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Heritage Matters- August/September 2008, Brian D. Joyner

United States National Park Service: Publications

In this issue:

Cultural Hub: Rehabilitating the Texas and Pacific Railway Depot as an African American Heritage Center

HAER Documents the J.C. Lore Oyster House

The Spanish Contribution to the Independence of the United States: Between Reform and Revolution, 1763-1848 Symposium

National Register Nominations

National Historic Landmarks Designation

Living History at Rancho Los Cerritos Historic Site Interpreting the Region’s Spanish and Mexican Heritage

The National Register and the History of Indiana Jews

Agate Fossil Beds National Monument Fish Inventory, Mark A. Pegg, Kevin L. Pope

United States National Park Service: Publications

The Niobrara River flows through Agate Fossil Beds National Monument (AGFO) maintaining about 18-km of riverine habitat. The lack of large-scale human alterations like impoundment and channelization to the Niobrara River within AGFO make this stretch of river an ideal location to support native fish communities. However, concern for native fishes in the Niobrara River in and around AGFO has grown because non-native brown trout Salmo trutta and rainbow trout Oncorhynchus mykiss have been actively stocked in the region. Other species like largemouth bass Micropterus salmoides, bluegill Lepomis macrochirus, and northern pike Esox lucius may have also established …

Historic Resource Study: Agate Fossil Beds National Monument, Gail Evans-Hatch

United States National Park Service: Publications

As steward of many of the United States' most important cultural and natural resources, the National Park Service (NPS) is required to create background documents along with specific plans aimed at managing and protecting these resources for the enjoyment of present and future generations. An important aspect of managing cultural landscapes requires knowing the past of those landscapes. A historic resource study (HRS) project involves researching and presenting the history of a park. A HRS also attempts to identify and evaluate the importance of all cultural resources within that park. Researching and presenting the broader historical context of a park …

Responding To Shrinking Budgets: How To Keep Controlling Invasive Plants With Reduced Program Funding, James Åkerson

United States National Park Service: Publications

Land managers face challenges from two sides. On the one hand, outside threats to natural and cultural resources continue and increase in their intensity and menace. On the other, programmatic support to manage those threats is steadily eroding. In the case of the national park system, there is now less available project funding to preserve and protect our precious resources than during the previous five years.

When it comes to the threat posed by invasive nonnative plants, Pimentel et al. (2005) estimates there are at least 25,000 exotic plant species in North America. An eastern park example illustrates the challenge. …

Understanding Oversnow Vehicle Noise Impacts, Shan Burson

United States National Park Service: Publications

The 2006 National Park Service Management Policies (NPS 2006) state that natural soundscapes are to be preserved or restored as is practicable because the unimpaired sounds of nature (natural soundscapes) are a valued resource at national parks. Historical numbers of oversnow vehicle usage in Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks and the John D. Rockefeller, Jr. Memorial Parkway created unacceptable adverse impacts on natural soundscapes (NPS 2000; NPS 2003). The 2004 temporary winter use plans environmental assessment reaffirmed these conclusions and established acoustical indicators and standards to mitigate the impact of noise from oversnow vehicles on the natural soundscape (NPS …

Remarks Of The Director, U.S. National Park Service, At The Plenary Session On North American Park Directors And Global Change, Mary A. Bomar

United States National Park Service: Publications

Thank you, Ernie [Ortega] for your kind introduction. I am honored to be here this evening and to share the microphone with my colleagues, Ernesto Enkerlin and Alan Latourelle.

Global change is expansive, inescapable, and all encompassing—and central to the challenges and opportunities the three of us share with everyone in this room.

It is our shared privilege to have this chance to address the George Wright Society, which collectively represents the thoughtful analysis of what we manage and where we are headed.

Management of protected areas is impossible unless we recognize the need for anticipation of and reaction to …

Developing Integrated Assessments For National Capital Region Network Parks: An Example From Rock Creek Park, Lisa N. Florkowski, William C. Dennison, Todd R. Lookingbill, Tim J.B. Carruthers, Jane M. Hawkey, Shawn L. Carter

United States National Park Service: Publications

The National Capital Region Network (NCRN) contains 11 parks within the District of Columbia, Maryland, Virginia, and West Virginia (Figure 1a): Antietam National Battlefield (ANTI), Catoctin Mountain Park (CATO), Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park (CHOH), George Washington Memorial Parkway (GWMP), Harpers Ferry National Historical Park (HAFE), Manassas National Battlefield Park (MANA), Monocacy National Battlefield (MONO), National Capital Parks–East (NACE), Prince William Forest Park (PRWI), Rock Creek Park (ROCR), and Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing Arts (WOTR). These parks are some of the most visited in the National Park Service (NPS) system due to the urban context …

The Effects Of Fire On Beach Grass (Ammophila Breviligulata) At Apostle Islands National Lakeshore, Peggy Burkman

United States National Park Service: Publications

Unique land features at Apostle Islands National Lakeshore include rocky cliff faces, clay banks, sandscapes, and bogs. Clay banks contain a high percentage of sand which is eroded rapidly and transported by long shore currents to form a variety of coastal sand features or sandscapes. Sandscapes include several unique landforms such as barrier beaches (Julian Bay on Stockton Island) and spits (Long Island); cuspate forelands, which are triangular- shaped seaward extentions (Raspberry and South Twin islands); tombolos, which are sand or gravel bars stretching from an island to the mainland or another island; a double tombolo (Stockton Island); and sand …

The Science Of Large Dam Removal: Removing Dams On The Elwha River, Olympic National Park, Jerry Freilich

United States National Park Service: Publications

This paper centers on the development of a research consortium to study ecological effects of dam removal. Long-time public interest has centered on the National Park Service’s plan to remove two hydropower dams from the Elwha River in Olympic National Park. The Elwha is not only the largest dam removal ever attempted but is also unique in that land above the dams is within Olympic National Park, removing the confounding anthropogenic factors in other dam removals nationwide. I will provide a general update on the project to set the scene for the science part, which is actually the story I …

When It’S Better Not To Manage Nps Resources, Jerry Freilich, Phillip Cafaro

United States National Park Service: Publications

We believe that this means preserving the full complement of native flora and fauna, and allowing these species to live their lives without interference from humans. It also means preserving unruly, unpredictable processes such as fires, floods, and insect outbreaks that have shaped park landscapes and, over the eons, helped create wild species themselves.

Since its inception, the “leave nature alone” philosophy has had strong advocates within the Park Service and among its friends. In the 1920s, for example, George Wright (NPS scientist), Joseph Grinnell (Zoology professor at the University of California–Berkeley), and Charles C. Adams (at the College of …

Restoring Burned Area Fire Regimes At Zion National Park, Kelly Fuhrmann

United States National Park Service: Publications

The Kolob Fire is the largest wildfire in Zion National Park’s recorded history (10,516 acres in Zion and 17,632 acres total; Figure 1). In June 2006, this human-caused fire altered the landscape in Zion on a scale that was unprecedented (Figure 2). A major concern of the fire’s impact was the loss of native vegetation and its replacement by non-native invasive species. After the burned area emergency rehabilitation (BAER) assessment was completed, a focused effort by park staff was initiated to implement recommended BAER actions. In late October and early November 2006, an aerial herbicide and seed treatment using PLATEAU …

Global Climate Change: Leadership In The Pacific West Region, Jonathan B. Jarvis

United States National Park Service: Publications

Twenty years ago, I became the first chief of resource management at North Cascades National Park Complex. One of the first things I did was to bring in a team of scientists who sat around with me and my staff and we talked about the future of the park. I asked each one to suggest what we should do to better understand the challenges before us. Jim Agee, then with the Cooperative Park Study Unit at the University of Washington, suggested that we deploy remote weather stations every one thousand feet from the lowest to the highest range in the …

The Natural Resource Challenge: A Retrospective And View To The Future, Jonathan B. Jarvis

United States National Park Service: Publications

I want to talk about the Natural Resource Challenge as a turning point for the National Park Service (NPS), in many ways the culmination of several decades of a paradigm shift in the organization that has affected, as Leopold put it, our “intellectual emphasis, loyalties, affections, and convictions.”

Essentially, the culture of the NPS has changed from one in which it focused primarily on the visitor, to one that prides itself in managing, protecting, and understanding the complex natural and cultural resources for which it has stewardship responsibilities. I do not mean to imply that the visitor now takes a …

A Comparison Of Wildlife Management In Mid-Size Parks In South Africa And The United States, Daniel S. Licht, Rob Slotow, Joshua Millspaugh

United States National Park Service: Publications

In many parts of the world, national parks are the last remaining wild areas and the best hope for conserving native wildlife and natural processes. This is true in the United States and in South Africa, where both countries are viewed as leaders in wildlife conservation. However, both countries face similar threats and issues when attempting to conserve native grassland wildlife, especially large fauna. For example, many native grassland ungulates historically traveled great distances in response to changing environmental conditions, yet landscape fragmentation and societal concerns (e.g., impacts on cropland) now prevent largescale movements. Hence, parks in both countries often …

Cost-Effective Mapping Of Invasive Plants Using Systematic Reconnaissance Flights (Srfs), Tony Pernas, Amy Ferriter

United States National Park Service: Publications

The quarantine strategy is recognized as one of the most effective strategies for controlling invasive plant populations. The quarantine strategy as described by Woodall 1981 is where the least-infested areas (outliers) are addressed first in order to stop the progression of the existing population. Detection of individual trees and scattered small clusters is imperative for the success of the quarantine strategy.Attempts to map individual trees and small clusters of invasive plants in south Florida such as Melaleuca quinquenervia through remote sensing have not been successful. For example, in 1988 efforts to detect Melaleuca from false color infrared (1:10,000) in Everglades …

Agency-Sponsored Treasure Hunts: Providing Alternatives To Traditional Geocaching, Virginia Reams, Stuart West

United States National Park Service: Publications

Geocaching, a sort of modern-day treasure hunt using Global Positioning System (GPS) units, has been prohibited in most national parks largely due to federal regulations prohibiting disturbance or damage of natural features and leaving behind unattended property. National parks, including Acadia National Park in Bar Harbor, Maine, are continually challenged by unauthorized geocache sites within their borders. The National Park Service (NPS) must take enforcement action when necessary to prevent resource damage and ensure visitor safety. However, it has become clear that geocaching is a well-established, popular pastime that is more than just a trend, and some parks perceive positive …

Determining The Disturbance Effect On Forest Development For Use In Park Management Plans, Bruce Larson, Regina Rochefort, Mariano Amoroso

United States National Park Service: Publications

On San Juan Island, Washington, forests are an important component not only of the landscape of the island but also of San Juan Island National Historical Park. Although the forests of the island were manipulated during the historic military time period (1853 to 1871), significant and widespread alterations occurred during the post historic period of 1872 to 1966 (Agee 1984). During that time, patches of forest were cleared for agriculture in both the American and English Camps. Following the park’s establishment in 1966, many of these fields were abandoned and dense Douglas fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii) and lodgepole pine …

Managing To Give Nature A Chance, Jerry M. Mitchell

United States National Park Service: Publications

My task is to speak to managing to give nature a chance. The debate: to manage resources, or to leave nature alone. Philosophical debate? Maybe. For my agency (the National Park Service) this debate may strike at our deepest beliefs, our corporate creed, our organizational religion, per se.

If you see Jerry Frielich’s position as saying, “Don’t mess with Mother Nature,” or, as a puritan cleric might say, “Thou shalt not sin,” then I will take the posture of the fire-andbrimstone preacher. “But you have sinned. The earth is a mess, humans, and you are responsible. Look at all that …

Drawing A Line In The Tundra: Conservationists And The Mount Mckinley Park Road, Frank Norris

United States National Park Service: Publications

Today, Denali National Park and Preserve is one of the largest units in the national park system. The entire unit encompasses about 6.1 million acres, of which a little over threequarters (4.7 million acres) are national park, with the remainder being a national preserve, where sport hunting is allowed. About 425,000 people visited Denali in 2006. Most of them arrived at the park’s eastern entrance and boarded either a tour bus or shuttle bus and headed down the park road in search of one of the “big five” wildlife species that inhabit the area (mountain sheep, caribou, grizzly bear, moose, …

Research Learning Centers: Promoting Resource Stewardship Through Partnerships, Susan Sachs, Theresa Thom, Mac Brock, Kim Tripp

United States National Park Service: Publications

National parks throughout the system are encouraged to engage in partnerships that allow us to most effectively fulfill our mission. Research learning centers (RLCs) are directed to increase the amount and effectiveness of research and research education through partner projects. Each RLC has its own unique partnerships; the range includes bringing together organizations with overlapping goals, to collaborating on funding and facilitating science and research education efforts. Four RLCs highlight the scope of collaboration.

Using Students To Monitor The Effects Of Ground-Level Ozone On Plants, Susan Sachs

United States National Park Service: Publications

The Appalachian Highlands Science Learning Center (AHSLC) is part of a network of research learning centers in the national park system established to increase the amount and effectiveness of research and research-based education. Located in Great Smoky Mountains National Park, and serving the parks of the Appalachian Highlands Monitoring Network (Blue Ridge Parkway, Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, and Obed Wild and Scenic River), staff at the AHSLC often collaborate with researchers to develop ways to extend their field season using citizen scientists. One of the longest running citizen science projects sponsored …

Citizen Science: A Best Practices Manual And How It Can Be Applied, Susan Sachs, Paul E. Super, Michelle Prysby

United States National Park Service: Publications

These examples are all forms of “citizen science” happening at environmental education centers, National Park research learning centers, nature centers, and other non-formal education institutions. Citizen science is a research and education tool that involves everyday people in real and meaningful forms of science, including biological inventory, long-term monitoring, and investigative research. All of these examples demonstrate ways that these institutions are using citizen science as a tool for furthering their missions of educating the public about the environment, teaching people about the process of science, and connecting people to the natural world. They also demonstrate ways that citizens are …

How Do You Manage Your Resources If They Are Being Stolen And Sold At The Swap Meet?, Todd Swain

United States National Park Service: Publications

Most of us began our park careers hoping to work outdoors and, in the process, do something positive for the environment. As we progressed from seasonal to permanent employees, and from trainees to supervisors,we were given more administrative duties.Now, the everyday tasks making up the majority of our jobs, like staff meetings, report writing, and budgeting, leave us little time to actually protect resources.

While we balance budgets and attend meetings, fossils, insects, mining equipment, Native American artifacts, and reptiles located on the public lands are being plundered. Some of them are taken as “souvenirs,” but a sizeable percentage is …

Bears, Fish, Archeology, And Deferred Maintenance At Brooks Camp, Katmai National Park And Preserve, Dale Vinson

United States National Park Service: Publications

NPS interpreters sometimes ask why the archeological sites at Brooks Camp are worth preserving after having undergone such extensive research. Dumond constructed a 4,500-year cultural chronology that demonstrates that the Brooks Camp archeological record has links with archeological traditions from both the Bering Sea and the North Pacific regions. We know less about the lives of the people who occupied the many houses, and how the groups of houses and pit features along the river and lake terraces functioned as communities. Why, after centuries of occupation, were yearround settlements abandoned at Brooks River, and why have archeologists not found evidence …

Ivory-Billed Woodpecker Searches With Citizen Scientists: Lessons Learned At Congaree National Park, Theresa Thom

United States National Park Service: Publications

The ivory-billed woodpecker (Campephilus principalis) is the largest woodpecker in North America, and, according to Tanner (1942), the second largest in the world. The ivorybill originally lived in the extensive bottomland forests of the coastal plain within the southeastern United States and in Cuba. As early as 1891, naturalists noticed population declines and range restrictions (Hasbrouck 1891; Tanner 1942). The ivory-bill was thought to be extinct, with the last confirmed sighting in the United States in 1944. However, in April 2005 it was announced that the woodpecker had been rediscovered in the Cache River National Wildlife Refuge in …

Multistage Research To Assist With Pricing The New Recreation Pass, Patricia A. Taylor, Burke D. Grandjean, David M. Aadland, Bistra Anatchkova, Jason F. Shogren, Benjamin Simon

United States National Park Service: Publications

When Public Law 108-447 was signed on December 8, 2004, the U.S. Departments of Agriculture and the Interior were tasked with setting the price of a new annual pass for federal recreation lands. Effective January 2007, the new pass would offer entrance to recreational users on federal lands that charge an access fee, including but not limited to national forests, parks, monuments, wildlife refuges, etc.

In May 2005, the federal agencies issued a national call for scholarly assistance in examining possible prices for the new pass. In June, the University of Wyoming, through its Wyoming Survey & Analysis Center, submitted …

Beyond Hunting: Increasing Options For Effective Wildlife Management In The National Park System, Margaret A. Wild, Therese Johnson, Michael Mayer, Gary Johnston

United States National Park Service: Publications

The National Park Service (NPS) goal is to maintain natural processes (NPS Management Policies 2006, 4.4.2: “Whenever possible, natural processes will be relied upon to maintain native plant and animal species and influence natural fluctuations in populations of these species”). As mentioned, animal populations can be expected to fluctuate under natural conditions. Some would argue that animal overabundance in parks is just part of this natural fluctuation, and this may be the case in some situations. However, if a system is disturbed, flux may be greater—for example, when predators are removed and populations of prey are released from …

Multiple Data Sources Improve Dna-Based Mark–Recapture Population Estimates Of Grizzly Bears, John Boulanger, Katherine C. Kendall, Jeffrey B. Stetz, David A. Roon, Lisette P. Waits, David Paetkau

United States National Park Service: Publications

A fundamental challenge to estimating population size with mark–recapture methods is heterogeneous capture probabilities and subsequent bias of population estimates. Confronting this problem usually requires substantial sampling effort that can be difficult to achieve for some species, such as carnivores. We developed a methodology that uses two data sources to deal with heterogeneity and applied this to DNA mark–recapture data from grizzly bears (Ursus arctos). We improved population estimates by incorporating additional DNA ‘‘captures’’ of grizzly bears obtained by collecting hair from unbaited bear rub trees concurrently with baited, grid-based, hair snag sampling. We consider a Lincoln-Petersen estimator …

Grizzly Bear Density In Glacier National Park, Montana, Katherine C. Kendall, Jeffrey Stetz, David A. Roon, Lisette P. Waits, John Boulanger, David Paetkau

United States National Park Service: Publications

We present the first rigorous estimate of grizzly bear (Ursus arctos) population density and distribution in and around Glacier National Park (GNP), Montana, USA. We used genetic analysis to identify individual bears from hair samples collected via 2 concurrent sampling methods: 1) systematically distributed, baited, barbed-wire hair traps and 2) unbaited bear rub trees found along trails. We used Huggins closed mixture models in Program MARK to estimate total population size and developed a method to account for heterogeneity caused by unequal access to rub trees. We corrected our estimate for lack of geographic closure using a new …

A Decade Of Study Into Repository Fees For Archeological Curation, S. Terry Childs, Seth Kagan

United States National Park Service: Publications

Many repositories, particularly those associated with university and state museums, have a long history of providing curatorial services at no cost to the collection owners to manage, store, and care for archeological collections created during projects on federal, state, local, and private lands. At least two factors were involved in the development of this relationship. One was the enactment of the Antiquities Act in 1906. It required that “the gatherings” from an archeological investigation on federal land be placed “…for permanent preservation in public museums (16 USC 432),” such as university and state museums. The second factor was that university …