Natural Resource Introduction |
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There is a wealth of natural resources in a relatively small area at Roosevelt-Vanderbilt National Historic Sites. Both the Home of Franklin D. Roosevelt and Vanderbilt Mansion National Historic Sites border on the Hudson River, actually a freshwater estuary until it reaches a dam at Troy, New York 75 miles to the north. The presence of the river brings a marine influence far inland, resulting in unique plant communities and animal species uncommon or lacking in eastern Dutchess County. Both Vanderbilt and FDR enjoyed trees, but in different ways; hence, the Roosevelt site contains many plantations that were part of FDR's forestry work, while the Vanderbilt site contains one of the finest collections of native and exotic specimen trees in North America. The damming of Fall-Kill Creek by the Roosevelt family in 1925 created an extensive wetlands complex at Eleanor Roosevelt NHS, creating important habitat for many wildlife species including the State-threatened Blanding's Turtle (Emydoidea blandingii). A series of permanent and seasonal woodland ponds also occur on the site, as well as mature second-growth hardwood forest, numerous rock outcrops, a sphagnum swamp, and a wet sedge meadow. Similar resource management objectives are in place at the three sites based on deeds of title, legislation, National Park Service Management Policies, Master Plans, General Management Plans, Interpretive Prospectuses, and the Land Protection Plan. The park's specific mandate is the preservation of all resources, cultural and natural, within its boundaries. In the broadest sense, the park's resource management objectives include preservation of the open space character of neighboring properties, the Town of Hyde Park, and important viewsheds such as the vista from FDR's home of the Hudson River and the agricultural lands and mountains of Ulster County. The park is actively involved in many locala and regional planning efforts, including the Hudson River Valley Greenway, the Hudson River National Heritage Area, the Hyde Park Trail, and the American Heritage River. Historic and cultural features essential to the purposes for which the sites have been created are managed for strict preservation. These would include the Vanderbilt and Roosevelt mansions, the Stone Cottage, Val-Kill Cottage, and important exterior features such as the Val-Kill swimming pool. Some buildings, such as the Vanderbilt's Pavilion/Guest House, the Val-Kill Playhouse, and the FDR coach house are preserved through adaptive use. Concurrent with preservation, the park strives to protect historic and cultural resources through intrusion and fire detection systems as well as a force of Rangers trained as Federal law enforcement officers. The preservation of natural resources and the perpetuation of natural processes are primary goals of natural resource management, recognizing that some resources (e.g. landscapes) straddle the natural/cultural boundary. While intensive, manipulative treatments are appropriate in cultivated areas such as gardens, such management strategies should be avoided in natural zones within the park. Natural resource management techniques will be employed to maintain and preserve important landscape qualities. Inventory and monitoring of natural resources is ongoing and should continue. The park makes every effort to identify and protect plant and animal species classified as threatened or endangered by the US Fish and Wildlife Service or the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation. Long-range objectives: Vegetation: To maintain and preserve cultural landscapes, individual specimen trees, and historically significant orchard trees and associated plant varieties; to identify all threatened, endangered, or rare species present and to develop specific management and action plans to protect them; to eliminate or reduce non-native species (unless documented as significant within the historic period of the site) that pose a threat to the survival native species or cultural areas under an approved Action Plan, Integrated Pest Management program or Fire Management Plan; to continue collection of baseline data on flora through in-house research and cooperative agreements with universities; to establish photographic and video records of natural resources to document changes over time. Animal Species: to identify all threatened, endangered, or rare species present and to develop specific management and action plans to protect them; to eliminate or reduce non-native species (unless documented as significant within the historic period of the site) that pose a threat to the survival native species or cultural areas under an approved Action Plan, Integrated Pest Management program or Fire Management Plan; to continue collection of baseline data on fauna through in-house research and cooperative agreements with universities. Aquatic Resources: to develop a continuous resources monitoring program to detect adverse impacts at an early stage; to comply with NPS Floodplain and Wetland Management Guidelines. Aesthetic Resources: to establish photographic and video records of significant viewsheds and adjacent land use patterns. |
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National Park Service
4097 Albany Post Road
Hyde Park, NY 12538
Last updated: February 16, 2001
http://www.nps.gov/hofr/nr_intro.html
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