PURPOSE OF THE MANAGEMENT PLAN
The purpose of this project is to produce a plan and generate actions that will enhance the understanding, appreciation, protection, and use of the Civil War Defenses of Washington resources. It is intended to provide broad guidance for long-term management of the park, and direct future uses in the areas of preservation, recreation, interpretation, visitor use, and resource management. The plan will study existing conditions and future possibilities, and then determine the best course of action to accomplish the goals. It will describe the path that the National Park Service (NPS) intends to follow in managing the Civil War defense sites over the next 10 to 15 years.
An environmental assessment will be prepared concurrent with the management plan, to comply with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). The assessment will identify significant issues and concerns facing the management of the park, present a reasonable range of management alternatives, and analyze effects of the alternatives. In addition, a separate historic resource study is underway to provide understanding of the history of the park sites and the distribution of the historic resources; and an ethnographic study is being conducted to identify park user groups and neighborhood affiliations with the sites.
