national trail stu dy and environm ental asses sm ent march 1 992 CORONADO E"PED IT IO N Arizona/New Mexico/Texas/Oklahoma/Kansas UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR NATIONAL PARK SERVICE SUMMARY h e ues of on ress the a ona a e e has s ud ed the US . o on of the At t e r q t C g , N ti l P rk S rvic t i p rti historic route of Francisco Vazquez de Coronado for possible inclusion in the National Trails — d led the s u do u men ed u o ean und e a n to ex s em. In 1540 42 o ona o Sy t , C r fir t f lly c t E r p rt ki g The s o a s n i an plore what wou ld later form the greater United States Sou thwest . hi t ric lly ig if c t n a e ed ou the e esen - d a a es of ona New e o e as expeditio tr v l thr gh fiv pr t y st t Ariz , M xic , T x , — wa f a oma and an as a ou ne of a o ma e m es . The e ed on s o Okl h , K s j r y ppr xi t ly il xp iti F r the u o maj or significance to Ame rican Indian and European peoples and cu ltu res . o E r eans the e ed on on u ed n o ma on a ou e ou s un no n me an nd an p , xp iti c trib t i f r ti b t pr vi ly k w A ric I i u es eo a da a on o t me a and d es r ons of o me an o a and cult r , g gr phic t N r h A ric , c ipti N rth A ric fl r “ F r the nd ans ma ed the e nn n of an in as on and on ues of e and s . auna . o f I i , it rk b gi i g v i c q t th ir l e es e i on and u u e e e o e e an ed . The s o of the e ed on and its Th ir liv , r l gi , c lt r w r f r v r ch g t ry xp iti esu s is one of u m and a e d and was s n an as a sem na e en in s a n r lt tri ph tr g y, it ig ific t i l v t h pi g the multicu ltu ral d evelopment of the area throu gh which it passed . e e ens e s o a and a eo o i a es ea and a se es of u s o n mee n s Aft r xt iv hi t ric l rch l g c l r rch ri p blic c pi g ti g , a a s u d e w a ed t a u i mmen eri d e s ons e e made a d o as e . e o o r ft tr il t y r p rt pr p r Af r p bl c c t p , r vi i w r to odu e s na e o esen s the esu t of an ana s s of the e i of the pr c thi fi l r p rt, which pr t r l s ly i ligibil ty The ou e was evalu rou te taken by Coronado as a national historic or national scenic trail . r t a ed in a o dan e e a s et o in the a ona a s s em of 1 968 as t cc r c with crit ri f rth N ti l Tr il Sy t Act , n f he act n a ns m nima e a for ame d ed or na ona s o a d es na on . e ause t o , ti l hi t ric tr il ig ti B c c t i i l crit ri e a ua n na ona s en a d es na on a set of e a was d e e o ed ased on the v l ti g ti l c ic tr il ig ti , crit ri v l p (b " Th a na act) and approved by the secretaries of the inte rior and agr icu lture in 1 969 . e N tio l " Trail Eligibility section of this d ocument provides a comple te list of the criteria for b oth national his toric and national scenic trail designation and an analysis of the Coronado rou te e a e to ea e n r l tiv ch crit rio . As de e m ned ou the ana s s is summa ed in s do umen the o onado t r i thr gh ly i , which riz thi c t, C r expedition rou te does not mee t the crite ria requ ired for national his to ric or scenic trail d esig na on . o e e e au se the e ed on is of na ona and in e na ona n an e o e ti H w v r, b c xp iti ti l t r ti l sig ific c , th r o ons for ommemo a n the e ed n n pti c r ti g xp itio shou ld be co sid ered . e a e na i es were d eveIO ed to esen d s n o ions to the u and on es s but Fiv lt r t v p pr t i ti ct pt p blic C gr , ’ e men s om ar ou s i ns u d n ed a en a a n a in the le t fr v i opt o co l be combi e d . F er l ag cy p rticip tio v ries a e na es om a ma o o e to n e a n n th as f m n an lt r tiv fr j r r l o f der l i vo lvement . O e b is o this d ocu e t d the u es onse on r ess m a oose to ena e is a on to m emen one or mo e of p blic r p , C g y ch ct l g l ti i pl t r the a e na i es or a om na on f th a l e m o e e na e s or to a e no a t on . The e a t a lt r t v c bi ti lt r tiv , t k c i fiv tives d s ussed and ana ed in s s ud are summa ed e No a e na e is identi i c lyz thi t y riz b low . lt r tiv ed as e e ed o e the o e fi pr f rr v r th rs . Alte rnative A: Coronado Exp e d ition Re se arch Commis s ion Congress wou ld es tab s a omm ss on om osed of e e s in f e ds su as a eo o s o ethno ra li h c i i c p xp rt i l ch rch l gy, hi t ry, g nd u a u a eo ra . Its u ose ou d be to oo d na e ana e s n es e phy, c lt r l g g phy p rp w l c r i t , lyz , y th iz , and publish additional in - depth research to identify the rou te of Coronad o and his a m as a u a e as oss Th r y cc r t ly p ible . e commission also wou ld coordinate a limited public edu a on and n e e e o am on a a ne s as s s a e o a a and c ti i t rpr tiv pr gr p rt r hip b i with t t , l c l, trib l r a e en t es The p iv t ti i . commission wou ld be re quired to comple te its research in five iii ea s . On the a s s of the add ona esea a ee a u a on of the na ona s or y r b i iti l r rch, r v l ti ti l hi t ic a e ou d b u n tr il ligibility c l e d ertake n . A te na e B : Na ona e ta e o do s a s ed on es the na ona l r tiv ti l H ri g C rri r E t bli h by C gr s, ti l corrid or would prese rve and interpre t significant cultu ral and national resources and s es in a n - it broad area .