Chapter III - The General Management Plan, cont.

Park Boundary and Land Protection

Views from Memorial Hill west to visitor center showing lands adjacent to park entrance road

The National Park Service will continue to work with park neighbors and encourage area landowners, Walla Walla County, and others to work in a spirit of partnership in promoting the protection of rural character and landscapes in the area surrounding the park.

Walla Walla County is encouraged to explore various ways to help ensure that agricultural and rural land uses remain within the county, including lands surrounding Whitman Mission. This could include a refinement of permitted uses in agricultural zones. In addition, the park will coordinate with one or more private nonprofit land trusts, historical societies, or other eligible groups to encourage the voluntary acquisition of conservation easements, agricultural easements, and development rights from adjacent landowners who are willing sellers in order to ensure the perpetual protection of surrounding farmland in its open and scenic character. A local land trust will be recommended to be involved where possible.

View from Memorial Hill to the northwest showing changing development patterns in the area

Implementation of this approach will mean that land will remain in private ownership. Land will continue in its traditional farm and agricultural use and property tax revenues will continue to be received by local county government. In addition, owners will be fully compensated for voluntarily removing the development rights to the property, and any acquisition will be done only with the full consent of the landowner. The boundary of the NHS will not be expanded, and no legislative action will be required. (See Appendix B for Analysis of Boundary Adjustment and Land Protection Criteria.)

It should be reiterated that opportunities for area landowners to consider strategies such as conveyance of a conservation easement interest in their land to a private nonprofit land trust or similar entity is encouraged, but is strictly voluntary on the part of the landowner.

In addition, purchase of conservation easements will aid in protecting the night sky from surrounding light pollution. Local colleges will be able to continue to conduct astronomy observations from the park.

Opportunities for Regional Cooperation

View from Memorial Hill looking east

The NPS will continue to coordinate with the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indians (CTUIR), including, but not limited to, the protection of cultural properties and interpretation of past and present Cayuse culture.

The NHS staff will coordinate with the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) to encourage adjacent landowners to take greater advantage of voluntary programs available through the NRCS. These programs include the Conservation Reserve Program which will help restore native grasses along Doan Creek, complementing efforts of the NPS to restore Doan Creek within the NHS. Also considered will be the Wildlife Habitat Incentive Program which pays farmers to provide for wildlife habitat areas within their lands. (Refer to the "Vegetation" section in "The Affected Environment" chapter for information about NRCS programs.)

Coordination with Walla Walla County and area landowners will be encouraged in order to enhance land use protection measures in the area. The NPS role is one of encouragement and technical assistance since the NPS has no regulatory authority outside of the authorized boundary of the NHS.

The NPS will continue to pursue various opportunities to coordinate with the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indians, including, but not limited to, the protection of cultural properties and interpretation of past and present Cayuse culture. Also, the tribe has offered the use of their native nursery stock for the re-establishment of native grass, shrubs, and trees on the Mission Grounds.

In addition, the NHS staff will cooperate with Walla Walla County and Washington State transportation departments to place additional signs along road corridors to help direct and advertise the NHS.

Park visitors and other organized groups will be encouraged to visit and use the proposed nature trail along the southern boundary of the NHS for nature walks, birding, photography and for other related pursuits.

The NPS also will seek the active cooperation and support from a local land trust, historical society or other eligible group, and landowners in order to enlist their assistance in securing the long-term protection of farmland and other agricultural, open space, scenic, and natural lands surrounding the National Historic Site.

Action Plan Items

The following actions are proposed to assist in the implementation of the plan. Some of these items would require additional special project funding to accomplish them:

• Implement recommendations from Inter-Fluve report
• Prepare Part II of Cultural Landscape Report
• Update Vegetation Management Plan
• Update Administrative History
• Update Collection Management Plan
• Prepare Accessibility Plan
• Complete Level I Inventories for Natural Resource Inventory and Monitoring Program (NPS-75)
  
• Prepare Level II Inventories for Natural Resource Inventory and Monitoring Program (NPS-75)
• Update the Memorandum of Understanding with NRCS to cooperate with adjacent landowners for vegetation management activities
• Prepare Visitor Management Plan
• Prepare inventory of significant historical items related to Whitman Mission at other sites
• Prepare Ethnohistorical Study (including documentation of landscape prior to contact with Euro-Americans)
  

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