Last updated: January 26, 2022
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Oregon and California National Historic Trails Spring 2022 Newsletter
Read the latest project updates and completions from the National Trails Office of the National Park Service (NPS).
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NPS Photo
National Trails Welcomes New Staff
Chad Ennis is the new Geographic Information System (GIS) Specialist addition to the Resource Information Management team. He is based out of the Salt Lake City office and joins the National Trails office (NTIR) after being a GIS Specialist with the Bureau of Land Management Eastern States Office in Washington D.C. NTIR is looking forward to the future mapping support he can provide to the office and the trail association.
Photo/Zoe Wiesel
National Trails Welcomes New Interns & Fellows
Zoe Wiesel joined NTIR as a Digital Media Fellow in October 2021. She is working through American Conservation Experience (ACE) Emerging Professionals in Conservation (EPIC) program doing an eighteen-month internship. She was born and raised in Corrales, New Mexico, and she has a Bachelors in Geology from the University of New Mexico. Before joining NTIR she worked as a seasonal interpretive ranger in Zion National Park in Utah. In her free time, Zoe enjoys rock climbing, cycling, and spending time with her family. As part of her fellowship, Zoe will be updating the NPS mobile application (app), websites, and writing for social media.
Photo/Sarah Scruggs
Sarah Scruggs is the American Conservation Experience EPIC fellow for NTIR's design and development team. She started in October 2021 and will complete her term in October 2022. Sarah grew up in central Virginia and holds a B.A. in historic preservation from the University of Mary Washington. Through various jobs and internships Sarah has worked in half a dozen national parks and national forests including Grand Teton and Grand Canyon. Her favorite recreational activities include hiking, biking, reading and playing piano. She is very excited to work with trail partners and do her part in helping the NTIR mission this year.
Work in the Time of Covid
NTIR staff have been teleworking full time from home since mid-March 2020 but are anticipating returning to the offices in late February. Meanwhile, personnel are available during regular work hours through their usual email addresses and cell phone numbers. If you need a staffer’s cell number, call 505-988-6098 in Santa Fe or 801-741-1012 ext 119 to inquire.
Digital Public History Intern
The Historically Black Colleges and Universities Internship (HBCUI) Program will be funding a Digital Public History Intern for the California National Historic Trail (NHT) who will research, write, and design Black history content for the trail website, app, and social media platforms during the summer of 2022. The partner organization is Greening Youth Foundation: National Park Service.
More Youth Content on the Way
NTIR has contracted a design company to develop kid-friendly content for kids for the California and Old Spanish NHTs. The product will be interactive digital media content that engages youth in learning about NHTs through StoryMaps and web pages.
Image/Courtesy of Library of Congress
First Year In Oregon
Contractor Historical Research Associates completed the “First Year in Oregon” project in October 2021. NTIR staff have not posted the full report yet because of 508 compliance issues, but—in the meantime—a summary of the report is available.
Design and Development Update
NTIR staff will be traveling in the spring, pending pandemic guidance, to conduct a site visit with Oregon California Trails Association (OCTA) members and new property owners of what is currently being called the Emigrant Trail Park, located in Lakepoint, Utah. This new park, which has a set of California National Historic Trail swales running through it, is undeveloped and partners have asked for NTIR assistance with site planning and interpretation.
Updates on External Projects
Find out more about what's happening on the trail
NTIR is in the process of accepting cooperating agency status for the preparation of an Environmental Assessment for a geothermal exploration project outside of Gerlach, Nevada, on Bureau of Land Management land. Development is proposed to occur in close proximity to or directly on top of the California National Historic Trail alignment, possibly including the Nobles high potential route segment. Cooperating agency status will allow our office to participate in developing plans and to review preliminary drafts before they are released to the public.
Our office continues to act as a cooperating agency on the Lava Ridge Wind Project in southern Idaho. The large renewable energy project has been proposed on Bureau of Land Management Land, approximately 10 miles north of the designated alignment of the Oregon National Historic Trail. Additionally, our office continues to act as cooperating agency for the Greenlink West Transmission Line in western Nevada, which crosses the California National Historic Trail.
NTIR is a consulting party in the Section 106 process for the WFS Merna XOver Pipeline project. This is a proposed natural gas pipeline that intersects with the California National Historic Trail in Wyoming, specifically the North Piney Creek to Smiths Fork high potential route segment of Lander Road.
NTIR has shared project information and passed along OCTA contact information for various undertakings, including the Ground Ballistic Strategic Deterrent project, in which the U.S. Air Force has proposed to replace the aging Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) with its Ground Based Strategic Deterrent (GBSD).
Virtual Trail Stories & Experiences
Have you been following the trails on social media? You may have noticed an increase in articles, virtual visits, and virtual kids' activities. People can't travel to experience the trails in person, so the national trails' staff has been working to bring the trails to your house. You can check out recent and past articles, become a junior ranger, take virtual visits to learn more about trail sites, and more - click the links below!
Connect with the Trails
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Oregon Trail WebsiteLearn more on the Oregon Trail NPS website.
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California Trail WebsiteLearn more on the California Trail NPS website.
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Find us on Social MediaLearn more about the trails on social media!