Further irreparable damage can be caused by riding mountain bikes, other recreational vehicles, and horses on earthworks. All these recreational activities are clearly in conflict with the goal of earthwork preservation. Sometimes our own maintenance practices can be damaging to earthworks. Mowing is an activity with particularly high potential for causing damage to earthworks. Many units of the National Park Service use specialized mowing equipment to reduce potential impacts to the resources.
Many units also reduce mowing frequency on earthworks to once a season.
Over the last decade, the National Park Service has made progress in developing a wholistic approach to earthworks planning and management. The 1989 Earthworks Landscape Management Manual was the first major step in this development. Drawing upon information gained since this first exploration, work began in 1995 on a refinement and expansion of the Manual . The National Park Service manages many battlefield units where earthworks exist. In the Mid-Atlantic States alone, there are hundreds of miles of earthworks, forts, and their associated features.