The final step in the Special Resource Study process is to compare the management alternatives and to determine which approach will best meet the needs of protecting, preserving, and interpreting the cultural resources of New Bedford. Each of the alternative's principal advantages and disadvantages is discussed below.

Alternative A: New Bedford Whaling National Park
Principal Advantages. This alternative would create a National Park unit to preserve, interpret, and maintain the critical resources that exemplify the whaling era. These resources were determined to be nationally significant, suitable and feasible for interpretation in New Bedford, as part of the National Landmark Historic District. NPS funding for the National Park would create a permanent NPS presence with an ability to protect and interpret the historic resources. This alternative would provide needed physical facilities such as a visitor orientation center and similar facilities. Finally, it could provide an important catalyst toward cooperative planning stimulated by an NPS presence in the community.

Principal Disadvantages. One of the disadvantages of Alternative A is that even though the NPS can work outside the Park's boundaries to a certain extent, the Park has a relatively compact physical focus. Second, there may be perceived loss of local autonomy in the area of preservation and interpretation. Finally, the designation process for a National Park unit can be lengthy, as can the general management planning process that follows designation. This may result in a short term decline in local investment as the community awaits results of planning.

Alternative B: Planning and Interpretive Technical Assistance
Principal Advantages. This alternative would create a planning and interpretive technical assistance effort with the assignment of National Park Service personnel for some period of time. An advantage of this alternative is that the focus of the planning and interpretive technical assistance could be somewhat broader because no National Park is being created. The NPS staff could play a coordinating role in planning and interpreting New Bedford's historical resources. Also, there may be less of a perceived loss of autonomy because of the limited time of NPS involvement and because their work would be oriented more toward planning and interpretation than acquisition and development.

Principal Disadvantages. The principal disadvantage of Alternative B is that the NPS role will be more limited and it will focus on planning and interpretation rather than creating a physical presence. Another disadvantage is that a long term presence in New Bedford is not expected. Furthermore, the NPS would not build or take on an historic building and staff a visitor orientation center to provide a central organizing focus to the visitor experience. Although local institutions and perhaps the Partnership could receive some management and funding support during the period that the NPS maintained an active presence in the city, that support would disappear when the NPS withdrew, leaving historic resources almost as threatened and the local organizations as beleaguered as they are today.

Alternative C: Local Action Option
Principal Advantages. The principal advantage to this alternative is that local institutions can do exactly what they are doing or something new without any perceived loss of autonomy. The institutions can choose to interpret themes comprehensively and in cooperation with other institutions or in any manner consistent with their available resources.