Navajo National Monument U.S

National Park Service Navajo National Monument U.S. Department of the Interior Arizona Final General Management Plan • Environmental Impact Statement Final General Management Plan - Environmental Impact Statement Navajo National Monument Navajo County, Arizona This Final General Management Plan/Environmental Impact Alternative C–Emphasize Partnerships (Preferred) The Statement describes and analyzes a proposed action and two National Park Service would carefully manage the existing land alternatives for managing and using Navajo National Monument. base and in addition would share common goals with American The plan is intended to provide a foundation to help park Indian tribes and others to protect resources and promote visitor managers guide programs and set priorities for resource understanding of the entire region. The NPS would look beyond stewardship, visitor understanding, partnerships, facilities, and the boundary for accomplishing joint purposes through operations. The plan will guide management of the monument cooperation and partnerships. Opportunities for more for the next 15–20 years. innovative and diverse programs, education and outreach, cross training, and broader resource management would be greatly The central questions of the plan are how resources will be enhanced by a collaborative regional effort. protected for future generations, how visitor understanding will be improved, how associated American Indian tribes will be This document also discusses the potential consequences of each more fully recognized and involved with the monument, and alternative’s actions on cultural and natural resources, visitor what facilities, staff, and funding will be needed to fulfill the plan. experience and understanding, remoteness, socio- economics, and monument operations. Alternative A would provide Alternative A: (No Action) The National Park Service would adequate protection of natural and cultural resources and continue existing management practices, resulting in current remoteness and contribute to the local economy, but would resource conditions and visitor experiences and the logical continue to see adverse effects on visitor understanding and progression of known trends over time. It is required as a monument operations. Alternative B would improve all of these baseline against which the other alternatives can be compared. areas, with greatest benefits to visitor understanding and Alternative B: Focus on NPS Land The National Park Service monument operations. Alternative C would be similar to would focus management on the existing land base to achieve the Alternative B, but with stronger protection of resources and purposes of the monument. Primary resource protection and remoteness, owing to proactive partnerships that would address visitor understanding would be accomplished on the three resource protection comprehensively. Alternative C also offers federal units at Betatakin, Keet Seel, and Inscription House. the greatest opportunity for broadening visitor understanding Improvements to resource protection would be made with through partnerships with associated American Indian tribes. additional NPS ranger patrol staff and ranger stations. Visitor For questions, concerns, or comments about this document, understanding would be improved with a larger visitor center, contact Superintendent, Navajo National Monument, HC 71, Box more trails and overlooks, and more outdoor exhibits and 3, Tonalea, AZ 86044- 9704, phone (520) 672- 2700, or on the web interpretive rangers on the mesa top at Betatakin. at http://planning.nps.gov/plans.cfm. SUMMARY PURPOSE OF THE PLAN local interest in economic development find common goals with the monument? How can communication with tribes be This Final General Management Plan/Environmental Impact improved? Statement describes and analyzes a proposed action and two • Facilities and Operations. What facilities, staff, and funding will alternatives for managing and using Navajo National be needed to fulfill the plan? Local staff is extremely valuable and Monument. The plan is intended to provide a foundation to needs to be recruited and retained. Recruitment from other tribes help park managers guide programs and set priorities for is needed. resource stewardship, visitor understanding, partnerships, facilities and operations. The alternative that is chosen as the plan will guide management of the monument for the next 15– PREFERRED ALTERNATIVE C– 20 years. EMPHASIZE PARTNERSHIPS The National Park Service would carefully manage the CENTRAL QUESTIONS OF THE PLAN existing land base and in addition would share common goals The central questions of the plan are: with American Indian tribes and others to protect resources and promote visitor understanding of the entire region. The • Resource Stewardship. How will resources be protected for NPS would look beyond the boundary for accomplishing future generations? Unauthorized access and vandalism threaten joint purposes through cooperation and partnerships. destruction of the cliff dwellings. Pressure for more access may Opportunities for more innovative and diverse programs, threaten resources. Artifacts in museum storage need better education and outreach, cross training, and broader resource protection, and there are American Indian concerns about management would be greatly enhanced by a collaborative repatriation. Activities on adjacent land affect resources and regional effort. remoteness. • Visitor Understanding. How will visitor understanding be Resource Stewardship improved? What messages should visitors leave the monument CULTURAL RESOURCES with? Opportunities to more broadly interpret cultures are being missed. How much access should be provided to the cliff • Protect for future generations dwellings? What opportunities are there for visitors who do not • Consult with tribes go to the cliff dwellings? Opportunities for youth and for people • Repatriate appropriate artifacts through NAGPRA with disabilities are very limited at the present time. • Increase NPS ranger patrol prevent vandalism, provide • Partnerships. How will associated American Indian tribes be interpretation, and monitor resource conditions more fully recognized and involved with the monument? Can i SUMMARY • Seek agreements and partnerships to prevent vandalism BACKCOUNTRY • Improve on- site care and storage of artifacts, provide holding • The NPS and the Navajo Nation Parks and Recreation space for some tribal artifacts, and consolidate most of collection Department will work together on a joint plan following the GMP at a regional curatorial facility that would go into detail about managing the visitor opportunities NATURAL RESOURCES and access to Betatakin, Keet Seel, and Inscription House. • Betatakin • Enable natural systems, promote native species, protect threatened and endangered species, encourage appropriate –Offer more guided tours per day (NPS or partner) –Extend season scientific research –Continue access via Tsegi Point for foreseeable future; reopening Aspen • Increase NPS natural resource staff and partnerships to Forest Trail may be considered in the future, but will require further accomplish goals study of safety and environmental analysis of potential impacts. ETHNOGRAPHIC RESOURCES • Keet Seel • Continue access for traditional cultural use by associated tribes –Extend season for permits within law and policy –Continue primitive campground outside of monument –Continue limited access within alcove, subject to further study in the Visitor Experience and Understanding backcountry management plan FRONT COUNTRY • Inscription House –Seek agreements to allow limited tours by NPS or partners • Access for traditional cultural purposes will continue through the issuance of special use permits where necessary Partnerships • Remodel visitor center, new exhibits and AV, expand rim trails, • Consult regularly with individual associated tribes, government to improve opportunities for people with disabilities, expand government opportunities for youth • Establish an American Indian consultation committee • Involve tribes in interpretive programs, skills demonstrations, • Seek agreements with tribes and others, such as student interns special events and universities, for a wide variety of activities including resource • Maintain camping and picnicking, improve accessibility protection, guided tours, educational outreach, research, craft demonstrations, etc. ii SUMMARY Facilities and Operations • Sixteen total permanent (including new law enforcement ranger, management assistant to develop partnerships, resource manager, FACILITIES preservation specialist, curator) • Remodel VC (5,000 SF), add new exhibits, and AV programs • Fifteen to seventeen seasonals • Increase front country trails (to 4 miles) ESTIMATED COSTS • Maintain campground, picnic area • Annual Operating Cost—$1,190,000 • Build a ranger station at Inscription House • Total Capital Cost—Net Construction—$6.1 million • Keet Seel campground remains outside boundary • Land Protection Cost—purchase or exchange of headquarters • Build new administration building (3,200 SF) unit, conservation easements • Build curatorial storage (2,000 SF) • Expand maintenance with fire cache, four shop bays, covered OTHER ALTERNATIVES CONSIDERED parking Alternative A: (No Action) • Expand NPS housing with a duplex and 4- plex, plus trailer pads for volunteers, researchers This alternative would continue existing management practices, resulting in current resource conditions and visitor • Rehabilitate utilities experiences

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