Statement_of_Work_HugoSauer1.docx

Statement of Work

Title:

Hugo Sauer Nursery: Historic Research, Interpretive Media, and Public Outreach Development Project

Location:

Forest Service Northern Research Station 5985 County Highway K Rhinelander, WI 54501

Background:

In 1931 the Rhinelander Nursery was developed as a tree nursery to supply coniferous trees as part of the Forest Service's Lakes States cutover reforestation program. In 1936 the Nursery was dedicated as the Hugo Sauer Nursery (dedication is commemorated on plaque located on Nursery grounds). Situated approximately a mile and a half west of Rhinelander, the property is located in the west half of section 2, T 36 N, R 8 E. The Nursery includes an area of 78.9 acres of forested uplands and wetlands, with buildings clustered in two primary areas. The main building concentration occurs in the northwest corner of the property, and the second concentration is a north/south linear scatter in the center of the property.

In 1996, in compliance with federal statutes and regulations (e.g., 36 CFR 800, Protection of Historic and Cultural Properties), the property was formally evaluated to determine if it meets National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) eligibility criteria. The Wisconsin State Historic Preservation Officer (WISHPO) concurred that the property meets eligibility criteria. That is, it was determined that the entire 79 acre property, including the original buildings, structures, objects and cultural landscape elements, are part of an historic district.

The district includes thirteen contributing properties: nine buildings, three structures, and one object; and six non-contributing buildings. The irrigation system is counted as a contributing structure. The windbreaks, roads, beds, and concrete retaining walls are described as part of the landscape which is a significant element of an historic nursery.

The agency has determined that future management goals is incompatible with maintaining the site’s historic values. To this end, a mitigation plan that includes interpretive media must be developed in consultation with WISHPO.

The goal of this contract will be to research and provide educational opportunities for residents and visitors, which includes the development of interpretive media recommendations and products that will enhance outreach efforts by the USFS. This project will focus on historical preservation and documentation using interviews with local retirees, past media stories, and photographs.

Objectives:

1. Identify and document the significant history and historical context of the Hugo Sauer Nursery and the Northern Research Station that depicts and commemorates the property. These efforts will be conducted through

· site visits

· research of historical primary and secondary sources, photographs, and archives

· oral interviews

· other ethnohistoric research methods.

2. Develop a General Technical Report based on the research and site visits.

· Documentation from Objective 1 will result in writing an USDA, Northern Research Station, General Technical Report (GTR) and completed in such a manner to also satisfy documentation requirements of the WI State Historical Preservation Office (SHPO) for future mitigation of adverse effects.

· This GTR or an associated appendix will include documentation of the current condition of the buildings through recent photographs of each building and external building measurements, per WISHPO recommendations. These images and measurements will serve to inform future generations of the last known account of these historical structures.

3. Develop an interpretive media plan that will guide future educational goals for the site. Design and fabricate interpretive media (signage, brochures, etc.) at the nursery/research station site to share stories generated in Objective 1 with visitors and residents. Media must also satisfy requirements of SHPO for future mitigation, as defined in Objective 1.

4. Provide public outreach opportunities by developing and delivering presentations to help residents better understand the significant history of the Hugo Sauer Nursery and the Northern Research Station.

5. Provide educational training and experiences for undergraduate and graduate students taking College of Natural Resources courses at UW-Stevens Point. The project will be used as a case study to train students in the research and documentation process required to interpret stories at historical sites, including how interpretation and education serves in the mitigation process. This will help to enhance the professionalism of students, add a much needed cultural heritage component to the course, and increase their awareness of and interactions with the US Forest Service.