Management Document

FY 04 Annual Report
Grant-Kohrs Ranch National Historic Site
The nation's ranch…a ranch for all seasons

Prepared by Laura Rotegard-Superintendent, March 2005

Executive Summary

Park Accomplishments
Resources Protection
• Major Warren Ranch features restored, all feedlots barns, sheds, gates
• Record of Decision signed for Superfund site with prescriptions for restoration to NPS standards.
• 80/90 historic structures in fair/good condition from API evaluation
• Weed reduction from Cows & Weeds program excellent, reducing herbicide use
substantially, and maintaining excellent herd health.
• National Register Status for Warren Ranch achieved.
• Cultural Landscape Report for entire site completed, both ranch complexes

Community Relationships
• Park staff as local Preservation Officer and others on committee, have mobilized
business and city leadership support for historic preservation. Actively
participating in Rotary, the Chamber and local Arts Society along with park
staff well invested in leadership roles in community, maintains positive
interaction and engagement.
• Grant-Kohrs Ranch has been reinstated in the community's support. City/Park
relations were strained and comments and actions now indicate that civic leadership
is behind the ranch completely.

Staff Achievements
• Three key staff completed Emerging Leaders training. Staff have improved the
entire park safety record, launched new successful events and enriched others,
grant success is up 75%, creative solutions for ranch management are flowing,
records and public information are better organized, volunteer program satisfaction
and increases in hours has improved.

Visitor Services
• Satisfaction is high, based on intense personal services and creative programs.
• Volunteerism is up from 2003, 69 people giving 2872 hours, mostly in the events,
and assistance with the haying and ranching functions.
• Visitation is up 11% over 2003, primarily due to new events and greater regional
attendance at existing programs, like Heritage Days.

*************

Spaz chowing down on Spotted Knapweed

Summer resource staff built a float demonstrating how the Effluent Project works. They won 1st place in Deer Lodge's largest annual parade, for their provocative creativity.

Challenges for FY 05
Resources Protection
• Maximizing settlement process with EPA to get adequate funding to implement restoration of Clark Fork river area to the satisfaction of NPS standards.
• Managing the Ranch's base budget to sustain a preventative historic preservation maintenance program, rather than one driven project by project using crisis justification.
• Negotiating a protection strategy for major viewshed outside park boundaries with new owner, per General Management Plan direction, with a national land trust partner
Community Relationships
• Implementing a new 3 year agreement with City of Deer Lodge that doubles their cost of doing business on the Effluent Project.
• Developing links to broader Montana culture and western heritage/ranching community through established organizations, such as Montana Stockgrowers, The Bar U Ranch in Alberta, Canada and the Western Folklife Center in Elko, Nevada.
• Developing a planning team to develop the 2007 Grant-Kohrs Ranch 30th Anniversary Cattle Drive with 6 identified partners.
Staff Management
• Supporting new Chief to keep creative vision of Interpretation/Education expanding and growing towards the 2007 30th anniversary of the park.
• Bridging gap between retirement of exceptional, long term employee(s)
• Maintaining a no accident/incident year, in an inherently dangerous environment of a working ranch with expanding numbers of volunteers and seasonal staff
Visitor Services
• Developing a Friends group with effective fundraising ability to support and advocate for management needs.
• Immediate resolution to meeting the site's law enforcement needs
• Continuing to work towards major funding of Warren Barn restoration as intended and needed visitor center, through program development and design work with Montana State University, School of Architecture. Use of the Warren Barn will ensure its preservation, provide adequate visitor orientation, dedication space for permanent and rotating museum exhibits, efficient staff and volunteer work areas, gallery space, an education room, defined cooperative association sales space, and rest rooms that are fully accessible.
• Improve the current contact station to increase service, staff working conditions, and increase sales.
• Make this a "Ranch for All Seasons" with the addition of an annual fall and spring event to complement the annual summer and winter events.
• Develop partnerships and the Volunteers-In-The-Parks program for increased programming efficiency and special events.

************

Fiscal Year 2004- Issues and Resolutions
The park faced issues on a number of fronts this year: threats to resources protection, providing basic visitor services and maintaining a safe working environment for staff and visitors. Additionally, the park joined our NPS colleagues in reaching a crisis in our budget system. Like many units that had not previously analyzed its fixed costs, the park discovered that FY05 would bring a 96% fixed costs wall that the park could not climb over. Steps are being taken to address this issue and in 2005, the park is operating at 87% fixed costs with a formal analysis underway to further business efficiencies.

RESOURCES THREATS
1) A 5 year Cooperative Agreement with the City of Deer Lodge to spray sewage effluent on park land, expired in September 2004. Anxiety about continuing this beneficial arrangement for the City, and under what terms, dominated the six months of the Superintendent's start. The park explored new instruments where financial complexities were lessened, analyzed costs (in 2004 NPS bore 89%), and analyzed the science in the monitoring process. Although nitrates are significantly lessened in the river, arsenic is 'mobilizing' from the watering process, not reaching groundwater or the river at this time. The staff gathered information from state DEQ and reviewed NPS policy. The park will continue to provide service to the City, but in a modified financial arrangement and a 2008 sunset date. The new 3 year agreement splits costs 50/50 and seeks exit once the City meets State Code in 2008, which they are pursuing with a contracted engineering analysis, design alternatives and federal funding, new efforts for them this summer.

2) The park has a wholly inadequate fire suppression and alarm system for 90 structures, 87 of them on the National Register. Structural Fire agreements are in place with Deer Lodge VFD, with drills needed to increase confidence levels. PMIS statements are in, but this remains a significant concern since an onsite caretaker (and the housing) was removed from the site in 2001.

3) New ownership of the 56,000 acre neighboring ranch, Rock Creek Cattle Co., opened the door for renewed discussion of a feasible protection strategy for a 1400 acre viewshed area identified in the park's 1993 General Management Plan. The viewshed lies wholly on Rock Creek land and forms the western backdrop of views and activities of the entire ranch. These lands were historically part of the Kohrs Ranch until 1919 when the larger 33,000 acre Kohrs home ranch was consolidated to its present day 1600 acres. Time was spent preparing an approach to the new owner, which was made in December 2004. We await a working, face to face meeting.

4) The definition of "working ranch," as mandated by enabling legislation, has many different identities and definitions. The confusion surrounding an appropriate definition for the park has led to frustration and rapid turnover in staff directly responsible for implementing daily ranch decisions, the Chief of Resources, and the ranch worker positions. The park created a survey instrument (moving through OMB approval) and delivered it to 70 local ranchers to gather input on what definition is most preferred. The park will continue to distribute this survey to visitors and a wider constituency, as the park strives to meet NPS policies and operate a working ranch. Without guidance, incremental damage to rangelands is likely from water, fertilizer, hay crop and herd mis-management, interpretation is misdirected, and position management is hampered.

5) The 12 year EPA/Superfund process reached a real milestone in May, with the release of the Record of Decision for the Upper Clark Fork River, which the park is a special unit of. Although technology is not perfect in the restoration process being prescribed, in 2007-2009, the park will be stripped of contaminated soils and vegetation and reconstructed along an historic baseline. The next phase of negotiation, reaching financial settlement, is delayed but anticipated to be settled by June 2005. Early indications are that ARCO/BP, the responsible party, will provide the needed funds to implement the remedy/restoration plan. Pessimism remains in the science community that the prescription will not alleviate the arsenic and cadmium pollution remaining in the soil system that continues to flush into the river.

6) Immediate resolution providing law enforcement support has not been found. Analysis continues to contradict itself as to whether or not this park needs a wholly committed Law Enforcement full time equivalent (FTE) or some mixture of collateral or seasonal support. The existing Level 2 collateral duty employee will not qualify to serve in 2005.

VISITOR SERVICES AND STAFF MANAGEMENT
7) Safety consciousness needed a huge boost summer 2004 with a near fatal accident of a maintenance worker and near misses abundant in the largest summer staff in years, (45 seasonals/permanents +event volunteers). The park adjusted quickly and revitalized the safety committee, division leads instituted morning safety chats and an events safety checklist was created. A stand down was put in place until the one major accident could be evaluated and changes could be made. The remainder of the year was successfully quiet, but this is an ongoing concern with a working environment that includes a sophisticated historic preservation workshop, (lots of machines) livestock management of 96 head of cattle and 12 horses, and a sprawling layout on rural ranch lands that visitors roam about in freely.

8) The PMDS, PMIS, OFS, FMSS, AFS, CAC/ACA, PEPC and 17 other database management systems, integrated, not integrated, cross-walked and updated, has taxed the staff's abilities and limits of a small park operation. Even with talented staff maximizing time management skills, division chiefs and their seconds are spending nearly 50% of their time reporting to and maintaining these databases. Operation Financial System (OFS) requests are in to Congress for additional support staff, with relief unlikely from this source. Circuit riding specialists have been proposed through various lead offices in WASO. Waiting to hear.

9) The park needs and has been chosen in 2005 to undergo a full Business Plan Analysis with strategies developed to hold fixed costs at 80% or less over the next 5 years. The park will host 2 MBA students, summer 2005, to accomplish this.

10) The park is 28 years without a decent visitor orientation facility. The Warren Barn proposal is being pursued and is hoped to be funded sometime in the 2008 cycle as a restoration project.

FY 04 Annual Report Grant-Kohrs Ranch National Historic Site The nation's ranch…a ranch for all seasons Prepared by Laura Rotegard-Superintendent, March 2005
Executive Summary Park Accomplishments Resources Protection • Major Warren Ranch features restored, all feedlots barns, sheds, gates • Record of Decision signed for Superfund site with prescriptions for restoration to NPS standards. • 80/90 historic structures in fair/good condition from API evaluation • Weed reduction from Cows & Weeds program excellent, reducing herbicide use substantially, and maintaining excellent herd health. • National Register Status for Warren Ranch achieved. • Cultural Landscape Report for entire site completed, both ranch complexes Community Relationships • Park staff as local Preservation Officer and others on committee, have mobilized business and city leadership support for historic preservation. Actively participating in Rotary, the Chamber and local Arts Society along with park staff well invested in leadership roles in community, maintains positive interaction and engagement. • Grant-Kohrs Ranch has been reinstated in the community's support. City/Park relations were strained and comments and actions now indicate that civic leadership is behind the ranch completely. Staff Achievements • Three key staff completed Emerging Leaders training. Staff have improved the entire park safety record, launched new successful events and enriched others, grant success is up 75%, creative solutions for ranch management are flowing, records and public information are better organized, volunteer program satisfaction and increases in hours has improved. Visitor Services • Satisfaction is high, based on intense personal services and creative programs. • Volunteerism is up from 2003, 69 people giving 2872 hours, mostly in the events, and assistance with the haying and ranching functions. • Visitation is up 11% over 2003, primarily due to new events and greater regional attendance at existing programs, like Heritage Days. *************

				Spaz chowing down on Spotted Knapweed


				Summer resource staff built a float demonstrating how the Effluent Project works. They won 1st place in Deer Lodge's largest annual parade, for their provocative creativity.

Challenges for FY 05 Resources Protection • Maximizing settlement process with EPA to get adequate funding to implement restoration of Clark Fork river area to the satisfaction of NPS standards. • Managing the Ranch's base budget to sustain a preventative historic preservation maintenance program, rather than one driven project by project using crisis justification. • Negotiating a protection strategy for major viewshed outside park boundaries with new owner, per General Management Plan direction, with a national land trust partner Community Relationships • Implementing a new 3 year agreement with City of Deer Lodge that doubles their cost of doing business on the Effluent Project. • Developing links to broader Montana culture and western heritage/ranching community through established organizations, such as Montana Stockgrowers, The Bar U Ranch in Alberta, Canada and the Western Folklife Center in Elko, Nevada. • Developing a planning team to develop the 2007 Grant-Kohrs Ranch 30th Anniversary Cattle Drive with 6 identified partners. Staff Management • Supporting new Chief to keep creative vision of Interpretation/Education expanding and growing towards the 2007 30th anniversary of the park. • Bridging gap between retirement of exceptional, long term employee(s) • Maintaining a no accident/incident year, in an inherently dangerous environment of a working ranch with expanding numbers of volunteers and seasonal staff Visitor Services • Developing a Friends group with effective fundraising ability to support and advocate for management needs. • Immediate resolution to meeting the site's law enforcement needs • Continuing to work towards major funding of Warren Barn restoration as intended and needed visitor center, through program development and design work with Montana State University, School of Architecture. Use of the Warren Barn will ensure its preservation, provide adequate visitor orientation, dedication space for permanent and rotating museum exhibits, efficient staff and volunteer work areas, gallery space, an education room, defined cooperative association sales space, and rest rooms that are fully accessible. • Improve the current contact station to increase service, staff working conditions, and increase sales. • Make this a "Ranch for All Seasons" with the addition of an annual fall and spring event to complement the annual summer and winter events. • Develop partnerships and the Volunteers-In-The-Parks program for increased programming efficiency and special events. ********** Fiscal Year 2004- Issues and Resolutions The park faced issues on a number of fronts this year: threats to resources protection, providing basic visitor services and maintaining a safe working environment for staff and visitors. Additionally, the park joined our NPS colleagues in reaching a crisis in our budget system. Like many units that had not previously analyzed its fixed costs, the park discovered that FY05 would bring a 96% fixed costs wall that the park could not climb over. Steps are being taken to address this issue and in 2005, the park is operating at 87% fixed costs with a formal analysis underway to further business efficiencies. RESOURCES THREATS 1) A 5 year Cooperative Agreement with the City of Deer Lodge to spray sewage effluent on park land, expired in September 2004. Anxiety about continuing this beneficial arrangement for the City, and under what terms, dominated the six months of the Superintendent's start. The park explored new instruments where financial complexities were lessened, analyzed costs (in 2004 NPS bore 89%), and analyzed the science in the monitoring process. Although nitrates are significantly lessened in the river, arsenic is 'mobilizing' from the watering process, not reaching groundwater or the river at this time. The staff gathered information from state DEQ and reviewed NPS policy. The park will continue to provide service to the City, but in a modified financial arrangement and a 2008 sunset date. The new 3 year agreement splits costs 50/50 and seeks exit once the City meets State Code in 2008, which they are pursuing with a contracted engineering analysis, design alternatives and federal funding, new efforts for them this summer. 2) The park has a wholly inadequate fire suppression and alarm system for 90 structures, 87 of them on the National Register. Structural Fire agreements are in place with Deer Lodge VFD, with drills needed to increase confidence levels. PMIS statements are in, but this remains a significant concern since an onsite caretaker (and the housing) was removed from the site in 2001. 3) New ownership of the 56,000 acre neighboring ranch, Rock Creek Cattle Co., opened the door for renewed discussion of a feasible protection strategy for a 1400 acre viewshed area identified in the park's 1993 General Management Plan. The viewshed lies wholly on Rock Creek land and forms the western backdrop of views and activities of the entire ranch. These lands were historically part of the Kohrs Ranch until 1919 when the larger 33,000 acre Kohrs home ranch was consolidated to its present day 1600 acres. Time was spent preparing an approach to the new owner, which was made in December 2004. We await a working, face to face meeting. 4) The definition of "working ranch," as mandated by enabling legislation, has many different identities and definitions. The confusion surrounding an appropriate definition for the park has led to frustration and rapid turnover in staff directly responsible for implementing daily ranch decisions, the Chief of Resources, and the ranch worker positions. The park created a survey instrument (moving through OMB approval) and delivered it to 70 local ranchers to gather input on what definition is most preferred. The park will continue to distribute this survey to visitors and a wider constituency, as the park strives to meet NPS policies and operate a working ranch. Without guidance, incremental damage to rangelands is likely from water, fertilizer, hay crop and herd mis-management, interpretation is misdirected, and position management is hampered. 5) The 12 year EPA/Superfund process reached a real milestone in May, with the release of the Record of Decision for the Upper Clark Fork River, which the park is a special unit of. Although technology is not perfect in the restoration process being prescribed, in 2007-2009, the park will be stripped of contaminated soils and vegetation and reconstructed along an historic baseline. The next phase of negotiation, reaching financial settlement, is delayed but anticipated to be settled by June 2005. Early indications are that ARCO/BP, the responsible party, will provide the needed funds to implement the remedy/restoration plan. Pessimism remains in the science community that the prescription will not alleviate the arsenic and cadmium pollution remaining in the soil system that continues to flush into the river. 6) Immediate resolution providing law enforcement support has not been found. Analysis continues to contradict itself as to whether or not this park needs a wholly committed Law Enforcement full time equivalent (FTE) or some mixture of collateral or seasonal support. The existing Level 2 collateral duty employee will not qualify to serve in 2005. VISITOR SERVICES AND STAFF MANAGEMENT 7) Safety consciousness needed a huge boost summer 2004 with a near fatal accident of a maintenance worker and near misses abundant in the largest summer staff in years, (45 seasonals/permanents +event volunteers). The park adjusted quickly and revitalized the safety committee, division leads instituted morning safety chats and an events safety checklist was created. A stand down was put in place until the one major accident could be evaluated and changes could be made. The remainder of the year was successfully quiet, but this is an ongoing concern with a working environment that includes a sophisticated historic preservation workshop, (lots of machines) livestock management of 96 head of cattle and 12 horses, and a sprawling layout on rural ranch lands that visitors roam about in freely. 8) The PMDS, PMIS, OFS, FMSS, AFS, CAC/ACA, PEPC and 17 other database management systems, integrated, not integrated, cross-walked and updated, has taxed the staff's abilities and limits of a small park operation. Even with talented staff maximizing time management skills, division chiefs and their seconds are spending nearly 50% of their time reporting to and maintaining these databases. Operation Financial System (OFS) requests are in to Congress for additional support staff, with relief unlikely from this source. Circuit riding specialists have been proposed through various lead offices in WASO. Waiting to hear. 9) The park needs and has been chosen in 2005 to undergo a full Business Plan Analysis with strategies developed to hold fixed costs at 80% or less over the next 5 years. The park will host 2 MBA students, summer 2005, to accomplish this. 10)** The park is 28 years without a decent visitor orientation facility. The Warren Barn proposal is being pursued and is hoped to be funded sometime in the 2008 cycle as a restoration project.