0-:3"­ File: Salem Mariltine. • The Project Study of Alternatives -), J ~CHN\CAl INFORMATION CENID'l ON MICROfiLM DENVER SERVICE CENTER SCANNED NATIONAL PARK SERVICE --, OSC-PGr ...J. /?JOI"",..son United States Department of the Interior NATIONAL PARK SERVICE Salem Maritime National Historic Site it: IN REFLY REFER TO: 174 Derby Street Salem, Massachusetts 01970 (508) 744-4323 REC'O·OSC·PGT TECH. INFO. CTR. AUG 211991 July 31, 1991 On behalf of th~ National Park Service, we would like you to have a copy of the SaleM Project Study of Alternatives. On June 19th of this year, the U.S. Congress officially received the Study. Now that the Study has been tranSMitted to Congress, we can release the full docuMent with its technical background inf~r.ation to you. We hope as you read this dOCUMent that you will becoMe Mare aware and fully appreCiate the breadth and Quality of resources located in Essex County. If you have any Questions or concerns, please write or call Cynthia Pol~lack. Our door is always open. ~~~ Cynthia Pollack Project Director ~f.ff Planning Director The Sale. Project The SaleM Project ------------~~ ~-~-~- , ''',I ., NATIONAL PARK SERVICE PLANNING TEAM RECOMMENDED ACTION FOR THE SALEM PROJECT STUDY OF ALTERNATIVES • The enclosed Study ojAlternatives for the Salem Project explores several alternative ways of preserving the rich cultural heritage of Salem, Massachusetts, and related sites in Essex County, and using the county's significant resources to stimulate cultural awareness and economic development through tourism. The Salem Project is based out of Salem Maritime National Historic Site, a 9-acre site along the Salem waterfront that has outstanding resources to initiate a nationally significant story of America's early settlement, maritime era, and early industrial development. However, this story could be greatly enhanced through the preservation and inteIpretation of an uncommonly rich collection of closely related resources in the 34 communities of Essex County. The two complementary puIpOses of the Salem Project are to enhance the story to be told at Salem Maritime by preserving and inteIpreting closely related resources throughout the county and to use the national historic site as a catalyst for expanding the county's tourism industry. The preservation and inteIpretation of the resources important to the Salem Project would help complete several themes of our national history that are now only weakly represented within the national palk system, most notably the settlement of New England, the naval aspects of the Revolutionary War, export-import trade, the leather industry, and certain important aspects of the textile industry. The intent of the Salem Project is not for the National PaIx Service to acquire additional property, but rather for private and public property owners and all levels of govemment to cooperatively pursue the kind of management that will preserve important resources, provide unified inteIpretation of a nationally significant story, and ultimately enhance the qUality of life in Essex County communities. The study describes four alternative ways of linking various combinations of resources for preservation and inteIpretation of some or all of the project themes. Alternative 1 would confine the project to the city of Salem, where it would address all three themes of early settlement, the maritime era, and the leather and textile industries. Alternative 2 would extend the project to all the coastal communities in Essex '.," County and concentrate on the themes of early settlement and the maritime era. Alternatives 3 and 4 would include all of the county and inteIpret all three themes; in alternative 4, secondary inteIpretive • centers would supplement the main visitor center at Salem. We recommend alternative 4. This alternative would preserve and tell a unified story of all the county's outstanding resources related to America's early settlement, maritime era, and textile and leather industries, greatly enhancing visitors' understanding and appreciation of this nationally significant story. Salem Project managers would wolk closely with existing private and public property owners to preserve and inteIpret resources, rather than acquiring properties. Existing inteIpretive programs, which are extensive, would be inCOIpOrated into the project. Salem would be the project focus and contain the major visitor center, where all the themes would be interrelated to tell one unified story and where visitors would receive information about theme tours throughout the county. Two secondary inteIpretive centers would be established in Lawrence and HaveIhill, where preeminent textile and leather industry resources are located. These secondary centers would provide in-depth inteIpretation of the leather and textile industry themes, which can be introduced but not addressed as thoroughly in Salem. Tourism could be sensitively distributed throughout the county, giving an economic boost to many communities in need of revitalization. Compared to the other alternatives, this alternative would preserve the greatest number of significant resources and tell the most complete and comprehensive story, providing the greatest benefit to Salem Maritime National Historic Site and the public. It would also provide an economic stimulus to the largest number of communities, and the greatest boost to the communities most in need of assistance. The study also looked at three alternatives for how the Salem Project could be managed. These were (1) a partnership coordinated by the National 'park Service, (2) a state commission, and (3) a federal commission. Any of these management alternatives would be compatible with any of the preservation and inteIpretation alternatives described above. Private citizens and all levels of govermnent would all ",I be active participants under any of these alternatives. We recommend alternative 3. This alternative calls .' for a federal commission, to be authorized by Congress, to manage the Salem Project. The commission would include representatives of private citizens and organizations. local communities. and regional. state. and federal governments. The National PaIk Service would participate on the commission; however. the commission would have its own staff. separate from the PaIk Service. to accomplish its work. "The PaIk Service could assist the commission by accomplishing appropriate projects and • providing technical assistance. The commission would receive funds through federal appropriations. which would be matched by nonfederal funds; howeyer. the private sector would be expected to be the major source of funds needed to implement the project The commission could seek and accept donations of funds. property. or services from individuals. foundations. corporations. and other private entities. as well as from the public sector. for the purpose of carrying out its duties. The federal commission would be the most appropriate management entity for this complex. multijurisdictional project based out of a unit of the national park system. Such a commission could most efficiently cut across federal, state. and local boundaries and define the roles of the participants for efficient project operation. Federal funds could be tailored to the specific needs of the project rather than having to rely on existing programs. Limited federal capital improvement or land acquisition funding would be proposed. and no single participant. including the federal government. would be expected to carry the project alone. The commonwealth of Massachusetts and numerous other agencies. organizations.' and private citizens have already demonstrated strong monetary and time commiunents to the project that would be expected to continue under this alternative. In the interim. while the formal federal commission was being established, the project could be managed by an informal partnership coordinated by the National PaIk Service. This interim management strategy could be implemented with only minor restructuring of the current participation by the PaIk Service and the Salem Partnership to allow planning and consensus-building to proceed. The estimated costs to the National PaIk Service for improvements to Salem Maritime National Historic Site over the next three years are projected to be between $6.5 million and $14 million per year. Resource areas outside the national historic site boundaries would be assisted with funding through the federal commission. which would focus on utilizing existing assistance programs as much as possible. Private and other public investments directly related to the Salem Project have been extensive. The Salem Partnership has provided an impetus for private investments in downtown Salem that to date • total $57 million. The city of Salem and the Salem Partnership have contributed funds to several related planning efforts. The Massachusetts Department of Enviroumental Management has allocated more than $17.5 million for heritage state paIks directly related to the Salem Project. with the possibility of establishing additional paIks in the county in the future. An active partnership has already been established which. through the direction of the federal commission. should become even stronger and more viable. As directed in the Study of Alternatives the project is being implemented by first preparing a general management plan for Salem Maritime National Historic Site and related resources in Salem and by completing the Salem Project visitor center. The next planning phase should