Andropogon Associates Ltd. Its primary aim is to develop management strategies and interpretive guidelines to resolve conflicts between the requirements for preservation and the impacts of visitor use at earthworks sites. The study was based on field survey and site assessment of earthworks at Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania County Battlefields, Petersburg National Battlefield, Richmond National Battlefield and Gettysburg National Military Park. The resulting guidelines are intended to be adaptable for use at other earthwork sites under different environmental and cultural conditions and applicable to other landscapes where recreation and visitor use conflict with preservation of the resource. The study contains a review and evaluation of existing management practices at Earthworks sites. This is followed by an evaluation of existing vegetative cover types.
Vegetation is considered to be the key to earthwork preservation and interpretation.
The effects of each cover type on archaeology, preservation, stabilization and interpretation are evaluated. Earthwork sites stabilized by healthy, native plant communities were found to be in the best condition. The second section of the report takes the form of a management manual. Procedures for evaluating and monitoring a site with respect to the proposed guidelines are outlined. Specific vegetative cover types for different situations are recommended.