Yellowstone Historic Resource Study The History of the Construction of the Road System in Yellowstone National Park, 1872-1966

WHEREAS, Certain acts of Congress have authorized the making of appropriations and have made appropriations and authorized the incurring of obligations for the survey, construction, reconstruction, and improvement of roads and trails in the national parks and national monuments under the jurisdiction of the Department of the Interior; and

WHEREAS, The Bureau of Public Roads of the United States Department of Agriculture has an engineering organization perfected for the purpose of making surveys and improving highways; and

WHEREAS, The National Park Service of the Department of the Interior, in the interest of economy and efficiency, desires to utilize the services of the existing road-building organization of the Bureau of Public Roads in the survey, construction, reconstruction, and improvement of roads and trails within the national parks and national monuments, as authorized by Congress;

NOW, THEREFORE, The National Park Service, hereinafter referred to as the Park Service, and the Bureau of Public Roads, hereinafter referred to as the Bureau, do hereby mutually agree, as follows:

STANDARDIZATION OF CONSTRUCTION AND ARTICULATION OF HIGHWAYS:

ARTICLE I

(1) That the Park Service and the Bureau shall each use every effort to harmonize the standards of construction of roads and trails in the national parks and monuments with the standards adopted for the construction of the roads which form a part of the Federal Aid Highway System and of roads and trails within the national forests and to secure the best modern practice in the location, design, construction, and improvement thereof.

(2) That from time to time duly authorized representatives of the Park Service and of the Bureau will confer with authorized representatives of the United States Forest Service and the several State Highway Departments wherein the national parks and monuments are located, for the purpose of developing a general scheme of improvement by which the national park highways, highways forming a part of the Federal Aid System, State highways, and the highways within the national forests will so articulate with and supplement each other as to form an interconnected system of highways.

INITIATION OF PROJECTS AND PRELIMINARY SURVEYS

ARTICLE II

The services of the Bureau will be furnished only upon request in writing from the Director of the Park Service, and the following procedure shall be observed:

(1) Upon receipt of request from the Park Service the Chief of the Bureau will cause an investigation and a preliminary estimate of cost of the project to be made.

(2) Simultaneously with the above request the Park Service shall instruct its Landscape Engineer to cooperate with the engineers of the Bureau in making the preliminary investigation.

(3) The time for making the field examination of any such project shall be agreed upon by the Superintendent and Landscape Engineer of the Park Service and the District Engineer of the Bureau. When said field examination has been completed the following reports shall be prepared:

(a) Report to the Chief of Bureau by the Bureau representative on the location and construction of the proposed project, together with an estimate of the cost thereof. Copies of this report will be furnished to the Park Service in duplicate and to the Park Superintendent.

(b) Report to the Park Service by the Landscape Engineer on all landscape features of the proposed project. Copies of this report shall be furnished to the Bureau in duplicate and to the Park Superintendent.

(c) Report of the Superintendent of the Park to the Park Service commenting on the reports referred to in the next preceding paragraphs and making the recommendations with respect to the proposed project. Copies of the Superintendent's report and recommendation shall be submitted to the Chief of the Bureau in duplicate, through its District Engineer, and to the Park Service, in duplicate through the Field Assistant, one copy of such reports to be retained by the District Engineer and Field Assistant, respectively, for their files.

(4) Upon receipt of the preliminary reports referred to above, the Park Service Service shall inform the Bureau whether it desires the work to be undertaken by the Bureau as a major project or whether the Park Service shall proceed with the work as a minor project without the services of the Bureau.

EXECUTION OF MAJOR PROJECTS

ARTICLE III

(1) In case the project is a major one and the services of the Bureau are desired in the execution and completion thereof, the Director of the Park Service shall so notify the Chief of Bureau in writing and make request that the project be handled to completion by the Bureau in accordance with the procedure herein outlined.

(2) Upon receipt of such notice and request the Bureau will instruct its District Engineer to proceed, in cooperation with the Landscape Engineer of the Park Service and the Superintendent of the Park, with the location survey, and to prepare plans, specifications, and estimates for the project.

(3) When said plans, specifications and estimates have been prepared, and approval recommendations by the Landscape Engineer of the Park Service and the Superintendent of the Park are shown thereon, they shall be forwarded by the District Engineer to the Bureau for transmission to the Park Service for approval or disapproval.

(4) If the Park Service approves the plans, specifications and estimates, it shall so notify the Bureau in writing and instruct the Superintendent of the Park to advertise for proposals for the construction of the project.

(5) The advertisement for proposals shall specify the time and place of opening the bids, and the bids shall be opened and tabulated by the Superintendent of the Park and the District Engineer of the Bureau.

(6) The recommendation for award shall be made by the Park Superintendent, shall be concurred in by the District Engineer, and shall be forwarded to the Director of the Park Service, through the Chief of the Bureau, accompanied by the three low bids and a tabular statement of all bids received. The award shall then be made by the Secretary of the Interior.

(7) Immediately upon notice of award the Park Superintendent and the Bureau shall be notified and formal contract shall be executed by the successful bidder and the Department of the Interior.

(8) The prosecution of the work shall be undertaken by the District Engineer in accordance with the plans and specifications approved for the project, it being understood that the specifications shall govern all ordinary landscape features of the work, and any minor alterations which are authorized under the specifications without a modification of agreement, and which are deemed necessary during the progress of the work, may be ordered by the District Engineer in writing, with the written concurrence of the Landscape Engineer, to whom shall be delegated the necessary authority to do so.

PAYMENTS

ARTICLE IV

(1) As the construction of a project progresses prompt payments shall be made by the local fiscal or disbursing agent of the National Park Service to the contractor upon monthly estimates approved by the District Engineer.

(2) The Park Service will reimburse the Bureau for actual expenses incurred by reason of active work on investigating, surveying, preparing plans, specifications and estimates, and supervising projects. An estimate of the actual expenses to be incurred by the Bureau shall be made and forwarded to the Park Service upon receipt of each request for the Bureau's services, and the Park Service shall, upon receipt of such estimate, set up a liability on its books to defray such expenses against existing appropriations or appropriations authorized to be made against which obligations may legally be incurred.

(3) Reimbursements for the actual expenses incurred by the Bureau in rendering such services will be made by the Park Service from time to time upon the submission of vouchers therefor.

(4) Upon request of the Park Service preliminary investigations, surveys, and estimates will be made for major projects for which reimbursements will be made in the manner hereinbefore provided.

ACCEPTANCE OF PROJECTS

ARTICLE V

(1) Before approving final settlement with the contractor the District Engineer shall obtain from the Park Superintendent and the Landscape Engineer written recommendations for acceptance of the work in which he shall concur in writing.

(2) The District Ranger shall approve and forward the final voucher in favor of the contractor, through the Chief of Bureau, to the Park Service, accompanied by the above recommendations, for final acceptance of the Secretary of the Interior and transmission of voucher to the General Accounting Office for final settlement.

Signed this 18th day of January, 1926.

By: (Sgd.) STEPHEN T. MATHER,
Director, National Park Service

By: THOS. H. MacDONALD,
Chief, Bureau of Public Roads

Signed this 3rd day of February, 1926.

APPROVED: January 22, 1926.
By: (Sgd.) HUBERT WORK,
Secretary, Department of the Interior.

February 10, 1926.
By: (Sgd.) W.M. JARDINE,
Secretary, Department of Agriculture.