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General Management Plan
Harpers Ferry National Historical Park » General Management Plan » Document List
Dear Interested Party:
We thank you for your patience, your interest, and your prior involvement in the planning process for Harpers Ferry National Historical Park. After nearly 5 years of study, discussion, evaluation of public comment, and consultation with federal, state, and local agencies and organizations, the National Park Service has prepared a draft general management plan for your review and comment. This document analyzes two action alternatives and a no-action alternative for management and development of the national battlefield for the next fifteen to twenty years. A copy of the plan is posted on this website and you may submit your comments online.
Each of the action alternatives (Alternatives 2 and 3) would similarly improve management and interpretation of the park's cultural and natural resources relative to the no action alternative (Alternative 1).
• The no-action alternative would continue present management practices, following the intent and spirit of the 1980 Development Concept Plan. Preserving and maintaining the national historical park's cultural and natural resources to NPS standards would be emphasized. There would be no change in facilities beyond regular maintenance and projects already initiated. Visitors would not notice any changes in appearance or operations because management would continue to offer the same visitor experiences. No action does not imply or direct the discontinuation of any existing programs or services.
• Alternative Two, the NPS preferred alternative, would continue the use of several buildings for NPS headquarters, rehabilitate the historic Shipley School or site, increase preservation of historic resources throughout the park, consolidate visitor information/orientation/education in a new visitor center on Cavalier Heights, provide increased bus service and new trail services, and incorporate new visitor amenities.
• Alternative Three would result in a more efficient rehabilitated NPS headquarters, a new emphasis on working with commercial enterprises to lease underused historic structures and provide improved/additional visitor interpretation/education as a means of bringing additional life to the park, rehabilitation of the Shipley School through a public-private agreement, the construction of a combined NPS/state visitor center to provide information/orientation for both the park and the region, provision of bus service for better visitor access to Camp Hill, provision of better interpretation of NPS locations outside of Lower Town/Camp Hill, the provision of visitor amenities and an independently run Nash Farm Educational Institute.
This draft general management plan and environmental impact statement will be on public review until April 15, 2009, starting September 2008. Public reading copies of the 2-volume Draft General Management Plan/Environmental Impact Statement will be available for review at the following locations:
• Harpers Ferry/Bolivar Public Library
• On the Internet at this website
• Harpers Ferry NHP headquarters, 485 Fillmore Street, Harpers Ferry, WV 25425
• National Capital Region, 1100 Ohio Drive SW, Washington, DC 20242
Comments on the General Management Plan/Environmental Impact Statement should be received no later than June 30, 2009.
Sincerely,
Gayleen M. Boyd
Acting Superintendent
We thank you for your patience, your interest, and your prior involvement in the planning process for Harpers Ferry National Historical Park. After nearly 5 years of study, discussion, evaluation of public comment, and consultation with federal, state, and local agencies and organizations, the National Park Service has prepared a draft general management plan for your review and comment. This document analyzes two action alternatives and a no-action alternative for management and development of the national battlefield for the next fifteen to twenty years. A copy of the plan is posted on this website and you may submit your comments online.
Each of the action alternatives (Alternatives 2 and 3) would similarly improve management and interpretation of the park's cultural and natural resources relative to the no action alternative (Alternative 1).
• The no-action alternative would continue present management practices, following the intent and spirit of the 1980 Development Concept Plan. Preserving and maintaining the national historical park's cultural and natural resources to NPS standards would be emphasized. There would be no change in facilities beyond regular maintenance and projects already initiated. Visitors would not notice any changes in appearance or operations because management would continue to offer the same visitor experiences. No action does not imply or direct the discontinuation of any existing programs or services.
• Alternative Two, the NPS preferred alternative, would continue the use of several buildings for NPS headquarters, rehabilitate the historic Shipley School or site, increase preservation of historic resources throughout the park, consolidate visitor information/orientation/education in a new visitor center on Cavalier Heights, provide increased bus service and new trail services, and incorporate new visitor amenities.
• Alternative Three would result in a more efficient rehabilitated NPS headquarters, a new emphasis on working with commercial enterprises to lease underused historic structures and provide improved/additional visitor interpretation/education as a means of bringing additional life to the park, rehabilitation of the Shipley School through a public-private agreement, the construction of a combined NPS/state visitor center to provide information/orientation for both the park and the region, provision of bus service for better visitor access to Camp Hill, provision of better interpretation of NPS locations outside of Lower Town/Camp Hill, the provision of visitor amenities and an independently run Nash Farm Educational Institute.
This draft general management plan and environmental impact statement will be on public review until April 15, 2009, starting September 2008. Public reading copies of the 2-volume Draft General Management Plan/Environmental Impact Statement will be available for review at the following locations:
• Harpers Ferry/Bolivar Public Library
• On the Internet at this website
• Harpers Ferry NHP headquarters, 485 Fillmore Street, Harpers Ferry, WV 25425
• National Capital Region, 1100 Ohio Drive SW, Washington, DC 20242
Comments on the General Management Plan/Environmental Impact Statement should be received no later than June 30, 2009.
Sincerely,
Gayleen M. Boyd
Acting Superintendent