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A Landscape-Level Management Approach for the Saline Valley Salt Tram

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A Landscape-Level Management Approach for the Saline Valley Salt Tram For the Sake of Salt: A Landscape-Level Management Approach for the Saline Valley Salt Tram by Laurel E. Lueders A thesis submitted to Sonoma State University Rohnert Park, California in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of MASTER OF ARTS In Cultural Resource Management Dr. Laura Watt Dr. Margret Purser Greg Haverstock, M.A. May 3rd, 2019 ii Copyright 2019 Laurel E. Lueders iii iv For the Sake of Salt: A Landscape-Level Management Approach for the Saline Valley Salt Tram Thesis by Laurel E. Lueders ABSTRACT Purpose: The intent of this thesis is to propose a collaborative landscape level management strategy for the Saline Valley Salt Tram (SVST). This unique aerial tramway was placed on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) in 1974 and was the first tramway to traverse an entire mountain range. With the passing of the California Desert Protection Act of 1994, this historically significant site was placed within three separate federal land managing agencies jurisdictions: Death Valley National Park (DVNP), Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Ridgecrest Field Office, and BLM Bishop Field Office. Due to this, this structure has been managed with three distinct perspectives. The goal of this study is to utilize the SVST as an example for promoting holistic landscape level preservation for cultural resources that traverse borders. Methods: A review of available literature, past and present management plans, applicable legislation, and archival material was conducted in order to create a framework for conceptualizing the current state of the Saline Valley Salt Tram. In addition, the western slope of the project area was examined as a case study for comprehensive landscape management. A pedestrian survey was conducted and two other phases of historic manipulation of the landscape were discovered: a cluster of charcoal reduction sites that predate the SVST, and the modern interactions via a cherry- stemmed four-wheel drive road that acts as an access road into the Inyo Mountain Wilderness. Each of these three human interactions with the landscape were recorded and compiled onto Geospatial Inform System (GIS) Map. Findings: Discussions with employees of DVNP, BLM Ridgecrest Field Office, and BLM Bishop Field Office highlighted both similarities and differences in each agency’s belief regarding management of a NRHP site that sits within a designated wilderness. By focusing on the western slope for the case study, a pattern in natural and human disturbances was noted amongst SVST structures. Conclusions: The management dilemma surrounding the SVST stems directly from the restructuring of borders that placed the SVST across three agencies dominion and wilderness designations that were placed on land that has an extensive history of human manipulation. Acknowledging these factors, alongside reshaping how the public defines wilderness, are the first steps in unifying management. Recently, the California Desert Protection and Recreation Act of 2019 has passed which redefines borders between the National Park Service and BLM while designating large swathes of wilderness across southern California. Therefore, establishing the possibility of potential for fragmentation of a cultural resource. MA Program: Cultural Resource Management Sonoma State University Date: May 3rd, 2019 v ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This thesis would not have been possible without the support and encouragement of many people. I want to begin by first thanking Dr. Laura Watt and Dr. Margaret Purser, for without their constant support, enthusiasm, and guidance this project would not be completed. I have been incredibly lucky to have a Chair and committee member who cared so deeply about my work. When discussing cultural landscapes, you both harness this infectious excitement and our conversations both during and outside of class were some of the most impactful of my graduate career. Secondly, a big thanks goes out to Greg Haverstock of the BLM Bishop Field Office for his mentorship over the years. Not only did you take me under your wing early on in my studies by teaching me the basics of federal archaeology, but you provided me with an example of someone who carries themselves with respect when managing cultural resources. You always made time for me, even when I would stop by the office unannounced, to hear my thoughts or offer advice about my project and career trajectory. Thank you for everything, and I could not have asked for a better mentor. This thesis is heavily indebted to Jane Lakeman of Death Valley National Park and Marty Dickies of BLM Ridgecrest Field Office for without whom this project would not have expanded beyond the early parameters of my Direct Hire Authority Internship. Similarly, thank you to the staff members at the Maturango Museum and the Eastern California Museum who allowed me to pour over archival material at your repositories over the span of weeks with a fine-tooth comb. This project would not have been possible without your records and I am appreciative that you allowed me access. Thank you to Kari Lentz, Robert Watson, and cohorts of 2015, 2016, and 2017 for your friendship and moral support. The thesis process is not easy, and it was comforting to be surrounded by such determined people all working towards the same goal. To the fellow BLM Bishop Field Office staff who volunteered their time to assist in surveying the salt tram, thank you. I know you all have busy work schedules and it meant a lot that you carved out time to act as my safety buddies. I hope you found as much enjoyment out of our field days as I did. Lastly, a big thank you to my family and friends who all supported me by keeping me on track during this process and providing me with the occasional distractions. Everything from volunteering your day to hike the tramway with me to allowing me to verbalize my frustrations without judgment, your backing did not go unnoticed or unappreciated. Special thanks to my spouse, Blake Hubbard, who endured thousands of hours of conversation revolving the salt tram, always volunteered his R&R days between wildfires to survey with me and was there to refocus me when I was lacking motivation. Without you I would not have made it through this process, and I am forever grateful for your love and support. vi TABLE OF CONTENTS Acknowledgements………………………………………………………………………v Figures………………………………………………….………………………….…...viii I. Introduction…………………………………………………..…………..……………1 Goal of Study……………………………………………………………………...2 Theoretical Framework……………………………………………………………3 Organization of Study……………………………………………………………..5 II. Project Background…………………………………………………………………..6 Aerial Tramways…………………………………………………………………..6 Keane Wonder Mine………………………………………………………………8 Beveridge Mining District……………………...……………………...………...10 Cerro Gordo……………………………………………………………………...11 Saline Valley Salt Tram………………………………………………………….15 Construction of the Saline Valley Salt Tram…………………………….16 Phases of Operation and Ownership of the Saline Valley Salt Tram……18 Layers of Historic Use on the Landscape………………………………………..27 Charcoal Burners………………………………………………………...28 The Swansea Grade……………………………………………………....31 The California Desert Protection Act of 1994…………………………………...33 Death Valley National Park……………………………………………...38 The Wilderness Act of 1964……………………………………………..39 Bureau of Land Management Ridgecrest Field Office…………………..40 Bureau of Land Management Bishop Field Office……………………....42 Why Landscape Preservation Could Be the Answer………………………….…45 III. Management of Landscapes……………………………………………………….46 What is a Cultural Landscape?..............................................................................46 Westward Expansion………………………………………………….....48 Wilderness is not Truly Wild…………………………………………….51 Constriction of Landscapes via Borders……………………………………........53 Fragmentation………………………………………………………........55 Linear Features…………………………………………………………...56 Collaboration Based Landscape Projects………………………………...57 Industrial Archaeology…………………………………………………………...61 Roadways as a Landscape………………………………………………..62 Spatial Awareness………………………………………………………………..64 Creating Maps as a Representation of a Landscape……………………...65 Inventory of a Landscape………………………………………………...67 Landscapes Consist of Layers…………………………………………....68 Preserving a Landscape does not Equate to Freezing One Aspect…………........69 Modern Landscape Interactions………………………………………….72 IV. Methods of Data Collection………………………………………..……………...75 Landscape Designation as a Form of Preservation………………………………75 Correspondence Between Parties………………………………………………...76 Archival Research………………………………………………………………..80 vii Case Study of Landscape Preservation on the Western Slope of the Saline Valley Salt Tram…………………………………………….…………………………...81 Historic Photographs……………………………………………………………..82 Intensive Pedestrian Survey……………………………………………………...85 Recording Tower Structures and Sites…………………………………………...87 Recording Charcoal Reduction Sites…………………………………………….90 Recording the Swansea Grade…………………………………………………...91 Mapping the Western Slope……………………………………………………...92 V. Conclusions………………………………………………………………………..…94 Areas of Further Research……………………………………………………….95 Saline Valley Salt Tram is One Piece of a Larger Network……………………..95 Charcoal Reduction Sites………………………………………………………...96 Stewardship Projects with Off-Highway Vehicle Groups…………………….....97 Continuation of Survey…………………………………………………………..98 What’s Next?.........................................................................................................99 Appendix A: Salt Tram Checklist… ……………………………...…………………102 Appendix B:
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