Natchez Trace Parkway 2011 Business Plan Sunrise on the Tennessee Section 2 Table of Contents

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National Park Service U.S. Department of the Interior

Business Management Group

Natchez Trace Parkway 2011 Business Plan Sunrise on the Tennessee section 2 Table of Contents

Introduction 2 National Park Business Planning Process Superintendent’s Foreword ◆ ◆ Executive Summary Strategic Goals ◆ Operational and Financial Overview 8 Parkway Overview ◆ Visitation ◆ Tourism and Economic Impacts ◆ Partnerships ◆ Fund Source Analysis ◆ Current Parkway Operations Divisions and Programs 16 Resources Management: Natural/Scenic and Cultural/Historic ◆ Interpretation and Education ◆ Visitor and Resource Protection ◆ Facility Management and Parkway Maintenance ◆ Administration and Business Services Financial and Performance Strategies 26 Parkway Funding History and 2010/2011 Investments ◆ Increased Cost Analysis and Analysis of Real Growth ◆ Financial Scenarios and Related Impacts ◆ Cost Reduction ◆ Increasing Funding and Capacity ◆ NPS Performance Scorecard ◆ Fleet Analysis ◆ Fleet Dashboard Conclusion and Acknowledgments 36

1 INTRODUCTION

National Park Business Planning Process

Business planning is an essential part of national park management. The business planning process is undertaken to help parks manage their financial and operational resources more effectively and strategically.

This plan articulates the financial and operational status of the Natchez Trace Parkway. It was written primarily in 2011; however, 2010 was the last full budget cycle of financial data available. Where possible, information was incorporated from both years to provide the most con- temporary financial and operational information.

Overall, this plan documents the breadth of responsibilities undertaken by each of the Parkway’s functional areas. It discusses how the Parkway’s resources are allocated, and outlines goals and priorities to help increase overall effectiveness.

Using the best historical data and predictive modeling available, the plan provides a basic foundation for future decision making while familiarizing readers with the range of dynamics that shape the management of a national park unit in the 21st Century.

National Park Service Organic Act: “...to promote and regulate the use of the... national parks...which purpose is to conserve the scenery and the natural and historic objects and the wild life therein and to provide for the enjoyment of the same in such manner and by such means as will leave them unimpaired for the enjoyment of future generations.” -16 USC 1

2 INTRODUCTION

Message from the Superintendent

On behalf of our National Park Service team, it is my to achieve those objectives. Last, it provides a compre- privilege to present the 2011 business plan for the Nat- hensive look at how we maximize and leverage our ex- chez Trace Parkway and associated units: Natchez Trace isting dollars, how we compete effectively for funding National Scenic Trail and Tupelo and Brices Cross Roads in the future, and how we manage potential fiscal ad- National Battlefields. versity in upcoming years.

The Natchez Trace Parkway is a 444-mile/52,000-acre It is important for you to look at this plan with realistic unit of the National Park Service that commemorates expectations. It is not possible to answer every question one of the oldest transportation routes in North Amer- or address every scenario the Parkway could face in the ica. As you will see in this document, the entire Nat- future. We expend millions of taxpayer dollars each year chez Trace corridor is filled with a tremendous range of and it makes sense for us to use transparent and proven natural, cultural, historic, and scenic resources enjoyed financial practices to manage our operations. This plan by an average of 14 million people each year. Another provides a basic framework for those efforts. In the end, special aspect of the Natchez Trace is the number of we have an obligation to ensure our strategies are pro- partners who help support our efforts. Very few parks gressive, sustainable, collaborative, and help us achieve have the opportunity to work with so many members our mission as outlined in the Organic Act. of Congress (13); states (3); counties (25); communities (20); tribal governments (2); private and commercial We hope the document is as useful to you as the busi- landowners (3,000); National Heritage Areas (3); and ness planning process has been to us. Your continued other conservation, economic development, tourism, support is essential to helping us navigate the future. and preservation partners.

As with any public or private organization, our success is heavily dependent on financial capacity. Planning for the future is always a difficult challenge, especially given the unpredictable nature of our financial climate. Cir- Cameron Sholly cumstances change regularly and projections made in Superintendent 2011 may change dramatically by 2015, so our plans need to be flexible and realistic.

This plan has several purposes. First, it provides an overview of the significance of the Natchez Trace Parkway and its resources. Second, it outlines our primary goals and objectives and how our operations currently work

3 INTRODUCTION

Executive Summary

This business plan describes the financial and opera- Mandated responsibilities: The Parkway must com- tional condition of the Natchez Trace Parkway in Fis- ply with hundreds of laws, mandates, and training cal Years 2010 and 2011. The plan is the result of requirements ranging from environmental to occupa- an in-depth look at the Parkway’s historical trends, tional health and safety regulations. The Natchez Trace’s FY10 operations current operations, projected financial outlooks, and budget was the 21st largest in the management priorities. Controllable Factors: National Park Service. There are many factors that influence the costs of op- Labor costs: Personnel salaries and benefits make up erating a multi-state national park unit. approximately 80% of the Parkway’s budget. Ensur- ing that the right number of personnel are in the right Uncontrollable Factors: locations at the right times—and understanding the ramifications of too many or too few employees—are Geography: The Parkway’s size and geographic all critical to the operation of the Parkway. makeup influence almost every aspect of its operation. The Natchez Trace spans 444 miles through three Operational practices: How the Parkway operates is states, and it takes 10 hours to drive from end to end. a multi-million dollar decision with wide-ranging impacts. Providing quality levels of visitor services and Increased visitation levels: In 2010, nearly 14 mil- resource protection while staying within the financial lion people traveled the Parkway. The corresponding means of the Parkway is not only important, it is also increases in usage translate to increased operational mandated and expected. demands and visitor expectations. Leveraging partnerships: The Parkway has a significant economic and environmental influence on the counties and communities it traverses. The linear corridor is also highly vulnerable to economic development. Increasing the quality and quantity of Parkway 2010 Parkway Expenditures partnerships will not only help promote economic vibrancy, but also protect the Parkway corridor over the long term.

$32 million: one-time investments In Fiscal Year 2010, and deferred maintenance $13 million was spent on $13 million: day-to-day operation and day-to-day operations administration of the Parkway and 80% payroll 20% another $32 million on one- other time investment projects, deferred maintenance, and roads projects. 4 INTRODUCTION

Executive Summary (continued)

Key Points: The Parkway has a deferred maintenance • The total cost to construct the Parkway was $500 million. backlog exceeding Construction was completed between 1938 and 2005.

$200 million. • In FY10 the Parkway operated with 147 full-time equiva- lents (FTE). An FTE is equal to 2,080 hours of work per year. Of its total operations budget, the park spent over Education programs reached $9 million (or 80% of its budget) on salaries and benefits. record numbers in 2010–11. • In order to maintain an adequate level of field operations, over the past two years the Parkway has lapsed the Deputy Superintendent position, the Chief of Resources Management position, and several other key positions.

• Over the last 10 years, the Parkway has lapsed or elimi- Investments funded in 2010 nated 28 permanent positions, while increasing the use and 2011 include $10 million on of temporary employees by 29 positions over the same new multi-use trails, $17 million on period. roads maintenance, and a $4 million rehabilitation of the Meriwether Lewis site. • The Parkway spends over $330,000 more to manage its vehicle fleet today than it did in 2000. Current unfunded investment priorities include acquiring $5 million • The Interpretation and Resources Management divisions to improve visitor access to the have been identified as having insufficient capacity to Emerald Mound, a National Historic meet necessary goals and objectives of the NPS mission. Landmark and the second largest These two programs represent the Parkway’s first and Native American burial mound in the United States. second budget priorities.

• In FY11 the Parkway’s budget lost $200,000 through various external assessments and management efficiency reductions. The Parkway will continue to implement a number of • Spending power was reduced again by an additional major cost reduction strategies $189,000 in FY11 due to mandatory step and grade increases for its employees. such as adjusting operations, reducing fleet size, and other cost-saving measures. 5 INTRODUCTION

Strategic Goals

Performance Progress Key: The Natchez Trace Parkway has five primary goal areas which serve to guide the overall strategic direction of its operations. Successful performance in each strategic area depends largely on financial capacity and the Parkway’s Excellent ability to target areas that have the most significant influence on visitor service and resource protection levels. Each broad goal area plays an important role in helping achieve the overall mission of the National Park Service. Good/moderate Still accelerating

Expand Capacity in Partnerships, Protect the Parkway Set New Environmental Education, and Outreach Programs for the Future Leadership Standards

Goal: Significantly expand partnership, outreach, and Goal: Improve the condition of the Parkway’s natural, Goal: Reduce environmental impacts of Parkway op- education efforts. cultural, and historic resources along with aggressively erations using progressive environmental practices and protecting scenic view sheds. alternative energies and fuels. Recently completed actions: Recently completed actions: • Completed comprehensive interpretive management Recently completed actions: review • Acquired funding to develop a new resources • Installed the Parkway’s first photovoltaic system, • Completed over 50 new educational lesson plans stewardship planning tool using the latest eliminating utility costs for the Meriwether geographic information systems (GIS) • Redesigned new interim Parkway brochure Lewis sub-district • Initiated scenic resource protection strategy in • Designed new National Scenic Trail brochure • Evaluated fleet usage and carbon outputs • Acquired funding for new interpretive film partnership with the Land Trust for Tennessee • Initiated formal recycling program • Initiated formal partnerships with four school systems • Planted 15,000 new trees for scenic protection • 10,000 youths educated by interpreters • Acquired 86 new acres to provide better visitor • Developed green procurement plan • Significantly expanded interaction with conservation, access and protection of the Emerald Mound Progress rating: national heritage, and tourism partners • Completed largest Native American repatriation in Choctaw history Moving forward: Progress rating: • Five overhead transmission lines were moved • Become a climate-friendly park by 2014 Moving forward: underground, in partnership with energy companies • Reduce carbon footprint 10% through • Complete new Parkway film by 2014 fleet reductions and more energy efficient • Create another 25 new curriculum-based lesson plans Progress rating: operations, utility practices, and additional by 2013 sequestration capacity by 2015 • Double youth outreach through innovative education Moving forward: • Expand environmental partnerships and outreach and practices by 2014 • Plant 100,000 new trees by 2016 messaging along the entire corridor • Initiate formal partnerships with 10 more school • Complete new resources planning tool by 2014 systems by 2013 • Expand recycling program to rural sections of (funded in 2011) • Assist National Heritage Areas with completion of the Parkway by 2013 management planning • Treat 100 acres of exotic species per year • Complete partnership and stakeholder • Complete exotic species management plan by communication plan by 2013 2013 • Continue broadening conservation and tourism partnerships

6 Improve Public Safety and Develop a Safe, Diverse, Qualified, Resource Protection Performance and Team-Oriented Workforce

Goal: Develop a comprehensive public safety and resource Goal: Improve employee safety practices; provide wide- protection strategy which will effectively reduce Parkway ranging employee opportunities for professional develop- injuries, fatalities, and resource crimes, using progressive ment, academic and technical training, and professional enforcement and education practices. collaboration. The Parkway spent over Recently completed actions: Recently completed actions: $800,000 on employee • Reduced visitor accidents by 15% in 2010 • Reduced employee injury rates by 48% development, technical • Increased efforts to identify boundary encroachments • Reduced property damage payouts by 60% training, leadership • Awarded new $10 million microwave radio • Conducted three Operational Leadership sessions, communications contract to significantly improve and other employee safety training training, safety, and new radio communications and officer safety • Provided tuition assistance to employees for • Trained one of the largest numbers of new NPS law equipment in 2010. undergraduate and graduate level studies enforcement rangers in the agency as authorized by OPM (Office of Personnel Management) Progress rating: • Maintained 38% diversity ratio Moving forward: Progress rating: • Develop public safety and resource protection strategy connected to new law enforcement needs assessment by 2013 Moving forward: • Reduce visitor accidents another 10% by 2014 • Standardize, expand, and incentivize employee • Increase impaired driving arrests 100% by 2014 development and tuition assistance programs Becoming more effective in • Increase anti-poaching patrols 100% by 2014 • Develop more effective leadership, operational and financial • Establish staffing baselines for minimum and optimal communications, and team-oriented training management practices is vital public safety and resource protection levels opportunities for all employees to the success of the Parkway • Re-mark 1,000 miles of boundary by 2018 • Increase technical training opportunities • Complete new microwave radio installation by 2014 in all five goal areas. • Continue providing the very best equipment, tools, • Acquire new computer-aided dispatch system by and training to help employees accomplish the 2013 (funded 2011) NPS mission safely • Continue providing support to national Field Training • Train all employees in Operational Leadership and Evaluation Program by 2012

7 OPERATIONAL AND FINANCIAL OVERVIEW

Parkway Overview

The Natchez Trace Parkway was created by Congress as a unit of the National Park Service in 1938 to commemo- rate the historic travel corridor known as the “Natchez Trace Trail.” The Natchez Trace is one of the oldest transportation routes in North America. Its human use dates back as far as 8000 BC.

The Parkway stretches 444 miles, and takes 10 hours to drive from end to end as it moves through three states, 25 counties, and 20 communities. The combined resi- dential population of the counties it traverses is nearly two million. In addition, there are over 3,000 commercial and private land owners immediately adjacent to the boundary of the Parkway.

A rich history, worth protecting: The Natchez Trace has seen centuries of Native American use and was located in the heart of the Natchez, Chick- asaw, and Choctaw Nations. In 1801, it was designated by President Thomas Jefferson as a US Postal route on the western frontier. It is also the death and burial site of Governor Meriwether Lewis, who died along the Natchez Trace in 1809. General Andrew Jackson used it as a major route for moving his troops during the War of 1812. The Trail of Tears crosses in four different locations, and in 1864, numerous Civil War battles occurred in and around the Natchez Trace corridor.

1909–1933 Natchez Trace marked 2005 1200–1680 1500–1840 1780–1820s 1813–1815 by the Daughters of the Parkway Emerald Mound Centuries of American Indian history/ Used by Kaintuck boatmen Corridor for Gen. Andrew American Revolution construction American Indian heart of the Natchez, Chickasaw, to return to the Jackson and his troops 1938 completed ceremonial site and Choctaw Nations Ohio River Valley (War of 1812) Natchez Trace designated as NPS unit by Congress 1500 1600 1700 1800 1900 2000 8000 BC 1540 1801 1809 1934 1996 Human and European explorers arrive, Designated postal route Death and burial Natchez Trace National Scenic animal trail including Hernando de Soto by President Thomas Jefferson of Meriwether Lewis “survey” authorized Byway designation by Congress 2013 1863 1864 Natchez Trace Battles of Raymond and Battles of Tupelo 75th Anniversary 8 Port Gibson (Civil War) and Brices Cross Roads (Civil War) OPERATIONAL AND FINANCIAL OVERVIEW

Parkway Overview (continued)

The Parkway today: The modern Parkway Formal Designations was completed in 2005 at a cost of $500 mil- • Unit of the National Park Service (1938) lion and covers one of the largest geographic • National Scenic Byway (1996) • All-American Road (1996) ranges of any unit in the National Park Service. • Official Tennessee Tourism Trail and Byway (2010) It is surrounded by 52,000 acres of impressive Nashville DAVIDSON scenic, natural, cultural, and historic resources Nashville Geography Franklin encompassing a variety of traditional southern • 444 miles long Natchez HICKMAN WILLIAMSON landscapes. The Natchez Trace offers travelers a • 1,000 miles of boundary mosaic of hardwood and softwood forest com- MAURY • 52,000 acres of land adjacent to Parkway munities, wetlands, prairie landscapes, agricul- Hohenwald • 3 states (Tennessee, Alabama, Mississippi) LEWIS tural croplands, and abundant wildlife. • 25 counties TENNESSEE WAYNE • 20 communities In 1996, the Parkway was designated as a Na- Collinwood LAWRENCE Visitation and Population tional Scenic Byway and All-American Road for Memphis • 13.9 million travelers annually (2010) its significant historic, cultural, natural, and scenic LAUDERDALE • 5.9 million recreational visitors qualities. In 1983, Congress designated the Nat- TISHOMINGO Florence • 8 million non-recreational visitors chez Trace National Scenic Trail as a separate unit Muscle Huntsville • 2 million residents in counties Parkway traverses COLBERT of the National Park Service. This 65-mile scenic Brices Cross Roads PRENTISS Shoals • 3,000 commercial and private landowners adjacent to boundary National Battleﬁeld trail parallels the Parkway in areas ranging from Saltillo middle Tennessee to southern Mississippi. Park Operations ITAWAMBA ALABAMA Tupelo • $45 million in federal funding spent on Parkway in 2010 PONTOTOC The park’s infrastructure is extensive and wide- LEE Tupelo National Battleﬁeld • $12.1 million appropriated operations budget (2010) spread. Many of the park’s facilities and services • $1.0 million wildland fire operations CHICKASAW (supports Parkway and region) represent major capital investments that require MISSISSIPPI • $1.4 million administrative services unit (supports 13 parks) considerable operational support on an ongoing • $15 million in one-time project investments basis. The unusually large scale of the Parkway’s WEBSTER CLAY • $17 million in FHWA-funded roads maintenance infrastructure is an important consideration in its Birmingham • 5 visitor centers and contact stations overall operations and strategic direction. CHOCTAW • 3 campgrounds with 170 campsites French Camp • 22 picnic areas ATTALA • 180 employees at peak season • 200 contractors employed annually Kosciusko It takes hours Cultural and Historic Resources LEAKE 10 • 239 historic structures MADISON to drive the Parkway • 1 national historic landmark (Emerald Mound) Madison • 871,214 museum items from end to end, • 350 archeological sites Clinton Ridgeland LOUISIANA • 180 sections of “Old Trace Trail” Jackson moving through three • 22 Native American mounds HINDS Port Gibson states, 25 counties, Natural Resources CLAIBORNE and 20 communities. • 7 different ecological regions JEFFERSON • 40 forest types Natchez • 2,600 animal and plant species • 7 listed threatened and endangered species ADAMS Natchez Trace Parkway • 555 river and stream crossings North Urban area Other County • 65 miles of National Scenic Trail 0 40 Kilometers • 40 miles of bike, equestrian, and hiking paths to New Orleans 0 40 Miles • 100 miles of rivers and streams • 2 Civil War Battlefield sites (Tupelo and Brices Cross Roads) 9 OPERATIONAL AND FINANCIAL OVERVIEW

Visitation

The Natchez Trace continues to develop as a popular destination for visitors from around the world. Because of its linear nature and 50 entrances, tracking visitation trends can be very challenging for both the NPS and the tourism industry.

Recreational use: In 2010 (the last full year of data), 5.9 million people visited the Parkway rec- reationally. Although visitation levels are relatively consistent from month to month throughout the year, the highest recreational use occurs in the spring and fall seasons. The Parkway is especially popular during the spring wildflower bloom and during the fall foliage change.

Non-recreational use: A major user base of the Parkway comes from local residents using it as a commuting route. In 2010, approximately eight 6 million users fell into this category. With several ma- 2005: Parkway jor population centers along the Parkway, it serves completed as an important transportation corridor. As of the 2010 Census, nearly two million people resided in millions Average Annual the 25 counties the Parkway traverses. That num- Recreational Visitors ber is expected to rise over the next decade and beyond. 5 2004 2010

Top National Park Units by Visitation, 2010 (Annual recreational visits) Visitation has steadily increased since the Parkway was completed in 2005. additional 8m non-recreational

20.5 million visitors

5.9 million 2.9 million

An average of 14 million

Gap NRA people travel the Parkway Canal NHP Great Smoky Cape Cod NS Yosemite NP Gateway NRA San Francisco Colonial NHP Gulf Islands NS Mountains NP Lake Mead NRA Delaware Water Maritime NHP Yellowstone NP Memorial ParksBlue Ridge Pkwy Memorial Pkwy National Mall and Golden Gate NRA Grand Canyon NP Castle Clinton NM each year. Independence NHP George Washington Chesapeake & Ohio Rocky Mountain NP Statue of Liberty NM Natchez Trace Pkwy 10 OPERATIONAL AND FINANCIAL OVERVIEW

Tourism and Economic Impacts

In 2010, the Natchez Trace was designated as an official tourism trail for Nashville $1.00 spent on and Tennessee. It was also featured as a “must-see destination” in publications such national parks as LIFE magazine. The increased profile of the Parkway has translated into larger numbers of visitors at various times of the year. in taxpayer funds brings $4.00 in economic With such a high influx of visitors, the Parkway enhances economic vibrancy for the benefit through tourism communities between Natchez, Nashville, and the other surrounding areas. Based on conservative economic modeling, Natchez Trace visitors spend an estimated and private-sector $120 million per year in the local economies. The cities of Nashville, Memphis, and spending. New Orleans receive nearly 30 million tourists annually, and they spend billions of dollars in those local economies. Serving as a scenic and historical corridor through the area, the Parkway sits in a strategic location between these cities.

Important Economic Contributors:

The Natchez Trace Compact: In an ambitious effort Tupelo and Memphis each boast museums featuring to promote visitation to the communities located on the king of rock and roll, Elvis Presley. There are blues either side of the historic route, the Natchez Trace trails in Mississippi and music trails in Alabama. This is Compact was formed in 1999. The Compact, which a multi-billion dollar industry with a full range of eco- now has 20 member communities in all three states, nomic opportunities. helps provide marketing and information to visitors on both the Natchez Trace Parkway and the communities Historic and scenic trails: The Natchez Trace itself within the corridor. has 180 separate sections of historic trace that paral- lel the present-day Parkway. Efforts are underway to Civil War tourism: Civil War sites on and adjacent to make it a part of the National Lewis and Clark Trail. the Parkway include Shiloh National Military Park and The historic Trail of Tears route crosses the Parkway Corinth (separate NPS unit); Brices Cross Roads, and in four locations, and the Natchez Trace has over 65 Tupelo National Battlefield Sites (administered by the miles of Congressionally designated National Scenic Natchez Trace Parkway); Vicksburg National Military Trails. Park (separate NPS unit); and other sites such as the Battles of Raymond and Port Gibson. With an estimat- National Heritage Areas: Three National Heritage ed $192 billion spent nationally on Civil War and Heri- Areas sit within the immediate periphery of the Nat- tage tourism in 2010, the Parkway plans to continue chez Trace Parkway. These include the Tennessee Civil partnering with communities and other park units to War NHA, Muscle Shoals NHA, and the Mississippi promote these important parts of American history. Hills NHA. National Heritage Areas are dedicated to conserving local heritage and protecting cultural and Music tourism: The Natchez Trace runs between hubs historic resources.The Parkway works closely with NHA of the music tourism industry, from Nashville, home of partners to improve historic and cultural education country music, to New Orleans, the birthplace of jazz. opportunities.

11 OPERATIONAL AND FINANCIAL OVERVIEW

The Power of Our Partnerships

In 2010, the Natchez Trace was designated as a top tourism trail in Tennessee. Ongoing efforts to bolster the Parkway’s visibility are critical to improving partnerships and outreach.

Commercial and Private Landowners (3,000)

Members of U.S. Congress U.S. Senators (6) U.S. House Members (7) Universities University of North Alabama Mississippi State University University of Mississippi

State Governments Tennessee Alabama Mississippi Local Governments Counties (25) Municipalities (20)

Non-Governmental Organizations Conservation Fund Federal Jackson Metro Cyclists Partners Land Trust for Tennessee Federal Highway Administration Lewis and Clark Trail Tribal Governments U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Heritage Foundation Chickasaw Tennessee Valley Authority Natchez Trace Compact Choctaw Cooperating U.S. Forest Service National Heritage Areas Associations National Park Foundation Eastern National National Parks Conservation Association Natchez Trace Parkway Association 12 OPERATIONAL AND FINANCIAL OVERVIEW

The Power of Our Partnerships (continued)

The Natchez Trace has a diverse partnership portfolio. Due to its linear profile, relationships with public, private, and corporate partners are essential to the park accomplishing its mission. Balancing economic and environmental decision making is an ongoing challenge, especially as heavy economic development and populations increase along the boundaries of the Parkway. Partnerships are critical in helping people understand the economic and environmental value of the Natchez Trace corridor. These partnerships are also essential in helping protect the entire corridor from future degradation.

Commercial and Private Landowners (3,000)

Members of U.S. Congress U.S. Senators (6) U.S. House Members (7) Universities University of North Alabama Mississippi State University University of Mississippi

State Governments Tennessee Alabama Mississippi Local Governments Counties (25) Municipalities (20)

Fund Source Analysis

National park units rely on a variety of sources to fund operations, projects, and Top 25 NPS Operating Budgets other requirements, as described below. (2010 Appropriation) Congressionally appropriated base: The most reliable type of fund- Fiscal Year 2010 1 Yellowstone NP $36,958,000 ing for the Parkway is appropriated base funding, which is referred to as Expenditures “ONPS” (Operations of the National Park System). This type of funding 2 National Mall and Memorial Parks $33,347,000 is used for day-to-day operations and in conjunction with any other available funds sources. More detail is provided in the financial section 3 Yosemite NP $29,855,000 beginning on page 26. The Parkway’s ONPS budget in FY10 was $12.1 4 Gateway NRA $26,538,000 million, with another $1 million allocated for wildland fire protection. $15 million $17 million One-time project Federal highway investments funding—roads 5 Independence NHP $24,627,000 Congressionally appropriated non-base: Congress also appropri- and bridge maintenance ates funds for one-time projects. This funding can fluctuate dramati- 6 Grand Canyon NP $23,077,000 cally from year to year and is not used for day-to-day operations. The 7 Great Smoky Mountains NP $20,341,000 Natchez Trace competes for these funds, which are based on NPS priori- $12.1 million $1 million Parkway operations ties and park needs. In FY10, the Parkway spent roughly $15 million on Wildland ﬁre and administration 8 Lake Mead NRA $18,329,000 one-time investments and deferred maintenance projects, which was a module (ONPS) record amount. Through a partnership with the Federal Highway Ad- 9 Everglades NP $17,991,000 ministration, another $17 million was spent to maintain the 444 miles 10 Sequoia NP & Kings Canyon NP $17,306,000 of roadway and the nearly 400 bridges. 11 Golden Gate NRA $17,235,000 NPS Fee Demonstration Program: Many large parks charge visitor $1.7 million entrance fees and keep up to 80% of those dollars to use for projects Other 12 Blue Ridge Parkway $16,743,000 and other park-related activities. This program gives parks another reli- $775,000 13 Statue of Liberty NM/Ellis Island $16,330,000 able fund source to help them manage various aspects of park opera- Fleet tions and projects. The Natchez Trace does not collect fees and there- 14 Glacier NP $14,410,000 fore has less financial latitude and capacity than other similarly sized $2.2 million Employee $7.5 million parks, making the Parkway more reliant on ONPS dollars. beneﬁts Employee 15 Denali NP & Preserve $13,976,000 salaries 16 Grand Teton NP $13,733,000 Other revenues and reimbursables: Revenue is just a small part of the Parkway’s budget. These sources include rent for employee hous- 17 Rocky Mountain NP $13,469,000 ing, special use and filming permits, and donations. The total revenue accumulated by the Parkway in FY10 was $100,000. 18 Shenandoah NP $13,171,000 19 Olympic NP $13,060,000 Annual Base Funding per Visitor, 2011 (min. 100,000 visitors) 20 Mount Rainier NP $12,379,000 Denali $36.87 21 Natchez Trace Parkway $12,178,000

22 Glen Canyon NRA $11,769,000

Yellowstone 23 George Washington Mem Parkway $11,482,000 $10.36 Yosemite Natchez Trace $7.64 Grand Canyon $5.28 Parkway $2.05 24 Cuyahoga Valley NP $11,238,000 25 National Capital Parks-East $10,912,000 ONPS budget divided by the number of recreational visitors. Light purple line represents data points from all parks.

14 OPERATIONAL AND FINANCIAL OVERVIEW

Current Parkway Operations

In FY10, the Parkway had 147 full-time equivalent employees (FTE). These were divided among Parkway Staffing Levels several employment categories including: permanent full-time (PFT), permanent-subject-to-fur- 2000 2005 2010 Change lough (PSF), and temporary employees. An FTE is equal to 2,080 hours of work per year. Since “temporary” employees normally only work a portion of six months or 1,040 hours, one FTE can SUPV 32 19 20 -12 equate to several temporary employees. Therefore, the total number of employees working on the Parkway during the busy season reaches nearly 200 at peak. Temp 24 39 53 +29

The Parkway is organized into five main divisions: PSF 12 12 21 +9 1. Resources Management Natural, Cultural, Historic, Scenic PFT 120 107 92 -28 2. Visitor and Resource Protection Public Safety–Law Enforcement, Resource Protection, Special Park Uses, Total 188 177 186 -2 Fire Management 3. Interpretation and Education As this chart reflects, the total number of people employed over the past decade has remained relatively consistent. However, the Community Outreach, Visitor Services, Partnerships, Youth Education Parkway has significantly decreased the number of supervisors and permanent full time employees while it has increased its reli- 4. Facility Management and Parkway Maintenance ance on temporary and permanent part-time employees. This is Engineering, Landscape and Parkway Maintenance, Asset Management primarily due to increased costs and budget erosion, as explained on pages 26–27. 5. Administration and Business Services Budget Execution, Information Technologies, Property Management, Human Resources, Contracting

The roles and responsibilities of each of these major divisions are outlined in the next section, Divisions and Programs, beginning on page 16.

Division Staffing and Budget Delineations: A Deceiving Picture 2010 Divisional Allocations

$700,000 Over the past several decades, budget allocations be- through landscape maintenance activities, spending more Interpretation tween divisions have largely favored Facility Management than $2 million each year in this area alone. and Education $6.2 million and Visitor and Resource Protection. Facility Management $980,000 Administration and Maintenance The Visitor and Resource Protection division manages the and Business Services However, although the budget delineations reflect less Agricultural Lease Program, along with extensive bound- funding in certain divisions, some of the allocation num- ary patrol operations, which directly affect Resources $992,000 Resources bers are deceiving because workloads regularly cross divi- Management. Therefore, the capacity and activities of Management and $3.3 million Superintendent’s Ofﬁce Visitor and sional boundaries. For instance, the Facility Management Resources Management cannot be purely gauged by Resource Protection division performs extensive scenic resource protection budget allocations. 15 DIVISIONS AND PROGRAMS

Resources Management: Natural and Scenic

The Resources Management division is responsible for managing all natural, cultural, and scenic resources along the 2,600 7 444-mile corridor. Because of its linear design, the Natchez Trace presents many challenges: balancing the needs of plant and animal major the surrounding urban communities with the key mission of preserving natural, cultural, and scenic resources. This division is the smallest on the Parkway, yet has some of the largest and most complex responsibilities. Approximately species ecoregions $600,000 is needed to bridge the gap between existing staffing and the minimum staff levels required to effectively manage the division. This request is outlined in the Parkway’s top funding priorities. 40 forest types

Natural Resources Scenic Resources The Parkway traverses five degrees of the Earth’s latitude and seven major eco-regions, Offering travelers a traditional southern landscape experience crossing numerous phys- including 40 forest types and more than 2,600 species of plants and animals. Unique iographic regions, the Natchez Trace is designated as a National Scenic Byway for its in- sites known for their high ecological diversity, such as the Duck River and the Blackbelt trinsic scenic qualities. Protecting scenic view sheds has become one of the most difficult Prairie, are just a few of the natural resource treasures located along the Parkway. challenges the Parkway faces, especially around major population centers like Nashville, Tennessee; Tupelo, Mississippi; and Jackson, Mississippi. In 2010, the Parkway began With modern-day development continuing to increase, the Natchez Trace corridor has to develop a comprehensive scenic resources management strategy in concert with the effectively become a safe haven for an incredible diversity of plant, animal, and bird Land Trust for Tennessee and its other partners. This effort will increase exponentially species. Management of resources in such a linear geography is challenging and re- over the next few years as the Parkway attempts to develop a model that adequately mit- quires very innovative and strategically collaborative resources management methods. igates existing scenic impairments while helping to predict and prevent future impacts.

Exotic Species Eradication Monitoring the Parkway’s Natural Resources The Natchez Trace is home to several exotic plants, such as Chinese privet, kudzu, and The Natchez Trace is located within the Gulf Coast Inventory and Monitoring Net- Japanese honeysuckle. Because of their detrimental effects to natural areas, the Park- work, one of 32 NPS-wide ecoregional networks. The Parkway works closely with the way works to treat approximately 100 acres of exotics each year. Since 2005, the Gulf Coast network for monitoring of water quality, reptiles/amphibians, and geologi- Parkway has treated nearly 90% of its 80 known acres of kudzu. Future challenges cal resources, as well as for vegetation mapping and geographic information system include increased mapping and treatment of Chinese privet, which is estimated to needs. Because of the limited capacity of the Resources Management division, the infest approximately 2,000 acres of land within the boundary. Parkway relies heavily on the services of the Gulf Coast network to help supplement natural resources management capacities along the corridor.

16 DIVISIONS AND PROGRAMS Top Natural Resources Management Priorities: 65 • Complete scenic resource protection strategy 24

Kentucky • Treat and reduce Exotic Species: Chinese privet Lake Nashville 40 and kudzu TENNESSEE Michigan Lily, TN State Pasquo Threatened Species • Complete Resource Stewardship Planning Tool Endangered Gray Bat by 2014 (funded 2011)

• Complete comprehensive scenic resources protection plan by 2013

• Plant 100,000 new trees by 2016 Endangered Mitchell’s Bald Eagle Satyr Butterfly Pickwick Lake Florence

Tennessee Ri ver Ecological Regions ALABAMA 65 and Natural Resources Prothonotary Warbler Tupelo Vibrant Blackland Park boundary (approximate) Prairie Flower Nashville Basin • Maple-oak-hickory-ash forests • Gravelly streams underlain with limestone

Highland Rim • Transitional to mixed forests of the Appalachians MISSISSIPPI 43 • Home of rare cedar glade ecosystems

r Y e A Beaver iv W American Alligators R Fall Line Hills o K o R z a A • Mixed oak-pine forest Y P E • Ecoregion with highest number of currently C A threatened or endangered species (5) R T

Z E H Blackland Prairie/Margins C T • Blackbelt forests and bluestem prairie A N • Highly diverse: 60+ bird species and 400+ plant species Ross R. Barnett Vicksburg Reservoir Jackson 20 Northern Hilly Gulf Coastal Plain • Mixed pine-oak forests LOUISIANA Threatened Ringed • Home to more than 30 species of reptiles and amphibians P Map Turtle er e Louisiana Black Bear v a i r R l i (Threatened) p R Southern Rolling Hills p i i v

s e s • Oak-hickory-pine and southern ﬂoodplain forests

i r s s i 55 • Naturally fertile soils have largely been M converted to agricultural uses Natchez North Mississippi Valley Bluff Hills and Loess Plains • Oak-hickory-pine forests • Rare loess soil found in only one other North 0 40 Kilometers American location 0 40 Miles

17 DIVISIONS AND PROGRAMS

Resources Management: Cultural and Historic

The Natchez Trace Parkway corridor is filled with cultural and historic resources, including 22 Native American ceremonial and burial mounds and many other significant sites. The Parkway contains 239 historic structures, 350 archeological sites, and approximately 180 sections of the historic “Natchez Trace Trail.” The Parkway’s museum collection includes more than 870,000 items such as historic tools, arrowheads, pottery, and military artifacts.

Some of the key historic sites along the Parkway include: • Emerald Mound: A National Historic Landmark and 2nd largest Native American burial/ceremonial mound in the United States • Pharr Mounds: The largest set of Native American mounds in the southeastern United States • Governor Meriwether Lewis Death and Burial Site • Chickasaw Village • Colbert Ferry • Numerous Civil War Battlefield sites • Mount Locust Historic Inn • Gordon House The division works closely with a variety of partners, including three state historic preservation offices and numerous Native American tribes. In 2011, the Parkway staff helped complete the largest Native American repatriation in the history of the Choctaw Nation.

239 20 871,214

historic tribal consultations museum Clockwise from top left: A section of the Old Trace; Meriwether Lewis’ burial structures in 2010 items monument; and Pharr Mounds, the largest Native American ceremonial mounds site in the southeastern United States.

Civil War Battlefield Sites Along the Natchez Trace Southeast Archeological Center Two Civil War battlefield sites are located along the Parkway: Brices The NPS Southeast Archeological Center (SEAC) provides regular Cross Roads (June 10, 1864), and Tupelo (July 14–15, 1864). These technical assistance to the Natchez Trace and is an invaluable sites are separate units of the National Park Service, but both operate partner in the park’s cultural resource management efforts. under the administration of the Natchez Trace Parkway. In 2011, SEAC was a primary partner with the Natchez Trace in At the Battle of Brices Cross Roads, half of the 223 Union soldiers that helping the Choctaw perform the largest Native American repa- were reported as killed belonged to Bouton’s Brigade of United States triation in the Tribe’s history. Colored Troops. The Battle of Tupelo was the last time that Confederate General Nathan Bedford Forrest’s famed cavalry corps fought the Union infantry during the war. 18 DIVISIONS AND PROGRAMS 24 65 Top Cultural Resource Management Priorities: Nashville 40 Natchez Trace National • Rehabilitate Historic Gordon House by 2015 Pasquo Scenic Trail • Acquire funding for and complete two major One of the lesser known treasures of the Gordon House Native American repatriations by 2015 in 40 Highland Rim Parkway is the National Scenic Trail, five partnership with tribes 65 TENNESSEE sections of multi-use trail winding through Routes of the Trail Mississippi and Tennessee, following por- • Improve baseline inventory and monitoring of Tears Meriwether Lewis tions of the Old Natchez Trace. The trails Death and Burial Site of historic and cultural resources cater to a variety of recreationalists including hikers, runners, and horseback riders.

The National Scenic Trail, which encom- Routes of passes more than 68 miles of trails, is the Trail Colbert Ferry and House of Tears maintained almost exclusively by volun- Florence teers and partners under the supervision Bear Creek Mound of a park ranger. Volunteers build board- Civil War: Battle of walks, bridges, stairs, and erosion control Brices Cross Roads structures. They also perform a variety of Blackland Prairie Pharr Mounds ALABAMA repairs, mark the trail, and groom sections Chickasaw Village Tupelo for special use such as horseback riding. Civil War: Key volunteer groups include The Boy Battle of Tupelo Scouts of America, The Student Conser-

55 vation Association, local horseback riding Bynum Mounds organizations, and universities. French and Spanish exploration are Line Creek Ranger Rachel Davidson manages the integrally linked MISSISSIPPI to Old Trace history. program in the Ridgeland district. “When Y A the program started here in 2005, I had to r e W iv K search for people interested in helping.” R R o A o z P Since its inception the program has grown a Y E C immensely, both in size and popularity, A R T Treaty of through word-of-mouth. Rachel estimates Z

E Dancing Rabbit Creek r that in 2010, 180 volunteers contributed

H e

C v i T approximately 3,000 hours in trail main-

R A i

p N tenance, nearly four times the number of p i s Boyd s i hours than when the program began five s Mounds s i Yockanookany Choctaw Agency years ago. M Ross R. Barnett Osburns Stand Reservoir 25 Vicksburg Jackson 20 yearly National Historic LOUISIANA Rocky 180 Old Trace segments Route of Springs 55 the Trail Preservation Act reviews of Tears P e Mangum a r l Mound R

i v e Natchez Trace National Scenic Trail

Potkopinu r Emerald Mound Mount Locust Inn Elizabeth Female Academy North Natchez

0 40 Kilometers

0 40 Miles 19 DIVISIONS AND PROGRAMS

Interpretation and Education

The Interpretation and Education division provides a voice for the Parkway’s diverse resources through public information, exhibits, interpretive media, visitor center operations, interpretive programs, partnership Parks as development, and curriculum-based educational services. One visitor center in each of four districts serves Classrooms as a hub for that district’s interpretive staff. From north to south, the centers include: the Meriwether Lewis A multi-year National site at milepost (MP) 386; the Parkway Visitor Center (and Headquarters) at MP 266; the Parkway Informa- Scenic Trails grant has tion Cabin at MP 102; and the historic Mount Locust site at MP 15. In 2010, the Parkway closed the visitor allowed the Parkway contact center at Colbert Ferry in order to place limited staff in other areas along the corridor. to implement Parks as Classrooms, a K-12 educational program Personal Services Non-Personal Services designed to educate As the public face of the Parkway, Interpretive Rang- The large number of visitors and the elongated na- students about the ers working at visitor centers are a familiar and trust- ture of a parkway with multiple access points makes Natchez Trace, foster ed resource. Primary functions include: non-personal services (maps, site bulletins, exhibits, interest in the aes- web content, bulletin boards, and waysides) critical • Providing interpretation through visitor center thetic, historic, and to the park’s educational mission. contacts, phone, website, email, and news media economic importance of this ancient trail, and encourage public use of the National Scenic Trail sections along it. • Conducting interpretive programs highlighting Quality interpretive waysides, site bulletins, and web As of 2011, over 50 curriculum-based lesson plans have the park’s diverse natural and cultural resources content—available at any time to the park visitor— been developed in partnership with school teachers and • Maintaining relationships with local community, are efficient and cost-effective ways to interpret the administrators. The Parkway has also held several work- tourism, schools, and other partner organizations park’s resources. shops for teachers to learn about these lesson plans and how to implement them in their own classrooms.

Top Priorities 200 education programs Interpretation and Education annually reaching thousands • Complete new Parkway film by 2014 holds the #1 funding priority of youths and adults (funded 2011) request on the Parkway. • Complete another 25 curriculum-based lesson plans by 2013

• Double youth outreach through innovative education outreach and practices by 2014 4 new formal partnerships • Initiate formal partnerships with 10 more with educational school systems by 2013 institutions in 2011 • Assist National Heritage Areas with completion of management planning

• Complete partnership and stakeholder communication plan by 2013 new curriculum-based 75 A Parkway ranger performs a living history demonstration, providing lesson plans by 2013 valuable educational information on the history of the Natchez Trace. 20 DIVISIONS AND PROGRAMS

Visitor and Resource Protection

The Visitor and Resource Protection division is responsible for providing law enforcement, emergency services, resource protection, and many other important functions along the entire 444-mile corridor. The division partners with over 100 local county and state law enforcement, emergency service, and fire departments in order to maximize public safety and service levels.

Public Safety–Law Enforcement Boundary Patrol Parkway law enforcement rangers handle The perimeter of the Natchez Trace boundary thousands of incidents each year including stretches nearly 1,000 miles. With over 3,000 poaching violations, traffic accidents, injuries private landowners adjacent to the Parkway, and fatalities, boundary encroachments, drug boundary marking and patrol are essential to trafficking, and more. helping the Parkway protect its resources.

Emergency Communications Center Wildland Fire Management The Natchez Trace emergency communica- The Natchez Trace Fire Management Branch tions center handles thousands of law en- is responsible for fire suppression, fuels man- It cost $1 million more to operate this forcement and emergency service calls for the agement, and fire effects monitoring along entire Parkway each year. the entire Parkway. Additionally, the branch division in 2011 than it did in 2000. provides support to 10 other NPS units, four Agricultural Lease Program National Forest Service units, the Tennessee The division manages 794 agricultural leases, Department of Forestry, and approximately which help maintain the scenic integrity of 63 volunteer and paid fire departments. Top Priorities the traditional southern landscape along the Parkway. The program enhances roadside Public Safety Resource Protection vistas, reduces the number of acres that the Average of over 400 Parkway maintains, and fosters relationships arrests each year • Develop comprehensive • Re-mark 1,000 miles of with park neighbors. public safety strategy Parkway boundary over the designed to reduce fatalities next seven years and injuries • Increase agricultural lease National Field Training and • Acquire computer automated accountability to ensure dispatch system capable of scenic view shed protection Evaluation Program providing analytic data on The Natchez Trace is a major participant in the NPS division operations • Improve condition of 65 Field Training and Evaluation Program (FTEP). The pro- miles of National Scenic Trail gram helps provide essential field training to new law • Increase public safety segments enforcement rangers. The Parkway currently has six effectiveness through qualified field training rangers who commit thousands targeted enforcement and • Continue aggressive of hours per year toward the FTEP. The NATR FTEP staff education efforts wildland fire management has trained over 30 rangers since 2004, which is one practices to promote of the highest numbers in the NPS. Supporting a pro- • Continue setting the national ecosystem vibrancy and gram like FTEP is highly beneficial to the NPS but it standard in the field training reduce hazardous fuels also places large demands on the field training staff. and evaluation program

21 DIVISIONS AND PROGRAMS

Facility Management and Parkway Maintenance

The Natchez Trace Facility Management and Maintenance division is responsible for maintaining the infrastructure of the Parkway’s assets, which include 444 miles of primary roads, nearly 400 bridges, 50 miles of secondary roads, and hundreds of buildings, utilities, and other assets. The division is organized into four districts and nine sub-districts, with each sub-district responsible for approximately 50 miles of Parkway. The division is staffed with approximately 100 employees ranging from engineers to tractor operators, carpenters, and mechanics. Roughly 40% of the division’s workforce is seasonal, and is employed only during the summer months to help with heavier workloads in landscape maintenance and higher visitor use. The division shares employees across districts and relies heavily on a cross-training methodology to ensure each position can provide a wide range of skill sets and expertise.

Most Efficient Organization (MEO): The Parkway was one of a select number of national park units to successfully implement the MEO model. MEO is a competitive sourcing process through which the federal govern- Each year the division mows a distance equivalent to ment competes with the private sector for management of certain activities. circumnavigating the Earth 1.5 times at the equator. As with any competitive process, the best and most cost-effective bidder is awarded the contract. In 2005, the Parkway’s maintenance division com- $2,000,000 is peted against the private sector and was able to demonstrate that the Park- spent each year to Number of assets way’s maintenance structure was the cheapest and most effective means of maintain the cultural accomplishing various workloads along the Natchez Trace corridor. 25 and scenic landscape 209 Cultural and scenic landscape maintenance: The Parkway is a designed $7,835,256 of the Natchez Trace. 69 landscape. Of its total 52,000 acres, over 8,500 are directly adjacent to the 884 $39,391,840 roadway and must be maintained. As such, mowing is central to maintaining the designed landscape and scenic integrity of the Parkway. Each year, $5,936,037 the division mows enough grass to circumnavigate the Earth 1.5 times at Number of assets the equator. 69 Good $12,188,663 (FCI: <0.11) $209,502,920 Park Asset Management Plan: A Parkway Asset Management Plan 178 $2,964,501 Fair (PAMP) was completed in 2009. The PAMP helps to provide critical informa- $970,807 (FCI: 0.11–0.15) 116 Poor tion on the Parkway’s assets, especially relating to condition and deferred 824 (FCI: 0.15–0.50) maintenance. The Parkway’s asset portfolio is valued at just over $2 billion. Serious Deferred maintenance Using a Facility Condition Index (FCI), the relative condition of each asset can (FCI: >0.50) in each rating category be determined. The FCI is calculated by dividing the deferred maintenance of an asset by its current replacement value. FCI can range from 0.0 to 1. Roads, bridges, An FCI score closer to 0.0 reflects a better condition. Funding priorities are and parking $246,542,082 set through a variety of techniques including use of the Asset Priority Index Landscapes and The Parkway maintains 400 (API). The Parkway assigns each asset an API score based on its importance utility systems to the Parkway’s mission. The API score range is from 1 to 100 and the Buildings bridges; 50 miles of secondary higher the API score, the more important it is to the Parkway’s mission. The Trails, dams, and Deferred maintenance amphitheaters in each asset type roads; and hundreds of buildings, pie charts to the right reflect the number of assets in each category along with the estimated deferred maintenance requirements. utilities, and other assets.

22 DIVISIONS AND PROGRAMS

Facility Management and Parkway Maintenance (continued)

Good preventative Roads maintenance: Road maintenance Road improvements are categorized in for the 444-mile Parkway is accomplished three primary areas: preventative main- Top Priorities maintenance can cost through a partnership with the Federal tenance (PM) includes basic resurfacing, $150,000 per mile Highway Administration (FHWA), via the restoration, and rehabilitation. This is • Develop more efficient and cost-effective Federal Lands Highway Program (FLHP). the least expensive form of roads main- landscape maintenance and mowing practices every 10 to 15 years. The Parkway competes for FLHP funding tenance. The “3R” category includes by 2013 with other parks throughout the agency. more expensive rehabilitation such as structural overlays, deck replacements, • Recalculate and prioritize all Parkway assets The NPS and FHWA use a very proactive and other minor-moderate maintenance by 2012 strategy to help reduce overall costs of and improvements. The “4R” category is Lack of preventative maintaining the Parkway’s road system. the most costly category of maintenance, • Complete new Park Asset Management Plan This strategy works to maintain road and often includes long-term road clo- by 2014 maintenance can lead to full and bridge infrastructure by keeping up sures. This category includes extensive reconstruction, which can with regular maintenance, thus prevent- reconstruction of pavement, embank- • Upgrade all boundary surveys using GPS ing much more expensive reconstruction ments, and bridges. by 2014 cost up to costs over the long term. Allowing road • Provide better employee cross-training on $1 million per mile. assets to deteriorate can cost exponen- The charts below outline the financial tially more than keeping up with regular benefits of employing a strong preventa- heavy equipment by 2013 preventative maintenance. tive maintenance strategy.

Requested Federal Highway Funding by category Cost of Proactive vs. Reactive Strategy $12,000,000 (estimates for a four-year timespan) Proactive strategy cost: $67 million 4R (see chart at left) $11,125,520 3R (see chart at left) Proactive (maintenance ongoing) $173m Reactive strategy cost: $183 million Preventative Reactive (maintenance deferred)

$5,500,000 $3,360,000 $29m $27.5m Total savings of proactive strategy: $9,060,000 $3.2m $6.5m $10.2m $8,692,700 Preventative Light repair Heavy repair $116 million maintenance $7,672,060

$6,200,000 $2,722,230 $5,859,020 Improvement Category

Preventative Maintenance 3R 4R $8,560,000 Thin overlays $8,692,700 Pavement Structural overlays Pavement replacement Pavement patching $7,765,520

$5,700,000 Deck patching Deck overlay/replacement Superstructure replacement $6,500,000 $5,359,020

Bridges $4,949,830 Superstructure repair Rail replacement Superstructure widening that $1,908,000 and painting (incl. minor deck widening) adds a lane width or more

$1,408,000 Trafﬁc operation and safety projects Interchange reconstruction Trafﬁc Operations Pavement marking and signing Add auxiliary lanes Add through lanes $500,000 $500,000 $500,000 $500,000 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 23 DIVISIONS AND PROGRAMS

Administration and Business Services

The Administration and Business Services division provides administrative and business services in support of operational programs. Professional and technical assistance is provided in the areas of budget and finance, information systems management, property and fleet Top Priorities management, human resources management, and contracting and procurement support. • Continue transition of Administrative The division also provides some centralized overhead support services that are not other- Support Unit to ensure seamless inter- wise associated with a specific operational division. park cooperation in the realms of Human Resources and Contracting

Budget Execution and Finance Human Resources • Increase IT capacity The budget and finance branch is responsible for all The human resources branch provides support for • Modernize property management system cost accounting, accounts payable and receivable, a variety of services to both management and the and budgetary forecasting for the Parkway. individual employees, including staffing and recruit- ment, employee retention, position classification, Information Systems Management management/employee relations services, payroll The Parkway is highly dependent on interconnected processing, benefits counseling, and employee de- information technology and integrated data sys- velopment services. tems. Information Systems Management ensures continuous operations of these systems by maintain- Contracting and Procurement ing the local area network system at Parkway head- The Contracting and Procurement branch is respon- quarters, nine wide area network regional locations, sible for all government contracts and orders issued four visitor contact locations, and various data stor- by the Parkway. Support in this area varies from pur- age and retrieval systems centers spread across the chasing routine supplies, equipment, vehicles, and Over 4,000 444-mile long Parkway. technical materials, to acquisition of large dollar construction and renovation contracts. personnel actions Property and Fleet Management processed each year The Parkway owns and maintains almost 1,200 pieces of equipment, valued at approximately $6.2 million. In addition, it leases over 100 vehicles from the General Services Administration. Over $20 million in contracts awarded in 2010 Consolidation of Human Resources and Contracting In 2010, the Parkway became the home for the newly organized Western Administra- tive Support Unit (WASU). The WASU functions as one of four regional Human Resourc- es and Contracting hubs servicing 13 different parks in the western part of the region. Within the first year, the unit processed over 4,000 personnel actions and awarded 1,200 pieces of equipment, over $20 million in government contracts. The Parkway has set aggressive performance targets to improve HR and contracting service levels throughout the ASU. valued at over $6 million

24 25 FINANCIAL AND PERFORMANCE STRATEGIES

Parkway Funding History and Recent Investments

Parkway operations vary from year to year as conditions change. Over the past several decades, the Parkway’s base budget has not kept pace with inflation and other rising costs, which has led to major reductions in permanent staffing levels and other opera- Recently Funded Projects: tional practices. Constant budget erosion, without substantive base increases over long time frames, has significantly reduced the Parkway’s operating capacity. Investments are considered as significant one-time expenditures to develop and improve the Parkway’s infrastructure. In Fiscal Year 2010, the Parkway completed projects totaling over $32 million. Adjusted base budget: The Parkway’s base operating budget in 1990 was $5.2 million, compared with $12.1 million in 2010. When adjusted for inflation based on The most significant projects included: the Consumer Price Index (CPI), the increase in funding over that 20-year time frame is approximately $2.1 million. In the last decade alone, the Parkway’s labor costs have Meriwether Lewis rehabilitation, $4 million: Included a new inter- increased by $4 million due to increased salaries, benefits, and other inflationary costs pretive trail system and exhibits, rehabilitation of the historic informa- related to fleet, fuel, and equipment. tion cabin, a new parking lot, and new wheelchair-accessible visitor restrooms. Other improvements were made to the campground and Base funding increases: The last major funding increase the Parkway received was picnic areas, along with a significant tree-planting project. in 2006. The Parkway is located in the southeast region of the NPS. One of seven regions in the agency, there are over 60 units in the southeast region alone. Each year, Multi-use trail, multicity trail con- the Parkway competes with these other parks for funding increases, and only a small nection system/construction, number receive base funding increases each year. $10 million: Funded through the Federal Highway Administration’s Staffing impacts and changes: Due to the increased costs of staffing, without ad- Eastern Federal Lands Division, over ditional funding the Parkway’s base budget erodes to some degree each year. This five miles of new multi-use paths normally translates to lapses or elimination of permanent positions. The Parkway has were completed connecting the Park- eliminated 28 permanent full time positions in the past 10 years, becoming more way with several cities in the Jackson reliant on temporary employees, who do not receive health and retirement benefits. metropolitan area. Although in many cases it makes sense to use temporary employees, much of the Parkway’s workload is year-round, and reducing the number of permanent positions Road paving and improvements, $17 million: translates to fewer staff available to handle year-round workloads. Thirty miles of pavement overlays were completed in conjunction with the Federal Highway Administration.

Natchez Trace Parkway Other deferred maintenance projects, $1 million: Appropriated Base Budget History Replacement of water systems, roofs, and other projects.

Base funding $12,178 Visitor restroom replacements, Constant dollar (1990 dollar) $1 million: The Parkway replaced $7,320 eight comfort $5,209 stations along the length of the 444 miles.

1990 2010

The inflation-adjusted (“constant dollar”) figures are calculated using the government-published Consumer Price Index.

26 FINANCIAL AND PERFORMANCE STRATEGIES

Increased Cost Analysis and Analysis of Real Growth

The Parkway’s expenditures have increased substantially over the past decade. Increasing employee salaries, benefits, and other inflationary costs such as fuel prices have eroded the overall capacity of the Parkway. In 2010, the Parkway spent over $9 million in labor costs; this was up from approximately $5 million in 2000. A one dollar per gallon jump in the price of diesel can cost the Parkway Some of the major factors driving costs up include: $50,000 more per year. Salary and benefit increases: Many years, GS-9 level, it would take roughly 18 years to Congress grants federal employees annual reach the maximum step level. In 2011, the cost of living increases ranging from 1% to Parkway paid out an additional $189,000 to 2.5%. These increases help the government cover these increases. The Parkway paid $4 million maintain a competitive workforce by ensuring more in labor costs in 2011 than workforce salaries improve with inflation. Support costs: Many positions require spe- These increases also drive up the overall cific equipment and training certifications. it did in 2000 for roughly the costs of the workforce. As an example, the These costs are referred to as “support same number of staff. base salary of a non-supervisory (GS-9/1) law costs” and can vary dramatically depending enforcement ranger in 2000 was $35,728. In on the type of position. 2011, the salary of an employee at the same grade/step level was $49,029, which was an Increased fleet costs: Increased monthly increase of $13,301 per position. The health lease and mileage costs have also increased NATR Total Fleet Costs and retirement benefits for the same position substantially over the past decade. The Park- It takes over $330,000 2000–2010 $774,335 in 2000 were roughly $14,000. That number way spent $442,870 to manage its fleet more to pay for the increased to $21,073 in 2011, a difference of in 2000. For the same fleet in 2010, the same fleet in 2011 than $442,870 over $7,000 per position. Parkway spent $774,335, a difference of $331,465. it did 10 years ago. Mandatory pay cost increases: Separate from the base salary increases listed above, Other rising costs: The Parkway absorbed 2000 2002 2004 2006 2008 2010 federal employees are banded in a grade/ annual assessments from the regional and step pay system. With good performance, an national offices totaling $264,000 in 2011. employee can receive an automatic “step” Comparatively, this assessment level was ap- increase each year, every other year, or every proximately $75,000 in 2000, an increase of third year depending on their tenure with the over 350%. These assessments are used to Evaluating the Costs of the Same Employee over 10 Years An employee hired as a GS-9/1 in 2000 would reach GS-9/7 by 2011 grade level. cover a variety of regional and national sup- (base law enforcement position, non-supervisory) port mechanisms such as software licensing These increases are gradual; however, the and program support. The Parkway’s budget 2000 Total: Base salary: $35,728 Benefits: $14,000 $49,728 larger the staff size, the more a park pays in was also reduced by another $100,000 in (GS-9/1) Total: step increases each year. In 2011, A GS-9/1 2011 as part of a “management efficiency” 2011 Base salary: $49,029 Benefits: $22,063 Step: $14,230 $85,322 (GS-9/7) had a base salary of $49,029 while a GS- assessment. Salary Benefits Step increases 9/10 had a salary of $63,259, a difference This example assumes a 40% benefit rate in 2000 and of $14,230. If an employee remained at the a 45% benefit rate in 2011. The percentage is variable from year to year and employee to employee.

27 FINANCIAL AND PERFORMANCE STRATEGIES

Financial Scenarios and Related Impacts

These pages describe a variety of potential budget scenarios and Stable or Growing: Growth in some areas; impacts due to efficiency decisions only their related impacts. These are our own estimates, which were cal- Annual spending capacity: $12.1 million–$11.0 million culated for strategic planning purposes, and are not meant to com- municate the intent of future congressional appropriations. With Staffing: Stable; continue improving overall service levels. the year-to-year uncertainty of the Federal budget, it is important Visitor Facilities: Maintain current seven day per week visitor center operations. Restroom Facilities: Maintain current 14 restroom facilities; daily cleaning. for the Parkway to be prepared to do the following: The graph below represents Public Safety/Resource Protection: Maintain one ranger per 40 Parkway miles; reason- three potential budget able response times, continued decline of accidents, injuries, and fatalities. • Manage existing dollars in a manner that maximizes visitor Education and Outreach: Maintain 175–200 education programs annually, reaching service and resource protection capacity scenarios; the colored 10,000 youth per year. boxes at right describe the Condition of Resources and Landscapes: Maintain high quality visual landscape main- • Manage any potential fiscal reductions through a thought- tenance; improve overall resource management capacity. ful and defensible decision making process that has the corresponding impacts. Quality of the Visitor Experience: Maintain and improve visitor service levels; maintain least potential impact on our goals and objectives current 99% visitor satisfaction rating.

• Position the Parkway to compete for future base funding increases by demonstrating its capacity to do more with Moderate to Major Impacts: more Annual spending capacity: $11.0 million–$10.0 million The Parkway operates very efficiently at the present levels (repre- Staffing: Levels begin degrading; expect loss of up to 56 seasonal and 5 PFT positions. sented in the green box to the right). This page describes some po- Visitor Facilities: Reduce some visitor center operations to five days per week. tential scenarios and how reductions in fiscal capacity could corre- Restroom Facilities: Evaluate closing seven restrooms along the 444-mile corridor. spond to our visitor service and resource protection capacity. It is not Public Safety/Resource Protection: Reduce to one ranger per 60 Parkway miles; all-inclusive and, as with any model, there are many variables that increased response times; potential increases in accidents, injuries, and fatalities. Education and Outreach: Reduce to 100 education programs annually; 3,000 fewer would affect our decision making. youth reached each year; outreach capacity affected. Condition of Resources and Landscapes: Begin moderate changes to landscape maintenance practices; scenic integrity degradation noticeable. Potential Budget Scenarios Quality of the Visitor Experience: Visitor satisfaction levels begin to decline. Flat. No cuts, 3% annual spending power erosion through CPI and other variable cost increases. 5% across-the-board cuts ($605k). 3% annual spending power erosion through CPI and other variable cost increases. 10% across-the-board cuts ($1.2m). 3% annual spending power erosion through CPI and other variable cost increases. $12,500,000 Severe Impacts:

Stable Annual spending capacity: $10.0 million and below

$12,000,000 Staffing: Expect loss of up to 56 seasonal and 20 PFT positions. Moderate to Major $11,500,000 Visitor Facilities: Reduce to five days per week. Restroom Facilities: Close seven restrooms along the 444-mile corridor.

$11,000,000 Public Safety/Resource Protection: Reduce to one ranger per 80 Parkway miles; major increases to response times; substantial increases in accidents, injuries, fatalities; increases in drunk driving, drug trafficking, illegal dumping. $10,500,000 Education and Outreach: Reduce to 50 education programs annually; 4,500 fewer youth reached each year; outreach capacity affected. Condition of Resources and Landscapes: Begin severe changes to landscape main- $10,000,000 Projected budget levels (in 2011 dollars) Severe tenance practices; scenic integrity degradation very noticeable in certain areas of the Parkway. $9,500,000 Quality of the Visitor Experience: Expect visitor satisfaction rating of 70% or lower.

FY11 FY12 FY13 FY14 FY15 FY16 28 FINANCIAL AND PERFORMANCE STRATEGIES

Financial Scenarios and Related Impacts (continued)

The chart below offers suggestions on how the Parkway would adjust ing. Any combination of the options below could be used to meet The Parkway’s financial con- to the reduced or restricted budget scenarios on the opposing page. financial targets, the goal being to find the best balance in meeting tingency planning focuses on Current funding allows for relatively high levels of visitor service and the Parkway’s financial obligations while affecting the smallest possible minimizing visitor impacts in the resource protection. Reduced budgets will mean tough decision mak- number of visitors. following primary areas, which are described in the chart and Workload Highest Demand Potential Implementation Strategies table at left. Visitor Facilities/Education and Outreach Tupelo Visitor Center 40,000 visitors per year Apr–Oct Visitor facilities: Adjust facility operating hours during off-peak times of the year. Ridgeland Contact Station 15,000 visitors per year Apr–Oct In order to limit impacts, the Parkway would begin this process with the centers that Visitor centers see the fewest visitors. Meriwether Lewis Cabin 25,000 visitors per year Apr–Oct and contact Mt. Locust Historic Site 28,000 visitors per year Mar–Nov Outcomes: Varied personnel cost savings; reduced visitor satisfaction during off- stations peak months. Less outreach and workload capacity. Park Website Updated weekly Year-round Visitor Education Programs 200 per year Mar–Nov Exhibit and Publications Design Three publications/three major projects per year Year-round Public Safety Youth education Law Enforcement Patrol 444 miles of Parkway; 14 million visitors Year-round Law enforcement staffing: Work to maintain existing staffing levels in more pop- and public and commuters; 50 miles of secondary roads; ulated sections of the Parkway; potentially reduce levels in rural areas; re-prioritize 100 miles of trail resource, encroachment, and boundary patrols; maintain existing emergency dispatch outreach Emergency Communications Center 10,000 calls for service; officer safety Year-round staffing levels. programs monitoring; visitor assistance Outcomes: Varied personnel cost savings; fleet reductions; extended response times in rural areas; lower capacity for proactive resource and visitor safety patrols, especially in rural areas. Resource Protection Indian Mounds and Cultural Sites 22 sites Year-round Maintain adequate staffing to protect high value resources year-round; reductions Public safety Archeological Sites 365 sites Year-round would occur only after careful consideration to impacts on resources. Re-prioritize and resource resource and boundary patrols to conform with any staffing reductions. Parkway Boundary 1,000 miles of boundary; Year-round protection and Species Protection 55,000 acres of land Outcomes: Varied personnel cost savings; less capacity to maintain and protect Agricultural Leases 750 leasees Year-round natural, cultural, scenic, and historic assets. Maintenance and Facility Management Landscape Maintenance 8,500 acres of maintained landscape Apr–Oct Designed landscapes: Increase numbers of seasonal employees from Apr–Oct. Re- Custodial Services 27 visitor use facilities Year-round duce permanent year-round staffing, or make major adjustments to current landscape Maintaining design plan by reducing/eliminating mowing in rural sections. Building Maintenance 180 buildings Year-round facilities and Road Maintenance 1,000 lane miles of Parkway and Year-round Custodial services/other maintenance: Reduce cleanings for visitor restrooms reducing secondary roads and trash pickup during off-peak times of year. deferred Utility Services 23 water/wastewater treatment systems; five Nov–Mar Outcomes: Varied personnel cost savings; reductions in fleet costs; fewer year-round maintenance water tanks; 57 hydrants; water and sewer maintenance employees and thus reduced capacity in all areas from Nov–Mar. In- lines; fuel tanks and systems crease in deferred maintenance backlog with fewer employees available for main- Marine and Waterways One dock, ramp, beach Year-round tenance projects during lower visitation months. Decreased visitor satisfaction with unkempt sections of Parkway.

Administration and Management Maintaining designed Budget Execution and Finance Administrative management Year-round Maintain minimum staffing levels needed to effectively manage administrative and landscapes Information Systems Management management workloads including financial management, property accountability, information technologies, HR and contracting services, and partnership and outreach. Property and Fleet Management Human Resources Outcomes: Continue lapsing deputy superintendent position and other vacant administrative positions; further reductions would reduce administrative efficiencies. Contracting and Procurement

29 FINANCIAL AND PERFORMANCE STRATEGIES

Strategies: Cost Reduction

The Parkway will work to streamline operations and cut costs wherever possible, Reducing Costs of Existing Operations irrespective of future budget scenarios. However, it is important to understand the difference between decisions that are made to maximize existing dollars Fixed Costs Current costs: $8.7–9.0 million/year. versus decisions that are made due to reductions in fiscal capacity. Decisions that The Parkway spends approximately 80% of its operations budget on are made to increase efficiency allow the Parkway to redirect any cost savings personnel. This percentage is excellent by most NPS standards; however, to improve other areas. Conversely, any reductions lowering the Parkway’s base the ratio is deceiving because of a much larger obligation in other areas budget or spending power will have an effect on overall capacity. Any range of (e.g., the fleet size must be relatively large on a parkway). The costs and the yellow or red scenarios on the preceding pages will force the Parkway to make impacts of various positions on the Parkway vary dramatically. Decisions will be made through a careful evaluation process of the costs versus the tough decisions relating to staffing, visitor services, and resource protection levels. benefits of each position. This is the single largest area for the Parkway These decisions will be made through a deliberative evaluation of potential impacts to respond to cuts, but it is also the area that will have the largest influ- and will be prioritized by evaluating the overall impacts of a particular cut on the ence on the Parkway’s ability to protect resources and maintain service Parkway’s resources and visitors. levels. Costs savings here could vary dramatically and are dependent on many factors.

2011–2015 2014 Fleet Absorb shortfalls— Earliest new Current costs: $775,000/year. adjust operations funding could be received Purely to increase efficiency, the Parkway will work to reduce fleet size by 5% over the next four years. Although additional reductions will begin to affect operations, a 10% reduction over the next four years, using 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 a phased approach, could save $100,000. 2006 Date of last 2016 Landscape Management Practices base increase NATR would reach a full decade without additional funding Current costs: $2 million/year (personnel, equipment, fuel). Landscape maintenance helps protect the integrity of the Parkway’s scenery. The majority of landscape costs are directly related to personnel, equipment, and fuel. The Parkway is constantly working to improve landscape maintenance techniques. Cutbacks and cost savings in this The Value of Volunteers area would be closely tied to personnel reductions. In 2010, community volunteers contributed 10,000 hours to the Interpretation Non-Government Cleaning Contracts and Partnerships division, including ap- Current costs: $100,000/year. The Parkway uses numerous cleaning proximately 3,100 hours assisting the contractors to clean restrooms and other facilities used by visitors and visitor center staff. The remaining volun- employees. This workload will shift to NPS personnel as the Parkway teers were campground hosts and vol- eliminates and/or reduces these contracts. In FY11, the Parkway reduced unteers for Pioneer Days and Dulcimer Many of the Parkway’s contracts by over $20,000 with another $15,000 possible in the next Days, educational events hosted by part- volunteers help provide living year. ner groups. history education to visitors. Employee Travel Recruiting and training new volunteers represents a substantial cost, but Current Costs: $130,000/year. the benefits greatly outweigh the costs. For example, the time investment Although over 60% of the Parkway’s travel is spent on “in park” travel, to recruit a single FTE volunteer for a visitor center could be as high as the Parkway will continue working to reduce travel costs where possible. $6,000; however, the value would be equivalent to a GS-04 level interpre- Potential cost savings: $20,000. tive ranger, or approximately $34,000, for a net benefit of approximately $28,000 per volunteer. 30 FINANCIAL AND PERFORMANCE STRATEGIES

Increasing FundingStrategies: and Increasing Capacity in Funding the Future and (continued)Capacity

Increasing Non-Appropriated Funding and Support Top Unfunded Priorities Increase Philanthropic Capacity: The Parkway has already worked closely with the Emerald Mound Natchez Trace Parkway Association and other partners to improve philanthropic capac- Access Road, $5.0 ity. Continuing to develop grassroots support along the entire corridor will help us to million: improve support in a variety of realms, including land conservation and education. The Emerald Mound is Increase Partnerships and Cost Sharing on Projects: In order to cost share the second largest Na- on a variety of projects, the Parkway will continue working closely with both existing tive American burial and new partners. and ceremonial mound in the country. The NPS currently owns approximately 56 acres, which Increased Use of Volunteers: As a means of improving visitor service levels, the include the eight-acre mound site. These parcels are one mile from the Parkway will continue to increase its use of volunteers (see sidebar, opposite page). Parkway boundary. In 2011, a land acquisition process was completed in partnership with the State of Mississippi. By 2012, the NPS will own an 86- Scenic Byways Grant Funding: The Parkway has been very successful at partnering acre corridor connecting the Parkway boundary and the mound site. A new with the National Scenic Byways Program. In 2011, the Parkway received $250,000 to one-mile access road and parking lot are needed to facilitate direct visitor develop a new resources management tool and another $400,000 to develop a new access to the mound site from the Parkway. The current county road access Parkway interpretive film. would be rerouted as part of the project. Increasing Appropriated Funding John Gordon House Restoration Increase Interpretive and Education Capacity: $656,000 (earliest: FY 2014) and Site Rehabilitation, Funding would be used to increase the Parkway’s capacity to provide better interpretation, education, outreach, and visitor service levels along the entire length of the $1.0 million: Parkway. This would add 7.7 positions and increase direct visitor contacts by over 50% The John Gordon House is an histor- (i.e., more visitor center contacts). The funding would provide curriculum-based edu- ic inn along the Tennessee section of cation programs to an additional 5,000 students who live along the Parkway. the Old Natchez Trace. This inn ca- tered to travelers and also served as Develop Comprehensive Resources Management Capacity: a major ferry crossing for the Duck $604,000 (earliest: FY 2014) River. The house is currently closed Funding would develop a better core capacity to protect and maintain resources along to the public due to deteriorated the 444-mile corridor. This includes funding for a Lands Officer position to help man- conditions inside. age the extensive number of interactions with communities, counties, and private land owners. Funding would also be used to increase natural resource management capacity relating to inventory and monitoring of the Parkway’s 2,600 plant and animal Meriwether Lewis Education species; as well as continued work on scenic resource protection of the Parkway’s Center and Visitor Contact vulnerable view sheds. Station, $2.5 million Provide Public Safety and Maintenance Services for 22 miles of Newly The Parkway has submitted funding (through the National Scenic Byways Constructed Parkway and 15 Miles of Newly Constructed Multi-Use Trail: Program) to cover the construction of a new visitor contact and education $747,000 (earliest: FY 2014) center at the Meriwether Lewis Death and Burial Site. This project would Funding would provide for additional law enforcement rangers and maintenance per- complement the recently completed $4 million rehabilitation of the site, sonnel to protect and maintain newly-constructed, high-use recreational trail traveled and would serve as the only NPS contact center on the Tennessee section of by thousands each year. the Parkway (the northern 103 miles).

31 FINANCIAL AND PERFORMANCE STRATEGIES

NPS Performance Scorecard

The National Park Service scorecard is designed as a diagnostic tool to evaluate Servicewide performance and efficiency. Adapted from private sector balanced scorecards, the NPS score- The Scorecard as a Management Tool card—through the use of various measures designed to improve overall performance—helps The scorecard provides the Parkway’s management provide managers a better and more analytic approach to financial planning. As budgets team with valuable information in a variety of perfor- become tighter, effectively justifying existing allocations will become increasingly more impor- mance areas, ranging from fleet ratios and labor costs to visitor satisfaction and employee safety, among tant to reviewers of the NPS budget. These reviewers include the Department of the Interior many others. and the President’s Office of Management and Budget. Additionally, the NPS has an ongoing responsibility to build a rational case for its funding needs, through a process that can To one degree or another, all of these measures are be utilized by park, regional, and national managers. That case must also be understood by regularly analyzed as part of the Parkway’s overall managers and budget examiners in the Department of the Interior, Office of Management management effectiveness. Since the primary pur- and Budget, Congress, and the American public. pose of the scorecard is to improve efficiency, many managerial decisions and operational priorities direct- The chart below outlines 16 efficiency drivers and strategic performance measures. It shows ly relate to these scorecard measures. These measures are statistically adjusted so that individual park units the Parkway’s 2010 scores in each category alongside the NPS average. This helps the Parkway can compare their results to other park units as well analyze its performance in comparison to the agency average. Targets have been established as regional and national averages. through 2014 to help improve scoring in several of the underperforming categories.

2010 Natchez Trace Parkway Scores Two-Year Strategy Four-Year Strategy Scorecard Measure Category How Measurement is Calculated NATR NPS NATR NATR Performance Overall Strategy Score Strategy Score Name Code Value Avg Score Score

Fleet Count* UF06 Vehicles per full-time employee 1.06* 0.85 4.68 Reduce fleet by four, to 98 vehicles Reduce fleet by four, to 94 vehicles Span of Control UO14 Number of FTEs per supervisor 8.19 7.15 5.79 Maintain current level Maintain current level 4th Quarter Spending UF13 4th quarter spending as percent of total 34.23% 49.16% 7.18 Maintain current level Maintain current level Five-year Change in Fixed Costs UF11 Change in labor costs over five years 3.86% 15.01% 6.41 Maintain current level Maintain current level 5.21 5.54 5.73 Labor Costs UF03 Labor cost as a percent of total costs 72.79% 71.10% 4.69 Maintain current level Maintain current level Indirect Costs UF08 Indirect costs as a percent of total expenses 18.87% 29.68% 2.44 Maintain current level Maintain current level Efficiency Drivers Volunteer Base UO09 Volunteers value relative to base budget 0.02 0.10 3.83 Increase to 5% Increase to 10% Reliance on Base Funding UF09 Base funding as proportion of total 48.71% 69.96% 8.23 Maintain current level Maintain current level Visitor Understanding UP02 Based on annual surveys 98% 87.51% 7.31 Maintain current level Maintain current level Museum Standards UP07 Percent of NPS standards met 93.45% 77.66% 7.61 Maintain current level Maintain current level Visitor Satisfaction UP03 Based on annual surveys 100% 96.65% 7.91 Maintain current level Maintain current level Condition of Key Facilities UP08 Based on NPS facility condition index 0.09 0.08 4.77 Improve mean FCI to 0.8 Improve mean FCI to 0.07 5.56 5.69 5.90 Control of Invasive Species UP09 Percent of invasive species area controlled 16.48% 17.50% 4.92 Control 17% of invasive species area Control 20% of invasive species area Visitor Injuries UP11 Injuries per 100,000 visitors 1.18 2.11 4.91 Reduce injury rate by 25% from 2009 level Reduce injury rate by 33% from 2009 level Employee Safety UP12 Injuries per 100 employees 9.43 9.04 4.89 Reduce employee injuries by ten from 2009 level Reduce employee injuries by 13 from 2009 level Strategic Performance Strategic Condition of Historical Structures UP06 Proportion based on NPS standards 34.31% 63.78% 2.19 Improve condition of six structures Improve condition of six additional structures * The scorecard adjusts the fleet count based on total miles of road. As a result, the Parkway's fleet count was adjusted to 0.30. 32 FINANCIAL AND PERFORMANCE STRATEGIES

NPS Performance Scorecard (continued)

The scorecard is an important tool 10 that establishes transparency and accountability in NPS budget decisions. Quadrant 1: Quadrant 2: 23% of all Parks 26% of all Parks

2014 target

2012 target 2009 NATR 2010 NATR 5 Southeast Region average, 2010 2006 NATR Efﬁciency NPS average, 2010 2008 NATR 2007 2005 NATR NATR 2010 Natchez Trace Parkway Scores Two-Year Strategy Four-Year Strategy Scorecard Measure 2004 NATR Category How Measurement is Calculated NATR NPS NATR NATR Performance Overall Strategy Score Strategy Score Name Code Value Avg Score Score

Fleet Count* UF06 Vehicles per full-time employee 1.06* 0.85 4.68 Reduce fleet by four, to 98 vehicles Reduce fleet by four, to 94 vehicles Span of Control UO14 Number of FTEs per supervisor 8.19 7.15 5.79 Maintain current level Maintain current level Quadrant 3: Quadrant 4: 4th Quarter Spending UF13 4th quarter spending as percent of total 34.23% 49.16% 7.18 Maintain current level Maintain current level 19% of all Parks 33% of all Parks Five-year Change in Fixed Costs UF11 Change in labor costs over five years 3.86% 15.01% 6.41 Maintain current level Maintain current level 5.21 5.54 5.73 Labor Costs UF03 Labor cost as a percent of total costs 72.79% 71.10% 4.69 Maintain current level Maintain current level Indirect Costs UF08 Indirect costs as a percent of total expenses 18.87% 29.68% 2.44 Maintain current level Maintain current level 0 Efficiency Drivers Volunteer Base UO09 Volunteers value relative to base budget 0.02 0.10 3.83 Increase to 5% Increase to 10% 10 5 0 Reliance on Base Funding UF09 Base funding as proportion of total 48.71% 69.96% 8.23 Maintain current level Maintain current level Strategic Performance Visitor Understanding UP02 Based on annual surveys 98% 87.51% 7.31 Maintain current level Maintain current level Museum Standards UP07 Percent of NPS standards met 93.45% 77.66% 7.61 Maintain current level Maintain current level Scatter plot: The color-coded scatter plot above represents the total yearly performance scores for the Parkway from 2004 through 2010 and projects performance through 2014. Future projections are based Visitor Satisfaction UP03 Based on annual surveys 100% 96.65% 7.91 Maintain current level Maintain current level on a two-year and four-year management strategy designed to achieve better performance in each cat- Condition of Key Facilities UP08 Based on NPS facility condition index 0.09 0.08 4.77 Improve mean FCI to 0.8 Improve mean FCI to 0.07 5.56 5.69 5.90 egory wherever possible. The Parkway has steadily improved its scoring over the past seven years and in Control of Invasive Species UP09 Percent of invasive species area controlled 16.48% 17.50% 4.92 Control 17% of invasive species area Control 20% of invasive species area 2010 it reached above-average scores in both efficiency and strategic performance. Visitor Injuries UP11 Injuries per 100,000 visitors 1.18 2.11 4.91 Reduce injury rate by 25% from 2009 level Reduce injury rate by 33% from 2009 level Employee Safety UP12 Injuries per 100 employees 9.43 9.04 4.89 Reduce employee injuries by ten from 2009 level Reduce employee injuries by 13 from 2009 level Strategic Performance Strategic Condition of Historical Structures UP06 Proportion based on NPS standards 34.31% 63.78% 2.19 Improve condition of six structures Improve condition of six additional structures * The scorecard adjusts the fleet count based on total miles of road. As a result, the Parkway's fleet count was adjusted to 0.30. 33 FINANCIAL AND PERFORMANCE STRATEGIES

Fleet Analysis

With 444 miles of primary roadway and another 50 miles of secondary roads, the Natchez Trace relies heavily on its vehicle fleet to manage operations along the corridor. While this is one of the biggest expenses in the Natchez Trace budget, it is also one of the most important. What was analyzed: How many vehicles are needed to adequately maintain the Parkway?

Which types of vehicles are needed?

How can the costs associated with fleet operations be reduced?

What are the cost and benefits of reducing fleet size from a financial standpoint? What are they from a carbon emissions reduction standpoint?

What was determined: The Natchez Trace fleet is a The Natchez Trace fleet is a $775,000 expense. $775,000 expense. The Parkway will strive to The park spent approximately $330,000 more in 2011 than it did in 2000 to reduce its fleet size by10% manage the same fleet. over the next four years. 20% of the fleet had fewer than 5,000 miles driven each year per vehicle GSA Lease Increases (Phase I reduction criteria). (sample vehicle—LE Sedan) Per Mile Cost

$333 per 32% of the fleet had fewer than 10,000 miles driven each year per vehicle 2000 month 2000 $0.16 (Phase II reduction criteria). $400 per $0.23 2011 month 2011 Plan going forward: 39,987 The Parkway has developed an initial Phase I reduction list to begin reducing 2010 Miles per Vehicle in Fleet Expected Miles fleet size. Some vehicles have low mileage, but are still needed (e.g., dump trucks). However, there are many other vehicles with low mileage and low use Phase 1 Phase 2 Reduction Reduction that can be considered for possible elimination from the fleet. Analysis Analysis 19,480 The Parkway will strive to reduce its fleet size by 10% over the next four years. 14,500 9,979 The Parkway will identify vehicles that emit significant carbon emissions and 4,993 200 develop a plan to reduce use, switch to vehicles that emit lower levels of CO2, and, where possible, completely eliminate vehicles from the inventory. Less than 5,000 5,000–9,999 10,000–14,999 15,000–20,000 Greater than 20,000 Vehicle 1 Vehicle 100

34 FINANCIAL AND PERFORMANCE STRATEGIES

Fleet Dashboard

Key Statistics 102 1.5 $775,000 Leased vehicles Million miles driven per year Approximate cost per year: 7% of total Parkway expenditure Administration 1 Sedan; 1 Van Resources $10,000 Management 1 Van Interpretation $6,000 Cost Divisional Breakdown 1 Sedan; 1 SUV; 2 Vans $18,000 Fleet represents the second largest sin- In 2010, pickup trucks and police sedans repre- Fire 1 Sedan; 1 Van; 3 SUVs gle cost to the Parkway, after labor. sented 81% of the leased vehicles, driving 95% 3 Semi-Truck Cabs of the cost. The majority of these vehicles are 4 Pickup Trucks within the Facilities Management and Visitor and Resource Protection divisions. Facilities Management Labor: Visitor and 1 Multi-Use Flatbed Truck Other: 80% Resource 2 Vans 13% Protection 3 Semi-Truck Cabs 4 SUVs 8 Dump Trucks 23 Police Sedans 42 Pickup Trucks Fleet: $358,000 $383,000 7%

Fleet Mix The Parkway averages around 100 vehicles, the majority being pickup trucks and police sedans. Vehicle cost is a product of two factors: monthly lease cost and cost per mile. Due to the extensive miles driven and the number of vehicles, police sedans and pickup trucks comprise the bulk of the Parkway’s vehicle spending.

Multi-Use Flatbed Sedan Semi-Truck Cab Van Dump Truck SUV Police Sedan Pickup Truck TOTAL Vehicle Count 1 3 6 7 8 8 23 46 102

Per vehicle 4,200 13,600 6,800 13,200 4,100 23,100 23,100 14,900 106,000 per year Miles verage All vehicles A per year 4,200 40,900 40,900 92,600 32,600 184,600 465,400 686,100 1,547,300

Per vehicle per year $7,000 $5,100 $8,000 $5,300 $8,400 $9,800 $9,500 $6,600 $69,300 Cost Total All vehicles per year $7,000 $15,300 $47,800 $37,100 $67,600 $78,800 $217,800 $303,600 $775,000

35 CONCLUSION

Conclusion

Moving forward, the Natchez Trace management team will continue improving the Parkway’s opportunities and abilities to provide exceptional visitor services, educational experiences, and resources protection measures. Much of what is accomplished hinges on good financial planning and leveraging limited resources toward our goals and objectives. The goal is to do every- thing possible to mitigate negative impacts while still achieving the Parkway mission, irrespective of budget outlooks.

With the continued support of the US Congress, our many partners, stakeholders, and the millions of people who visit each year, the National Park Service can ensure that the Parkway continues to provide the very best historical, recreational, scenic, cultural, natural, and economic benefits to the entire region.

The Parkway team looks forward to working with you to deter- mine the best and most effective ways of moving the Natchez Trace into the future.

36 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Acknowledgments

Thanks are due to the following people for their generous help and support. Without all of their efforts, this business plan would not have been possible:

Natchez Trace Parkway Management Team: Cam Sholly, Superintendent Dale Wilkerson, Administrative Officer Michael Foster, Chief Ranger Terry Wildy, Chief of Interpretation Barry Boyd, Chief of Facility Management Lisa Mcinnis, Natural Resource Lead Christina Smith, Cultural Resource Lead Greg Smith, Scenic Resource Lead

Additional thanks to: Lana Lollar, NATR Budget Lead

National Park Service, Washington, D.C.: Bruce Sheaffer, NPS Comptroller Jason Gibson, NPS Business Management Group

Natchez Trace Parkway Business Planning Consultants: Jennifer Anderson, University of Chicago Brian Parker, University of California–Davis

Other: Laura McCormick, XNR Productions

Photos: Front cover and inside front cover: NPS/©Marc Muench; pp. 2–3: NPS/©Marc Muench; p. 3, lower right: NPS; p. 4: NPS/©Marc Muench; p. 5: top and middle left, NPS; middle right: NPS/©Marc Muench; bottom: NPS; pp. 7, 8, 10: NPS/©Marc Muench; p. 11, top left: NPS/©Marc Muench; middle left: ©Anthony Scarlati/scarlati.net; lower left: NPS/©Marc Muench; p. 12: ©State of Tennessee; p. 16: NPS/©Marc Muench; p. 17 (photos on map): NPS; p. 18, lower left: NPS; upper right (3): NPS/©Marc Muench; p. 19 (photos on map): NPS and NPS/©Marc Muench; lower right: NPS; pp. 20–22: NPS; p. 25: NPS; p. 26: NPS; p. 29: (top 4): NPS; lower right: NPS/©Marc Muench; p. 30: NPS; p. 31: NPS; p. 34: NPS; pp. 36–37: NPS/©Marc Muench

Maps: NPS/XNR Productions

37 National Park Service U.S. Department of the Interior

Business Management Group

Natchez Trace Parkway 2680 Natchez Trace Parkway Tupelo, MS 38804 www.nps.gov/natr

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