National Underground Railroad Conference, St. Augustine, FL. - June 20 - June 23, 2012 

The 2012 conference theme explores resistance to slavery through escape and flight to and from the South, including through international flight, from the 16th century to the end of the Civil War.

The conference will highlight how southern freedom seekers seized unique opportunities to escape enslavement through flight into Spanish Florida and the Seminole Nation, to the Caribbean Islands, and into the western borderlands of Indian Territory, Texas, and Mexico.

Other conference topics include preservation and interpretation of stories of southern freedom seekers during the War of 1812 and the American Civil War, in commemoration of the 200th and 150th anniversaries, respectively.

The conference will also observe the upcoming 450th anniversary of the City of St. Augustine's founding and the city's ongoing legacy in the Civil Rights history with the impending 50th anniversary of the 1964 Civil Rights Act.

This conference provides an opportunity to answer our recent "Call to Action" and NPS parks are especially welcome to participate. The conference will bring together a mix of grass roots researchers, public historians, community advocates, site stewards, government officials, local youth, and the general public. NPS staff participation as presenters, exhibit hall posters, volunteers, and attendees illustrates our service-wide commitment to interpret the full diversity of United States history, to expand the meaning of parks to new audiences, and to provide an opportunity for communities to learn more about their heritage. The call for proposals is now available on the Organization of American Historians website. The submission deadline for proposals is January 15th.

For more information, visit the Network to Freedom website or contact Turkiya L. Lowe, SER Program Manager, at turkiya_lowe@nps.gov, 404-507-5830.  

Read the latest news from the Castillo de San Marcos and Fort Matanzas National Monuments here:    The Garita - Winter 2011

NPS Photo - L. Chandler

The San Pelayo leaves on it's maiden voyage

Two New Ferries for Fort Matanzas
(October, 2011)

Fort Matanzas National Monument just took delivery on its two, new passenger ferries this fall. The first boat is named the San Pelayo after the flagship of Don Pedro Menéndez which he sailed on his voyage to found the Spanish colony St. Augustine in la Florida in 1565. Its twin, the Trinité, is named after Menéndez' nemesis Jean Ribault's ship.

These pontoon or sponson-type boats were built in Hudson, Florida by Sightseer Marine. Fully certified by the US Coast Guard, each boat holds 36 passengers. They will replace the current ferry Matanzas Queen III and the backup boat the John Harley which have both faithfully carried park visitors for several years.  Having identical, twin boats will be an advantage for dock set-up, training of personnel, mechanics, and being able to carry the same number of passengers if one boat is out for repairs

The National Park Service (NPS) has announced that driving on the beach at Fort Matanzas National Monument will no longer be allowed, effective January 1, 2010. Fort Matanzas Superintendent Gordie Wilson said, “We understand this announcement will be disappointing to many people in the community who are used to being able to drive on the beach. This change, however, is in keeping with Executive Order 11644, as amended, and National Park Service regulations. These Federal requirements do not permit vehicles to travel outside designated roads or parking lots in a National Monument.

“Although the park has permitted beach driving since this property was donated to the NPS in the 1960s, Executive Order 11644 and associated regulations later restricted our authority to do so,” Wilson said. Executive Order 11644, issued by President Nixon on February 8, 1972 directly governs the use of off-road vehicles (ORVs), including vehicles driven on beaches, in units of the National Park System. This Executive Order and the NPS regulations established under it, prohibit the use of ORVs in National Park System units, except those areas specifically designated for such use in national recreation areas, national seashores, national lakeshores, and national preserves. Fort Matanzas, a National Monument, does not fall into one of those categories.

“In the past, we have closed environmentally sensitive areas to driving on a seasonal basis to fulfill our resource protection obligations,” Wilson said. “After consulting with legal counsel and many stakeholders about this important issue we determined that, to be in conformance with the law, we can no longer permit driving on the beach. The Fort Matanzas ramp, however, will remain open, since it is a designated road.

The NPS was given a dual mission by Congress when the agency was established in 1916; to conserve resources and to provide for enjoyment of those resources by such manner and by such means as will leave them unimpaired for the enjoyment of future generations. NPS management decisions seek to balance use and preservation.

“If at some point in the future the National Monument receives legislative or regulatory authority to permit vehicle access that does not impair resources, vehicles could return to the beach,” Wilson said. “That process could take several years, as it would require a formal rulemaking and analysis of environmental impacts.”

The NPS plans to ensure that the public is notified well in advance of the closure by posting signs, putting notices in newspapers, and posting information on its web site. Details about the public notice plan will be forthcoming,” Wilson said.

For more information contact Superintendent Gordie Wilson at 904-829-6506 ext 221 or Matanzas District Ranger Andrew Rich at 904-471-0116.

NPS- Linda Chandler

Why Are They Cutting the Trees Down?
(August, 2009)

Park visitors may notice that several trees have dead branches or have been cut down. These are Redbays (Persea borbonia). The disease that caused the die back is known as laurel wilt, a fatal disease of redbays and other species within the Laurel family (sassafras, avocado, pondspice). The culprit is the alien Asian redbay ambrosia beetle which carries a fungus in its mouth parts. When it bores into a bay tree, the fungus gets into the tree’s xylem or water-carrying cells, blocking them. The tree begins to die of thirst, with the branch tips being the first to die.

Native ambrosia beetles also carry this fungus, but they attack only trees that are already dead or dying while the alien species attacks healthy trees. This disease is so devastating that nearly all of the mature trees in a stand will be killed within 3-5 years of infection. It is thought that the Asian beetle entered the US in 2002 at the port of Savannah by hitching a ride in cargo ship packing material and has slowly been working its way south. This is the twelfth species of non-native ambrosia beetle known to have become established in the US since 1990. All are suspected to have been introduced in packing material.

What can be done? There has been some success (albeit expensive) through several applications of a fungicide to the roots. Ideally, this is done before any signs of infection are noticed. Here in the park we are cutting down all the infected trees. The wood must stay onsite.  We are also trying to locate seedlings that can be preserved.

Plants and animals do best in the habitat for which they have adapted over many years. Bringing them to another country, either as pets or ornamental plants, often causes problems as these plants and animals compete with the natives for food and space.

This website tells about some of the exotic plants of Florida: Exotic_Plants
This website tells about alien insects: Alien Invasive Insects

Fort Matanzas Developing General Management Plan   (updated June 2009)

All parks in the National Park System (NPS) are required to periodically review their General Management Plans (GMP). These plans, which address resource protection, recreation, and interpretation, describe the general path the park intends to follow over the next 15 to 20 years and are made with input from NPS program managers, interested parties, and the general public.

In fall 2007 Fort Matanzas National Monument hosted two Public Open House Meetings as well as a meeting with state and county representatives. Comments from these meetings were used to guide the park management team in developing four alternatives for managing the park. 

With the NPS Southeast Regional Office in Atlanta approving the four alternatives, the public was once again invited to make comments. This public comment period ended June 1, 2008, and the team reduced the number of alternatives from four (including the “No-Action” or “No-Change” alternative) to three by combining features and eliminating features that the public did not support.

The planning team is currently writing the draft GMP/EIS document which includes substantial environmental analysis and cost estimates for each alternative. After NPS management reviews and approves publication of the document, it will be posted on the NPS planning website: 

http://parkplanning.nps.gov/projectHome.cfm?parkId=378&projectId=11093 

Watch the St. Augustine Record newspaper and this web site for further updates.

For additional information, contact Fort Matanzas at 904-471-0116 or

National Park Service
FOMA General Management Plan Team
Attention: David Libman
100 Alabama Street
1924 Building
Atlanta, Georgia 30303