Management Documents

Foundation Document

A foundation document provides basic guidance for planning and management decisions. The core components of a foundation document include a brief description of the park as well as the park's purpose, significance, fundamental resources and values, other important resources and values, and interpretive themes. The foundation document also includes special mandates and administrative commitments, an assessment of planning and data needs that identifies planning issues, planning products to be developed, and the associated studies and data required for park planning.

Foundation Document [PDF 7 MB]

 

General Management Plan

A General Management Plan is required by law for every area administered by the National Park Service (NPS). The purpose of the plan is to ensure that each NPS area has a defined direction for resource preservation and visitor use. The General Management Plan focuses on why the area was established and what resource conditions and visitor experiences should be achieved and maintained over time. General management plans consider an area’s mission, or purpose, and provide management prescriptions, which include desired resource conditions and visitor experiences for all the different portions of a NPS administered area.

General Managment Plan [PDF 19.3 MB]

 

Superintendent's Compendium

In the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), superintendents of each unit in the National Park System have the option to develop specific designations, closures, permit requirements, and other restrictions to address unique management needs in their park unit. Within the CFR, superintendents are given the authority to amend, modify, relax, or make more stringent certain regulations. These park-specific regulations are incorporated into a document called the Superintendent's Compendium and are an extension of the CFR. These publications help direct the park's management efforts to best serve the mission of the National Park Service and the needs of visitors.

 

Other Plans and Projects

An archive of completed projects as well as projects without documents open for comment may be found on the Planning, Environment & Public Comment (PEPC) website.