Catoctin Mountain Park Long-Range Interpretive Plan

Home , Catoctin Mountain, Catoctin Mountain Park, Catoctin Trail

National Park Service U.S. Department of the Interior

July,July, 20082008

PreparedPrepared by:by: National Park Service Harpers Ferry Center Interpretive Planning andand thethe staffstaff ofof CatoctinCatoctin MountainMountain ParkPark

U.S. Department of the Interior Washington, DC The National Park Service preserves unimpaired the natural and cultural resources and intrinsic values of the National Park System for the enjoyment, education, and inspiration of this and future generations. The National Park Service cooperates with partners to extend the benefits of natural and cultural resource conservation and outdoor recreation throughout this country and the world.

—n a t i o n a l p a r k s e r v i c e m i s s i o n s t a t e m e n t

Right: Created by former Frederick County Out- door School student, Aaron Ayler, this sculpture continues the tradition of totem poles at Camp Greentop.

Front cover: Catoctin Mountain Park lies within the mountainous area known as the Blue Ridge Prov- ince. This 5,810-acre hardwood forest park with its refreshing streams and scenic vistas, offers a rare haven in a rapidly developing area of the country.

Inside front cover: Big Hunting Creek in Catoctin Mountain Park has played a prominent role in the development of recreational fishing in Maryland. In 1940 it became the first “fly-fishing only” stream in the state. photo by aaron ayler Contents

Legislative Background 2

Park Purpose 2

Part 1. Foundations 3

Park Significance 3

Interpretive Themes 4

Goals 6

Visitor Profiles 9

Issues and Influences Affecting Interpretation 14 External Influences 14 Internal Influences 16 Cultural Resource Issues 22 Natural Resource Issues 22

Existing Conditions 24 Facilities 24 Interpretive Media 25 Staffing, Personal Services, and Education Programs 28 Partnerships 31

Part 2. Future Interpretive Program 33

The CIP Process at Catoctin Mountain Park 34

Non-Personal Services 35 Facilities 35 Website 36 Identity and Orientation Signage 37 Wayside Exhibits 38 Exhibits 40 Audiovisual Programs 42 Publications 43

Personal Services 44 Interpretive Staff 44 Interpretive Programs 45 Personal Services Programs Chart 47

Partnerships 49

Library Needs 50

Collection Needs 50

Research Needs 51

Implementation Plan 52 Non-Personal Services (Media) 52 Personal Services 54

Planning Team 55

Appendices 56 Legislative Background Park Purpose

Purpose is derived Unlike many National Park System units, In 1945, with the added significance of the largely from the park’s Catoctin Mountain Park has no single establishment of the presidential retreat legislation and defines comprehensive enabling legislation. Rather, and “the historical events of national and why the park unit was the establishment and operation of the park international interest” that occurred there, established and what its is influenced by numerous pieces of federal President Harry S. Truman determined purpose is today (DO-6, legislation and executive orders. Created as that this area would “be retained by the page 6). Purpose is based a 10,000-acre Recreational Demonstration National Park Service of the Department of on the park’s legislative Area (RDA) within the New Deal legislation the Interior … in accord with the position history (DO-6, page 8.) in the 1930s, the park was transferred to the expressed by … President Roosevelt.” National Park Service by Executive Order Subsequently, in 1954, 5,770 acres of the The purpose of Catoctin 7496 dated November 14, 1936. Public Law RDA remained in the National Park System Mountain Park is to 2852, dated June 6, 1942, required that RDA and the area was designated Catoctin protect its natural and project areas be maintained for “public park, Mountain Park by the Director of the cultural environment recreational, and conservation purposes.” National Park Service. The remaining 4,400 while: acres of the RDA south of Route 77 were In the spring of 1942, at the request of the transferred to the State of Maryland to n Providing quality White House, the National Park Service be- become Cunningham Falls State Park. recreational facilities gan to consider several areas for a presiden- and activities tial retreat as a result of the United States’ Much of the legislation affecting Catoctin including hiking entrance into World War II. President Mountain Park since that time has centered trails, horse trails, Franklin D. Roosevelt selected an existing on Servicewide or Government-wide issues, scenic views, camp area within Catoctin Mountain RDA such as accessibility for the disabled and campgrounds, known as Camp Hi-Catoctin to be the presi- various resource protection requirements residential camps, dential retreat, which he named Shangri-La. including clean air and water, and habitat and cabins. In 1953, President Dwight D. Eisenhower for threatened and endangered species. renamed it Camp David after his grandson, For a complete list of this legislation, go to n Providing resource David Eisenhower. Appendix A at the end of this plan. education opportunities.

n Serving as a buffer to the presidential retreat.

Catoctin Mountain Park began as Catoctin Recreational Dem- onstration Area, a New Deal program designed to provide gainful employment while building recreational facilities for the nearby urban population.

2 I National Park Service Part 1: Foundations

Reports had the president “very much pleased with the area.” One story had him exclaiming upon seeing the site, “This is Shangri-La,” a reference to James Hilton’s famed novel The Lost Horizon. The appeal of the site was clear. At an elevation of 1,800 feet, Hi-Catoctin offered seclusion and a spectacular view that included the Monocacy River. It offered cool breezes and temperatures five to ten degrees below steamy conditions in Washington DC.

—Ca t o c t i n Mo u n t a i n Pa r k Hi s t o r i c Re s o u r c e St u d y Ma r c h , 2000

Park Significance Significance statements describe the importance or distinctiveness of the area and its resources (DO-6, page 6).

The following significance statements will help park managers make decisions that preserve the resources and values present and represented in Catoctin Mountain Park. The Maryland League for the Handicapped has used Camp Greentop as a summer camp every available season since 1938. It is believed to be the longest running Catoctin Mountain Park is significant camp for disabled individuals in the United States. because:

n It is a prime example of the resiliency n It was one of 46 Recreational Demon- and diversity of the eastern deciduous stration Areas established in the 1930s, forest, and provides outstanding scenic and represents an outstanding example beauty for all to enjoy at the transition of a New Deal Era program to recast the of the Blue Ridge and Piedmont geologic landscape for recreation and conserva- provinces. tion purposes.

n It provides resource-compatible, n It preserves and provides for continued outdoor recreation opportunities use of Camp Greentop, home to the for visitors from the local region, oldest operating camp for the disabled in several nearby metropolitan areas, and the nation. Camp Greentop and Camp throughout the United States, as well as Misty Mount are both historic districts international visitors. on the National Register of Historic Places. n It hosts the presidential retreat, Camp David. Catoctin Mountain Park is a n It includes diverse cultural resources place where international leaders have that range from American Indian tool convened to discuss world peace and production to the nation’s first Job international diplomacy. Corps Center.

n It plays an important role in the eco- n It played a supporting role in World War logical health of the watershed for the II in providing training areas, rest and Monocacy and Potomac Rivers, and the relaxation opportunities, and Office of Chesapeake Bay. Strategic Services training facilities.

Catoctin Mountain Park Long-Range Interpretive Plan I 3 Interpretive Themes

Themes define the most important ideas or emotions that visitors have experienced concepts communicated to visitors about before their visit to Catoctin Mountain Catoctin Mountain Park. Interpretation Park, visitors are able to connect a personal strives to establish a caring relationship meaning with the park’s resources. between a person and Catoctin Mountain Park by provoking understanding, The following list shows some of the park’s appreciation, and multiple perspectives. The tangible resources and some intangible chosen approach for the park’s interpretive meanings that today’s visitors may relate and educational programs is to offer to those resources. During a planning Curriculum-based educational programs seek to connect children opportunities for visitors to make their own workshop in August 2006, the staff and with nature assuring no child is left intellectual and emotional connections to partners of Catoctin Mountain Park inside. meanings inherent in the park’s resources. developed this list as a first step in creating the park interpretive theme statements Tangible and Intangible Concepts listed on the next page. The park’s Tangible resources are objects and places, interpreters, partners, and media specialists or people and events that once had a should use this list and the interpretive physical presence. Intangible meanings are theme statements as a starting point when the universally felt emotions, relationships, developing personal services programs, or values associated with those tangible educational programs, and interpretive resources. Through the knowledge or media for the park’s visitors.

Tangible Resources Intangible Meanings

Mountains Reflection, beauty, adventure, exploration, R&R, serenity

Forest Survival, cycle of life, life and death, balance and impacts

Streams Purity, therapy, relaxation, sport, personal health, exercise

Campgrounds Recreation, family time, relationships, danger, escape

Wildlife Awe, beauty, life cycle, reality, death, family sharing

Trails (Hiking and Horse) Health, exercise, enjoyment, accomplishment, challenge, nature, escape, stress reduction, peace, reflection Camp David Loss of innocence, security, peace, frustration, curiosity

Artifacts (Charcoal) Heritage, hard work, survival, struggle, unlimited resources, apprenticeships, ingenuity

Works Progress Administration (WPA) Second chances, hardship, pride, rebirth, livelihood, and and Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) resourcefulness

Whiskey Still (moonshine) Escape, fun, livelihood, protest, danger, excitement, thrills

Sawmill Ingenuity, danger, livelihood, destruction, construction

Iron Works Heritage, hard work, survival, struggle, unlimited resources, apprenticeships, ingenuity Picnic Escape, bonding, enjoyment, family, sharing

Scenic Overlooks Reflection, memories, stress reduction, beauty, reward

Museum Unique, nostalgia, education, taxidermy

Fish/Fishing/Streams Frustration, relaxation, enjoyment, satisfaction, family memories, exaggeration, tradition, storytelling

Flora The hunt, beauty, education, relaxing,

Fall color Beauty, sense of wonder, cycle of life, inspiration, excitement, seasons

Skiing Fun, exercise, danger, adventure, fitness, reflection, peace

Residential Camps Beliefs, reflection, accomplishment, pride, adventure, independence, fellowship, social, spiritual

Photographs Livelihood, artistic expression, memories

Books Education, family, income, memories

4 I National Park Service Interpretive Theme Statements • Recreational activities may be Themes define the most important ideas or undertaken individually or with others; concepts communicated to the public about a they may be planned or spontaneous; park. They convey the tangible and intangible and they may be passive or active. meanings and universal concepts inherent in • All people can be stewards of the land. the park’s resources (DO-6, page 8). 3. Renewal: Second Chances 1. People: Life on the Mountain Catoctin Mountain Park dynamically Basic skills once used for survival introduce demonstrates the regeneration of disturbed today’s visitors to traditional mountain lands. occupations. Sub-themes: Sub-themes: • The Works Progress Administration • Remnants of human activity may be as (WPA), Civilian Conservation subtle as a flake from an arrowhead or as Corps (CCC), Job Corps, and obvious as miles of stone walls. Youth Conservation Corps (YCC) • Group camps built as part of the enrollees learned basic job skills while Recreational Demonstration Area have participating in projects contributing to been in continuous use since 1936. the renewal of the forest environment. • The land that became Catoctin • Catoctin Mountain Park is an evolving Mountain Park was transformed into example of resource stewardship where recreational areas for all to enjoy. interactions between natural resources and local cultures have shifted from 2. Fun: Making Memories subsistence to sustainability. People from all generations and all walks of • Continued regeneration of disturbed life discover opportunities for memorable lands is supported by resource experiences in Catoctin Mountain Park. protection, monitoring, and research. • Catoctin Mountain Park is an outdoor Sub-themes: classroom revealing relationships • Visitors can experience the thrill of between nature and people. discovery and a sense of adventure • Increasing numbers of alien plant through a variety of resource-compatible species, wildlife population imbalances, recreational opportunities. and human infringement issues • Visitors seeking personal reflection, continually demonstrate nature’s serenity, solitude, fitness, and renewal reaction to external forces. will find many opportunities at Catoctin Mountain Park. Although not directly related to the park’s • Recreational activities may change with interpretive themes, there are additional the seasons, from identifying spring areas of focus in the Interpretation wildflowers through exploring the Division’s operations that are essential to wonders of a winter snowfall. the overall park operations. These include: • Recreation provides visitors with • Orientation Information. opportunities for social and family • Safety. interactions.

Catoctin Mountain Park Long-Range Interpretive Plan I 5 Goals

Goals describe management’s intent in offer- Long-term Goal IIa1a: By September 2008, ing interpretive and educational programs 93 percent of visitors to Catoctin Mountain and services. This section may also contain Park are satisfied with the appropriate objectives that define specific outcomes for in- park facilities, services, and recreational terpretive and educational programs (DO-6, opportunities. page 8). Long-term Goal IIb1: By September 30, 2008, Management Goals 70 percent of Catoctin Mountain Park’s The Government Performance and Results visitors understand the significance of the Act (GPRA), enacted in 1993, requires park. federal agencies to establish standards for measuring performance and effectiveness. Accessibility Goals The law requires federal agencies to develop The following acts and their amendments strategic plans describing their overall are the laws that apply to the federal goals and objectives, annual performance government. plans containing quantifiable measures of their progress, and performance reports 1. The Architectural Barriers Act of describing their success in meeting those 1968 (P.L. 90-480) requires all buildings standards and measures. and facilities built or renovated in whole or in part with federal funds The following long-term goals were to be accessible to, and usable by, prepared as part of the planning process physically disabled persons. Since 1968 required by GPRA. Annual Performance official standards for making buildings Plans prepared by the park staff establish accessible have been developed and the future benchmarks for visitor satisfaction U.S. Architectural and Transportation and visitor understanding. Attainment of Barriers Compliance Board has been these benchmarks is measured with annual created to monitor and enforce park visitor surveys. compliance with the law.

The combination of moderate weather and vibrant fall foliage at- tract visitors to Catoctin Mountain Park during autumn. Peak visitation traditionally occurs in October.

6 I National Park Service 2. Section 512 of the Americans with • Receive information on attractions and Disabilities Act (ADA) amends services in the nearby areas. definitions applicable to the • Interact with volunteers and paid staff Rehabilitation Act. Section 504 of the who are professional and courteous, and Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (P.L. 93-112), leave a positive impression of the park as amended, is more encompassing and the National Park Service. than the Architectural Barriers Act. • Understand that Catoctin Mountain While the Architectural Barriers Act Park is a unit of the National Park requires physical access to buildings and System. facilities, Section 504 requires program • Access park facilities and programs accessibility in all services provided reflective of the full range of visitor with federal dollars. The act itself is very abilities and disabilities. brief. It states: “No otherwise qualified • Enjoy a variety of recreational activities A visitor rests on the visitor center individual with a disability in the United that do not conflict with other visitors lawn. Some visitors come to the park strictly for the opportunities States shall, solely by reason of disability, and their expectations and do not for rest and reflection. be excluded from the participation in, adversely impact the park’s resources. be denied the benefits of, or be subject • Safely enjoy their visit by learning about to discrimination under any program or and following safety guidelines and park activity conducted by Federal Financial rules and regulations. Assistance or by any Executive Agency.” • Find opportunities for solitude and personal discovery. Further, National Park Service (NPS) policy • Gain an appreciation and understanding mandates that interpretive programming of Catoctin Mountain Park by learning be developed in accordance with NPS about the park’s natural and cultural Director’s Orders 42, and that interpretive heritage. media be developed within the NPS • Discover their own personal Accessibility Guidelines for Interpretive connections to the meanings and Media. significance inherent in the natural and cultural resources of Catoctin Mountain Visitor Experience Goals Park. Visitor Experience Goals describe opportuni- • Receive unbiased and accurate ties for the public and suggest how interpreta- information that includes multiple tion may change the way visitors will think, points of view. feel, or act as a result of their park experience • Purchase publications and educational (DO-6, page 9). materials through the park’s Eastern National cooperating association that The desired outcome of Catoctin Mountain will enhance their experience. Park’s operations is to manage visitor- • Demonstrate stewardship by using park resource interactions so that the resources resources in a manner that protects will remain unimpaired for the enjoyment and enhances the natural and cultural of future generations while ensuring that resources. opportunities exist for the widest variety • Contribute to the stewardship of of current visitors to forge meaningful Catoctin Mountain Park. connections with those resources. The park’s facilities, interpretive media, website, Visitor Experience Goals for Group Camp personal services, and education programs Visitors provide visitors with information as well as Visitors within the organized groups that interpretive, educational, and recreational use Camp Misty Mount, Camp Greentop, opportunities. or Camp Round Meadow should have the opportunity to: Visitor Experience Goals for All Park Visitors • Understand the shared values of All park visitors should have the oppor- the National Park Service and their tunity to: organizations. • Easily find orientation information on • Easily find orientation information and the website and within the park. group use information and opportunities

Catoctin Mountain Park Long-Range Interpretive Plan I 7 on the park’s website and within the • Safely enjoy their visit by learning about park. and following safety guidelines and park • Interact with park staff who are profes- rules and regulations. sional and courteous, leaving a positive • Demonstrate stewardship by using park impression of Catoctin Mountain Park resources in a manner that protects and the National Park Service. and enhances the natural and cultural • Enjoy a variety of recreational activities resources. that do not interfere with other people • Contribute to the stewardship of and do not adversely impact the park’s Catoctin Mountain Park. resources. • Safely enjoy their visit by learning about Virtual Visitor Experience Goals and following safety guidelines and park Visitors who access information about rules and regulations. Catoctin Mountain Park through its • Demonstrate stewardship by using park website on the internet should have the resources in a manner that protects opportunity to: and enhances the natural and cultural • Easily navigate the park’s website to plan resources. a visit and/or to learn about the park’s • Contribute to the stewardship of natural and cultural resources. Catoctin Mountain Park. • Gain an appreciation and understanding of Catoctin Mountain Park by learning Education Experience Goals about the park’s natural and cultural Visitors within educational groups should heritage. have the opportunity to: • Print the park map, download forms, • Participate in curriculum-based and print photos from the photo gallery. education programs that include pre- • Contact Catoctin Mountain Park visit and post-visit activities. through an e-mail link. • Use the park as an outdoor classroom • Access the National Park Service and conduct educational activities on Planning, Environment, and Public their own. Comment website to provide input • Participate in teacher-directed programs into Catoctin Mountain Park planning using materials and resources provided projects. by the National Park Service. • Access Freedom of Information Act • Use Catoctin Mountain Park to conduct procedures and forms. research and to provide internship • Link to local parks, partners, and other opportunities. appropriate websites.

Visitors can gain an appreciation and understanding of Catoctin Mountain Park by learning about the park’s cultural heritage through blacksmith shop demonstrations.

8 I National Park Service Visitor Profiles

This broad description of park audiences includes both actual and potential audiences—in- park, out-of-park, and education audiences (DO-6, page 9).

Catoctin Mountain Park Annual Visitation Figures, 1995-2005

1995 552,906 1998 483,762 2001 532,615 2004 699,274

1996 484,892 1999 459,002 2002 457,641 2005 515,193

1997 503,812 2000 508,539 2003 621,114

Average visitation from 1995 to 2002 is 497,622; Average visitation from 2003 to 2005 is 611,860.

Catoctin Mountain Park Monthly Visitation Figures, 2005

January 51,885 April 39,094 July 35,928 October 71,569

February 35,214 May 46,441 August 65,643 November 35,366

March 26,320 June 49,269 September 32,946 December 25,518

Total “Recreation Visits” for 2005 was 515,193.

Seasonal Trends Autumn: After schools reopen in September, Spring: As winter draws to a close in March, weekday visitation slows, but the weekends visitation from the general public becomes can still be very busy. October is the busiest busy on most weekends, depending on visitation month because of the autumn weather conditions. On Memorial Day colors that peak in late October and into weekend at the end of May, the “summer November. Many sixth grade classes from season” begins, with the park being busy Frederick County Public Schools come most days. The staff is especially busy in to the visitor center and use other park April in preparing the camps for the League facilities and trails on weekdays from for People with Disabilities (from Baltimore, September through mid-November. Maryland) and other organized groups. Many sixth grade classes from Frederick Winter: General park visitation is slowest County Public Schools take field trips to the during the winter. However, winter park and its visitor center and other park snowfalls can bring many cross-country facilities on weekdays during school hours skiers and other snow-related users to the from April through mid-June. park. Field trips from Frederick County’s fifth grade classes (and many first and Summer: Once schools close in mid-June, second grade classes) come to the park the park can be busy every day with general from mid-November through March to use visitors and numerous camp groups. From the visitor center and the park’s “traveling mid-June through mid-August, the League trunk” education program. for People with Disabilities from Baltimore use Camp Greentop. The general public can camp at Owens Creek Campground, reserve cabins at Camp Misty Mount, or camp at two other campgrounds at nearby Cunningham Falls State Park.

Catoctin Mountain Park Long-Range Interpretive Plan I 9 Visitor Center Visitation Trends

Catoctin Mountain Park Visitor Center Statistics by Month and Year, 1996-2005

Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Total

2005 2,805 3,040 3,625 4,957 8,055 7,215 9,041 7,094 7,259 9,111 8,288 2,393 72,883

2004 2,984 3,520 5,952 5,423 8,701 8,698 9,951 10,437 7,480 11,872 6,078 3,027 84,123

2003 2,518 1,542 5,182 6,247 6,782 8,311 11,887 10,704 6,685 12,738 10,169 2,535 85,300

2002 3,982 4,677 5,853 5,332 8,134 11,805 11,611 10,361 7,872 9,881 8,155 3,021 90,684

2001 3,564 3,851 5,513 7,313 8,137 9,604 15,519 10,442 11,844 14,366 7,391 3,783 101,327

2000 3,616 3,956 6,603 7,244 8,164 9,036 14,179 11,826 8,867 17,291 6,119 2,555 99,456

1999 4,035 3,838 4,533 7,380 11,976 9,874 11,801 10,999 10,193 16,980 8,515 3,413 103,537

1998 4,462 5,657 6,202 5,998 11,095 8,849 13,842 15,670 11,613 15,955 9,769 3,918 113,030

1997 2,665 2,604 3,965 4,577 5,795 6,962 10,063 11,271 7,869 11,326 5,956 3,327 76,380

1996 2,009 4,088 4,789 7,557 8,961 13,381 15,473 16,565 10,659 12,980 6,258 2,209 104,929

Park visitation fluctuates seasonally. The chart (above) and the graph (below) of the visitor center’s visitation by month show that peak visitation months are October, August, July, June, and April. October is the busiest month as visitors seek fall colors and enjoy the cool autumn air. Summer is a traditional busy season in parks, and April is often the first chance visitors have warm, “good” weather after cold winter months and search out wildflowers. April is also a busy season with the opening of the campground and group camps as well as coordinating volunteer projects with many larger groups.

Catoctin Mountain Park Visitor Center Statistics, 1996-2005

20,000

18,000

16,000

14,000

12,000

10,000

8,000

6,000

4,000

2,000

0 Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec

2005 2003 2001 1999 1997

2004 2002 2000 1998 1996

10 I National Park Service Analysis of Visitor Group Types (Park employees do not divulge the location of Camp David.) Local Recreational Users (about 60 percent of total visitors) Education Groups (about one percent of total Characteristics: People who live in Frederick visitors) County, Maryland, and adjacent counties. Characteristics: Schools and other groups from Frederick County, Baltimore, and D.C. Use of Catoctin Mountain Park: Most go hiking, drive on park roads, and come Use of Catoctin Mountain Park: Some groups into the visitor center; some camp in park use only the park’s camp facilities; others campgrounds; some cross-country ski in use the visitor center and other facilities, winter. primarily during autumn and spring months.

Issues: During spring, some local residents Issues: NPS employees work with partners collect or harvest morel mushrooms (for to help serve these education groups. These personal consumption only) in the park; groups require park staff time to prepare while doing so, some park illegally along the facilities and present programs. Also, park roads and hike off the designated park park staff often respond to service calls from trails. During security closures (based on overnight visitors for maintenance, security, Camp David’s use), many local residents and first aid. ask if Catoctin Mountain Park trails and facilities are open to the public. “Virtual” Visitors (not “counted” in the park’s visitation data) Regional/National Vacationers (about 40 Characteristics: Local, national, and percent of total visitors) international visitors who “visit” the park Characteristics: Visitors from Maryland, through computers in their homes or offices Pennsylvania, and Washington, D.C., as well via the park’s website. as some vacationers from other areas of the United States, mostly during the summer. Of Use of Catoctin Mountain Park: These “vir- the small percentage of annual visitors who tual” visitors have no impact on Catoctin are from minority groups, most are Koreans, Mountain Park’s tangible resources. How- African Americans, or Hispanics. ever, they do impact park staff in the time required to create, update, and maintain the Use of Catoctin Mountain Park: Primarily park website. hiking, camping, picnicking, and site seeing. Issues: The numbers of virtual visitors are Issues: Many visitors ask “Where is Camp increasing each year; as these numbers rise, David?”—especially international visitors. the importance the park’s website increases.

Virtual park visits are on the rise, increasing the importance of the park website.

Catoctin Mountain Park Long-Range Interpretive Plan I 11 2006 Government Performance and Results Act Visitor Survey Each summer, Catoctin Mountain Park distributes visitor survey cards to selected visitors for one month, and the data is compiled by the University of Idaho as a report required by the Government Performance and Results Act (GPRA) of 1993. Each year’s survey reflects visitor opinion about park facilities, services, and recreational opportunities. The results of the 2006 GPRA Visitor Survey are summarized below (the GPRA Visitor Survey results from 1998 through 2006 are available at www.psu.uidaho.edu/vsp.profile.htm):

2006 Overall Quality of Facilities, Services, and Recreational Opportunities

Very good: 72% Good: 25% (91% satisfaction: combined Very Good and Good) Average: 3% Poor: 0% Very Poor 0%

2006 Specific Ratings of Facilities, Services, and Recreational Opportunities

Category Approval Ratings

Park Facilities Very Good Good Average Poor Very Poor

Visitor Centers 76% 21% 3% 0% 0% Exhibits 56% 38% 4% 2% 0% Restrooms 63% 29% 8% 0% 0% Walkways, Trails, Roads 70% 28% 1% 0% 1% Camp/Picnic Areas 67% 31% 2% 0% 0%

Combined Facilities: 67% 29% 4% 0% 0%

Visitor Services Very Good Good Average Poor Very Poor

Employee Assistance 80% 18% 0% 2% 0% Interpretive Programs 65% 30% 2% 0% 0% Park Map or Brochure 68% 30% 2% 0% 0% Commercial Services 55% 18% 23% 5% 0%

Combined Visitor Services: 68% 26% 5% 1% 0%

Recreational Opportunities Very Good Good Average Poor Very Poor

Learning About Nature, History, etc. 59% 37% 5% 0% 0% Outdoor Recreation (and Sightseeing) 76% 20% 4% 0% 0%

Combined Recreational Opportunities: 66% 29% 5% 0% 0%

Visitors practice photography tech- niques during Catoctin’s winter photography workshop.

12 I National Park Service 2002 Visitor Study the Catoctin Mountain Park area (within An in-depth visitor study was conducted at 50 miles). Of those who stayed overnight Catoctin Mountain Park in August 2002 by inside the park, 53 percent stayed two the Park Studies Unit of the University of nights and 18 percent stayed one night. Idaho and the Denver Service Center. The Of those who stayed overnight outside report’s summary noted that: the park (within a 50-mile area), 46% stayed two nights and 19 percent stayed • Forty-one percent of visitor groups were one night. Campgrounds/trailer parks in groups of two. 52 percent of the visi- were the most common type of lodging tor groups were family groups. 47 per- both inside the park (51%) and outside cent of visitors were aged 31 to 55 years the park (45%). and 21 percent were aged 15 or younger. • The majority of visitor groups (98%) • United States visitors were from Mary- used personal or rental vehicles as their land (64%), Pennsylvania (10%), Wash- form of transportation to arrive and visit ington D.C. (8%), and 26 other states the park. Thurmont (78%) was the most- used community for support services • This visit was the only time that most (groceries, ice, gas, etc.). visitors (61%) had visited the park in the last 12 months. During their lifetime, 38 • The average visitor group expenditure percent of visitors visited the park one was $117. The median visitor group time and 29 percent visited six times or expenditure (50% of groups spent more. Most visitor groups (78%) visited more, 50% spent less) was $25. The Catoctin Mountain Park for less than 24 average per capita expenditure was $34. hours on this visit. Of those, 70 percent Forty-six percent of groups spent up to spent two to four hours in the park. $100 in total expenditures. Of the total expenditures by groups, 26 percent • On this visit, the most common activities was for lodging, and 19 percent was for were viewing wildlife and scenery (82%), groceries and take-out foods. driving through (61%), and hiking for one hour or more (46%). Visitor groups • Most visitor groups (64%) felt “very also identified these activities as the safe” concerning personal property three most common activities on past safety from crime; 70% felt “very safe” visit(s). In Catoctin Mountain Park concerning personal safety from crime; and Cunningham Falls State Park, the and 52% felt “very safe” concerning most visited locations were Catoctin personal safety from accident in Mountain Park Visitor Center (80%) Catoctin Mountain Park. and Cunningham Falls (57%). • Most visitor groups (97%) rated overall • Previous visit(s) (53%) and word-of- quality of visitor services at Catoctin mouth/friends/relatives (31%) were the Mountain Park as “very good” or most used sources of information about “good.” No visitor groups rated overall the park before visiting. quality of visitor services as “very poor.”

• Most visitor groups (77%) indicated that More in-depth analysis of the 2002 study is Catoctin Mountain Park was the primary available in the Visitor Study final report, reason for visiting the area. Most visitor available at website www.psu.uidaho.edu/ groups (68%) did not stay overnight in vsp.profile.htm.

Catoctin Mountain Park Long-Range Interpretive Plan I 13 Issues and Influences Affecting Interpretation

This section includes influences and opportu- 2001, and because of increased concerns nities inside and outside the park that affect about homeland security, Catoctin interpretation and education (DO-6, page 9). Mountain Park has experienced direct and indirect impacts. The location of the Issues and influences exist, both inside and Presidential Retreat within the park has had outside the park, that affect Catoctin Moun- direct effects on staff and the park itself. tain Park’s interpretation and education These impacts include frequent closures of programs. Many of these are issues that the significant portions of the park which affect park’s interpretive efforts can help managers hiking, camping, and other visitor activities. to solve or mitigate. Others are issues that Interpretive staff members produce news may influence the park’s interpretive pro- releases for every closure, post information grams, and park managers need to consider on the park website and bulletin boards, and these when planning the park’s future. answer questions and listen to complaints from visitors unable to access park areas. External: Issues and Influences from Additionally, because two of the three Outside Catoctin Mountain Park permanent park interpreters also provide law enforcement services, the resource Homeland Security and Closures education mission is effected when staff Since the terrorist attacks of September 11, handles homeland security concerns.

Presidential visits impact the interpretive operation as visitors often need assistance to revise plans that are affected by security closures.

14 I National Park Service Beyond the park’s boundaries, an increase General Management Plan in the U.S. Department of Homeland All divisions at Catoctin Mountain Park, in- Security’s threat level may require the cluding interpretation, will be providing in- park’s law enforcement rangers to travel to put for the park’s General Management Plan Washington, D.C. or other areas that are (GMP), which is scheduled to start in 2008. threatened. The GMP effort will be facilitated by NPS employees from the Denver Service Center State and Federal Park Boundaries and and the National Capital Regional Office. Jurisdictions One of the challenges the park faces Servicewide Special Initiatives derives from its history when the original There are often changes in special initiatives recreation demonstration area of the 1930s or focus of emphasis. Examples in the past was split into Cunningham Falls State Park decade include emphasis on Ranger Ca- and Catoctin Mountain Park in 1954. This reers, Resource Careers, the Underground separation of the Recreation Demonstration Railroad, and most recently, the National Area into a state park and a federal park Park Centennial Challenge issued on August has caused confusion to many visitors and 25, 2006. Each new initiative has positive required the staff of both parks to explain to and negative effects on Catoctin Mountain visitors that: Park interpretive operations. On one hand, • The two parks are separate and distinct. the opportunity to contribute to new NPS • The state park and the federal park have areas of emphasis and to showcase the best different missions and regulations. interpretive efforts results in greater under- • There are operational differences in standing and opportunities for visitors to recreational activities, fees, and camping. form connections to park resources.

Budget Restrictions Core Operations is an internal National The total park personnel costs at Catoctin Park Service review of each NPS area’s Mountain Park are not supposed to exceed operations that is intended to help park 80 percent of operations. However, escalat- managers understand the core work that ing fixed costs (such as utilities, supplies and park staff are currently performing, and materials, fuel, etc) as well as assessments decide what tasks the park staff might from the National Capital Regional Office reduce or stop doing because it is no longer have made meeting the 80 to 20 percent re- necessary. Core Operations is a process that quirements challenging. challenges park staffs to find alternative

The limited number of interpretive rangers has restricted the park’s ca- pability to present programs.

Catoctin Mountain Park Long-Range Interpretive Plan I 15 ways of completing work and helps to • One GS-11 Supervisory Park Ranger* support park management’s requests for • One GS-9 Park Ranger (I) additional funds to accomplish all of the • One GS-9 Park Ranger (P)* park’s core work. * Law Enforcement commissioned ranger. These two interpretive park rangers are Core Operations is designed to: required to provide protection duties • Focus employees and resources on for Catoctin Mountain Park in addition functions that are most essential to the to their interpretive duties at the visitor purposes of the park. center and delivering interpretive • Accomplish core operations in the most programs and cultural demonstrations. effective and efficient way through: - Efficiency. In 2006 one seasonal interpretive position - Cost avoidance. was added; however, the park was unable - Cost recovery. to fully utilize the position because of - Elimination of low-priority activities. constraints of fixed costs and overall park • Provide a basis for long-term budget management. Visitor Use Assistants (VUA) allocation and long-term goals. are funded from fees collected from camp • Link expenditures to the organization’s operations and are used to staff those annual and long-term goals. operations. One VUA is assigned to provide • Identify management efficiencies to help interpretive programs at Camp Misty the NPS work smarter. Mount. Whenever personnel shortages • Provide credibility for park budget occur in the visitor center because of the law requests. enforcement coverage for the park, VUAs from Camp Misty Mount are reassigned to Catoctin Mountain Park is scheduled to staff the visitor center and provide some start its Core Operations analysis in 2007. park interpretive programs.

All Risk/Special Events Multiple Areas of Responsibility As part of the National Park System, Collateral duties for the three permanent Catoctin Mountain Park participates in All interpretive rangers listed above include Risk assignments and support, in addition volunteer program manager, curator, web- to supporting National Capital Region and master, accessibility coordinator, cooperat- other nearby units of the NPS in special ing association liaison, and library manager. event and or detail support. When one of Two of those permanent interpretive rang- the three permanent interpretive employees ers maintain law enforcement commissions, responds to an All Risk assignment, it affects and one of those positions is specifically the entire interpretive operation. When designated to spend 51 percent of their time wildland fire season reaches high alert, in law enforcement activities. there may be times when the priorities in the park change to support the emergency, In a move towards professionalizing the which also impacts the park’s interpretive workforce, several of the program areas operations. The interpretive operation does that are assigned as collateral duties have take the opportunity to present programs increased their emphasis on training, overall and develop interpretive media to inform program management, documentation, visitors of Catoctin Mountain Park’s role as and workloads in general. Some parks now a part of the National Park System and its have full-time curators, webmasters, and responsibilities to provide support during volunteer coordinators to meet the needs emergency situations. of these growing program areas. However, the park’s small staff size combined with Internal: Issues and Influences from the increasing complexity and demands within Catoctin Mountain Park of collateral duties and increased law enforcement responsibilities have resulted Interpretive Staffing in increased demands on the interpretive The interpretive staff at Catoctin Mountain operation, resulting in diminishing time Park is comprised of: and resources for interpretation. Staffing is

16 I National Park Service Historic buildings at Catoctin simply inadequate to maintain an effective generate enough sales to merit an Eastern Mountain Park are log structures constructed in the late 1930s by interpretive program and a full-time visitor National salesperson. As a result, the ranger the CCC. Interpretive programs are provided for campers using these center operation. As a result, the interpretive who is the liaison for Eastern National historic facilities in Camp Misty staff is unable to fully use their skills and must complete inventory requests, review Mount. creativity when providing interpretive media and approve new inventory, oversee daily and services for the public. operations, complete a sales ledger, and compile and make cash deposits. Since NPS Recreation Fee Program Funds 40 hours or more per year are required to Catoctin Mountain Park collects approxi- oversee the Eastern National operations, an mately $37,800 annually through the NPS equal amount of time is taken away from the Fee Program. When Catoctin Mountain interpretive operation. Park’s fee collection kiosk is built, NPS Rec- reational Fee Demonstration Program (Fee Volunteer Program Demo) funds for interpretive projects and Volunteers have become an integral part programs will increase. Projects are selected of park operations. They provide services annually based on available funding. Proj- in administration, resource management, ects are submitted by each division, and the maintenance, visitor services and park superintendent selects the final priority interpretation, and resource protection. As of projects. A final decision on how to fully the success of the Volunteers-in-Parks (VIP) implement the entrance fee program has not program continues to grow throughout the been made; however, there is potential for National Park System, pressure to continue significant impacts on the interpretive op- to increase and improve the program and eration in both physical implementation and form further partnerships and stewardship in fielding visitor comments. opportunities increases. Volunteers are also seeking more opportunities for training Eastern National and enhancing their own experiences. The bookstore/sales area at Catoctin The volunteer hours donated to Catoctin Mountain Park does not, and is not likely to, Mountain Park has shown a continual

Catoctin Mountain Park Long-Range Interpretive Plan I 17 increase since 2000; the number of visitor center for bathrooms, to eat lunch, volunteers has also increased. The dedicated and to learn about American Indian stone staff time to manage the volunteer program tools during a classroom session conducted has not increased. The number of individual by an Outdoor School program teacher. volunteers in the park has remained fairly Sixth graders sample stream waters and constant since 2000; however, the number conduct simulated deer population studies of groups that volunteer continues to in the Owens Creek Picnic Area. Park staff increase. Organized groups seeking short- has no formal contact with either group. duration service projects continue to grow in addition to the park’s traditional large group weekend projects. Volunteer The lack of a formal agreement between projects require planning, coordination, Frederick County Public Schools and and staff to assist and supervise during Catoctin Mountain Park limits the implementation. The benefits of the park’s influence on the school system’s volunteer accomplishments are significant, programming. A school system mandate but so is the amount of time and resources has created “essential field trips” for necessary for successful implementation each grade level. Essential field trips are of the volunteer program. In 2000, 7,864 standardized for each grade and funded volunteer hours were donated by 743 total as part of each school’s budget. Individual volunteers. In 2005, 12,968 volunteer hours schools or classes may take additional were donated by 1,125 total volunteers. field trips when approved by the school administrator. These additional field trips Frederick County Schools must be funded outside the school budget The Frederick County Outdoor School and may be cancelled without notice if the at Camp Greentop closed in 1996, ending bus is needed for an “essential” activity. nearly 40 years of residential environmental There have been no field trips by Frederick education in Catoctin Mountain Park. County elementary schools since the Starting in 1997, the program was implementation of the essential field trips in reconfigured into field trips that involve the 2005-2006 school year, which severely only cursory use of park facilities for fifth impacts implementing the park’s education and sixth grade classes. Fifth graders use the program.

Volunteers are an essential part of Catoctin’s interpretive program. Long-time volunteers and campground hosts Ed and Wendy Carr receive recognition for their services from Volunteer Coordinator Sally Griffin.

18 I National Park Service Training (NPS Fundamentals, IDP, TelNet, mandatory training requirements and Mandatory Training) serves as a fire instructor. As each program With the implementation of Ranger Careers, area makes training and certifications NPS Fundamentals, and the Interpretive mandatory, there is a resulting impact on Development Program, came an increase time and resources available for interpretive in training and certification requirements, operations. as a way to professionalize the interpretive workforce of the National Park Service. Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Although all three of the park’s current Accessibility permanent interpretive employees are Great strides have been made to improve exempt from the NPS Fundamentals physical accessibility throughout Catoctin program and Interpretive Development Mountain Park, especially at the primary Program, they have participated in several visitor contact station and group camp training opportunities to keep current in facilities. Existing barriers to accessibility NPS trends. have been surveyed at many park sites and features. As the “Baby Boom” population The TelNet station at the park has ages, an increased demand will occur for increased opportunities for all employees accessible facilities and services throughout to participate in more training and, since the park. Catoctin needs to extend there are no costs, it is one of the few accessibility into park areas that have not opportunities for employees to attend been brought up to ADA standards and training in career advancement or other complete accessibility at sites that have career fields. The park’s two interpretive received partial improvements so that all employees with law enforcement visitors may fully experience and enjoy the commissions must meet the ever-increasing park. mandatory training requirements in the law enforcement profession, and all three The park’s website provides visitors with employees maintain current first aid information describing the park’s accessible certifications that also have mandatory facilities and programs and meets the ADA training and recertification requirements. guidelines. The visitor center meets all One employee also maintains firefighter ADA guidelines for structural accessibility

Catoctin Mountain Park is con- stantly working to make all facilities and programs accessible for all park visitors. The significant number of physically challenged residential campers makes accessibility a major issue in this park.

Catoctin Mountain Park Long-Range Interpretive Plan I 19 but needs more programmatic accessibility The visitor center provides a logical point improvements. Closed captioning of contact to receive reports of accidents equipment is installed in the auditorium but and missing visitors, and the interpretation not all audiovisual programs are available staff assists park rangers by receiving these with closed captioning. The park also has reports and calling for assistance, as well assistive listening devices available for audio as providing first aid. Interpreters are used programs. Several large-print site bulletins in the field during larger scale incidents, are available, but not all site bulletins exist and also provide safety information to in large print. The park staff has removed park visitors. Park managers allow the most physical barriers in the Owens interpreters to maintain their first aid Creek campground and amphitheater, but certification. improved seating is required to make it fully accessible. Traffic and Visitation Fluctuations Daily visitation to the Catoctin Mountain Future improvements would enhance the Park Visitor Center ranges from single park’s ADA accessibility: Additional hands- digits to more than 2,000 people per day, on interactive exhibits in the visitor center depending on the weather and season. and a primary park audiovisual presentation Average daily visitation is about 150 people would aid those visitors with sensory on weekdays and 500 to 800 on weekend impairments to better understand and enjoy days. Visitors arrive and depart from the the park’s resources. Most interpretive park’s visitor center parking lot throughout walks, all but two outdoor interpretive the day, and a small percentage park at exhibits, and all four of the park’s scenic the visitor center for several hours. The vistas are not accessible because of steep paved and gravel lots at the visitor center mountain terrain and rough natural trails. are adequate with the exception of a few Higher challenge level trails systems need to weekends each year. be investigated. Traffic flow is primarily weather dependent. Safety and Accidents Overflows occur when traffic levels cause The National Park Service continues to gridlock or backups. Overflows typically focus on safety with employees and visitors. occur on April weekends when wildflowers Because most of the park is a rugged, and flowering trees bloom, and in October mountainous area, inherent dangers exist during fall foliage weekends. Overflows can and visitors accept a certain level of risk. happen, however, at unexpected times, too.

Bicyclists enjoy a road trip on Mary- land State Route 77.

20 I National Park Service Excessive traffic flow poses problems inside the lack of staff to deal with those incidents. and outside the visitor center. Often, if only Visitor center staff frequently responds to one person is working at the visitor center, visitor inquiries and complaints on the use law enforcement rangers must be called of mountain bikes and ATVs in the park. from the field to assist at the desk, or to set up cones in the parking lots. Extreme cases Mini-bikes, also known as scooters necessitate directing traffic away from the (motorized less than 50cc), are increasing in visitor center. Minimally, two people are popularity for residents in nearby towns and required to effectively give information and have started to be used on park roads. They direct traffic on Park Central Road—one are permitted on established roads within person at the visitor center desk, and one to the park, but not all riders realize they present scheduled interpretive programs. must follow state laws regulating their use. Unfortunately, riders are not required to New technology such as GPS provides challenges for visitors and Most visitors understand the physical wear any safety equipment even though they the rangers helping them. Catoctin limitation of parking areas and appreciate share the road with vehicle traffic. Mountain Park includes a GPS com- ponent in orienteering programs. the personal service offered at curb side. The major issue, therefore, is providing the Skates (inline and roller), skateboards, and personnel needed. Since the need cannot non-motorized scooters are popular forms be predicted, it is difficult to schedule of recreation and transportation in nearby volunteers to direct traffic. If the need does urban areas. However, in the park with no not develop, volunteers who have been bike paths or trails and steep terrain, these called to help are hesitant to commit their activities can be dangerous. It is particularly time when asked to volunteer at a later date. hazardous when they are operated on park roads such as the campgrounds with vehicle Public Demand for Activities traffic. For that reason the park established Cycling sports are very popular and a policy published in the Superintendent’s their use in the region around the park Compendium 36 CFR 1.5 to only allow has increased rapidly over the past two skating and skateboarding in Camps Round decades. Frederick County offers cyclists Meadow and Greentop in designated areas. an opportunity to cycle on roads and trails Protective equipment including, helmet, in terrain that varies from flat urban areas elbow and knee pads, and wrist guards are to mountains. As the county’s population required. No ramps or structures are al- increases, cyclists and motorists alike will lowed and they cannot be used in Catoctin need to be vigilant in sharing the roads and Mountain Park buildings. observing laws and safe riding practices. Within Catoctin Mountain Park, cycling The interpretive staff will be affected by is presently restricted to the paved and these issues mainly through visitor contacts graveled park roads where riders share the at the park visitor center. Safety messages roadway with vehicle traffic. and justifications for restricted use of several forms of recreational activities will be part There are some recreational activities, such of informal interpretive opportunities for all as off-road vehicles (ORVs), mountain park staff. bikes, all-terrain vehicles (ATVs), skating, skateboards, and similar devices, that are A relatively new recreational activity, not fully compatible with the purposes of geocaching was first observed in the park Catoctin Mountain Park. No trails exist that several years ago. Geocaching activities are dedicated to mountain biking, and ATVs in NPS areas are prohibited (see text are not permitted in the park. Requests for website below); however, some activities areas in the park to mountain bike are of- are permitted under special conditions as ten addressed by park staff through visitor determined by the park superintendent contacts. Mountain bikes are not allowed in and after an environmental analysis has the park because of trail erosion caused by determined that unacceptable impacts on bikes, hiker-biker conflicts, the possibility of park resources will not result. This new technical medical rescues that will be neces- form of recreation may become an issue for sary in case of backcountry accidents, and the park, and interpretation can influence

Catoctin Mountain Park Long-Range Interpretive Plan I 21 the effects of management’s decisions All three structures/exhibit areas require through information dissemination to periodic maintenance to maintain them in interested groups and individuals. The good condition. These exhibit areas have interpretive staff will respond appropriately been developed for interpretive purposes; to visitor inquires and complaints on the none are original structures. The sawmill availability of geocaching. exhibit also includes a lengthy wood boardwalk; the other two include trails that Geocaching can include activities such as need to be maintained. Interpretation of placing an item in a location for someone else these areas is mostly accomplished through to find or simply publishing coordinates of wayside exhibits, but some guided walks locations for others to find and describe the are also offered. New wayside exhibits were item at that location. Geocaching activities on developed and installed in 2006 for two of national park lands is prohibited, however the outdoor exhibits; the sawmill wayside some activities are permitted under special exhibits still need to be updated. The life conditions as determined by the individual expectancy of the new wayside exhibit park. You are required to notify park panels is at least 10 years if they are not headquarters if you are participating in this vandalized. type of activity (from NPS/GPS website). Natural Resource Management Issues Cultural Resource Management within Catoctin Mountain Park Issues within Catoctin Mountain Park Deer Management Plan Environmental Impact Historic Building Preservation Statement The 62 historic buildings at Catoctin The White-tailed Deer Management Plan Mountain Park are basically log structures Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) constructed in the late 1930s by the WPA includes the use of interpretation of and and CCC. All are currently being used by the education on deer management issues for public and/or park staff. The wood is subject the public. Once a management option to decay from weather and insect damage, is chosen and implemented, those same and in recent years several cabins have interpretation and education skills will help been hit by trees during storm events. The the public to understand deer management buildings also experience some vandalism at Catoctin Mountain Park. Several and damage from everyday use. interpretive programs on deer management are currently offered; however, there will The historic buildings require routine likely be an increase demand placed on maintenance to keep them in good the current interpretive staff with the full condition. Many of these buildings also implementation of the deer management require a significant amount of restoration plan. work to bring them to good condition because maintenance has been deferred for Invasive/Exotic Species a number of years because of insufficient Invasive/exotic species move in and funds. take over the niches of native species by competing for water, food, light, and space. Interpretation can play a role in the In the absence of natural enemies, many of condition of these buildings by explaining these species can become major pests. their historical value as well as explaining the ongoing restoration efforts in order By educating park visitors about invasive/ to increase visitor understanding and exotic species it may be possible to prevent appreciation. accidental introductions of these species and the visitors may let park staff know of Cultural Interpretive Structures/Exhibits infestations within the park or the general Catoctin Mountain Park includes three area. Educated visitors may also decide to outdoor structures/exhibits to interpret implement measures to limit populations of whiskey making, charcoal production, exotic species around their homes and com- and water-powered sawmill operations. munities. Interpretation and Resource Man-

22 I National Park Service agement currently produce informational oil and other petroleum products). The posters, a site bulletin, and interpretive pro- Frederick County School System uses the grams on invasive/exotic species. park to teach units on water quality.

Forest Pests Storm and Weather-Related News Releases Forest pests such as the gypsy moth and The interpretive operation is responsible hemlock woolly adelgid are exotic species for development of news releases regarding which were introduced to the United States. emergencies. The information is provided The park is being affected by these species by the superintendent, division chiefs, both ecologically and monetarily (control damage assessment team leaders, or incident efforts can be costly). Education about these commanders. Closure information will species may help to limit their spread and specify the locations and extent of closures prompt visitors to better understand the and expected reopening dates if known. If a need for control actions, both in the park fatality occurs in the park, identification will and in their communities. not be released until next of kin has been notified. Information will be withheld when Water quality needed to comply with the Privacy Act, Good water quality is one of the Health Information Privacy and Protection cornerstones of a healthy ecosystem. The Act (HIPPA) or ongoing law enforcement visitors to the park expect the water to be incidents. clear and to be able to see vertebrate and invertebrate animals that live in water. Preparation of emergency news releases High-quality trout fishing and water-based becomes a top priority requiring flexibility recreation are important. By educating in personnel and staffing. The interpretive visitors about the importance of good water operation has also provided thematic bul- quality, it may promote water conservation letin boards and exhibits as a result of storm and other beneficial personal practices impacts. Many informal interpretive op- such as the importance of groundwater portunities at Catoctin Mountain Park arise protection (e.g., proper disposal of motor when visitors ask about storm damages.

Storm damage from Hurricane Isabel at Camp Misty Mount.

Catoctin Mountain Park Long-Range Interpretive Plan I 23 Existing Conditions

This brief summary and evaluation estab- The visitor center at Catoctin Mountain lishes a point of departure for future personal Park is open from 10:00 a.m. until 4:30 p.m., services, media development, and facility Mondays through Thursdays; from10:00 proposals. The park’s existing media should a.m. until 5:00 p.m. on Fridays; and from be inventoried and updated in the Media 8:30 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. on Saturdays and Inventory Database System (MIDS) (DO-6, Sundays. The visitor center is closed on six page 9). federal holidays: Veterans Day, Thanksgiv- ing Day, Christmas Day, New Year’s Day, Facilities Martin Luther King Jr.’s Birthday, and Presidents Day. Staffing and collateral du- Visitor Center ties of interpretive operations is addressed Catoctin Mountain Park’s visitor center in the internal issues and influences section building was constructed in four phases. on page 20; only one of the three permanent The first phase, containing the visitor cen- park ranger positions in the park’s Division ter’s current exhibit area, was completed of Interpretation is fully dedicated to inter- in 1942 by the WPA and CCC. The second pretive operations, and that position has the phase of the park’s visitor center was the collateral duties of cooperating association addition of the current lobby, restrooms, liaison and librarian. hallways, and auditorium as part of the NPS Mission 66 program in 1965. The third phase Interpretive programs in or near the visitor was the addition of the current library, cura- center are scheduled on weekends through- torial storage area, and interpretive offices in out the year. Often, the person presenting the early 1990s. The fourth phase includes the interpretive program is the only NPS accessibility and front entrance modification person staffing the visitor center, so the in 1996. This structure is the park’s only vis- park’s law enforcement rangers frequently itor center. This 26,051-square-foot building conduct visitor center desk duties while in- is mostly visitor use space comprised of a terpretive programs are presented. Because lobby, exhibit room, restrooms, hallways, medical or law enforcement emergencies and an auditorium (total of about 25,000 take top priority, it is possible that some square feet); the rest (about 1,000 square interpretive programs can be interrupted feet) is interpretive office space, library, and while in progress, or that the visitor center curatorial storage. This facility is in excellent would be summarily cleared and closed un- condition. til park personnel become available.

The first phase of construction of the Catoctin Mountain Park Visitor Center was completed in 1941 by the WPA and the CCC. This was the last major New Deal project in the Catoctin RDA.

24 I National Park Service Due to increasing demands of multiple tive media at CATO: two were summary duties and assignments with limited human records for audiovisual and historically fur- resources, staffing is inadequate to maintain nished areas (that documented that the park an effective interpretive program and staff a does not have a park audiovisual program or full-time visitor center operation. historically furnished areas); two interpretive planning documents (for a 1967 GMP Camp Round Meadow Conference Room and a 1997 CIP); two exhibits records (for The conference room (approximately 755 the visitor center and blacksmith shop); one square feet) at Camp Round Meadow is publications record (for the park’s unigrid a rental facility available to campers and brochure); and 33 wayside exhibit records camp groups on a rental basis. When used, (29 are for new wayside exhibits installed this room seats up to 40 people. If rented, in 2006, and those 29 have an image file at- users are aware that the park’s audiovisual tached to each record). Catoctin Mountain equipment is not to be used. The park staff Park’s interpretive staff will continue to presents interpretive programs in this room update their MIDS data when new media is if requested. The park also uses this room installed. for training sessions for park staff. Exhibits Owens Creek Campground Amphitheater The exhibit room in the visitor center was The 75-seat amphitheater at Owens Creek last updated in 1991 and the upgrades were Campground is used for campfire programs done in-house by park staff. Additions to the on Saturday evenings from Memorial Day taxidermy animal display have been added weekend through late August each year. periodically with several specimens added in 2005; more specimens were due to be added Interpretive Media in late 2006. There are shelves dedicated as a “touch table” and a tree slice on display Media Conditions: MIDS Summary in the lobby area. A 40-gallon river tank Media conditions for all NPS areas are now that holds native fish is in need of repair or listed in the Servicewide Media Inventory updating as the silicone used to mount the Database System (MIDS); the listing of dividers is breaking down. The sales outlet media conditions for Catoctin is listed in for Eastern National consists of multiple MIDS under CATO in the National Capital adjustable wood shelves that can be slightly Region. The park’s 2006 MIDS summary re- reconfigured to adjust to stock. A TTY flects the center’s current media conditions; (telecommunications for the deaf) machine updates were made as recently as 2006. As is in use for the visitor center’s main phone of 2006 there were 40 records for interpre- number of 301-663-9388.

Centennial Challenge seasonal rangers learn about the park and interpretation while exploring the Charcoal Trail.

Catoctin Mountain Park Long-Range Interpretive Plan I 25 Audiovisual Programs and Equipment Outdoor Cultural Exhibits Catoctin Mountain Park does not have The blacksmith shop is a historic structure a park orientation/overview audiovisual originally built by the WPA in 1936. program for its visitors. It is open for cultural demonstrations approximately three or four times each year The audiovisual equipment in the visitor and several artifacts (e.g., anvil, bellows, and center’s auditorium was upgraded in vice) remain in the structure year-round. 2005. This included the installation of a The displays inside the blacksmith shop LCD projector, a VCR and DVD player, were constructed and installed by park speakers and sound system, a dedicated personnel in the early 1990s. laptop computer, a closed captioning board, and an electronic white board (also called The charcoal exhibit was built by local a “SMARTboard”). Internet access is also volunteers, park maintenance staff, and available in the auditorium, and assisted members of the Catoctin Tourist Council listening devices were purchased in 2002. in 1968 under the supervision of Elmer Cole, a coalier (collier) from Hopewell Camp Round Meadow’s conference room Furnace National Historic Site. The park was upgraded in 2005 with the installation held a formal dedication of the outdoor of a LCD projector, speakers and sound living history exhibits on the Charcoal Trail system, a new screen, and a VCR and DVD and the new visitor center expansion on player. A portable microphone is designated October 20, 1968. Exhibits on the Charcoal for the conference room and internet access Trail have been rebuilt a number of times is available in this room. by both park maintenance staff and through volunteer projects. Owens Creek Campground Amphitheater received new audiovisual equipment which The Blue Blazes Whiskey Still exhibit was is portable and stored at the visitor center. also created in the late 1960s as part of This included a dedicated LCD projector an integrated program of living history with a special long-distance lens and an (to dispel the idea that the exhibit was amplifier sound system with a portable “a monument to the distilling industry, microphone. The new speaker mounted at legal or otherwise”). The park obtained the campground is weather-resistant and a copper still from Tennessee (where it designed to remain in place all year. had been seized in a raid at Cades Cove in Great Smoky Mountains National Wayside Exhibits Park), reassembled the still, and received A major wayside exhibit replacement permission to operate it from the Alcohol project was completed in 2006 for: the Tax Division of the Internal Revenue Spicebush Nature Trail, the Charcoal Trail, Service (IRS). The IRS required that the Whiskey Still Trail, the stand-alone “Bitrex” (a harmless bittering agent used in exhibits at Wolf Rock, the blacksmith a wide range of household and commercial shop, and two wayside exhibits outside products) be added to the mash to make the visitor center (“Charcoal Sled” and people vomit if they drank the product. “Commitment to Conservation”). Also, an The Blue Blazes Whiskey Still exhibit oversized welcome panel was mounted in opened June 20, 1970. The Branch of the visitor center’s outside bulletin board. Distilled Spirits and Tobacco, in the Bureau All of these wayside exhibit bases and panels of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms that were designed, fabricated, and installed had granted permission to operate small from 2004 through 2006. The five wayside distilleries to make moonshine whiskey at exhibits at the sawmill exhibit remain in the living history exhibits in 1974, rescinded old format; these five wayside exhibits were that permission effective January 1, 1989. installed in 1985 and received minor text The Cades Cove whiskey remained on corrections in their panels and new bases exhibit in Catoctin Mountain Park in 2006. and frames in 1995.

26 I National Park Service A handicapped accessible boardwalk with resting benches leads to the Sawmill exhibit and waysides.

The sawmill exhibit was originally format. In 2004, when Harpers Ferry Center reconstructed by the Youth Conservation converted the brochure to a digital format, Corps in 1971-1972. The vertical sawmill is new text and images were inserted. In 2006 on an original site, but the structure itself is minor changes were made to the brochure’s not original. Accessible ramps were installed map (which is digital and is available for by park staff and by volunteers from 1997- downloading at www.nps.gov/carto), and a 1999. The five wayside exhibit panels were supply of 40,000 brochures was shipped to installed in 1985 and received minor text the park in May 2006, which is the allotment upgrades and new mounts in 1995. for two years. This supply usually lasts one and a half years. The park staff produces Website in-house and distributes black-and-white Catoctin Mountain Park’s website (www. copies until the next HFC shipment arrives. nps.gov/cato) is linked to the National Park Service ParkNet website. In 2005-06, the The front of the current park brochure NPS created uniform in-depth websites features a color photograph of Chimney for all NPS areas using the CommonSpot Rock at the top and a montage of color content server. Catoctin Mountain Park’s photographs in the center that illustrate the website home page presents: the park’s basic park’s resources through the seasons. The background, climate, address, and phone main text near the top of the front of the numbers; quick links to information on the brochure summarizes the park’s history, and park’s operations and facilities; and links to text in the bottom front section provides the park’s natural and cultural resources, visitor information on “Planning Your its education programs and materials; park Visit.” The brochure’s back side contains management information; and news about a “Trail Guide” chart and a map of both the park. Catoctin Mountain Park and Cunningham Falls State Park. Publications The park’s official brochure started out The park staff has also written, designed, as a 16-panel mini-folder in 1970. In 1980 and printed (using in-house resources) a Harpers Ferry Center developed a “unigrid series of two-fold site bulletins that provide brochure” for Catoctin Mountain Park in a summary of specific park topics. Catoctin an “A-6” size and printed it in a four-color Mountain Park has also produced brochures

Catoctin Mountain Park Long-Range Interpretive Plan I 27 Catoctin Mountain Park Publications

Programs and Opportunities Activities Calendar of Events Camping VIP Opportunities Additional Camping Education Programs OCCG Rules MM Folder Resources MM Rack card Wildflower Checklist Poplar Grove Bird Checklist Camp Greentop Deer Exclosure Camp Round Meadow Geology Cross Country Ski Alien Species Horse Trail Fly-fishing Guide Foreign Languages Junior Ranger ages 6-8 CATO Unigrid Spanish Junior Ranger ages 9-11 CATO Unigrid German Greentop Spanish Trail Guides Round Meadow Spanish Blue Blaze Still MM Folder Spanish Browns Farm Trail MM Rack Card Spanish Nature in Winter Camping Spanish Hog Rock Deerfield

that have been translated into some foreign in-house. The alien species brochure was a languages, but these are all out of date as of specially funded project; as this supply of 2006. brochures runs out, the park will need to consider the need to produce these again Other park-produced publications range and decide if this is the best media to pres- from activities to trail guides to resources ent the alien species information. found in the park. Most of the activities information is also available on the park web- Park staff also distributes a variety of free site. The Hog Rock brochure and Deerfield publications from other organizations Nature Trail brochure were professionally such as Cunningham Falls State Park, local printed several years ago using funds from chambers of commerce, and the Frederick Parks & History Association (PHA), a co- County Tourism Council. Beyond these, the operating association that preceded Eastern Eastern National bookstore contains natural National. As this supply of brochures runs history guides, children’s books, hiking out, the park will probably produce these guides, and some cultural history titles.

Staffing, Personal Services, and Education Programs

Personal Services published each November for the following The interpretive staff listed above presents calendar year. Programs are held on formal interpretive programs year-round weekends except for programs celebrating at the visitor center and at a variety of anniversaries (when those anniversaries locations throughout the park. Programs fall on weekdays) of Catoctin Mountain are listed in the calendar of events that is Park or the National Park Service. Most

2006 Catoctin Mountain Park Interpretive Division Staff

Position Title Status Grade FTE* Incumbent

Supervisory Park Ranger (I & LE) Permanent GS-11 0.9 Sally Griffin Park Ranger (I & LE) Permanent GS-09 0.5 Don Stanley Park Ranger (Interpretation) Permanent GS-09 1.0 Debbie Mills Seasonal Interpreter Temporary GS-07 0.3 position filled, but terminated early Visitor Use Assistant Temporary GS-04 0.3 Jennie Pumphrey

Total FTEs: 3.0

* FTE stands for Full-Time Equivalency (one work-year: 2,080 hours). Plus, in FY 2006, 13,106 volunteer hours were donated by 1,064 total Volunteers-In-Parks (VIPs). These volunteer hours include duties performed in the areas of campground host, maintenance, resource management, administration, and interpretation.

28 I National Park Service interpretive programs are one-half hour to information according to the interest of the one hour long, and generally address family visitors present at the time. audiences. Adult and children’s programs are listed as such in the calendar of events. Walks (Wildflower and Fall Color) At least three wildflower walks are sched- Recreation (Winter Outdoor Sports, uled each spring. Rangers introduce visitors Camping Expo) to the wildflower species found in the park, Recreational programs are presented by discuss traditional uses, and explain the volunteers from local retail outfitters. The ecology of their life cycle. Fall color walks presentations are informal and are driven by are held twice daily on four dates in the fall the interest of the participating visitors. The color season. Rangers and Student Conser- outfitters provide examples of recreation vation Association (SCA) interns identify equipment and basic instruction for its use. trees and explain the processes affecting the life cycle of deciduous trees. Weather and Recreational Skills (Orienteering) timing of seasonal changes can dramati- Formal orienteering classes are provided cally affect both the wildflower walk and fall by park rangers; three in March and color programs. These programs can also four in November. Rangers explain and be affected by security closures which may demonstrate basic map and compass use necessitate a change of program location on in a one-hour indoor session. Participants very short notice. then test their skills on a permanent, one and a half-mile course. The program is age- Evening Programs (Owens Creek Campground appropriate for sixth grade to adult. and Camp Misty Mount) Evening programs are presented on Satur- Demonstrations (Blacksmith Shop, Whiskey day evenings from Memorial Day through Still, Fly-tying) Labor Day at the Owens Creek Camp- Demonstrations are presented in an “open ground Amphitheater. Programs are one- house” format. Visitors determine when half hour long and are “ranger’s choice.” to arrive during the two-hour session. The Topics include the natural and cultural volunteer or park staff member tailors the history of Catoctin Mountain Park and the presentation giving cursory or in-depth National Park Service. Programs at Camp

Recreational demonstrations, such as the Fly-tying Demonstration presented annually by volunteers from the Potomac Valley Fly-fishers are popular with park visitors.

Catoctin Mountain Park Long-Range Interpretive Plan I 29 This drawing, found on a wall in the oldest house in Thurmont, provides an emotional introduction to the adult African American influence program.

Misty Mount are presented on Saturday Education Programs evenings from Memorial Day through the end of September. A family-level and chil- Ranger Programs dren’s program have been prepared for this Education programs are usually conducted purpose. A visitor use assistant working at at the park. Occasionally, rangers will travel Camp Misty Mount presents the program for off-site programs. These programs in- most suitable for that evening’s audience. clude both pre-visit and post-visit materials and are curriculum-based. In 2005 the Adult Level Presentations (Franklin Delano park staff started to revise and upgrade the Roosevelt, New Deal, African American education programs. However, the entire Influences, Alien Species, etc.) upgrade was not completed because use of PowerPoint presentations are provided at seasonal staff did not have the anticipated the visitor center about six times each year. results and additional staffing limitations did Topics include current management issues not allow for completion of the project. and historical events affecting Catoctin Mountain Park. • Catoctin Critters (first grade, ages 5-7) • Growing Up (second grade, ages 6-8) Children’s Programs (Deer Discovery, Junior • Everybody Eats (third grade, ages 7-9) Ranger, Misty Mount Kid’s program) • Seasonal Signals (fourth grade, ages Rangers guide children through interactive 8-10) computer programs and the Junior Ranger • Autumn Leaves (first through fourth booklet in formal settings scheduled about grade, ages 5-10) six times per year. A children’s program is presented at Camp Misty Mount each Loan Programs Sunday morning from Memorial Day Catoctin Mountain Park offers two comput- through the end of September. Camp Misty er software programs that were developed Mount programs are provided by visitor use on older computers. These programs are assistants and are activity-based. available for loan through the mail at no cost. The Deer Discovery program is PC- Stream Ecology compatible. The National Park Links to the The stream ecology program at Catoctin Chesapeake Bay program is PC- and Mac- Mountain Park gives visitors a chance to compatible. Both of these programs need to “get their feet wet” and to learn how the be updated and upgraded. number and kinds of organisms in a stream can be used to determine the overall health • Deer Discovery (sixth grade, ages 10-12) of a stream. This program is scheduled as a • National Park Links to the Chesapeake public program once a year. Bay (seventh grade, ages 11-13)

30 I National Park Service Traveling Trunk park continues to show steady increases in An educational traveling trunk is filled with volunteer support both in hours worked treasures and pieces of the past that link and numbers of individuals. local school curriculum with Catoctin’s heritage. Five discovery units, objects, arti- Institutions facts, teacher background information, and Catoctin Mountain Park staff work closely suggested student activities are included. with a number of federal, state, and local Teachers are responsible for trunk pick-up agencies, local or distant universities, and and return to the park. This free program several non-profit entities. These include: is used regularly by the Frederick County Outdoor School program for fifth grade U.S. Secret Service: The park management students. They do not use all lesson oppor- has a reimbursable agreement with the tunities provided and might be interested U.S. Secret Service for personnel services in a trunk designed to meet their specific rendered while any protectee is in the park. needs. Maryland State Police and Frederick County • Close Encounters of the Catoctin Kind Sheriff’s Department: Cooperative agree- (fifth grade, ages 9-11) ments with state and local law enforcement agencies such as Maryland State Police and Curriculum Materials and Lesson Guides Frederick County Sheriff’s Department are The blacksmith shop, built by the Works needed to clarify jurisdiction and response Progress Administration, is open only issues. Frederick County Sheriff’s Depart- on specific dates identified in the annual ment also provides Alternative Sentencing calendar of events. However, the stories workers who complete many projects within of the blacksmith and his contributions to Catoctin Mountain Park. society can be universally studied. A series of lesson plans are available from the park at Maryland Department of Natural Resources: no cost and are also available to download Catoctin Mountain Park visitor protection from the park website: (1) Economic staff maintains a joint fisheries protection Incentives for Economic Development; (2) program for Big Hunting Creek with Mapping Your Community; (3) The Cost the Maryland Department of Natural of Wages; (4) The Price of Freedom; (5) Resources, the Natural Resources Police, Revitalizing the Spirit; and (6) Suggested and the State Park Service. Additional Activities. An additional lesson plan was developed specifically for the Friends of Big Hunting Creek: This non-profit Teaching with Historic Places program and group supports the protection of trout is available from the park website and the habitat and works closely with the Resource Teaching with Historic Places website. Management Division.

• Camp Misty Mount: A Place for Monocacy and Catoctin Creek Watershed Regrowth Alliance: This alliance is composed of interested organizations wishing to protect There is no tracking of use for the lesson the Monocacy River watershed in northern plans available through the park website. Frederick County.

Partnerships Fire Companies: In addition to cooperative agreements with the four local fire compa- Individuals nies in the primary response area, the park Volunteers-In-Parks (VIPs): Catoctin Mountain is allowed under the Northeast Compact to Park’s paid staff is supplemented though provide mutual aid for forest fires. the Volunteers-In-Parks (VIP) program which provides volunteers to all park U.S. Forest Service, Forest Health Unit: This divisions. Volunteers are recruited through unit is a cooperator who provides control word of mouth, local partner organizations measures for gypsy moth and other forest and publications, and NPS websites. The insect and disease outbreaks when needed.

Catoctin Mountain Park Long-Range Interpretive Plan I 31 Boy Scouts of America: Under a national erate Camp Greentop, one of the oldest (70 NPS agreement with Boy Scouts of America years) camps for the disabled in the nation. (BSA), the park has maintained a 35-year relationship with both the Appalachian and Frederick County Public Schools (FCPS): Catoctin Districts of the National Capital The FCPS system has a long history of Area Council of the BSA. Each spring the environmental education in the park. Eastern National has been Catoctin Mountain Park’s cooperating districts complete several major work From the mid-1960s to the mid-1990s, association for sales of interpretive publications and educational projects in the park. Also, numerous Eagle FCPS conducted week-long residential products since 2003. Sales generated Scouts have completed projects in the park. camps at Camp Greentop. Currently, all by Eastern National sales outlets fund a donation account that is FCPS fifth and sixth graders receive day- available to the park for interpretive Potomac Appalachian Trail Club: This club, use environmental education programs in purposes. affiliated with the Appalachian Trail, and Catoctin Mountain Park. the South Mountaineers conduct trail maintenance and clearing work on the 26- The Catoctin Center for Regional Studies: mile Catoctin Trail located in the park. Located at Frederick Community College, this office operates under a cooperative Greater Washington National Parks Fund: agreement with the National Park Service This group is a non-profit fundraising and provides research and symposia support organization, affiliated with the National for regional history studies. Park Foundation, that is seeking to create an endowment for the national park areas of Cooperating Association the Greater Washington, D.C. region. Eastern National (EN): EN has been Catoctin Mountain Park’s cooperating association Tourism Council of Frederick County: The for sales of interpretive publications and park has a long involvement with the educational products since 2003. Sales Tourism Council of Frederick County generated by Eastern National sales both in developing and marketing tourism outlets fund an EN donation account that products and working with the Catoctin is available to the park for interpretive Area Tourism Council. The Frederick purposes. In the future, Catoctin Mountain Historic Sites Consortium functions as a Park hopes that EN’s revenues will be part of the Tourism Council and acts as sufficient to support a sales staff, and that clearinghouse for operational information EN obtains a greater diversity of inventory. for historic sites throughout the county. Concessions The League for People with Disabilities: Each There are currently no concessions summer, this organization continues to op- operating in Catoctin Mountain Park.

Catoctin Mountain Park Superinten- dent Mel Poole receives a represen- tative check from park partners as part of the National Parks Across America event.

32 I National Park Service Part 2: Future Interpretive Program

This part of the long-range interpretive plan describes the mix of facilities and services, both non- personal (media) and personal (programs), that are necessary to communicate park themes and facilitate identified visitor experiences (DO-6, page 9).

Note: Part 1 (the “Foundations” section) of this plan was developed and written after an LRIP workshop in August 2006 and approved as the park’s “Foundations Plan” in February 2007.

Catoctin Mountain Park Long-Range Interpretive Plan I 33 The Comprehensive Interpretive Planning Process at Catoctin Mountain Park

The Comprehensive Interpretive Planning Centennial Initiative—have the potential process is not a recipe, but a guide to effective, to significantly impact the park’s resource goal-driven planning. The LRIP defines the education and were considered while overall vision and long-term (5 to 10 years) creating the Long Range Interpretive Plan interpretive goals of the park (DO-6, page 6). portion of the CIP.

In developing Catoctin Mountain Park’s Core Mission Long-Range Interpretive Plan (LRIP) as part The Intermountain Region leadership devel- of the Comprehensive Interpretive Planning oped a process designed to assist park man- (CIP) process, an individualized planning agement in their ongoing efforts to make fully process was devised. The first part of this informed decisions and to be aware of po- LRIP was written and approved during the tential staffing and funding alternatives. The winter of 2007, based on a three-day LRIP core operations analysis is part of a planning Foundations Workshop held at the park in and analysis process which can be used on an August 2006. The funding for this “Founda- ongoing basis in conjunction with the budget tions Plan” that was printed and distributed cost projection module to evaluate the state of in February 2007 came from park planning the park in terms of its financial management funds from Harpers Ferry Center (HFC). and efficiencies. The core operations analysis is part of a long-term process to ensure park In April 2007 funding requested from the financial sustainability. (From the Core Washington Office of Interpretation and Analysis Workshop training materials.) Education through the NPS Fee Program became available to complete this LRIP. Catoctin Mountain Park conducted a core Because Catoctin Mountain Park is only 40 analysis workshop February 27 through miles from HFC, the park and HFC decided March 1, 2007, and held multiple meetings to hold the media-related recommendations throughout the winter and spring of 2007. workshop on three non-consecutive days in The park’s Core Mission report was June 2007. Workshops related to personal finalized in December, 2007. services and education programs were held on August 16 and September 27, 2007. Centennial Initiative The Centennial Initiative is a program to The ideas and recommendations from these prepare parks for the one hundredth anni- recommendations workshops are summa- versary of the National Park Service in 2016. rized on the following pages along with a chart that shows an approximate timeline “The 21st-century National Park Service will of when these recommendations will be ac- be energized to preserve parks and welcome complished over the next five to seven years. visitors. Stewardship and science will guide Later in the CIP process, the park staff will decisions. An inventory of all wildlife in parks devise a series of implementation plans that will be completed, a vital baseline to monitor will be based on this LRIP. change and adjust management. Strategic acquisitions will protect landscapes. Parks Core Mission and the NPS Centennial will be known as America’s best classrooms. Initiative … A new era of private-public partnerships After the Foundations section of the will bring greater excellence to parks. More Comprehensive Interpretive Plan (CIP) volunteers will add value to park experiences. was written and approved in 2006, two … Children will reconnect to the outdoors important areas of National Park Service and lead healthier lives. A new generation emphasis emerged that directly impact the of conservationists will convey parks Resource Education operation at Catoctin unimpaired to the next generation. (From the Mountain Park. These two areas of NPS Centennial Initiative website—Secretary of emphasis—Core Mission and the NPS the Interior’s report.)

34 I National Park Service Non-Personal Services

Facilities Some information should be flexible The potential use of facilities or media for because of partial park closures due to education purposes should be explored here safety and security. (DO-6, page 9). Discovery: Outdoor and indoor opportuni- Visitor Center ties also should allow visitors to discover No changes were recommended to the tactile models, specimens, and reproduc- “footprint” of the visitor center during the tions that interpret the park’s natural and recommendations workshop held in 2007. cultural history. However, workshop participants agreed that—because the visitor experience for Exhibits: Interactive exhibits should connect this facility already extends beyond the visitors to Catoctin Mountain Park’s building’s footprint to bulletin case displays interpretive themes of People (Life on the on its front porch and wayside exhibits Mountain), Fun (Making Memories), and along its walkway from the parking lot— Renewal (Second Chances). future recommendations for this facility might also extend into areas outside the Retail: Visitors should easily locate visitor center’s footprint. One of the issues interpretive items to purchase in a secure related to this facility is the park’s future and accessible sales area, as well as locate plan to collect fees from visitors at this the park’s fee collection machine or cash location—either by staff inside the visitor register attendant. center, or at a collection machine to be located on or near the visitor center’s front Indoor Program Space: An indoor, multiple- porch. use room should be available for school programs and other education groups, In January 2008, as an addition to the LRIP as well as a place to show audiovisual recommendations workshop, a one-day programs. The theater area should be workshop was conducted at the park to located on the east end of the building. develop early concept plans for the visitor center and its exhibits. Because the park’s Outdoor Gathering Place: A roofed area visitor center had been added on to and outside the Catoctin Mountain Park Visitor adapted many times during its history, Center should provide a place where this workshop provided an opportunity to visitors can receive park orientation, meet evaluate and weave together the visitors’ friends, or join an interpretive program. A arrival experience with visitor flow patterns, “Mountain Gateway Pavilion” is suggested experience zones, accessibility, and NPS with its orientation and roof line matching identity challenges inside and outside the the visitor center. building. Administrative Space: This space should During this one-day workshop, the team be expanded and abut or be adjacent to identified the following desired visitor expe- the information desk to minimize staff rience zones that should be included in any movement and move current outdoor future reconfiguration of the visitor center: storage of materials to more convenient locations inside the building. The employee Arrival: A safe unloading place should parking area needs to be relocated. exist in the vehicle parking area, as well as parking for bicycles. The arrival area also Using the visitor experience zones described should include a meeting place for hikers above, the Catoctin Mountain Park staff and and small groups. A new exterior entrance HFC drafted an exhibit proposal after the to the bathrooms is desired. one-day workshop. For more information on this proposal’s conceptual options, Orientation: Both outdoor and indoor contact the park staff or Harpers Ferry information is needed for 24-hour coverage. Center for a final proposal copy.

Catoctin Mountain Park Long-Range Interpretive Plan I 35 Camp Round Meadow Conference Room To satisfy the information needs of visitors No changes were recommended for this who contact the park before they visit, facility during the 2007 recommendations park staff will continue to answer phone workshop. calls and mail requests in a courteous and timely manner. To satisfy the basic and in- Owens Creek Campground Amphitheater depth needs of website visitors, the staff will No changes were recommended for this implement the following recommendations: facility during the 2007 recommendations workshop. • Change the website’s link to the park map to go directly to the map, not its Interpretive Media (Non-Personal welcome page. Services) This section assesses the need for interpretive • Adjust the statistics pages so that data media which includes exhibits, waysides, can be obtained abut which website signs, publications, audiovisual programs, pages are used most. This data can be historically furnished areas, mass and/or used to provide background information electronic media (DO-6, page 9). on interpretive projects that are needed, and to strengthen and update the Website justifications for those projects. An ever-increasing percentage of park visitors are web users who visit the park’s • Add a photo gallery to the park’s website (www.nps.gov/cato) to access pre- website. visit information. Many of these “virtual visitors” never actually come to the park, • Add site/camp slide shows to the park’s but have their needs met solely through the website. Add more photos of Owens park’s website. Other visitors contact the Creek Campground. Add virtual tours of park by telephone or mail to ask for basic the park’s residential camps. park information and orientation materials. The objective of all pre-visit contacts is • Add “flash files” with education the same: to help visitors make informed curriculum materials (Junior Ranger choices before they leave home. activities, etc.).

Evening programs are presented at the Owens Creek Campground Amphitheater weekly, June through August.

36 I National Park Service • Upgrade the site’s nature and science Identity and orientation signs will address page to include research results. several visitor experience goals. Adding the NPS arrowhead logo to entrance signs will • Highlight handicap access opportunities reinforce the idea that Catoctin Mountain with site descriptions and more images— Park is a unit of the National Park System. especially of the campgrounds. Road guide signs will allow visitors to easily find and access the park’s facilities and enjoy Identity and Orientation Signs its full range of recreational activities. Signs Before visitors can have a meaningful park within the park will help visitors safely enjoy experience, they need to find their way their visit by learning about and following to the park, determine where to begin safety guidelines and park rules. their park experience, and take care of their basic needs. These visitor experience Overall Recommendations issues such as agency identity, wayfinding, • Arrange for NPS sign program staff to and orientation must be addressed before visit Catoctin Mountain Park to survey interpretation can be effective. Effective existing sign conditions, and provide a highway and road guide signs, as well as conditions plan that proposes a location pedestrian orientation and information, are for each new sign that is recommended. the first steps toward providing basic visitor experience needs. • Design a parkwide sign master plan that identifies Catoctin Mountain Park Catoctin Mountain Park uses traditional as a unit of the National Park System stone base and routed wood entrance signs and provides orientation for all visitors, in the style used at Great Smoky Mountains whether they arrive by vehicle or on National Park, the Blue Ridge Parkway, foot. and Shenandoah National Park. The park’s current entrance signs do not comply with • Secure funding and implement a park- present National Park Service sign program wide sign plan as described in the NPS standards. Considering widespread public UniGuide Sign Standards. The standards confusion with neighboring Cunningham include park identity, motorist guidance, Falls State Park—and the absence of and visitor information signs. All NPS “National” in its name—Catoctin Mountain arrowhead logos should be updated to Park needs to enhance its NPS identity. the new style.

The primary park entrance sign consists of a stone base and wooden sign designed to represent the iron furnace in Thurmont. Industrial activities at the furnace stripped the mountain of its resources and led to selection of the area for a Recre- ational Demonstration Area.

Catoctin Mountain Park Long-Range Interpretive Plan I 37 Wayside Exhibits the NPS presence is felt at locations beyond the park visitor center and headquarters. Park Entry Points and NPS Identity After visitors arrive at Catoctin Mountain Potential Future Wayside Exhibits Park, many stop at the visitor center along Orientation and agency identity are often Route 77. However, most visitors drive past accomplished by upright waysides at the the visitor center to go to a trailhead parking park’s parking lots. Orientation upright area, or the park campground, or to one panels (whether singly, in pairs, in trios, of the cabin camps, or they just drive and or in a four-sided configuration) placed at sightsee along the park roads. prominent locations near parking lots will provide a minimum level of park orientation No matter where visitors enter the park, the and interpretation at the onset of a visitor’s National Park Service needs to reinforce park experience. The park might also its NPS identity and orient visitors to explore the development of a single upright the park’s opportunities. Standardized unit with a bulletin case on one side and waysides quietly remind visitors that any safety warnings on the other side that can be place preserved by the NPS is something used a certain park locations. of value to our nation. Much effort has been invested to have a distinctive, easy- It is recommended that at least nine places to-read, comprehensive NPS sign system. at Catoctin Mountain Park feature upright Visual hierarchy gives readers clear clues wayside exhibits that introduce visitors to as to the relative importance of blocks of the immediate site, the overall park, and information. The NPS sign system provides clearly link Catoctin Mountain Park to the solutions from formal entrance signs to trail greater National Park System. The following direction markers and campsite numbers. list names the places where many visitors Using current wayside exhibit hardware and or campers first leave their cars and are typographic standards reminds visitors that receptive to park orientation messages:

Catoctin Mountain Park Parking Locations and Orientation Messages

Location Wayside Content Type of Base

Falls Nature Trail Parking* parkwide orientation* upright wayside

Camp Misty Mount parkwide orientation upright wayside site orientation/trailhead upright wayside bulletin board (as small as possible) safety messages upright wayside

Hog Rock Parking parkwide orientation upright wayside site orientation/trailhead upright wayside safety messages upright wayside

Chestnut Picnic Grounds parkwide orientation upright wayside safety messages upright wayside

Camp Greentop Parking parkwide orientation upright wayside site orientation/trailhead upright wayside safety messages upright wayside

Owens Creek Campground parkwide orientation upright wayside site orientation/trailhead upright wayside safety messages upright wayside

Owens Creek Picnic Grounds parkwide orientation upright wayside safety messages upright wayside

Poplar Grove Campground parkwide orientation upright wayside site orientation/trailhead upright wayside safety messages upright wayside

* The Falls Nature Trail/Blue Blazes Trailhead is included in this general list because a significant percentage of park visitors who hike these trails do not go into the park visitor center. The preferred entrance experience for these visitors is to proceed directly from their motor vehicles to the trails or destination sites; this preference does not diminish either their need for parkwide orientation or the NPS’s need to identify the site as a national park unit for this subset of visitors.

38 I National Park Service Park visitors today see dramatic, full-color, well-maintained and visually attractive, the site-specific outdoor exhibits on the Blue following information serves as a reminder Blazes Whiskey Still Trail, the Charcoal to future park interpreters: Trail, and the Spicebush Nature Trail that the staff of Catoctin Mountain Park Investing staff time in making the bulletin developed and produced with HFC and boards look better is the quickest (and two of its contractors in 2005. These new cheapest) thing that can be done to improve wayside exhibits are great improvements the park visitors’ overall impression of the over the waysides that had existed along park and its ability to communicate. Keeping those trails. the bulletin board looking organized and legible must be a regularly assigned, However, the LRIP planning team found reoccurring duty. An overcrowded, that site-specific wayside exhibits are unkempt, or hastily prepared bulletin board, conspicuously absent from the immediate like poorly maintained restrooms, leaves Aging wooden bulletin boards are being replaced with recycled plastic environs of the oldest camps in Catoctin a lasting negative impression on arriving units that are similar in appearance. Mountain Park. One of the richest untapped park visitors. Bulletin boards should be used veins of storytelling and memory making sparingly, and only to display information of to mine at Catoctin Mountain Park is its a temporary nature. 70 years of recreation history. Reminding today’s visitors in the long-term camps Many bulletin boards in NPS units are that they benefit directly from the dreams crowded with too much information that of the Roosevelt Administration adds a is often unorganized, unattractive, and venerable patina to the outdoor experience. difficult to read. This is not the case at Catoctin Mountain Park is the place where Catoctin Mountain Park. A park’s unigrid generations of people have been introduced brochure should not be posted on a bulletin to nature and outdoor adventures; this has board because its type is sized to be read at influenced their views of conservation and a distance for something held in a visitor’s stewardship, and what is important in one’s hands— about 18 inches from the reader’s national life. eyes. Because visitors read bulletin boards at distances of 30 to 48 inches, their type sizes Therefore, it is recommended that the need to be made significantly larger. Park following site-specific interpretive waysides brochures also convey far too much content discussed during the LRIP workshop be to read outdoors, and the maps on park planned and produced to tell additional site- brochures are too small and too complex specific stories. for outdoor reading. Most visitors will only spend 20 seconds at any bulletin board. Camp Greentop Fonts and type sizes for bulletin boards • Generations of Recreationists/ should follow National Park Service wayside Continuity of Use. standards to comply with ADA legibility • The Outdoors is for All Disability requirements. (Ability) Levels. • Training for World War II—OSS. Maps posted on National Park Service bulletin boards often fail because most maps Camp Misty Mount follow the convention of marking north at • Recreation Demonstration Area. the top of the map. This map orientation • Historic Outdoor Architecture of the can work if the bulletin board also faces FDR era. north. However, putting north at the top of a map in a bulletin case creates confusion if Owens Creek Sawmill the map does not match the orientation of • Upgrade quality of waysides seen to the view seen. Maps for outdoor trailhead match Charcoal Trail. exhibits (or bulletin boards) cannot be universally oriented with north pointing up Bulletin Boards as with maps in a book, because trailheads Although the current bulletin boards at often face east, south, or west. A map posted Catoctin Mountain Park are generally outdoors must match the view.

Catoctin Mountain Park Long-Range Interpretive Plan I 39 One of the most important functions for 2006 by park staff. Outside the exhibit room, the park’s bulletin boards—especially in its there is a lobby area with “touch table” more remote locations away from the visitor shelves, a tree slice with labels, a 40-gallon center—will be to answer the questions river tank that holds native fish, and a sales “What is this place?” and “What can you outlet for the Eastern National cooperating do here?” for newly arriving visitors. The association sales items. bulletin boards and/or orientation panels need to answer these basic orientation Potential Future Exhibits questions before any safety warnings, It is recommended that the visitor center be resource protection messages, or deeper completely rehabilitated to improve visitor subject matter can be conveyed to visitors. flow, use the existing space more effectively (while staying within the current building’s Recommendations footprint), and develop new exhibits. While During the next five to seven years, the park planning for the visitor center’s future, the staff should work on the following tasks: following concepts should be considered: While simple in design, a visitor center exhibit of common forest animals receives many positive visitor • Request funding for a parkwide wayside • Maximize visitor flow by moving the comments. The picture was taken during the annual Museums by exhibit proposal (that lists and describes information desk towards southeast Candlelight Program. the agreed-upon wayside exhibits that area of the lobby, and consider ways of will be produced), a wayside exhibit opening up the primary exhibit space. plan (that includes final text and layout designs for each wayside exhibit), and • Establish visitor experience zones of production (that will produce the final arrival, orientation, discovery, and panels and bases, as well as create any art primary exhibit space. or maps that may be recommended). • Develop an accessibility strategy that • Once funding is secured for the proposal includes audio description of the new stage, arrange for an HFC wayside exhibits, more tactile elements, and exhibit planner to visit the park and, design factors that promote and cater to along with the park staff, develop a multiple learning/sensing styles. parkwide wayside exhibit proposal. • Consolidate orientation exhibits in the • Once funding is secured for the wayside lobby and consider producing a tactile planning stage, let a contract through topographic relief model, creating HFC to plan, design, and prepare experiential orientation exhibits production-ready files for all the newly (associated with the topographic model), proposed wayside exhibits. introducing the park’s themes, and providing changeable elements to the • Once funding is secured for the wayside topographic model, to clearly indicate production stage, let a contract through closed areas of the park when there are HFC to produce and ship the final closures due to presidential visits. panels and bases to the park to be installed by a contractor. • Place objects in thematic context such as cultural artifacts in association with Exhibits enlarged historic images, and natural history specimens with visual backdrops Visitor Center of their respective habitats. Most of the exhibits in the park’s visitor center are in a room that was one of the • Make strong connections between the original WPA structures built in the park in cultural and natural history stories. the 1930s. These exhibits—which are primarily taxidermy animals and wall-mounted • Increase the number of tactile and text and graphics on wood plaques—were low-tech interactive exhibits that might updated in 1991 with more recent upgrades include touchable natural history and animal specimens added in 2005 and models, tactile reproduction/replica

40 I National Park Service Results of planning sessions recom- mend that the visitor center be completely rehabilitated to improve visitor flow, use the existing space more effectively (while staying within the current building’s footprint), and develop new exhibits.

objects, and lift-up flap interactive • Incorporate evaluation (audience exhibits to increase inquiry-based research) as an integral part of the design learning. process.

• Minimize design solutions requiring The Blacksmith Shop maintenance (and therefore the burden It is also recommended that the exhibits in on staff time and budgets) by being the blacksmith shop be rehabilitated. While prudent in using high-tech design planning for the visitor center’s future, the solutions and audiovisual elements. following concepts should be considered:

• Incorporate updateable/changeable • Include images that relate to the components to the exhibits that will operation of the blacksmith shop. allow new research to be shared with visitors (e.g., results of the archeological • Potential use of reader rails that might work conducted in the park). feature more prominent interpretive flip panels. • Determine the impact of new exhibits on historic fabric (especially the fireplace) • Develop an accessibility strategy for this of the space and involve a historic exhibit area. architect early in the planning process to ensure solutions are appropriate. Exhibit Recommendations During the next five to seven years, the • Explore critical questions/issues that park staff should work on the following challenge Catoctin Mountain Park recommendations: managers. • Work with HFC to complete a • Estimate life-cycle and long-term preliminary exhibit schematic proposal costs of design solutions as they are for the existing visitor center (including developed. exhibits that may extend outside the building) that will include a cost • Develop alternatives early in the estimate. planning process that will consider a range of creative media solutions and • Submit a Project Management assess the impact of exhibit designs on Information System (PMIS) statement the visitor flow and staff operations. for new exhibits in the park’s visitor

Catoctin Mountain Park Long-Range Interpretive Plan I 41 center. Within this submission, include presidential retreat) should be portrayed estimates for a tactile map in the through historic photos and “light” visitor center and new exhibits for the reenactments. The park’s natural history blacksmith shop. (e.g., second growth forest ecosystem, wildlife, geology, and streams) should • Submit a PMIS statement or seek other be portrayed through historic photos, funds for a front-end evaluation project. original high-definition videography and (possibly) computer-generated • Consult with the State Historic Pres- animation. The program should include ervation Office (SHPO) about historic four seasons of shooting. Target budget portion/s of park visitor center where for this project should be $180,000. potential new exhibits may be placed. Park management would also like a • Compile resource notebooks (under shorter version (7-12 minutes) to give guidance from HFC media specialists) the interpretive staff more options. with images, objects, and a bibliography (An estimate is needed to edit the long in preparation for planning and program into this shorter version.) designing new exhibits. • Upgrade AV equipment in theater (HFC • Do a front-end evaluation to determine recommendation) – These upgrades knowledge and needs of park visitors. should include a high-definition projector and player, an AV control • Contract for the planning and design of system, audio upgrades, and accessibility new exhibits for the park’s visitor center. upgrades such as the following: – Display captions on the caption board • Complete new exhibit planning and at all times. design, then contract exhibit fabrication. – Audio describe the new audiovisual program. • Complete exhibit fabrication and install – Provide equipment for assistive them in the park’s visitor center. listening and audio description upon request. Audiovisual Programs – Advertise Catoctin Mountain Park’s Because the park has never had a primary accessibility features in multiple park audiovisual program, a PMIS statement formats, including at the visitor was submitted in 2006 to request funding center’s front desk, on the park’s for an “orientation/interpretive video.” website, and in any future park During the next five to seven years, the park newspapers and/or site bulletins. staff should work on this project and other audiovisual recommendations: • Produce a series of video podcasts – Podcasts could be assembled from • Produce a 15-20-minute orientation/ footage shot for the orientation/ interpretive video – This project has been interpretive video. They should be identified as a need in PMIS #118621. short (1-3 minute) segments that would This audiovisual program would highlight specific topics of interest such address the park’s history, significance, as reforestation, charcoal production, recreational opportunities, and moonshine still operation, the WPA, the preservation objectives. The program OSS, recreational opportunities, and fall should be produced in high-definition color. They could be streamed from the video with stereo soundtrack, original park website and/or downloaded from score, closed captioning, and audio commercial websites such as iTunes and description. The park’s cultural history YouTube. (e.g., American Indian quarries, charcoal and iron industry, farming, sawmills, • Produce a podcast for the seventy-fifth blacksmithing, moonshine stills, Works anniversary of the New Deal with the Progress Administration, OSS, and the Catoctin Center for Regional Studies.

42 I National Park Service • Produce a series of audio podcasts – These • Develop a publications plan to justify audio podcasts should be narrated adding and/or eliminating site bulletins. guides to the various hiking trails and park roads. They should have a relatively • Request HFC update the map on low-tech approach (rangers talking, with the Catoctin Mountain Park unigrid sound effects and music as needed), and brochure before its next reprint. could be park-produced. They could make use of audio assets gathered dur- • Communicate with the National Capital ing production of the interpretive video Region regarding a section in the revised (e.g., interviews, sound effects, and origi- Washington, D.C., handbook that covers nal music). They could be downloadable Catoctin Mountain Park’s natural and from the park website or from commer- cultural resources. cial websites such as iTunes, and/or from a kiosk in the visitor center. • After the current PMIS statement for a NPS Handbook for Catoctin Mountain Publications Park is approved, contract (via HFC Visitors typically use publications in two or another source) for an author and ways: for information and orientation dur- designer for this new publication. ing their visit, and for in-depth interpretation following their visit. The majority of • Consider development of a Catoctin on-site publications are free-of-charge, with Mountain Park newspaper to the primary one being the park’s NPS uni- consolidate the park’s site bulletins. This grid brochure. To help upgrade the park’s park newspaper might be published in free publications program, the interpretive partnership with Cunningham Falls State staff should take the following actions: Park.

Publications such as the Catoc- tin Mountain Park fall colors poster assist visitors with seasonal information requirements.

Catoctin Mountain Park Long-Range Interpretive Plan I 43 Personal Services

Interpretive Staff into project managers to maximize the Catoctin Mountain Park’s interpretive opportunities, to enhance partnerships, and staff (2.23 FTEs after law enforcement to engage new audiences through the use of responsibilities are subtracted from two of technology. the three permanent interpreters) present interpretive programs, staff the visitor Park management wants the park’s future center, plan and support special events, interpretive program to expand the park’s and perform a myriad of other interpretive use of the following: duties. Two of these rangers have law enforcement commissions and provide Partnerships a variety of protection duties. Because of The challenge is to develop partnerships this small staff, any further reductions will that will equally enhance interpretive result in fewer interpretive programs and and educational programs and products services. A list of core interpretive programs to benefit both the partner and Catoctin and products needs to be developed along Mountain Park. Past partnerships have often with a list of priorities on what can be focused more on the partner benefits and accomplished with additional staff levels. were not truly equal relationships. These partnerships need to be specific to meeting The general consensus at the time of LRIP identified needs and should be sought developing this LRIP is that the permanent by park staff . A primary area to explore staffing level for interpretation will remain with the addition of seasonal staff will be to the same, with the possible shift of law strengthen partnerships that already exist, enforcement duties out of interpretive specifically those with D.C. schools and operations in the next five to seven years. Frederick County Schools. The partnerships The Centennial Challenge will likely would increase the role of the NPS in their provide seasonal positions. In order to move programming, likely in the form of personal forward in the interpretive operations and services. The park should seek opportunities to accomplish elements of this plan, the to accomplish interpretation through our permanent staff will need to change how partners as well, reaching out to regional they conduct business. Instead of three opportunities and influencing the messages, people doing everything, it is recognized but not always featuring the “green and that the permanent staff will need to develop grey” as the primary presenters. Non-

Rangers Sally Griffin and John Wy- song record the park’s first attempt at podcasting.

44 I National Park Service personal services partnerships would likely Interpretive Programs focus on information technology projects. The recommendations for the park’s future interpretive programs include the following: Technology Through the use of partnerships and service Staffing Needs contracts, Catoctin Mountain Park will be • Confirm that the park’s OFS Request able to connect with a wider audience and is in the National Capital Region and perhaps a different audience than currently that it includes 3.7 positions (3.0 FTE uses the park. The use of technology has include justifications for specialty work the potential to increase visitor services and in partnership development, volunteer interpretive opportunities with a smaller program coordination, and information impact on the park staff. The amount of staff technology support. The other 0.7 FTE time used to develop one new PowerPoint supports implementation of the White- program that is presented one to two times tailed Deer Management Plan/EIS). for 30 people is far outweighed by the same amount of time developing a podcast for • Confirm that the park’s NPS Centennial park trails with a much larger potential Initiative seasonal allotment includes audience. Expanding the park web pages to four seasonal positions for the include pre-visit and post-visit materials and Interpretive Division. activities related to the education programs have a long-lasting potential benefit. • Pursue funding and an additional FTE Increasing the science information on the from WASO’s Interpretation/ VIP web pages and incorporating the results of Coordinator’s office for a full-time park research could have a significant affect volunteer coordinator to be assigned to on adult audiences and their understanding Catoctin Mountain Park. and appreciation of the value of national parks. The staff will change their role to • Investigate challenge cost share or interpretive product manager, developing additional partnering opportunities to and evaluating the messages, leaving maximize current personnel staffing. technology to either the partner or the contractor. Parkwide Reorganization (from Catoctin Mountain Park’s 2007 Core Mission meetings) Interpretive Media • When park entrance fees are initiated, Although many improvements have recently Interpretation is to manage fee collec- been made in the park’s interpretive media, tions. Fees may be collected in the visitor there remains much to accomplish. With center or by a fee machine on the visitor a focus on partnerships and technology, center’s porch until a fee booth can be there remains a desire and need to continue designed and constructed. It is planned improvements to interpretive media. There that a seasonal position will be added to is no overall plan or order to how visitors help collect fees. However, even with experience the park; sign plans along with an increase of a seasonal position, this visitor center exhibits and welcome plans change will be a “loss” in terms of hours need to move forward so that visitors can available for Interpretation when cov- easily plan their visits, enjoy the park, and ered over the period of an entire year. better understand the significance of the park and the National Park Service. The • Remove all law enforcement five remaining wayside exhibits need to be responsibilities (but not the positions) updated. A park video is still desirable but from Interpretation and consolidate unlikely due to funding and would be a large all law enforcement responsibilities time and resource commitment should the to the Law Enforcement Division. opportunity become available. Depending This recommendation may need to on which projects are funded and when wait for vacancies to occur in some they are funded, careful consideration and Interpretation positions and/or an discussions on priorities will need to take increase in funding. Without waiting place. for additional positions and/or funding,

Catoctin Mountain Park Long-Range Interpretive Plan I 45 this recommendation would result • Use Law Enforcement rangers (when in a net loss of two law enforcement available) to staff the visitor center infor- commissions. mation desk as part of the required resource education portion of their grade. • A proposal to merge the Interpretation and Resource Management Divisions • If/when the Catoctin Mountain Park together is under consideration; Visitor Center is closed (on Wednesdays, however, it is unlikely this would or Mondays and Tuesdays), direct happen before 2012 and such an action visitors on those days to the park would require additional budget for headquarters building as a temporary implementation. visitor contact station (staffed by management and administration). Changes in Interpretive Programs • Establish a core level of interpretive/ • If/when the visitor center is closed, education programs and visitor services conduct a survey to ask visitors and park for Catoctin Mountain Park. staff about their reactions to the visitor center being closed on its slowest day/s. • If/when permanent and/or seasonal staff positions increase, increase types/ • Discussions on visitor center services frequency of interpretive programs back and hours will depend on the direction up to core levels. chosen for the Interpretive Division operations. It is preferred that funding • Devise a chart/matrix that describes the and staffing levels fully support visitor interpretive programs levels that could services, education programs, and be scheduled depending on the factors interpretive opportunities, along with described in areas (2) and (3) above. support and development of non- personal services. If this is not the case, Visitor Center Hours and Staffing decisions will need to be made balancing • Consider closing the park’s visitor personnel and services. (For example, center on Wednesdays (the “slowest” if Catoctin Mountain Park determines days) during the winter and spring it wishes to place a higher emphasis on and, perhaps, other times of the year. non-personal services, the visitor center This would provide some flexibility in might close one day per week to allow scheduling staff and/or may allow staff Interpretive staff the time to develop time for program/product development. these products.)

Small, family operated stills in the region were similar to the one currently on display on the Blue Blazes Whiskey Still trail. Interpretive staff present programs on-site according to a published schedule.

46 I National Park Service Existing Personal Services Programs The accompanying chart shows the park’s existing personal services programs, who provides them (i.e., permanent NPS rangers, seasonal interpreters, partners, and VIP-volunteers), which of the park themes they address (see the Interpretive Theme Statements section of this plan), their intended audience (e.g., adults, children, or both), and other program notes. Also noted is whether each program is considered “core” or “not core” to the park’s purpose and significance).

Core – Core program, product, or service. A must-do item. 1st – Program, product, or service would add if more staff/funding. (Priority1 to add.) 2nd – Program, product, or service to add at some point in future if funding and resources available. (Priority 2 to add or wish list.) Audience – A- Adult, C-Children, M-Mixed Audience Presenter – N-NPS Permanent Staff, S-Seasonal Staff, V-Volunteer, P-Partner

Catoctin Theme Theme Theme Orient/Safety Mountain Park Core 1st 2nd Presenter People Fun Renewal NPS Mission Audience Comments

Personal Services

Visitor Center Information Desk 4 NV 4 M

Informal Contacts Foot Patrols 4 NV 4 4 M Junior Ranger 4 NS 4 4 4 4 C

Formal Programs Campfire 4 NS 4 4 4 4 M Ranger choice Fall Color Walks 4 NV 4 4 M Wildflower Walks 4 N 4 4 M MM Evening 4 NS 4 4 M Variable topics MM Kids 4 NS 4 4 4 C Variable topics Whiskey Still 4 NSV 4 M Junior Ranger 4 NSV 4 4 4 4 C Walk-ins

African American 4 N 4 A FDR New Deal 4 N 4 4 A Alien Species 4 N 4 4 A Deer 4 N 4 4 A Nature Discovery 4 N 4 4 C

WWII & OSS 4 N 4 4 A or M Future program?

Community and Outreach Programs Parades (3) 4 NSV 4 4 M Smokey Bear 4 NSV 4 CM NPLD 4 N 4 4 M Nat’l Jr. Ranger 4 N 4 4 4 4 C Community Show 4 NSV 4 M Themes vary Museum Candle 4 N 4 M Bus Tours 4 N 4 4 4 A Saints & Sinner Bus tours 4 N 4 4 4 A Group Requests 4 N 4 4 4 4 M Themes vary

Education Program Catoctin Critters 4 N 4 C 1st grade Growing Up 4 N 4 C 2nd grade Everybody Eats 4 N 4 C 3rd grade Seasonal Signals 4 N 4 C 4th grade Autumn Leaves 4 N 4 C 1st-4th grade

Demos & Recr. Photography 4 V 4 A Blacksmith Shop 4 V 4 M Camping Expo 4 V 4 M Orienteering 4 N 4 M

Future Programs

D.C. Schools 4 N 4 C Partnership TBD FCPS Outdoor 4 N 4 C Partnership TBD

Non-Personal Services

Catoctin Brochure 4 N 4 4 4 4 M

Web Pages 4 N 4 4 4 4 M

Site Bulletins Calendar of Events 4 N 4 4 A Camping 4 N 4 A

Catoctin Mountain Park Long-Range Interpretive Plan I 47 Catoctin Theme Theme Theme Orient/Safety Mountain Park Core 1st 2nd Presenter People Fun Renewal NPS Mission Audience Comments

Non-Personal Services

Site Bulletins (continued) Additional Camping 4 N 4 A Misty Mount 4 N 4 4 4 A XC Ski 4 N 4 4 A Fly-fishing Guide 4 V 4 A Wildflower Check List 4 N 4 M Bird Checklist 4 N 4 M Geology 4 NV 4 A Browns Farm 4 N 4 4 4 M Hog Rock 4 N 4 4 M Deerfield 4 N 4 M Jr. Ranger 6-8 4 NV 4 4 4 4 C Jr. Ranger 9-11 4 NV 4 4 4 4 C OCCG Rules 4 N 4 A Compendium Adirondack Rules 4 N 4 A Compendium Horse Trail s N 4 4 A Compendium

NOTE: A number of site bulletins are being eliminated as of 2007 as the information is available on the park website. Foreign language brochures are too out of date to be included. Extremely low demand exists for foreign language brochures.

Bulletin Boards Themes Vary VC 2 exterior 4 NS 4 4 4 4 M 4x per year Headquarters 4 N 4 M 1x per year Misty Mount 4 N 4 M 1x per year Thurmont Vista 4 N 4 M 1x/yr–close wtr. Chestnut PA 4 N 4 M 1x per year OC Picnic Area 4 N 4 M Uncertain OC Campground 4 N 4 M 1x per year Poplar Grove 4 N 4 M 1x per year

Wayside Exhibits VC Welcome 4 N 4 4 M VC bull. board Charcoal sled VC 4 N 4 M Conservation VC 4 N 4 4 M Whiskey Still (6) 4 N 4 4 M Charcoal (8) 4 N 4 M Spicebush (8) 4 N 4 4 M Wolf Rock 4 N 4 4 M Blacksmith Shop 4 N 4 4 M Sawmill (5) 4 N 4 4 M Old format

Outside Exhibits Whiskey Still 4 N 4 4 M Charcoal exhibits 4 N 4 M Sawmill 4 N 4 M Blacksmith Shop 4 N 4 4 M MM Light box 4 NV 4 4 M

WWII - OSS 4 N 4 M Propose for GT

Exhibits VC Exhibit Room 4 N 4 4 4 4 M Touch/Explore area 4 N 4 C River Tank 4 N 4 M Poor condition Desk display cases 4 NS 4 M Visual qlty only Eastern Sales 4 N 4 4 4 4 M African. Am. Month 4 N 4 M Temp. display Women’s Month 4 N 4 M Temp. display Display Map 4 N 4 M Not Accessible

Education Trunk 4 N 4 4 C Needs update NP Links to C. Bay 4 N 4 4 4 C Needs update Deer Discovery 4 N 4 4 C Needs update MM - TWHP 4 N 4 C Web only Blacksmith Shop 4 N 4 C Web only

Media FUTURE

Educ. pre-post web 4 N 4 4 C Need on web Jr. Ranger web 4 NVP 4 4 4 4 C New web only

Podcasts New programs Trail podcasts 4 NSVP 4 4 4 4 M Web podcasts 4 NSVP 4 4 4 4 M Orientation Movie 4 NP 4 4 4 4 M Depend Fundg.

Web-based Adult Learning 4 N 4 4 4 4 A Distant Project

48 I National Park Service Partnerships

Volunteers-In-Parks (VIP) Tourism Council of Frederick County and The park’s paid staff is supplemented Frederick Historic Sites Consortium though the Volunteers-In-Parks (VIP) These partnerships have typically involved program which provides volunteers to all promotion of special events and sharing park divisions. Volunteers during the past of information resources. Park staff has 10 years have donated an average of 10,400 also participated in reviews of brochures hours per year. The park plans to continue and exhibit plans. Participation involves this successful program by seeking addi- a regular time commitment that the park tional volunteer management support. A has not been able to maintain because full-time volunteer coordinator is desired of staff size. Many projects focus on the to maximize the potential use of volunteers City of Frederick and/or on historic sites. in the park and to explore the possibility of The park participates in the “Museums creating a volunteer friends organization. by Candlelight” event even though public Until a full-time volunteer coordinator is participation is low. Avenues of future available, the park will work towards creat- interests to explore include education, ing a tiered program of management with advertising large volunteer events, and an overall program coordinator supported marketing regional themes and activities. by operational volunteer recruiters, supervi- sors, and special project managers. The League for People with Disabilities; District of Columbia Public Schools; and Institutions Frederick County Public Schools (FCPS) Park staff work closely with a number of These three organizations are long-term federal, state, and local agencies, local or users of the park. The League and D.C. distant universities, and several non-profit Schools continue to rent group camp facili- entities. Park management plans to continue ties and FCPS regularly uses the park for and expand the following partnerships: outdoor school programs. Opportunities to increase NPS presence in these organiza- Maryland Department of Natural Resources tions will be explored depending on park NPS Director Mary Bomar stated at a staffing levels. Projects could include: recent National Leadership Council (NLC) meeting, “This meeting also marked the first • Provide NPS mission orientation to the joint meeting in many years with our state fifth grade geology program. Update the counterparts in the National Association of traveling trunk to meet FCPS needs and State Park Directors. We have many issues Catoctin interpretive themes. in common, but our major thrust was on • Developing a partnership with ‘Bringing Children Back to Nature.’ Many Thurmont Middle School to develop of our parks are already working with their interactive web pages or podcasts with/ state parks on this issue, and the NLC for kids. pledged to continue supporting this effort.” • Long-term goals would return the Outdoor School of FCPS to a residential Catoctin Mountain Park—with an increase camp or a multi-day field trip integrating in its interpretive staff—will explore the the NPS into their experience. following cooperative efforts with the state • Work with Environmental Science of Maryland’s Department of Natural Academy at Catoctin High School. Resources at Cunningham Falls State Park: • Cooperative Junior Ranger programs. The Catoctin Center for Regional Studies • Joint seasonal training and exchange of This partnership will likely remain in campfire programs. the form of individual project proposals • Concession sharing or crossover dependent on funding and staffing levels. In possibilities (e.g., sale of firewood, Fiscal Year 2008 Catoctin Mountain Park is expanding Eastern National sales to developing a podcast through the Catoctin both parks). Center to celebrate the seventy-fifth • Joint training/sharing of volunteers. anniversary of the New Deal.

Catoctin Mountain Park Long-Range Interpretive Plan I 49 Library Needs

Catoctin Mountain Park’s library consists of consist of oral history tapes, royalty-free approximately 1,200 volumes of hardbound music purchased, and royalty-free sound books, with other material in the form of effects downloaded from the internet. periodicals, bound and unbound reports, The park insect and herbarium col- binders of other papers and reports, and • Update the library scope of collections. lection are housed in curatorial cabi- nets at the visitor center. The collec- a host of other reference materials. It is Continue to cull library of dated materi- tion is managed by an interpretive recommended that park staff take the als (specifically, look at video tapes). ranger as a collateral duty. following steps to upgrade the library: • Make better use of the NPS library • Continue to digitize and upgrade/update catalog system Voyager and the NPS the image library. Focus public image library (including PMIS images). Define how Catoctin • Consider how best to manage audio files Mountain Park will participate in these and implement the strategy. Audio files Servicewide programs.

Collection Needs

Catoctin Mountain Park has more than The collection facilities have sufficient 1,300 objects in its museum collection, environmental controls to maintain the which consists of cultural resources, optimum environmental conditions (tem- artifacts, and natural resource specimens. perature, humidity, and light). The storage Historic artifacts include a variety of space is also adequate as of 2007. It is rec- blacksmith shop tools that relate to the ommended that park staff take the following Works Progress Administration and the steps to upgrade the park’s collections: Civilian Conservation Corps. These tools are stored in the park along with a small • Review historical documents and decide assortment of bottles, broken pottery, and to catalog or not catalog them as ar- metal objects that have been field collected chives. Review long-term storage needs over time. The archeological collection of historical documents. consists of a few stemmed points and a number of rhyolite flakes that are associated • Monitor development of a second re- with lithic tool making. There are also gional storage facility at/near Harpers archeological objects and documentation Ferry and consider use. from small surveys conducted in the park and a four-year parkwide survey began in • The Inventory and Monitoring program 2007. may have significant impact on park collection and storage. Needs to be closely The natural history collection currently monitored with Resource Management consists of a small insect collection staff. (butterflies and moths), a working herbarium, and items collected from a small • Investigate adding research documents/ mammal survey. As NPS resource inventory report to NPS Focus. and monitoring programs increase, the natural history collection will also continue • Complete the transcription of all oral his- to expand. tory tape recordings.

50 I National Park Service Research Needs Natural Resource Research • The next area of focus in the Inventory and Monitoring program will be insects. The Superintendent and management staff of Catoctin Mountain Park suggests the • A watershed condition assessment is following research needs: scheduled for 2009.

Historical research Social Science Research • Archeological survey, which has been • The last in-depth visitor survey was con- ongoing, will continue through 2011. ducted in 2002. The park should work towards conducting another in 2012. • Office of Strategic Services research project ongoing as of 2008. This study • Catoctin Mountain Park has long played may lead to identifying additional a role in environmental education. A research needs on the role Catoctin study to determine any relationships be- Mountain Park played in World War II. tween the loss of the Frederick County Public School overnight environmental • Special emphasis groups (i.e., women’s education programs and “nature deficit history, African American history, disorder” may help determine the park’s Hispanic heritage, Native American future role in outdoor education. history, etc.).

Youth Conservation Corps (YCC) enrollees learn basic job skills while participating in projects contributing to the renewal of the forest.

Catoctin Mountain Park Long-Range Interpretive Plan I 51 Implementation Plan

Actions, divided into annual, achievable steps are reproduced in the Annual Implementation Plan (AIP) (DO-6, page 6).

The measure of success of any plan is the extent to which it is implemented. Initial implementation of strategies needs to be both realistic and flexible. The charts on the following pages outline an initial blueprint for the park’s interpretive programs. Because funding opportunities and priorities often change, park management may need to adjust the implementation strategies to adapt to changing conditions.

The park interpretive staff and key park partners should meet each year to draft an Annual Implementation Plan (AIP) for each new fiscal year based on funding opportunities and coordination with other projects.

Catoctin Mountain Park Interpretive Media – Non-Personal Services

Short-Term Long-Term Out Years (6 & 7) Tasks 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015

Facilities Make alterations to the visitor center based on an Exhibit 4 4 Schematic Proposal for new exhibits.

Website Change the website’s link to the park map to go directly to the 2007 map, not its welcome page.

Adjust the statistics pages so that data can be kept on which of 2007 the site’s pages are used most.

Add a photo gallery to the park’s website, and add site/camp 4 slide shows to the park’s website.

Write PMIS statement for video podcasts 4

Add “flash files” with education curriculum materials, Junior 4 Ranger activities, etc.

Upgrade the site’s nature and science page to include research 4 results.

Look for partners, contractors, other staff, or volunteers to 4 4 4 4 4 assist in website maintenance.

Identity/Orientation Signs Arrange for NPS Sign Program staff to visit the park to survey 4 existing sign conditions, and provide a conditions plan that proposes a location for each new sign that is recommended.

Design a parkwide sign plan that identifies the park as a unit 4 of the National Park System and provides orientation for all visitors, whether they enter the park in a vehicle or on foot.

Secure funding and implement the parkwide sign plan as 4 described in the National Park Service UniGuide Sign Standards. The standards include park identity, motorist guidance, and visitor information signs. All NPS arrowhead logos should be updated to the new style.

Wayside Exhibits Request funding and for a parkwide wayside exhibit proposal, 4 a wayside exhibit plan, and production.

Once funding is secured for the proposal stage, arrange for a 4 HFC wayside exhibit planner to visit the park and—along with the park staff—develop a parkwide Wayside Exhibit Proposal.

Once funding is secured for the wayside planning stage, let a 4 contract through HFC to plan, design, and prepare production- ready files for all the newly proposed wayside exhibits.

Once funding is secured for the wayside production stage, let a 4 contract through HFC to produce and ship the final panels and bases to the park (for park maintenance to install).

Cost estimates for interpretive media can be provided by Harpers Ferry Center in a separate document; call (304) 535-5050 to request estimates.

52 I National Park Service Catoctin Mountain Park Interpretive Media – Non-Personal Services

Short-Term Long-Term Out Years (6 & 7) Tasks 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015

Exhibits Work with HFC to complete a preliminary Exhibit Schematic 4 Proposal for the existing visitor center (including exhibits that may extend outside the building) that will include a cost estimate.

Submit a PMIS statement for new exhibits in the park’s visitor 4 center. Within this submission, include estimates for a tactile map in the visitor center and new exhibits for the blacksmith shop.

Submit a PMIS statement or seek other funds for a front-end 4 evaluation project.

Consult with the State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) 4 about the historic portion/s of the park’s visitor center where potential new exhibits may be placed.

Compile resource notebooks (under guidance from HFC 4 media specialists) with images, objects, and a bibliography in preparation for planning and designing new exhibits.

Do a front-end evaluation to determine the knowledge and 4 needs of the park’s visitors.

Contract for planning and designing new exhibits for the park’s 4 visitor center.

After new exhibits’ planning and design is complete, contract 4 for the exhibits’ fabrication.

Complete the exhibits’ fabrication and install them in the park’s 4 visitor center.

Audiovisual Programs Produce a 15- to 20-minute orientation/interpretive video (and 4 4 4 a 7- to 12-minute version)

Submit a PMIS statement for an upgrade of the Audiovisual 4 equipment in theater to assure Audiovisual Accessibility for Visitors with Disabilities

Submit a PMIS statement to produce a series of video podcasts 4

Develop a podcast for the 75th Anniversary of the New Deal 4 with the Catoctin Center for Regional Studies

Submit a PMIS statement to produce a series of audio podcasts 4

Publications Develop a Publications Plan to justify adding and/or eliminating 4 Site Bulletins in the park.

Request that HFC update the map on the park’s unigrid 4 brochure before its next reprint. Assure that NCR’s handbook covers the resources at Catoctin 4 Mountain Park.

After the current PMIS statement for a NPS Handbook for 4 4 Catoctin Mountain Park is approved, contract (via HFC or ?) for an author and designer for this new publication.

Cost estimates for interpretive media can be provided by Harpers Ferry Center in a separate document; call (304) 535-5050 to request estimates.

Catoctin Mountain Park Long-Range Interpretive Plan I 53 Catoctin Mountain Park Personal Services

Short-Term Long-Term Out Years (6 & 7) Tasks 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015

Personnel/Staffing Needs Confirm that the park’s OFS Request is in NCR and that it 4 includes 3.7 positions (3.0 FTE for partnership development, volunteer program coordination, and information technology support; and 0.7 FTE for implementation of the White-tailed Deer Management Plan/EIS.)

Confirm that the park’s NPS Centennial Initiative seasonal 4 allotment includes four seasonal positions for the Interpretive Division.

Pursue funding and an additional FTE from WASO’s 4 4 4 4 4 4 Interpretation/ VIP Coordinator’s office for a full-time volunteer coordinator to be assigned to Catoctin Mountain Park.

Investigate challenge cost share or additional partnering 4 4 4 4 4 opportunities to maximize current personnel staffing.

Parkwide Reorganization When park entrance fees are initiated, Interpretation is to 4 4 4 4 4 4 manage fee collections. Fees may be collected in the visitor center or via a fee machine on the visitor center’s porch until a fee booth can be designed and constructed. (A seasonal position will be added to help collect fees.)

Remove all Law Enforcement responsibilities (but not the 4 4 4 positions) from Interpretation and consolidate all Law Enforcement responsibilities to the Law Enforcement Division.

A proposal to merge the Interpretation and Resource 4 4 Management Divisions together is under consideration; however, it is unlikely this would happen before 2012 or until budget supports it.

Interpretive Programs Establish a core level of interpretive/education programs and 4 visitor services for Catoctin Mountain Park.

In order to absorb Fee Collection duties, it may be necessary to 4 4 4 reduce types/frequency of interpretive programs.

If/when permanent and/or seasonal staff positions increase, 4 4 4 bring types/frequency of interpretive programs back up to core levels.

Devise a chart/matrix that describes the interpretive programs 4 levels that could be scheduled depending on the factors described in areas (2) and (3) above.

Visitor Center Hours and Staffing Consider closing the park’s visitor center on Wednesdays (the 4 4 4 4 4 4 “slowest” days) during the winter and spring and, perhaps, other times of the year. This would provide some flexibility in scheduling staff and/or may allow staff time for program/ product development.

Use Law Enforcement Rangers (when available) to cover the 4 4 4 visitor center’s information desk as part of their required Resource Education portion of their grade.

If/when the visitor center is closed (on Wednesdays, or Mondays 4 4 4 and Tuesdays), direct visitors on those days to the park’s headquarters building as a temporary visitor contact station (staffed by management and administration).

If/when the visitor center is closed, conduct a survey to ask 4 4 4 4 4 4 visitors and park staff about their reactions to the visitor center being closed on its slowest day/s.

Discussions on visitor center services and hours will depend on 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 the direction chosen for the Interpretive Division operations. It is preferred that funding and staffing levels fully support visitor services, education programs, interpretive opportunities, along with support and development of non-personal services. If this is not the case, decisions will need to be made balancing personnel and services.

Cost estimates for interpretive media can be provided by Harpers Ferry Center in a separate document; call (304) 535-5050 to request estimates.

54 I National Park Service Planning Team

Catoctin Mountain Park Mel Poole Superintendent Holly Rife Chief, Visitor Protection and Resource Education Sally Griffin Supervisory Park Ranger, Branch Chief of Resource Education Debbie Mills Park Ranger – Interpretation Don Stanley Park Ranger – Protection (assigned to Interpretation) Jim Voigt Biologist – Chief of Resource Management Becky Loncosky Biologist Marcia Johnson Property Manager – Administration Bob Wilhide Buildings and Utilities Foreman Jennie Pumphrey Visitor Use Assistant Brett Spaulding Park Ranger – Interpretation

National Capital Region Sue Hansen Chief of Interpretation and Education George Vasjuta Interpretive Specialist Pat Jones Chief of Interpretation, Manassas National Battlefield Sean Denniston GIS Specialist, NCR

Harpers Ferry Interpretive Design Center Jack Spinnler Interpretive Planner (Team Captain) Mark Southern Chief of Audiovisual Arts Michael Lacome Exhibit Designer Neil Mackay Exhibit Planner Mark Johnson Wayside Exhibit Planner Winnie Frost Project Manager Melissa Cronyn Chief of Publications

Park Partners Bob Robinson Park Volunteer, Catoctin Mountain Park Jacob Doyle Park Ranger, Cunningham Falls State Park Eddie Main Outdoor School Coordinator, Frederick County Public Schools

Catoctin Mountain Park Permanent and Seasonal staff for the 2007 Summer Season.

Catoctin Mountain Park Long-Range Interpretive Plan I 55 Appendices

“ . . . we can develop new and innovative strategies to help many people from many walks of life to get outdoors and engage in healthy, fun recreation. The overarching goal of the collaborative effort will be to reconnect our youth and their families with the land, to create a new generation of stewards, and improve the physical and mental health of our nation.”

—m a r y b o m a r , d i r e c t o r , n a t i o n a l p a r k s e r v i c e and g r e g b u t t s , p r e s i d e n t , n a t i o n a l association o f s t a t e p a r k d i r e c t o r s

56 I National Park Service Legal Requirements

Catoctin Mountain Park Long-Range Interpretive Plan I 57 58 I National Park Service Catoctin Mountain Park Long-Range Interpretive Plan I 59 Interpreters strive to educate visitors about elements of the Catoctin ecosystem, including the timber rattlesnake.

60 I National Park Service Catoctin Mountain Park Long-Range Interpretive Plan I 61 62 I National Park Service Catoctin Mountain Park Long-Range Interpretive Plan I 63 AGENCY REGULATIONS 1. 29 CFR 1910 part 1200 – Federal Hazard Communication 2. 36 CFR Parks, Forests and Public Property

DOI/NPS POLICIES AND GUIDELINES 1. Directors Orders 12 Environmental Impact Analysis 2. Directors Orders 13A Environmental Management Systems 3. Directors Orders 25 Land Protection 4. Directors Orders 30B Hazardous Spill Response Training 5. Directors Orders 48A Concession Management 6. Directors Orders 50B Occupations Safety and Health Program 7. Directors Orders 50C Public Risk Management Program 8. Directors Orders 77-2 Floodplain Management 9. Directors Orders 77-1 Wetland Protection 10. Directors Orders 77-7 Integrated Pest Management 11. Directors Orders 77-8 Endangered Species 12. Directors Orders 80 Facility Management 13. Directors Orders 83 Public Health 14. Hazardous Waste Management 15. Pollution Prevention Plan 16. Fuel Storage Management Handbook 17. Solid Waste Management Handbook 18. Environmental Audit Program Operation Guide 19. Responding to Hazardous Substances Releases Handbook

STATE LAWS 1. Environment Article, Title 9, Subtitle 3; COMAR 26.08.01 through 26.08.04. 2. Environment Article, Title 9, Subtitle 3; COMAR 26.08.03.02 3. Environment Article, Title 9; COMAR 26.03.12 4. Environment Article, Title 5, §5-203 and §5-501 through §5-514, Annotated Code of Maryland; COMAR 26.17.06 5. Environment Article Title 9, Subtitle 13; COMAR 26.04.04 6. Nontidal Wetlands (Nontidal Wetlands and Waterways Permits) 7. Erosion/Sediment Control and Stormwater Management Plan Approvals 8. Environment Article, Title 9, Subtitle 3: COMAR 26.08.04 9. Environment Article - Title 9, Subtitle 2, Annotated Code of Maryland; COMAR 26.04.07

64 I National Park Service “There is nothing so American as our national parks. … The fundamental idea behind the parks … is that the country belongs to the people, that it is in process of making for the enrichment of the lives of all of us.”

—p r e s i d e n t f r a n k l i n d. r o o s e v e l t

Left: Catoctin Mountain Park provides personal interpretation year round. An early snowfall blankets the fall foliage at Hog Rock parking area.

Right: Thousands of visitors come to Catoctin Mountain Park every year to experience the natural beauty and serenity of this national treasure.

Please reduce, reuse, and pass this publication along to other readers. National Park Service U.S. Department of the Interior

Catoctin Mountain Park 6602 Foxville Road Thurmont, MD 21788-0158

301-663-9388 www.nps.gov/cato

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