Edge of the Cedars State Park Museum Resource Management Plan December 2002 -ii- -i- This page intentionally left blank. -ii- Acknowledgements Edge of the Cedars State Park Museum Resource Management Planning Team Dale Davidson, BLM, Monticello Phil Hall, Director, Nizhoni Bridges, Bluff Winston Hurst, Archeologist, Blanding Aldean Ketchum, White Mesa Rosie Long, Blanding Kelly McAndrews, Archeologist, Bluff Tim Smith, Southeast Regional Manager, Utah State Parks, Moab Deborah Stevenson, Park Manager, Blanding Other Participants Debbie Westfall, Museum Curator Teri Paul, Curator of Education Kathrina Perkins, Gift Shop Manager Carl Camp, Museum Curator, Territorial Statehouse State Park Karen Krieger, Heritage Coordinator, Utah State Parks Rosalind Bahr, Planner, Utah State Parks Jamie Dalton, Research Consultant, Utah State Parks Susan Zarekarizi, GIS Manager, Utah State Parks Clay Hamilton, Cultural Preservation Office, Hopi Tribe Mark Milligan, Geologist, Utah Geological Survey -iii- This page intentionally left blank. -iv- Preface Edge of the Cedars State Park Museum, representatives was formed to develop a located in the city of Blanding, Utah is a vision for the park and address these issues. unique park within the State Parks system. The team determined that actions are needed The park contains the site of an Ancestral to: Puebloan village, a modern museum and a • Help ensure that museum exhibits, research-oriented repository. programs and interpretive activities are dynamic, engaging, culturally The park’s central feature – Edge of the sensitive and scientifically accurate; Cedars Pueblo and Great Kiva – captured • Ensure that museum exhibits, the interest of early pioneer settlers and programs and related activities foster archaeologists. Over the past four decades respect, encourage participation and formal excavations and analyses by heighten awareness of the area’s archaeologists provided important diverse cultural heritage, history and information contributing to the its natural resources; interpretation of Ancestral Puebloan • Reinforce the museum’s image as a (Anasazi) lifeways within the region. premier regional archaeological repository that attracts and provides The museum is a regional education center appropriate access to the public and interpreting the cultures of the Four Corners researchers; area within the context of the Edge of the • Enhance community involvement Cedars pueblo. The museum interprets and participation while establishing additional themes including contemporary effective partnerships to provide a Native American life, current archaeological more secure foundation of support theory and discoveries, and natural history. for the museum. It also serves as the primary repository for archeological materials excavated from Team recommendations – contained in this public lands in southeastern Utah. plan - to resolve these issues were reached by consensus and included input from the In spite of the park’s significance, several public and other government agencies. problems need to be addressed. Many of the These recommendations will guide museum’s displays are dated, inaccurate and management of the park over the next need to be upgraded. There is a lack of decade. They are intended to be dynamic adequate information to help visitors fully and will evolve concurrently with park grasp the significance of the site - its needs as the plan’s goals are achieved. surrounding environment and its impact on the region’s rich cultural history and This Resource Management Plan (RMP) heritage. Finally, there are concerns that is required by the Utah State Legislature and more can be done to strengthen partnerships the Board of the Utah Division of Parks and and involvement with Native American Recreation to guide short and long term site groups, the local community, park management and capital development. The stakeholders and others affected by the park. planning process recommends limits of acceptable change or modification, and a Strategies are needed to address these future vision for the park. Specifically, the concerns. An Edge of the Cedars State Park process: (1) recognizes the educational Museum Resource Management Team, and scientific value of the park’s consisting of cultural resource experts, local resources and responsibility of the staff to residents, community leaders and agency meet the park’s education and research- -v- based mission; (2) recognizes impacts will result from use and enjoyment of the site; (3) questions how much and what types of impacts may be accommodated while providing reasonable protection of the resources for future visitors; (4) seeks sustained quality and value; and (5) seeks to determine the conditions under which this can be attained. Recommendations contained within this plan will be implemented under the direction of the Utah Division of Parks and Recreation. This plan is intended to be a useful, workable document that will guide management of the park for the next 5 to 10 years. -vi- Table of Contents Introduction Acknowledgements.................................................................................................................. iii Preface .......................................................................................................................................v List of Figures and Maps ..........................................................................................................ix Executive Summary.......................................................................................................................1 Mission and Vision Statements.....................................................................................................5 Mission Statement .....................................................................................................................5 Vision Statement........................................................................................................................6 Resource Management Plan Purpose and Process .....................................................................7 Purpose of the Plan ....................................................................................................................7 The Planning Process.................................................................................................................7 About the Park ..............................................................................................................................9 Park History...............................................................................................................................9 Physical Setting and Facilities .................................................................................................10 Relationship to the Community and Surrounding Areas.........................................................11 Demographics and Socioeconomic Impact..............................................................................13 Resource Data ..............................................................................................................................15 Cultural Resource Inventory....................................................................................................15 Visitor Survey Results .................................................................................................................37 Survey Highlights ....................................................................................................................37 Issues and Recommendations .....................................................................................................39 Education and Information ......................................................................................................40 Cultural Resource Management...............................................................................................46 Facilities Development ............................................................................................................48 Collections Management .........................................................................................................49 Community Involvement .........................................................................................................49 Staffing.....................................................................................................................................51 Funding, Partnerships, Networking .........................................................................................52 Conclusion ....................................................................................................................................55 References.....................................................................................................................................57 Maps..............................................................................................................................................65 Appendices....................................................................................................................................69 Appendix A: Guidelines for Archeological Research and Management -vii- This page intentionally left blank. -viii- List of Graphs, Figures, Tables and Maps Graphs Graph 1: Edge of the Cedars State Park Museum Annual Visitation 1980 – 2001................11 Graph 2: Edge of the Cedars State Park Museum Annual Visitation 1980 – 2001................11