NATIONAL PARK SERVICE • U.S. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR RESOURCE STEWARDSHIP STRATEGY SUMMARY ROCK CREEK PARK DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA SEPTEMBER 2018 CONTENTS Chapter 1: Introduction and Overview .................................................................................................................. 1 Rock Creek Park .............................................................................................................................................. 1 Legislated Park Unit Managed by Rock Creek Park ............................................................................................................... 1 Associated Park Sites Managed by Rock Creek Park ............................................................................................................. 1 Brief Description of Rock Creek Park and Associated Sites .................................................................................................... 2 Park Purpose .................................................................................................................................................... 5 Park Significance .............................................................................................................................................. 6 Resource Stewardship Strategy Overview ......................................................................................................... 8 Relationship with Other Park Plans ................................................................................................................... 9 Chapter 2: Resource Stewardship Strategy Process ............................................................................................. 11 Purpose and Intent of the Summary ............................................................................................................... 11 Resource Stewardship Strategy Process ......................................................................................................... 11 Development of this Resource Stewardship Strategy ...................................................................................... 13 Assembling the RSS Team and Gathering Information ........................................................................................................ 13 Conducting the Workshop ................................................................................................................................................. 13 Scholarly and Technical Information Used to Inform the RSS Process .................................................................................. 14 Preparing Annual Work Plans ......................................................................................................................... 17 Chapter 3: Key Park Stressors and Issues ............................................................................................................. 19 Stressors ........................................................................................................................................................ 19 Impacts of Key Stressors ................................................................................................................................................... 19 Chapter 4: Priority Resources and Identified Components ................................................................................. 23 Park Priority Resources .................................................................................................................................. 23 Cultural Resources ........................................................................................................................................ 23 Cultural Landscapes .......................................................................................................................................................... 24 Historic Structures ............................................................................................................................................................. 24 Archeological Resources .................................................................................................................................................... 25 Museum Collections .......................................................................................................................................................... 25 Ethnographic Resources .................................................................................................................................................... 26 Natural Resources .......................................................................................................................................... 27 Aquatic System ................................................................................................................................................................. 28 Terrestrial Communities ..................................................................................................................................................... 29 Night Skies and Natural Sounds ......................................................................................................................................... 30 Chapter 5: Stewardship Goals and High-Priority Activities ................................................................................ 31 Chapter 6: Other Identified Stewardship Activities ............................................................................................ 41 Chapter 7: Ongoing Implementation of the Resource Stewardship Strategy ................................................... 51 Resource Stewardship Strategy Summary | Rock Creek Park | District of Columbia | i Appendixes ............................................................................................................................................................ 53 Appendix A: Resource Stewardship Strategy Glossary ..................................................................................... 53 Appendix B: Bibliography ............................................................................................................................... 55 Authored Texts .................................................................................................................................................................. 55 Appendix C: Reference Documents Organized by Priority Resources .............................................................. 57 Cultural Landscapes .......................................................................................................................................................... 57 Historic Structures ............................................................................................................................................................ 57 National Register of Historic Places ................................................................................................................................... 58 Archeological Resources .................................................................................................................................................... 59 Museum Collections .......................................................................................................................................................... 59 Ethnographic Resources .................................................................................................................................................... 59 Natural Resources ............................................................................................................................................................. 59 Appendix D: Additional Stewardship Activities ................................................................................................ 61 Appendix E: Participants and Contributors ...................................................................................................... 73 Rock Creek Park ................................................................................................................................................................ 73 National Capital Region .................................................................................................................................................... 73 Other NPS Programs .......................................................................................................................................................... 73 Denver Service Center ....................................................................................................................................................... 73 TABLES Table 1. Select Resource Planning Efforts Used in Developing the Resource Stewardship Strategy ................ 9 Table 2. Future Plans Identified in the 2017 Resource Stewardship Strategy ..................................................... 9 Table 3a. Long-Term Goals, Short-Term Goals, and High-Priority Stewardship Activities for Priority Resource—Park Resources (Overall) .................................................................................................................... 31 Table 3b. Long-Term Goals, Short-Term Goals, and High-Priority Stewardship Activities for Priority Resource—Cultural Landscapes ..........................................................................................................................