive five necessary conditions for 

certification of a national historic trail property: 

1. The property must be non-Federally owned and managed. 

2. The property must have direct and significant historical and/or thematic associations 

with a national historic trail. Definitions of “historical association” and “thematic association” 

are provided in Appendix A. 

7 
Note: The following examples are not intended to serve as exclusive lists, but only to provide a 

clearer understanding of historical and thematic associations. Trails staff may always exercise 

professional judgment in determining whether a property has direct historical or thematic 

association with a national historic trail. 

Examples of properties with direct historical association with national historic trails include: 

trailside campsites, cemeteries, isolated graves, and inscriptions created during a trail’s period of 

significance; ruts, swales, and water crossings; and natural features such as springs, trees, 

streams, or rock formations mentioned in historic trail documents. Further examples include trail 

junctions; buildings, streets, sidewalks, and structures, and ruins thereof, that existed along the 

trail corridor during the trail’s period of significance; residences of persons linked to the trail, 

provided that the building was occupied by that person during his/her use of the trail, or was 

purchased with money earned by commercial use of the trail, or is otherwise associated with both 

the person and the trail; and locations of significant events associated with trail history. Places 

where Native American peoples interacted with other users of a trail and traditional cultural 

properties associated with trail history also might have direct historical association with national 

historical trails. Properties most closely associated with people significant to a national historic 

trail would also qualify, so long as those properties are located within the immediate vicinity of 

the historical trail right-of-way. 

Examples of places lacking direct historical association might include: residences of persons who 

were historically linked to the trail, where those residences did not exist during the trail’s period 

of significance, or were not constructed by money gained by commercial use of the trail, or were 

not otherwise connected both to the persona and the trail; and post-trail commemorative statuary, 

murals, markers, or monuments with no associated interpretive media or physical evidence of 

trail use. Further examples include sites lacking sufficient physical, oral, or documentary 

evidence of historical association with trail use; and developed locations with no remaining 

vestige of trail use, destroyed or significantly impaired trail setting, and judged by trails 

personnel to have little potential for meaningful interpretation. 

Examples of thematic association include facilities and parks with exhibits and/or programs that 

interpret trails or the broader topics of westward expansion, communications, civil rights, Indian 

removal, or other themes relating to authorization of the relevant trail; that present Native 

American or other minority perspectives on a trail or its impacts on that group; or that inform the 

public about lifeways of indigenous groups who were impacted by the use of the trail (e.g., tribal 

visitor centers or museums). Further examples include art museums with permanent Western art 

exhibits having a particular focus on trails-related topic; and overlooks or sites with trail exhibits, 

and roadside parks or pullouts with wayside exhibits interpreting the trail corridor. 

Commercial exhibits (e.g., promoting the sale of trail-related art, books, clothing, or other goods) 

alone do not establish thematic association for a facility. Commercial exhibits are, however, 

permissible in conjunction with interpretive exhibits and programs. Business venues (including 

those with a trail-related name, menu, or architectural or decorative theme) that do not provide 

accurate trail information or interpretation as a primary function should not be considered 

thematically related to a trail. For example, the Wagon Wheel Café cannot be certified simply 

because it has Old West decor and provides trail tour brochures. National Park Service 

certification should not be made available solely for commercial marketing or advertising 

purposes. 

8 
Likewise, a purely commemorative structure without interpretation and not associated with a 

trail-related historic or interpretive site, is not eligible for certification. 

3. The property must be made available to some degree for public interpretation and 

appreciation. This requirement is derived from 16 USC 1244 §5(b)(11), which states that a 

national historic trail must have “significant potential for public recreational use or historical 

interest based on historic interpretation and appreciation....” 

Available means that the owner/manager agrees to permit at least occasional public viewing of 

the property. Availability does not necessarily mean that the public must be allowed free and 

unlimited access to the property, although some certified property owners do provide for that 

kind of access. Owners and managers may set visiting hours, require advance arrangements for 

visitation, charge admission, deny access at certain times of year, use their property for 

agricultural, commercial, and other purposes, limit visitor group size, place some areas of their 

property off-limits to visitors, require guides, prohibit vehicle access, and set other reasonable 

limits for visitor use of their property. The Federal trail administrator should be highly flexible in 

accommodating the property owner’s preferences with regard to public use of a site. 

Available further means that a property or adjacent viewing area can physically and legally be 

entered by visitors, and that entering the property or viewing area does not pose an unreasonable 

safety risk to the public. 

Examples of available properties include: a site in an agricultural field that is entered, with the 

owner’s permission, by crossing a fence and walking across undeveloped land; a closed and 

secured or occupied historical building that can be observed from surrounding grounds, but not 

entered; a private museum with entrance fees; and a public visitor center offering outdoor guided 

tours. 

Examples of unavailable properties include: a site that is surrounded by property owned by nonpartners and that has no access easement; property located along a busy highway without offroad parking or safe crossings; property that is protected by dogs or regularly occupied by 

potentially aggressive livestock, such as bulls; an unstable, open building or structure that poses 

a potential safety hazard; and property on which abandoned wells, mines, or dumps are located 

on the site or along access to the site. Unavailable properties do not qualify as certified sites. 

4. The property must meet accessibility requirements mandated by Federal law, where 

applicable. Under certain circumstances, a property opened to public visitation must be made 

accessible to individuals with disabilities. However, this does not mean that all certified sites 

must be fully handicap-accessible; nor does it mean that handicap-accessibility must entail 

construction of wheelchair ramps or installation of elevators. 

Undeveloped trail segments, sites, and privately owned and occupied buildings are not required 

to meet Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) standards. ADA standards apply to relevant 

state, local, and private facilities, as described below. However, even when ADA compliance is 

not mandated by law, the Federal trail administrator should encourage accessibility 

accommodations in those places where they reasonably could be provided without adverse 

impacts to trail resources, setting, or land use practices. The NPS can assist property owners and 

managers with assessing accessibility needs and can provide technical assistance with planning 

for those project needs. 

9 
All new commercial establishments and places of public accommodation (such as libraries, 

museums, and visitor centers) already are required to comply with ADA standards. Most 

museums and visitor centers have made these accommodations as required by law; however, 

some smaller facilities have not. The Federal trail administrator should encourage and help 

partners retrofit their facilities and programs to make them more accessible, and in some cases, 

trails staff can help plan minor modifications to improve accessibility. Otherwise, if a facility 

that legally should meet ADA requirements does not meet them and has no plans for compliance, 

then that property is not accessible and should not be certified until the deficiency is resolved. 

In addition, Federal trail administering agencies must comply with Sections 504 and 508 of the 

Rehabilitation Act of 1973, which requires programmatic accessibility to interpretive media and 

programs. This requirement must be met when an executive branch Federal agency funds new 

programs, media development, or exhibits. It is the legal responsibility of the agency, not the 

certified partner, to see that programmatic accessibility requirements are met. Programmatic 

accessibility generally means ensuring that mobility impaired persons are provided access to a 

facility or exhibit, or that the same information is made available to them in an accessible 

location; that visual information is presented in formats accessible to those with visual 

impairments; and that audible information is presented in formats accessible to those with 

hearing impairments. 

Again, these requirements apply to new programs and exhibits that are funded by the Federal 

agencies. Certified partners should be reassured that national historic trail certification will not 

require retrofitting existing exhibits and programs. However, if the Federal agency assists, for 

example, with interpretive wayside exhibits for a site, then those exhibits must be designed to 

meet the programmatic accessibility requirements of the Rehabilitation Act. 

Due to the complexity of the laws and regulations and the tremendous variability of certified 

sites and partner needs, individual landowners or managers should consult with NPS 

accessibility experts on a case-by-case basis. 

5. The person or organization requesting certification must be the legal owner of the 

property, have the legal owner’s authorization to pursue certification, or be the owner’s 

designated manager of the property. Properties will not be certified by a Federal administrator 

without the knowledge and permission of the owner. On the other hand, National Park Service 

staff play and active role in the certification process as well. Communication and cooperation is 

a key element both in the property certification process and in maintaining the partnership after 

the property has been certified (see the “How to Certify: Procedures” section below). 

General Principles for Nomination and Management of Certified Properties 

Through the years, Federal national historic trail administrators have developed additional 

general principles that guide their overall approach to developing and sustaining certification 

partnerships. These include: 

• Outreach -- The trail administrator generally should publicize its site certification 

program to make potential partners aware of its existence and to invite them to 

participate. Some trails, crossing mostly public lands, are already largely protected, 

interpreted, and made accessible by Federal land managers. In those cases, 

10 
owner/managers of trail properties on adjoining non-Federal lands should be advised of 

the certification opportunity, and encouraged to look into the program. Other trail 

corridors cross largely non-Federal lands. Trail resources along those corridors typically 

are not available to the public, and usually do not receive the benefit of professional 

planning, interpretation, and resource protection. Federal trail administrators should 

actively market their certification programs to the owner/managers of such properties. 

• Types of Properties -- The site certification program should be as inclusive as possible, 

accommodating a wide variety of trail-related property types, settings, and conditions. 

Priority for certification should be accorded to protected non-Federal high potential sites 

and segments that are named in a trail’s comprehensive management plan, but only so 

long as current research has not diminished the historical importance of that site or 

segment. 

• Streamlining -- Property documentation, agreement development, and overall program 

management requirements should be streamlined to minimize staff and property 

owner/manager workload. 

• Development -- Each certified property should be evaluated by Federal trails staff in 

cooperation with the landowner/manager to determine what, if any, level of planning and 

development of visitor facilities might be beneficial to accommodate resource protection 

and public use. However, certification should not be construed to require development or 

improvement of non-Federal properties, except when such development would be 

mandated by law. 

• Benefits -- Certification confers to certified partners some special benefits or recognition 

that are not otherwise available to the public. (See the “Benefits of Certification” section 

below.) In general, however, Federal staff should be willing to work with all trails 

partners to interpret and protect trails properties, regardless of their certification status 

• Standards and Flexibility -- Certification agreements ideally should be formalized with 

a simplified, standard agreement form rather than a complex, individualized, legal 

document (see example in Appendix B). However, agreements are flexible, and forms 

can be adapted as necessary to the particular circumstances for which they are employed. 

If a partnership is to be documented for a property/site that is not eligible for certification, 

the trail office can use a cooperative agreement or memorandum of understanding to 

formalize the relationship. 

• Term of Partnership -- The length of term of a certification agreement should be 

indefinite. (In practice, certifications approved since approximately 2004 have typically 

been approved for an indefinite period, while older certifications have typically been 

valid for three to five years.) From time to time, signed agreements should be reviewed 

and partners should be contacted to evaluate how well an agreement is working, and to 

determine whether any modifications to the agreement are in order. 

Benefits of Certification for Trails Partners 

11 
The NPS has a relatively inclusive approach toward certification. The agency, for example, 

provides trail logos both to certified partners and to other parties that demonstrate a legitimate, 

non-commercial need for them. The agency also awards Challenge Cost Share Program (CCSP) 

funds to both certified and non-certified trail partners, and it also assists any party that requests 

professional technical advice. The agency now attempts to cultivate broad public recognition of 

national historic trails via a wide distribution of trail logos (to cite one specific example), and 

more generally it fosters goodwill and trails advocacy among all trails partners whether they are 

certified or not. 

Despite that relative sense of equality, certifying a property offers three specific advantages to 

the landowner or manager. 

• NPS managers may be more inclined to provide various forms of technical assistance to 

certified partners than to others. This includes, for example, the distribution of CCSP 

funds, the provision of logos and directional signs. The agency is also more likely to 

recognize certified partners in various NPS media. Certification, in fact, is one of the 

primary criteria that NPS staff use in determining technical and financial assistance. 

• Owners or managers of certified sites are eligible to receive and distribute trail brochures, 

site bulletins, and similar items, and their sites will be publicized on the agency’s 

website. 

• On a more intangible level, becoming a certified partner gives landowners and managers 

a sense of Federal validation and recognition in the community and region, and it 

conveys a larger sense of legitimacy, both of the property’s historical importance and of 

its public values. 

In this and other ways, the agency recognizes certification as an ongoing relationship with its 

partners, and it strives to favorably maintain that relationship as a way to attain mutually-desired 

goals related to trail preservation, site preservation, and interpretation. 

Costs and Concerns 

Costs 

No direct costs are incurred by the landowner/manager in certifying a property. However, if 

certified partners wish to improve resource accessibility, protection, preservation, interpretation, 

etc., expenses may arise. Some costs associated with such projects may be mitigated with the 

help of the Federal partner agency, which can provide limited expert assistance from its staff of 

interpreters, planners and other technical specialists. Funds cannot be provided for property 

administration, but only for projects and special events. In addition, if a project proponent can 

provide in-kind or monetary matching from non-Federal sources, a qualified project may be 

eligible for challenge cost share funds and for grants from other organizations. (Generally, 

challenge cost share funding is available for qualified projects regardless of whether or not the 

project property is a certified trail site.) 

Personal Liability 

A big concern to landowners is their potential liability if they open their historic trail properties 

to the public. Fortunately, most states have excellent recreational tort liability waiver laws that 

12 
protect landowners from such liability when they make their lands available to the public for 

recreational purposes. These laws, however, provide limited protection to the landowner, 

regardless of whether a fee is charged for use of the property. 

Upon request, Federal trails staff may try to help identify the relevant tort liability laws effective 

in a potential partner site’s state, and refer the trail partner to it. However, staffers must not 

attempt to offer legal advice or interpretation. Instead, they should defer to private legal 

professionals if the trail partner requests clarification or advice. A website from the NPS’s 

Rivers, Trails, and Conservation Assistance program that may be of some assistance in this area 

is as follows: <http://www.nps.gov/ncrc/programs/rtca/helpfultools/recusebrochures/index.htm> 

Another avenue for liability protection is provided by the National Trails System Act itself. 

Under the terms of the Act, a landowner may be enrolled as a Volunteer-in-Park (VIP) and/or a 

Volunteer-in-Forests (VIF), and receive coverage under the Federal Tort Claims Act and 

Workman's Compensation in case of injury for approved certified site activities. This pertains 

even when a volunteer is working for the trail on his or her own lands and regardless of whether 

that property is certified under the National Trails System Act. 

VIP or VIF status is extended by the National Park Service and USDA Forest Service to private 

individuals, not to employees of other agencies, businesses, or non-profit organizations. Persons 

working on a trail on behalf of another agency, business, or non-profit organization are protected 

by that entity’s insurance. VIP and VIF status requires a signed volunteer agreement form and a 

job description that specifies the volunteer’s trail-related duties. 

Property Rights and Responsibilities 

No property rights are transferred to the Federal government as a result of certification. 

Certification does not establish a government right-of-way, easement, or other kind of legal 

interest in the property, and the Federal trail administrator can neither require nor prohibit 

development of a certified property. A landowner or manager can continue motor vehicle use, 

agricultural activities, occupation, and other customary land uses, and the owner or manager may 

also charge admission and set reasonable restrictions on visitor use of the certified property. 

While private property rights are not affected by certification agreements, the 

landowner/manager is asked to consent to certain parameters of the partnership. (See “public 

interpretation and appreciation” section [#3] on page 9.) Parameters include allowing for 

reasonable and safe access to the property, as worked out by mutual agreement between the 

landowner and administering trail office; advising the trail administrator about planned changes 

of ownership, land use, or development that could impact the condition of a trail segment or the 

public use of a historic site; and protecting and preserving trail resources on the property. These 

parameters are not specifically spelled out in the written certification agreement, but they should 

be discussed with the partner. 

The certification agreement between the landowner/manager and the Federal trail administrator 

can be terminated by either party for any reason at any time. For instance, the administrator 

might end the partnership if on-site development impacts trail resources or discourages 

visitation; or the owner might terminate the agreement if he or she plans to adopt a new, 

incompatible use for it. If a certification agreement is terminated or if it lapses, the administrator 

may request the return of signs and other agency-provided materials. 

13 
 

 

Legally, certification agreements cannot encumber subsequent owners of the property. When a 

property changes hands, the existing certification agreement will remain in force unless the new 

owner wishes to terminate it. Alternatively, a new agreement can be arranged if the new owner 

wishes to participate in the site certification program. 

Should a property owner want to ensure continual public access to and appreciation of a certified 

property, he or she could arrange for a public access easement, possibly in conjunction with a 

conservation easement, to the Federal trail administrator, a state agency, or a local land trust. 

This would ensure long-term or even perpetual public access to trail resources while keeping the 

property in private stewardship. Trail personnel may be able to assist with investigating and 

implementing such arrangements. 

Planning and Development 

Many certified properties may benefit from an appropriate degree of visitor facility development 

to accommodate visitor use and preservation goals. The Federal trail administrator may assist the 

owner/manager with planning, designing, and constructing such accommodations where they are 

appropriate and where they do not unduly impact the historic character of the site or its setting. 

However, developing or improving a certified property is not a condition for certification. Trail 

staff recognizes, too, that some properties are best left untouched to avoid introducing modern 

intrusions into an historic setting or interfering with the owner’s use of the land. 

The range of desirable visitor facility development is highly variable, depending on site 

conditions, current property use, and the landowner’s preferences. Certified partners are 

encouraged to work with agency personnel, as time and resources permit, to evaluate their 

property, discuss appropriate levels of visitor use, and identify any potentially beneficial and 

appropriate improvements that facilitate the visitors’ ability to experience the trail, such as 

signage, parking, interpretation, and pedestrian pathways. Federal agency staff may be able to 

assist in this effort, and these personnel may be able to identify any potential environmental, 

cultural, and accessibility compliance issues. If the property owner/manager wishes to proceed 

with planning and development, the trail administrator may be able to provide further technical 

assistance and other kinds of help. The trail administrator may assist with obtaining permits, 

when staffing and time permit. It is ultimately the owner’s responsibility, however, to obtain any 

required permits and to ensure that the plan meets state and local zoning, construction, 

accessibility, and other requirements. 

Interpretation of certified properties is strongly encouraged, but interpretation does not 

necessarily demand the installation of onsite signs and wayside exhibits. Interpretation also can 

be provided by guides conducting escorted tours, publications, and internet web sites. 

How to Certify: Procedures 

Information about certification is available from printed brochures, agency national historic trail 

web sites, and trails staff. Property owners and managers may independently inquire about 

certification, or trails staff and others may invite them to consider certifying their property. 

The certification process for national historic trails consists of the following steps: 

14 
1. State or local governments, or private landowners or managers, will contact the Federal 

trail administrator by mail, phone, email, or in person to inquire about certification. Any 

available information concerning the property’s historical or thematic association with a 

national historic trail should be provided at this time, or soon afterward, to help determine 

the property’s eligibility as a certified site. 

2. Trails staff will visit the property with the landowner or manager to evaluate the resource, 

collect information, identify any potential safety issues, and identify any interpretive and 

development needs and potential compliance issues. Federal trails staff should fill out a 

Property Contact Information and Certification Evaluation Form (see Appendix B). 

3. As appropriate, partners and staff will identify any urgent planning, management, and 

public use objectives for a site or segment, and any restrictions they may wish to place on 

visitor use of the property. The optional Property Data and Planning Form (Appendix B) 

may be useful in this process. 

4. The owner/manager and a designated Federal official will then sign a simple certification 

agreement, in which they agree to work together for the benefit of the resource, the 

public, and the property owner/manager. Federal officials, at that time, will provide a 

copy of the agreement (see Appendix B) to the property owner or manager. 

5. The owner or manager and a designated Federal official may participate, as appropriate, 

in signing ceremonies, press events, and other public notifications. 

6. Post-certification actions may include historical and other technical assistance, site and 

interpretive planning, design and development, project compliance, and other mutually 

agreed-upon endeavors. 

The amount of time required to certify a property is highly variable, depending on the nature of 

the property and the concerns of the certifying partner. If trails staff are already familiar with the 

property and have an established relationship with the partner, certification might consist of an 

exchange of documents for signing and filing, taking only a few hours of work time. If the 

property needs to be examined and assessed by trails staff, and/or if the certifying partner has 

numerous concerns about the process or requires extensive legal review of the written agreement, 

the certification process can be work-intensive and stretch out over weeks or months. Usually, 

though, on-site evaluation of the property and completion of the agreement can be expected to 

take two to four workdays. 

Likewise, the amount of time required to properly maintain a certified partnership is variable. An 

active partner who requests technical assistance might require several work days (or even weeks) 

per year; others may prefer to have little contact with trails staff. Ideally, trails staff will make 

time at least to make occasional telephone contact with all certified partners. 

Multiple-Trail Certifications 

Where national historic trails overlap, cross, or otherwise coincide, appropriate properties may 

be eligible for multiple-trail certification. To the greatest extent possible, trails staff will certify 

such properties under a single agreement for all the trails with which it is historically or 

thematically associated. Single agreements for properties on multiple trails will be sought, even 

15 
 

if these trails are administered by separate agencies. In all of these instances, the property owner 

or manager would receive a single certificate acknowledging the property’s participation in the 

certification program. 

Maintaining the Partnership 

As noted above, responsibilities of the trails office to the certified partner do not end with the 

signing of the agreement. Trails staff need occasionally to contact partners to monitor their 

satisfaction with the arrangement and to identify potential impacts of site visitation to the on-site 

resources. The partner may periodically be asked about site conditions, identification of new 

trails resources on the property, impacts of visitation, anticipated land use changes, and any 

safety, resource, or other issues that might arise. The partner should be afforded opportunities to 

advise the Federal trail administrator of any changes in conditions of visitation, such as visiting 

hours or entrance fees, so that those changes can be incorporated into trails publications and web 

sites. In addition, agency staff need to keep partnership files updated with new resource or 

ownership information, and cross-referenced (where appropriate) to Challenge Cost Share 

Project files. 

It is important for Federal agency staff to stay in touch with partners and that they continue to 

ask partners how the NPS can assist them. It is hoped that certification will commence a process 

that will build each partner into a supporter and friend of national historic trails. 

16 
Appendix A 

Glossary 

A consistent policy or protocol begins with an explicit, shared, and well-defined terminology. 

The following definitions are derived from a combination of sources, including the National 

Trails System Act, NPS Management Policies, National Register Bulletins, and professional 

handbooks and texts. 

Accessible: A property is accessible if it meets the standards of the Americans with Disabilities 

Act and/or the Rehabilitation Act. Federal properties must conform with Uniform Federal 

Accessibility Standards and include providing reasonable accommodations for persons with 

mobility, vision, or hearing impairments. Accommodations may include visual presentation of 

aurally-delivered information for hearing-impaired persons, and audible presentation of visuallydelivered information for vision-impaired persons. 

Act: National Trails System Act (16 USC 1241-51) 

Administration: Each national trail is administered by one or more Federal agencies. That 

agency is responsible for the funding and staffing necessary to operate the trail. It is further 

responsible for exercising trail-wide authorities from the NTSA and its own organic legislation 

for such functions as coordination among and between agencies and partnership organizations, 

planning, marking, certification, resource preservation and protection, interpretation, cooperative 

and interagency agreements, technical assistance, and limited financial assistance to cooperating 

government agencies, landowners, interest groups, and individuals. Trail administration provides 

trail-wide coordination and consistency. NTSA Section 7 provides authority for many of these 

administrative functions. 

Association: The tie between the resource and its cultural context. 

Historical association: The link between the property and actual use of the trail during 

the trail’s period of significance. Association may be demonstrated by historical 

documentation, oral tradition, oral history, and folklore, and/or by physical evidence of 

one-time events and repeated activities that occurred on or near a trail, in connection with 

the trail’s historical uses. 

a. Historical documentation consists of written and graphic sources of information; e.g., 

contemporary letters, journals, photos, drawings, published trail guides, survey reports, 

maps, advertisements, books, newspaper articles, etc. 

b. Oral tradition consists of reported statements from the past that are passed orally from 

generation to generation; e.g., American Indian accounts of encounters with emigrants. 

c. Oral history consists of statements of an individual’s personal recollections; e.g., an 

elderly individual who recalls seeing trail-related graves in his youth at a location where 

visible evidence of graves no longer exists. 

d. Folklore consists of widely held ideas about the past that are not based on personal 

experience or documentary or physical evidence. Folklore alone might not be strong 

enough evidence to establish an historical association, but it can be considered along with 

other lines of historical evidence. 

17 
 

e. Physical evidence consists of cultural remains and environmental conditions, 

detectable by the eye, instruments, or pattern analysis, that are consistent with trail uses; 

e.g., artifact scatters, inscriptions, ruts, swales, fire rings, graves, geophysical survey data, 

aerial photography, vegetation patterns, etc. 

Geographical association: Located in the general vicinity of a congressionally authorized 

NHT route or auto tour route; or in the case of a landmark or natural feature, that the 

property would have been observable from the authorized NHT route during the trail’s 

period of significance. 

Thematic association: Providing public interpretation or non-commercial exhibits 

primarily focused on a national historic trail, trail-related resources, setting, or history, or 

other trail-related topics. 

Auto Tour Route: Most national historic trails today are traced by Auto Tour Routes, which 

typically follow highways and local roads. Auto Tour Routes sometimes exist within historic 

trail corridor, but often only approximate the historic route of travel. Generally, they are marked 

with the trail’s marker logo. 

Availability: The physical and legal ability to enter a property or adjoining viewing area. This 

means that there is no physical barrier, such as a fence or canal, or legal barrier, such as lack of 

right-of-way across adjoining land, that excludes the general public from viewing the property. 

Likewise, there is no obvious hazard, such as an uncapped well or unstable building, on the 

property. 

Certification: The administrative process whereby non-Federally owned properties along 

national historic trails are identified and recognized for their historical and/or thematic 

association with one or more national historic trails. Certification is undertaken for the purpose 

of officially recognizing protected historic trail properties, making them available for public use, 

and enhancing the public’s enjoyment and understanding of them. (This concept is also being 

used to track completed and recognized segments of some national scenic trails.) 

Certification Agreement: A simple, non-binding agreement between a Federal agency and one 

or more partners, which formalizes a good-faith arrangement to work together toward common 

goals, such as protecting and interpreting an historic property. 

Compliance: Generally, conformance with the requirements of a law, regulation, or policy. 

However, the term is commonly applied specifically to the review of potential impacts of Federal 

undertakings on the environment and on cultural resources (as in “NEPA compliance” and “106 

compliance”). 

Comprehensive Management Plan (CMP): These legislatively required planning documents 

are essential blueprints to the complex resource management, development, interpretation, 

interagency collaboration, and partnerships endemic to national scenic and historic trails. They 

are to be completed within two complete fiscal years of a trail’s establishment. Legal 

requirements for such plans are outlined in National Trails System Act §5e-f. These plans also 

can be used for additional trail-wide planning issues, as necessary. 

18 
Federal Protection Component: These portions of trail, as defined in National Trails System 

Act § 3(a)(3), are “those selected land and water based components of a historic trail which are 

on federally owned lands and which meet the national historic trail criteria established in this 

Act...”. These should be defined in and listed in a trail’s CMP. 

High Potential Segments: Trail segments (see definition of “segment,” below) that “afford [a] 

high quality recreation experience in a portion of the route having greater than average scenic 

values and affording an opportunity to vicariously share the experience of the original users of 

the historic route” [National Trails System Act §12(2) (see subchapters 5.1 and 8.5)]. 

High Potential Sites: “Those historic sites related to the route, or sites in close proximity 

thereto, which provide opportunity to interpret the historic significance of the trail during the 

period of its major use. Criteria for consideration as high potential sites include historic 

significance, presence of visible historic remnants, scenic quality, and relative freedom from 

intrusion” [National Trails System Act §12(1) (see subchapters 5.1 and 8.5)]. 

Historic Routes: Many national historic trails commemorate nationally significant movements 

of people across the landscape. The route of travel is the actual line of movement as documented 

through maps, journals, and other accounts. It is a continuous line, although remnant sites and 

segments may be only fragmentary. Most national historic trails today are traced by Auto Tour 

Routes, which only approximate the actual route of travel. 

Interpretation: Verbal, graphic, photographic, and/or written informational presentations that 

link “specific and tangible artifacts, buildings, and places with ideas, events, and concepts” 

relating to a national historic trail. Interpretive media “provide visitors with relevant [trail] 

information, and facilitate more in-depth understanding of—and personal connection with— 

[trail] themes and resources.” (NPS Management Policies, p. 74). 

Interpretive (Visitor) Center: A site, typically including a building or an outdoor interpretive 

complex, where orientation information and/or interpretive exhibits are provided to visitors. 

Trails may be the exclusive focus of a visitor center, or may be one of several topics addressed 

there. Exhibits in or at a certified interpretive center must be primarily informational and 

interpretive, not commercial or fictitious in nature. (Commercial exhibits, such as book sales 

displays, are permissible in conjunction with interpretive exhibits.) Museums, interpretive 

centers, and interpretive sites are not mutually exclusive, and a certified property may include 

one or all of these elements. Interpretive centers are not required to be adjacent to an authorized 

national historic trail, but must be in reasonable proximity and must be thematically associated 

with a trail in order to be eligible for certification. 

Interpretive Site: Outdoor venues with substantive interpretive media that provide visitors with 

the opportunity for understanding and enjoyment of a national historic trail. Sites may include 

interpretive complexes (such as walking trails with wayside exhibits or significant trail-related 

sculptural exhibits), commemorative parks, and interpreted trail overlooks. Simple highway 

pullouts with historical signs or “generic” wayside exhibits (i.e., exhibits that touch on broad 

topics and are not specific to that location or to historical events that occurred at that site) 

typically are not eligible for certification. Interpretive sites interpret trail history, setting, or 

historic events and activities, but are not themselves trail sites or segments (see definitions 

below). Museums, interpretive centers, and interpretive sites are not mutually exclusive, so a 

certified property may include one or all of these elements. Interpretive facilities are not required 

19 
to be adjacent to an authorized national historic trail, but must be in reasonable proximity to a 

trail in order to be eligible for certification. 

Management: Many government and private entities own or manage lands along each national 

trail. Management responsibilities include inventorying and mapping resources, managing visitor 

use, planning and developing trail segments or sites, and site-specific compliance; and providing 

appropriate public access, site interpretation, trail maintenance, parking, resource preservation 

and protection, and viewshed protection. 

Museum: For the purposes of national historic trail certification, a museum is a building that 

houses exhibits of objects, dating to a national historic trail’s period of significance, that were 

used or carried on the trail, and whose relationships to the trail are identified to the public; or 

that exhibits objects or replicas of objects that were typical or illustrative of items used or carried 

on the trail; and that provides public interpretation of those exhibits. Museums, interpretive 

centers, and interpretive sites are not mutually exclusive, so a certified property may include one 

or all of these elements. 

National Historic Trails: These are “extended trails which follow as closely as possible and 

practicable the original trails or routes of travel of national historic significance” [National Trails 

System Act §3(a)(3)]. National historic trails do not have to be continuous, can be less than 100 

miles in length, can include land and water segments, must be authorized by Congress, and must 

meet all three criteria provided in the National Trails System Act §5(b)(11). 

National Trails System Act (NTSA): This Act was passed as Public Law 90-543 and signed by 

President Johnson on October 2, 1968, after several years of negotiations. It has been amended 

more than 20 times since. The category of national historic trails was added in 1978. 

Partnership Certification (Agreement): see Certification (Agreement). Also see clarifying 

note on the introductory page. 

Period of Significance: The span of years, identified in a trail feasibility study or comprehensive 

management plan, during which a trail was used for its primary purpose, and for which it has 

received national recognition. For example, the period of significance for the Oregon National 

Historic Trail is 1841-1867, the period during which the trail was primarily used for emigration. 

Segment: Section of trail, route, or other corridors of authorized NHT. Segments can include 

ruts, swales, non-natural grade changes caused by historical use, or other visible evidence of 

passage; and they also can include stretches of the known historic route that no longer show 

evidence of historic use. 

Site: Location of a significant event, historic occupation or activity, or building or structure 

(including both standing buildings/structures and historical archeological remains, or ruins), that 

is historically associated with a national historic trail. A site need not exhibit visible surface 

evidence of trail-related use. A site also may be a natural landmark, feature, or traditional 

cultural property with historical, temporal, and geographical association with a national historic 

trail. 

Trail Corridor: The historic route, commemorated as a national historic trail, taken by people 

across the landscape. It is a continuous line, although remnant sites and segments may be only 

20 
fragmentary. The width of a trail corridor is variable, depending on how travelers and their 

vehicles spread out across the landscape and what alternative routes or cutoffs they may have 

taken. Trail corridors may include all of the properties, resources, facilities, and views associated 

with a trail—what the traveler saw or would see if on the trail today. 

Trail Marker: Each national trail is marked by “an appropriate and distinctive symbol” as 

authorized in the National Trails System Act § 7c. 

Volunteer in the Forest (VIF): An officially registered and recognized individual who 

contributes time and energy to helping programs associated with the USDA Forest Service. 

Volunteer in the Park (VIP): An officially registered and recognized individual who 

contributes time and energy to helping programs associated with the National Park Service. 

Abbreviations: 

ADA Americans with Disabilities Act 

BLM Bureau of Land Management 

CMP Comprehensive Management Plan 

NEPA National Environmental Policy Act 

NHPA National Historic Preservation Act 

NHT National Historic Trail 

NPS National Park Service 

NTSA National Trails System Act 

P.L. Public Law 

USC United States Code 

USDA United States Department of Agriculture 

USFS USDA Forest Service 

VIF Volunteer in the [National] Forest 

VIP Volunteer in the Park 

21 
Appendix B 

Forms and Fact Sheets 

9 Partnership Certification Agreement (example) 

9 Property Contact Information Form (required) 

9 Certification Evaluation Form (required) 

9 Property Data and Planning Form (optional, useful for planning purposes) 

22 
 

 

 

 

 

______________________________________________________________________________________________ 

____________________________________ _______________________ 

Partnership Certification Agreement 

[Note: words in italics are modified for each specific agreement] 

National Park Service Santa Fe National Historic Trail US Department of Interior

Joe’s Ruts 

My hometown, Kansas 

Type of Property: Historic Site Owner: Joe Trailowner 

General 

This agreement represents the Secretary of the Interior's certification, under section 7(h) of the National Trails System Act, that Joes’s Ruts, located 5 

miles north of Highway 56 four miles west of Myhometown, Kansas, meets the national historic trail criteria established by the National Trails System 

Act and any supplemental criteria prescribed by the Secretary of the Interior. 

The National Park Service and Joe Trailowner agree voluntarily to strive to achieve the highest level of resource protection and visitor appreciation of 

trail resources and history at the historic site, as provided for in the Comprehensive Management and Use Plan for the Santa Fe National Historic Trail 

for "...the identification and protection of the historic route and its historic remnants and artifacts for public use and enjoyment." (National Trails System 

Act 16 U.S.C. - 1241 et seq. Section 3(a)(3)). 

Through this agreement, the National Park Service and the Joe Trailowner agree, if mutually deemed appropriate, to work jointly on planning, 

interpretation, resource management, and other matters that relate to the Santa Fe National Historic Trail at the historic site and to strive to meet the 

goals and objectives of the Comprehensive Management and Use Plan for the Trail. 

Joe Trailowner retains all legal rights to the property and nothing in this agreement is to be construed as granting any legal authority to the National Park 

Service over the property or any action by Joe Trailowner. 

The agreement may be canceled by either party at any time by providing written notice to the other party. The National Park Service and Joe Trailowner 

agree, whenever possible, to identify issues or concerns to allow for resolution. 

This agreement will remain in effect unless cancelled by either party, or until the ownership of the property is transferred to another entity. 

Signatures 

I hereby agree to a partnership with the National Park Service for Joe’s Ruts, an historic site on the Santa Fe National Historic Trail. 

Joe Trailowner Date 

On behalf of the Secretary of the Interior, I agree to a partnership with Joe Trailowner for Joe’s ruts, an historic site on the Santa Fe National 

Historic Trail. 

 _________________________ 

Aaron Mahr Yáñez, Superintendent Date 

National Trails System – Intermountain Region 

23 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

___________________________________________________________ 

___________________________________________________________ 

___________________________________________________________ 

National Trails System Certification Program 

Property Contact Information (required) 

Date:_________________________ 

Property Name:______________________________________________________ 

County:_______________________________________________________________________ 

Primary Contact:_________________________________________________________ 

Phone: (w)________________________ (h)____________________________ 

Mailing Address:__________________________________________________________ 

Email: ___________________________________________________________ 

Contact is (check one) ____ Owner ___Designated manager ___Other (explain) 

Secondary Contact Name (optional): _________________________________________ 

Phone: (w)__________________________(h)___________________________ 

Contact is (check one) ____ Owner ___Designated manager ___Other (explain) 

Property owner’s name and contact info, if different from contact: 

Name of property owner 

Phone/email 

City and state of residence 

24 
 

 

______________________________________________________________________________ 

______________________________________________________________________________ 

______________________________________________________________________________ 

 National Trails System Certification Program 

Certification Evaluation Form (required) 

(For staff use) 

Evaluator (name and home office)____________________________________________ 

Date:_________________________ 

Property:________________________________________________________________ 

1. Property is (check all that apply): 

__ an historic site __a trail segment (> 1⁄2 mile) __an interpretive facility

 (museum, visitor center, etc.) 

2. National Historic Trail(s) associated with the property: 

____ In the opinion of the evaluator, this property meets all criteria for certification as part of an 

authorized national historic trail. 

__In the opinion of the evaluator, this property does not meet all criteria for certification as part 

of an authorized national historic trail. It is deficient because 

Signature, agency evaluator Date 

25
 

 

 

 

 

______________________________________________________________________________ 

______________________________________________________________________________ 

______________________________________________________________________________ 

______________________________________________________________________________ 

National Trails System Certification Program 

Property Data & Planning Form (optional) 

Date:_________________________ 

Property Name:__________________________________________________________ 

Name and title of person(s) providing site information (including NPS staff): 

Site Manager (name and title), if different from above: 

1. Site Type (check all that apply): 

__ trail site __trail segment (> 1⁄2 mile) __interpretive site 

__interpretive center __other (describe) 

2. Address and location of property (continue on back and attach map or sketch, if 

needed):_______________________________________________________________________ 

3. National Historic Trail(s) associated with the property: 

4. Estimated area (size) of property or distance or trail segment to be certified: 

5. Type of ownership (check one): 

__private landowner __non-profit organization __city __county 

__state __business organization __other (explain) 

26 
 

 

 

 

 

Property Data (2/5) Property____________________________ 

6. Property description 

A. Setting (check all that apply): 

Present Setting Present Setting 

Rural Suburban/residential 

Business district Industrial district 

Urban Marine, river, or lake 

Agricultural Park 

School grounds/ campus Roadside attraction/facility 

Historic district 

B. Historic features related to NHT (check all present): 

Present Historic Feature Present Historic Feature 

Ruts/swales/track Historic paved street or road 

Historic walkway, stairs, etc. Historic railroad 

Historic signs, lampposts, etc. Bridge or bridge site 

Ferry site Boat Landing 

Grave, cemetery Spring/waterhole 

Historic building, open to public Historic building, closed to public 

Historic structure, open to public Historic structure, closed to 

public 

Building or structure ruin Historic campsite 

Natural landmark Stone alignment 

Historic natural landscape Historic agricultural landscape 

Blazed tree Cairn 

6. (Property description, continued) 

C. Facilities and exhibits related to NHT currently on-site (check or apply rating as 

applicable to all that are present): 1 - nearly exclusively trail-related; 2- significantly 

trail-relate; 3 - moderately trail-related; 4 - only slightly trail-related 

Rating Facility/feature Rating Facility/feature Rating Facility/feature 

Orientation exhibit NHT trailhead Wayside exhibits 

Outdoor exhibits Statuary/artwork Museum exhibits 

Plaques, markers Nature trail Paid interp staff 

Volunteer staff Interactive exhibits Research library 

NHT-related 

directional signs 

NHT-related 

cemetery 

NHT-related 

interpretive trail 

NHT logo Commem. Monmt. NHT-related film 

27 
 

 

 

 

 

______________________________________________________________________________ 

______________________________________________________________________________ 

______________________________________________________________________________ 

______________________________________________________________________________ 

Property Data (3/5) Property____________________________ 

D. Other accommodations (check all that are present): 

Present Accommodation Present Accommodation 

Off-road parking Roadside parking 

Hardened walkway Dirt/gravel trail 

Viewing platforms Public restrooms 

Shade shelter Potable water 

Trash cans Public phone 

Outdoor seating Indoor seating 

NPS passport stamp camping 

Picnic facilities Food service 

Vending machines Wheelchair accommodations 

7. List current and intended continuing uses of the property (e.g., grazing, cultivation, fallow, 

commercial, visitation, etc.): 

8. Check all interpretive or visitor needs that apply: 

Needed Accommodation Needed Accommodation 

Site plan/design (limited, moderate, 

extensive) 

Trail brochure and passport stamp 

station 

Historic research/documentation NHT vehicular directional signs 

Wayside exhibits Site bulletin 

Parking Trail construction 

Wheelchair accommodations Trail site identification sign 

Trail site shelter Restroom 

Fencing/screening 

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Property Data (4/5) Property____________________________ 

9. Describe any safety concerns (e.g., parking, traffic, livestock, electric fences, open wells, 

unstable buildings, etc.): 

10. Describe any accessibility concerns (e.g., no ramps, no hardened trails, narrow doorways, 

interior stairs, etc.): 

11. Describe any imminent changes (unrelated to certification) in the use or development of the 

property. 

12. List any known or potential threats to historic resources such as ruts, graves, etc. (e.g., 

vandalism, development, erosion, unauthorized vehicle traffic): 

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Property Data (5/ 5) Property____________________________ 

13. The property owner or designated manager may specify reasonable limitations on use of the 

certified property; e.g., establishing visiting protocols and points of access; prohibiting motor 

vehicles, metal detectors, and pets; limiting group size; barring entry to buildings; etc. List or 

attach any stipulations here, and advise owners/managers of their responsibility to notify the 

trails office of changes to these conditions. 

14. Entrance fees (if applicable): _________per visitor/day ________per vehicle 

________NA __________other 

15. Indicate visiting seasons/days/hours, if applicable: 

16. Other comments or issues: 

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