CRM and the National Trails System

CULTURAL RESOURCE MANAGEMENT Information for Parks, Federal Agencies, Indian Tribes, States, Local Governments, and the Private Sector CRM VOLUME 20 NO. I 1997 CRM and the National Trails System U.S. DEPARTMENT OFTHE INTERIOR National Park Service Cultural Resources PUBLISHED BY THE CRM CELEBRATING 20 YEARS OF PUBLICATION NATIONAL PARK SERVICE To promote and maintain high standards Contents VOLUME 20 NO. I 1997 for preserving and managing cultural resources ISSN 1068-4999 An electronic version of this issue of CRN! can be accessed through the CRM homepage at <http:llwww.cr.nps.govlcrm> The National Trails System DIRECTOR CRM and the National Trails System 3 Roger G. Kennedy Steve Elkinton A Trail Historic Resource Study ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR How I Did One 6 Katherine H. Stevenson Stanley B. Kimball Determining Significance EDITOR Hawaii's Ala Kahakai 8 Ronald M. Greenberg Helene R. "Holly" Dunbar PRODUCTION MANAGER The Object of Your Mission Karlota M. Koester Resource Management Planning 12 Cynthia Orlando GUEST EDITOR Locating the California Trail at City of Rocks, Idaho 14 Steve Elkinton Dorothy Sammons Test Excavations at Fort Hall, Idaho ADVISORS Summary Results 18 David Andrews Editor, NPS Webs of Significance Joan Bacharach Trails From Above 20 Museum Registrar, NPS Douglas C. Comer Randall I. Biallas Why Preserve Trails? A Wyoming Perspective 24 Historical Architect. NPS Rose Wagner Susan Buggey Director. Historical Services Branch One Trail, Many Meanings—The Lolo Trail 26 Parks Canada Sandi McFarland lohn A. Bums Preserving the Iditarod Trail 30 Architect, NPS Donna Redding Harry A. Butowsky Historian. NPS Historic Trail Preservation by Handshake Pratt Cassity Can Certification Agreements Protect Trail Resources? 31 Executive Director, John Conoboy National Alliance of Preservation Commissions Look Before Leaping Into a Rut Muriel Crespi Cultural Anthropologist. NPS Conserving Historic Trails 34 Mark R. Edwards David M. Gaines Director, Historic Preservation Division. Pearls on a Sting State Historic Preservation Officer. Georgia Interpretation of National Historic Trails 36 Roger E. Kelly Archeologist, NPS Cherry Payne Antoinette J. Lee Stepping Back in Time Along the Appalachian Trail 38 Historian, NPS Brian Hayek lohn Poppeliers Saving the Old Creates Something New International Liaison Officer for Cultural Resources, NPS The Oregon Trail 41 Karen Bassett CONTRIBUTING EDITORS Reenactments and Living History Stephen A. Morris A View From the Stage 44 Outdoor Recreation Planner, NPS Robert Sweeny Kay D. Weeks Technical Writer-Editor. NPS Keeping the Legend Alive How Can We Help the "Lost Generation" CONSULTANTS Find the Value of Historic Trails? 46 Wm. H. Freeman Jennifer Jones Design, Imaging, Production-Freeman Publishing Services Trails and Historical Ways in Switzerland 50 lanice C. McCoy Editing-Editorial Notes A. Antoniettl For Further Information 53 Cover photo—See Conoboy article, p. 31. Statements of fact and views are the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily reflect an opinion or endorsement on the part of the editors, the CRM advisors and consultants, or the National Park Service. Send articles, news items, and correspondence to the Editor, CRM (2250), U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service, Cultural Resources, P.O. Box 37127,Washington, DC 20013-7127; (202-343-3395, Fax 202-343-5260, Internet: [email protected]). 2 CRM N2 1—1997 Dedication This issue of CRM is dedicated to the before them to give insightful and well-received memory of Merrill J. Mattes, longtime National historic talks. A library containing much of his Park Service historian. Best known for his personal collection has been dedicated by OCTA books, The Great Platte River Road and Platte in the National Frontier Trails Center in River Road Narratives, Mattes also served as the Independence, Missouri. first site manager at Scotts Bluff National Merrill Mattes perfected the study of emi Monument (where he became friends with the grant journals, which today provide such a rich pioneer photographer William Henry Jackson), and irreplaceable record of the 19th-century was an advocate for the establishment of Fort westerly migrations. To quote author Gregory Laramie National Historic Site, and performed Franzwa in a recent eulogy, "The man could not as NPS Midwest Regional Historian in Omaha, say no to anything which would benefit trail Nebraska for many years. In retirement, he was preservation.... One thing is certain. We have a founding member of the Oregon-California lost a giant. He will not be easy to replace." Trails Association (OCTA), often being called Steve Elkinton CRM and the National Trails System ne small part of the 1960s, one small con cept which has taken root and flourished, one smallO footnote to an age of massive envi Interpretive sign ronmental change is the idea of a illustration (created national system of trails for the United by Roger Cooke); States. part of the Oregon Trail sites and seg Before the National Trails System ments interpretive Act was passed and signed into law in program. the last days of President Lyndon Johnson's administration in 1968, the federal government's sole interest in trails was to Appalachian and Pacific Crest National Scenic provide safe and convenient access across public Trails. Both had been in existence for decades, lands: fire lanes in national forests, visitor walks both were well known and well used, and both at Yellowstone and Yosemite, backcountry hiking already enjoyed support and protection by the routes through remote wilderness, even marked National Park Service and the USDA Forest tour routes through national battlefield parks. Service. In fact, land use threats to the With passage of the National Trails System Appalachian Trail galvanized the trails community Act (PL. 90-543), however, the federal government to support this legislation—however, political real took the high ground in establishing a national ity suggested that the law must establish a system of trails, in recognizing, protecting, and national system, not just protect one or two spe managing its key components, and fostering coop cific trails. eration with state governments, local jurisdictions, In 1968, Congress requested that 14 addi nonprofit organizations, and even individual citi tional trails be studied for feasibility for future zens to nurture this set of trails. inclusion into the Trails System. Many of these The first two trails established by the were not primarily recreational hiking and horse National Trails System Act in 1968 were the back trails, but remnant routes of exploration, set- CRM N2 1—1997 3 tlement, or adventure, such as the Lewis and Clark Authorities of the National Trails System Act Trail, the Oregon Trail, or the Gold Rush Trails in The origins of this special mix of opportuni Alaska. As a result of those studies, and increasing ties and authorities stems from the National Trails public attention brought to commemorative his System Act itself. It outlines four steps in estab toric routes, a new category of "national historic lishing one of these trails: a Congressional amend trail" was added to the National Trails System in ment requesting a feasibility study; a study 1978. In learning to administer such trails, Park conducted by a land-managing agency (usually the Service trail managers—and their counterparts in Park Service); an amendment establishing the the Bureau of Land Management and Forest trail; and a comprehensive management plan to Service—have had to learn about the full palette of guide the partnership of agency, state, non-profit, cultural resource management skills. and individual players who are involved in making Federal Administration of the Trails these trails a reality. Since 1968, the National Park Service has Among the Act's distinct authorities are spe taken on an ever-greater share of responsibility cial instructions for feasibility studies and compre administering and managing long-distance trails hensive management plans (including inventories across America. Many of the core disciplines of significant resources), the concept of "high which form the foundation for the array of profes potential sites and segments" (the most important sional park management skills offered by the Park parts of each trail corridor), official certification of Service also benefit these trails: archeology, plan sites and segment of trail open to the public, ning, cartography, interpretation, and the full emphasis on partnerships and volunteers, and a range of both natural and cultural resource man variety of trail corridor protection techniques, agement disciplines. Similar professional expertise including full fee acquisition for some trails (even is available in sister federal agencies. Today, the eminent domain for the Appalachian and Pacific Service administers 15 of the 20 trails established Crest National Scenic Trails) as well as exchanges as part of the National Trails System; the Bureau and transfers, donations, interagency cooperation of Land Management administers one and the in the disposal of lands, and an emphasis of hav Forest Service four. Therefore, the National Trails ing states and others try first. System is truly an interagency operation. There An agency assigned to administer a trail then are a number of other differences which should be applies the mission and authorities from that mentioned between traditional public lands man agency's organic act to its trails work. agement and trails administration: All trails work is a part nership. Without vibrant non National Trails System profit organizations, supportive state programs, and the assis Trail Date established Length Agency tance and recognition of local (in mi.) communities, it is almost impos Appalachian NST Oct. 2, 1968 2,150 NPS sible to bring these trails forward Pacific Crest NST Oct. 2, 1968 2,608 FS as real places to visit and experi Continental Divide NST Nov. 10, 1978 3,200 FS ence. Oregon NHT Nov. 10, 1978 2,170 NPS Long distances. Few parks Mormon Pioneer NHT Nov. 10, 1978 1,300 NPS or forests cross state lines—but Lewis & Clark NHT Nov.

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