Fort Vancouver Cultural Landscape Report

IMPLEMENTATION (continued)

PHASE III

Overview

The objective of Phase III is to fully expand the park's development and interpretation to function as a living history park, HBC research center, and heirloom plant study center. During Phase III, the vegetation management plan will be fully implemented. The final plan represents the full extent of reconstruction and should be carried if two major criteria are satisfied. It must be based on accurate documentation, and the infrastructure and administrative support necessary to support a living history park and heirloom plant study center must be secured before the phase is implemented.

At the end of Phase III key accurately documented HBC structures will be reconstructed, accurately documented historic vegetation will be reconstructed, and interpretation will be further enhanced with the reconstruction of accurately documented small-scale features.

Phase III Tasks

Interpretation

1) Expand the park's interpretation to include additional research on features identified and/or restored in Phase I and II.

2) If the army property west of historic Kanaka Village is acquired, expand the interpretation of Kanaka Village and designate the area as a priority archeological excavation area for archeological field schools, with the potential to use the site as a demonstration area for the interpretation of the park's archeological resources.

Circulation

1) After the visitor center is relocated to the stockade (in Phase II), remove the asphalt surface of the existing road from the visitor center to East Fifth Street and replace it with the same material used for the other circulation routes. If the two HBC schoolhouses were accurately located in Phase I, and the existing road runs across either building site, realign the road west of the buildings.

2) Replace the asphalt road and concrete sidewalks along East Fifth Street (within the park) with the same surface material used for other circulation routes.

Structures

1) Reconstruct all the historic buildings within the stockade, (if accurate documentation is available).

2) Reconstruct the barn and root houses if these facilities are needed to support the agricultural activities of the fort (stables, farm equipment, etc.), and there is enough documentation to support a reconstruction. If the barn(s) and root houses are not reconstructed and storage facilities for agricultural operations are still needed, store equipment in maintenance structures or construct appropriate structures outside the historic core.

3) If the security of Kanaka Village can be assured, construct post-on-the-sill foundation outlines in the locations of historic structures in Kanaka Village located during Phase II. Otherwise, maintain the interpretive exhibits from Phase I.

Vegetation

1) Fully reconstruct the garden, orchard, cultivated fields, pasture, and historic native vegetation if the research and infrastructure supports a living history farm and heirloom plant study center. If is not feasible to completely reconstruct features, maintain the partially reconstructed features planted in Phase II for interpretation.

2) Restore the Columbia River's riparian edge to its natural condition, if feasible.

Small-Scale Features

1) Reconstruct any additional key small-scale features that were documented in Phase I or II. For example, reconstruct the garden well, and additional garden cold/hot frames (four to five total), if they are necessary for garden operations and if an appropriate design was established in Phase I or II.

2) Reconstruct key small-scale features in Kanaka Village that were identified in Phase I or II research, only if the security of the area's archeological resources can be assured.

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