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Oregon Trail Ruts Historic Landscape Study
Scotts Bluff National Monument » Oregon Trail Ruts Historic Landscape Study » Document List
Scotts Bluff National Monument (SCBL) was established in 1919, encompassing over 3,000 acres of prairie and bluff habitat located in the panhandle of western Nebraska. SCBL is dedicated to preserving the natural and cultural resources within the monument including Scotts Bluff and the Oregon-California Trail. The primary reasons for visiting include experiencing the emigrant trail remnants, trail hiking, the extensive museum collection, and travelling the Summit Road to take in views from the top of Scotts Bluff. As part of the planning process, the National Park Service (NPS) has prepared this combined Landscape Study/Environmental Assessment (LS/EA) with the intent to support management decisions for the Oregon Trail historic resources within the monument and to supplement the existing 1998 General Management Plan (GMP). The purpose of this report is to provide the NPS with an assessment of the character-defining features of the Oregon Trail, document historic and existing conditions, and develop specific treatment recommendations to ensure the future protection of the Oregon Trail and its natural and cultural resources. The EA portion of the report is an assessment of how implementing the alternative treatment recommendations would affect various environmental factors such as natural and cultural resources.
A field investigation and evaluation of the historic landscape of the Oregon Trail has been conducted using the NPS and National Register of Historic Places Guidelines and the Oregon-California Trails Association's Mapping Emigrant Trails Manual (MET). The findings of the field investigation and evaluation are included with a detailed documentation of historical development, an evaluation of existing conditions of landscape features according to condition (good, fair and poor), and an analysis and evaluation of Scotts Bluff National Monument's emigrant trail resources. The Treatment Alternatives, including the preferred alternative, contain recommendations on how to preserve the emigrant trail resources and significant contributing features of the emigrant trail cultural landscape. These recommendations are based on historical documentation, analysis of existing conditions and site history, and the Secretary of the Interior's standards and guidelines as they apply to the treatment of historic landscapes.
The EA portions of this report evaluate potential effects on environmental, socioeconomic, and cultural resources from proposed treatment alternatives and were prepared in compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969 and implementing regulations, 40 CFR Parts 1500-1508 and NPS Director's Order – 12 and Handbook, Conservation Planning, Environmental Impact Analysis, and Decision-making, and Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA) of 1966, as amended, and implementing regulations, 36 CFR Part 800.
308-436-9700
A field investigation and evaluation of the historic landscape of the Oregon Trail has been conducted using the NPS and National Register of Historic Places Guidelines and the Oregon-California Trails Association's Mapping Emigrant Trails Manual (MET). The findings of the field investigation and evaluation are included with a detailed documentation of historical development, an evaluation of existing conditions of landscape features according to condition (good, fair and poor), and an analysis and evaluation of Scotts Bluff National Monument's emigrant trail resources. The Treatment Alternatives, including the preferred alternative, contain recommendations on how to preserve the emigrant trail resources and significant contributing features of the emigrant trail cultural landscape. These recommendations are based on historical documentation, analysis of existing conditions and site history, and the Secretary of the Interior's standards and guidelines as they apply to the treatment of historic landscapes.
The EA portions of this report evaluate potential effects on environmental, socioeconomic, and cultural resources from proposed treatment alternatives and were prepared in compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969 and implementing regulations, 40 CFR Parts 1500-1508 and NPS Director's Order – 12 and Handbook, Conservation Planning, Environmental Impact Analysis, and Decision-making, and Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA) of 1966, as amended, and implementing regulations, 36 CFR Part 800.
Contact Information
Superintendent Ken Mabery308-436-9700