Project Links
James K. Polk Home Special Resource Study
Denver Service Center » James K. Polk Home Special Resource Study » Document List
The special resource study was completed and transmitted to Congress for consideration on February 6, 2023. Please click on the "Document List" tab for a PDF copy of the study and the transmittal letter to Congress.
WHAT IS A SPECIAL RESOURCE STUDY
A special resource study evaluates the eligibility of an area to be recommended for designation as a national park or other special designation. The study evaluates criteria for inclusion in the national park system and is designed to provide Congress with information about the resource qualities at the site and alternatives for protection, which can be used in the legislative process of designating potential additions to the National Park System. The National Park Service prepares the study for the Secretary of the Interior; the findings and any recommendations will then be presented to Congress. Regardless of the outcome of the study, new units of the national park system can only be established by an Act of Congress or by Presidential Proclamation.
The purpose of this special resource study is to gather information about the James K. Polk Home through historical research and public input, and then to report these findings to Congress. The special resource study evaluated the potential for inclusion of the property in the national park system based upon whether it meets established criteria for significance, suitability, feasibility, and the need for NPS management. Please use the "Links" tab on the left to find additional information on the criteria used to evaluate new national parklands.
PROJECT BACKGROUND
The James K. Polk Home was designated as a National Historic Landmark (NHL) in 1961. The National Park Service conducted a reconnaissance survey of the James K. Polk Home in 2014 to provide a preliminary evaluation of the property as a potential new unit of the National Park System . The survey analyzed the suitability, feasibility, and need for NPS to manage the James K. Polk home and found that further analysis through a Congressionally authorized special resource study was warranted. Please use the "Links" tab on the left to visit the reconnaissance survey project website and find an electronic copy of the completed survey.
The John D. Dingell, Jr. Conservation, Management, and Recreation Act of 2019 (Dingell Act) directed the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a special resource study of the James K. Polk Home to evaluate its national significance and determine the suitability and feasibility of designating it as a unit of the national park system. Based on this legislated directive, the National Park Service prepared a study to analyze the property for its potential as a new unit of the national park system.
Contact Information
Ben Westben_west@nps.gov