B09_GUIS-FD-2016_0001.pdf

Signatures 6-20-2016

Foundation Document Gulf Islands National Seashore Florida/Mississippi June 2016

NATIONAL PARK SERVICE • U.S. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

North

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292A

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Santa Rosa Area Okaloosa AreaEast Ship Island

Sand Island

Horn Island

Cat Island

Petit Bois Island

West Ship Island

GULF ISLANDS NATIONAL SEASHORE

GULF ISLANDS NATIONAL SEASHORE

N a t i o n a l S e a s h o r e B o u n d a r y

Gulf Islands National Seashore

Gulf Islands National Seashore boundary

N a t i o n a l S e a s h o r e B o u n d a r y

Perdido Key Area

Yello w

Rive r

East Bay River

Blackwater River

P er di do

R iv er

Styx River

Es ca ta w pa

Pa sc ag ou la

Red Creek

Biloxi River

Blackwater R

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Escam b ia River

Fow l River

G U L F O F M E X I C O

Pe ti t Bo is ss

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PENSACOLA

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MOBILE

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M I S S I S S I P P I S O U N D

Grand Bay

Vancleave

Gautier

Passenger ferry

(no cars)

Cantonment Milton

Gulf Breeze

Holley

Toll bridge Navarre

Navarre Beach Eglin Air Force Base

Santa R osa

Island Pensacola Beach

Perdido Key

PENSACOLA

To Tallahassee

To Destin

Mary Esther

Fort Walton

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Alabama Port

Fairhope

Loxley

Robertsdale

Foley

Gulf Shores

Toll Ferry

Moss Point

Pascagoula

Bayou La Batre

Dauphin Island

Ocean Springs

To New Orleans

Gulfport

Biloxi

D'Iberville

To Wiggins and Hattiesburg

To Lucedale

To McLain

Fort Massachusetts

Fort Gaines

Fort Morgan

Historic Blakeley State Park

Gulf State Park

See Fort Pickens map below

See Davis Bayou map below

Opal Beach

Boat launchCampground

Primitive campsite

Wheelchair-accessible

Ranger station

Swimming area

Picnic area

Fortification

Trail/boardwalk

Multi-use trail

MOBILE

Congress authorized adding most of Cat Island to the national seashore, but private land remains.

Rosamond Johnson Beach

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North

0 10 20 Miles

10 20 Kilometers

173 295

292A

A

Santa Rosa Area Okaloosa AreaEast Ship Island

Sand Island

Horn Island

Cat Island

Petit Bois Island

West Ship Island

GULF ISLANDS NATIONAL SEASHORE

GULF ISLANDS NATIONAL SEASHORE

N a t i o n a l S e a s h o r e B o u n d a r y

Gulf Islands National Seashore

Gulf Islands National Seashore boundary

N a t i o n a l S e a s h o r e B o u n d a r y

Perdido Key Area

Yello w

Rive r

East Bay River

Blackwater River

P er di do

Styx River

Es ca ta w pa sc ag ou la

Red Creek

Biloxi River

Blackwater R

Fis h

Escam b ia River

Fow l River

G U L F O F M E X I C O

Pe ti t Bo is

Hor n

Is la nd P as s

D og

K ey s

Sh ip

Is la nd P as s

PENSACOLA

BAY

ESCAMBIA

BAY

EAST

BAY

S a n t a R o s a S o u n d

PERDID

O

BAY

MOBILE

BAY

BON SECOUR

BAY

M I S S I S S I P P I S O U N D

Grand Bay

Vancleave

Gautier

Passenger ferry

(no cars)

Cantonment Milton

Gulf Breeze

Holley

Toll bridge Navarre

Navarre Beach Eglin Air Force Base

Santa R osa

Island Pensacola Beach

Perdido Key

PENSACOLA

To Tallahassee

To Destin

Mary Esther

Fort Walton

Beach

Alabama Port

Fairhope

Loxley

Robertsdale

Foley

Gulf Shores

Toll Ferry

Moss Point

Pascagoula

Bayou La Batre

Dauphin Island

Ocean Springs

To New Orleans

Gulfport

Biloxi

D'Iberville

To Wiggins and Hattiesburg

To Lucedale

To McLain

Fort Massachusetts

Fort Gaines

Fort Morgan

Historic Blakeley State Park

Gulf State Park

See Fort Pickens map below

See Davis Bayou map below

Opal Beach

Boat launchCampground

Primitive campsite

Wheelchair-accessible

Ranger station

Swimming area

Picnic area

Fortification

Trail/boardwalk

Multi-use trail

MOBILE

Congress authorized adding most of Cat Island to the national seashore, but private land remains.

Rosamond Johnson Beach

A la b am a

Fl o ri d a

A lab am a

M ississip p i

F L O R I D A

A L A B A M A

M I S S I S S I P P I

Gulf Islands National Seashore

Contents Mission of the National Park Service 1

Introduction 2

Part 1: Core Components 3

Brief Description of the Park 3

Park Purpose 4

Park Significance 5

Fundamental Resources and Values 6

Interpretive Themes 8

Part 2: Dynamic Components 10

Special Mandates and Administrative Commitments 10

Special Mandates 10

Administrative Commitments 12

Assessment of Planning and Data Needs 13

Analysis of Fundamental Resources and Values 13

Identification of Key Issues and Associated Planning and Data Needs 27

Planning and Data Needs 30

Part 3: Contributors 35

Gulf Islands National Seashore 35

NPS Southeast Region 35

Other NPS Staff 35

Appendixes 36

Appendix A: Enabling Legislation and Legislative Acts for Gulf Islands National Seashore 36

Appendix B: Basics for Wilderness Stewardship 41

Wilderness Background Information 41

History of Land Status and Legislation 41

Current Land Status, Boundary Descriptions, and Map 42

Wilderness Character Narrative 43

The arrowhead was authorized as the official National Park Service emblem by the Secretary of the Interior on July 20, 1951. The sequoia tree and bison represent vegetation and wildlife, the mountains and water represent scenic and recreational values, and the arrowhead represents historical and archeological values.

Gulf Islands National Seashore

Mission of the National Park Service The National Park Service (NPS) preserves unimpaired the natural and cultural resources and values of the national park system for the enjoyment, education, and inspiration of this and future generations. The National Park Service cooperates with partners to extend the benefits of natural and cultural resource conservation and outdoor recreation throughout this country and the world.

The NPS core values are a framework in which the National Park Service accomplishes its mission. They express the manner in which, both individually and collectively, the National Park Service pursues its mission. The NPS core values are:

· Shared stewardship: We share a commitment to resource stewardship with the global preservation community.

· Excellence: We strive continually to learn and improve so that we may achieve the highest ideals of public service.

· Integrity: We deal honestly and fairly with the public and one another.

· Tradition: We are proud of it; we learn from it; we are not bound by it.

· Respect: We embrace each other’s differences so that we may enrich the well-being of everyone.

The National Park Service is a bureau within the Department of the Interior. While numerous national park system units were created prior to 1916, it was not until August 25, 1916, that President Woodrow Wilson signed the National Park Service Organic Act formally establishing the National Park Service.

The national park system continues to grow and comprises more than 400 park units covering more than 84 million acres in every state, the District of Columbia, American Samoa, Guam, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands. These units include, but are not limited to, national parks, monuments, battlefields, military parks, historical parks, historic sites, lakeshores, seashores, recreation areas, scenic rivers and trails, and the White House. The variety and diversity of park units throughout the nation require a strong commitment to resource stewardship and management to ensure both the protection and enjoyment of these resources for future generations.

Introduction Every unit of the national park system will have a foundational document to provide basic guidance for planning and management decisions—a foundation for planning and management. The core components of a foundation document include a brief description of the park as well as the park’s purpose, significance, fundamental resources and values, and interpretive themes. The foundation document also includes special mandates and administrative commitments, an assessment of planning and data needs that identifies planning issues, planning products to be developed, and the associated studies and data required for park planning. Along with the core components, the assessment provides a focus for park planning activities and establishes a baseline from which planning documents are developed.

A primary benefit of developing a foundation document is the opportunity to integrate and coordinate all kinds and levels of planning from a single, shared understanding of what is most important about the park. The process of developing a foundation document begins with gathering and integrating information about the park. Next, this information is refined and focused to determine what the most important attributes of the park are. The process of preparing a foundation document aids park managers, staff, and the public in identifying and clearly stating in one document the essential information that is necessary for park management to consider when determining future planning efforts, outlining key planning issues, and protecting resources and values that are integral to park purpose and identity.

While not included in this document, a park atlas is also part of a foundation project. The atlas is a series of maps compiled from available geographic information system (GIS) data on natural and cultural resources, visitor use patterns, facilities, and other topics. It serves as a GIS-based support tool for planning and park operations. The atlas is published as a (hard copy) paper product and as geospatial data for use in a web mapping environment. The park atlas for Gulf Islands National Seashore can be accessed online at: http://insideparkatlas.nps.gov/.

Part 1: Core Components The core components of a foundation document include a brief description of the park, park purpose, significance statements, fundamental resources and values, and interpretive themes.

These components are core because they typically do not change over time. Core components are expected to be used in future planning and management efforts.

Brief Description of the Park Gulf Islands National Seashore was established by the U.S. Congress on January 8, 1971. The national seashore encompasses barrier islands, coastal mainlands, and surrounding waters in Mississippi and Florida and extends for 160 miles from Cat Island in Mississippi to the eastern end of Santa Rosa Island in the northwest section of Florida’s panhandle. The national seashore was set aside for the purpose of preserving areas possessing outstanding natural, historic, and recreational values for public use and enjoyment. The current authorized acreage of the national seashore is 139,175 acres. From 2011 to 2014, annual average visitation was almost 5 million visitors.

The resources of the seashore range from remote wilderness islands with few visitors to publicly accessible white sand beaches and historic sites visited by several million people each year. It also includes bayous, salt marshes, live oaks, maritime forests, and 120,000 acres of marine habitat. The natural environment provides support for complex plant and animal communities, both terrestrial and aquatic, that characterize the northern Gulf Coast. More than 80% of Gulf Islands National Seashore is marine habitat and open water. Hurricanes, tropical storms, sea level rise, climate change, and natural sand transport caused by current and winds are important drivers of change at the national seashore. Both Horn and Petit Bois Islands in Mississippi are federally designated wilderness areas.

Gulf Islands National Seashore contains a number of 19th century forts built as part of the “Third System” of national defense. Construction of Fort Pickens, the largest, was initiated in 1829 and completed in 1834. Two forts on the mainland, Fort Barrancas and Advanced Redoubt, are on Naval Air Station Pensacola. Fort Barrancas includes the 18th century Spanish Bateria de San Antonio, a national historic landmark. Other Third System forts include Fort McRee in Florida, which is now an archeological site, and Fort Massachusetts in Mississippi on the northwestern shore of West Ship Island. These forts were built as part of a fortification effort to protect all major U.S.harbors after the War of 1812.

Many of the extant cultural resources on Santa Rosa Island were part of the 13th Coast Artillery Regiment of the U.S. Army Coast Artillery Corps. In addition to the coastal defense forts, numerous artillery batteries can be found that span the time from the Civil War to the end of World War II.

Park Purpose The purpose statement identifies the specific reason(s) for establishment of a particular park. The purpose statement for Gulf Islands National Seashore was drafted through a careful analysis of its enabling legislation and the legislative history that influenced its development.

The national seashore was established when the enabling legislation adopted by Congress was signed into law on January 8, 1971 (see appendix A for enabling legislation and subsequent amendments). The purpose statement lays the foundation for understanding what is most important about the national seashore.

Gulf Islands natIonal seashore preserves and interprets an interconnected system of coastal defense fortifications, barrier islands, wilderness, and coastal and marine ecosystems in Mississippi and northwest Florida, while providing for public use and enjoyment.

Park Significance Significance statements express why a park’s resources and values are important enough to merit designation as a unit of the national park system. These statements are linked to the purpose of Gulf Islands National Seashore, and are supported by data, research, and consensus. Statements of significance describe the distinctive nature of the park and why an area is important within a global, national, regional, and systemwide context. They focus on the most important resources and values that will assist in park planning and management.

The following significance statements have been identified for Gulf Islands National Seashore.

(Please note that the sequence of the statements does not reflect the level of significance.)

1. Gulf Islands National Seashore possesses dynamic beach ecosystems, a diversity of wildlife, and scenic character that are publicly accessible and provide a striking contrast to the surrounding urban development of the northern Gulf Coast.

2. Gulf Islands National Seashore exhibits the natural biologic and geologic processes of the dynamic and rapidly changing barrier islands, which are interconnected along 160 miles of the northern Gulf Coast.

3. Horn and Petit Bois Islands, the only nationally designated barrier island wilderness areas on the Gulf Coast protected by the National Park Service, provide opportunities for solitude and unconfined recreation.

4. Gulf Islands National Seashore contains one of the most complete collections of forts and structures relating to the evolution of seacoast defense in the United States. Publicly accessible sites represent a continuum of development from the Spanish colonization of the 18th century through World War II.

5. Gulf Islands National Seashore contains more than 120,000 acres of submerged land and open water, protects marine processes and ecosystems, and provides opportunities for water-based recreation.

Fundamental Resources and Values Fundamental resources and values (FRVs) are those features, systems, processes, experiences, stories, scenes, sounds, smells, or other attributes determined to warrant primary consideration during planning and management processes because they are essential to achieving the purpose of the park and maintaining its significance. Fundamental resources and values are closely related to a park’s legislative purpose and are more specific than significance statements.

Fundamental resources and values help focus planning and management efforts on what is truly significant about the park. One of the most important responsibilities of NPS managers is to ensure the conservation and public enjoyment of those qualities that are essential (fundamental) to achieving the purpose of the park and maintaining its significance. If fundamental resources and values are allowed to deteriorate, the park purpose and/or significance could be jeopardized.

The following fundamental resources and values have been identified for Gulf Islands National Seashore:

· Terrestrial and Marine Ecosystems. Terrestrial and marine ecosystems in Gulf Islands National Seashore are extremely diverse. More than 80% of the national seashore is marine or open-water habitat, including seagrass beds, tidal salt marshes, bayous, and deeper open-water areas. The seashore supports habitat for more than 400 fish species and provides essential fish habitat and important nursery habitat.

Terrestrial habitats include newly formed and relict sand dunes, live oak forests, wet pine flatwoods, and maritime forests. More than a dozen federally listed threatened and endangered species are present in the national seashore. Wildlife species of special concern include four sea turtles, the Gulf sturgeon, the eastern indigo snake, the piping plover, the red knot, the Perdido Key beach mouse, and the West Indian manatee. State-listed species include the diamondback terrapin in Mississippi and the snowy plover and least tern in Florida.

· Coastal Fortifications. The coastal fortifications in Gulf Islands National Seashore represent a continuum of seacoast defense systems that span almost 150 years from the Spanish colonial era through World War II. Fort Pickens, Fort Barrancas, Advanced Redoubt, Fort McRee, Fort Massachusetts, 13 concrete gun batteries and numerous barracks, support structures, and ruins at Fort McRee and Fort Pickens illustrate the evolution of harbor defenses in response to changes in weapons technology. The national seashore also maintains collections of artifacts, documents, and archives associated with the fortifications’ architecture, weaponry, and histories.

· Barrier Islands. The barrier islands of the national seashore extend for 160 miles along the northern Gulf Coast and include Santa Rosa Island and Perdido Key in Florida and Petit Bois, West Petit Bois, Horn, East and West Ship, and Cat Islands in Mississippi.

The natural processes of waves, sand deposition, storms, and currents are still evident in the migration of these islands. However, human activities such as dredging operations in several shipping and navigational channels, beach renourishment, and changes in the amount of sediment moving within the Mississippi Sound and Gulf of Mexico waters have caused significant effects on the natural barrier island processes.

The islands support a range of visitor opportunities and amenities from isolated backcountry locations to popular traditional beach activities.

· Visitor Opportunities. Gulf Islands National Seashore supports a wide variety of recreational, educational, and scenic opportunities for visitor enjoyment, including both land-based and water-based activities. Opportunities include water sports, visiting historic sites, wildlife viewing, boating, hunting and fishing, and traditional recreational activities on pristine white sand beaches. The seashore invites visitors to enjoy themselves on isolated wilderness islands or popular white sand beaches near Pensacola and Navarre.

· Gulf Islands Wilderness. The Gulf Islands Wilderness was established as a component of the National Wilderness Preservation System by the National Parks and Recreation Act of 1978, Public Law (PL) 95-625, on November 10, 1978. This legislation designated approximately 1,800 acres of the seashore as wilderness and an additional 2,800 acres as potential wilderness, for a total of approximately 4,600 acres. The Gulf Islands Wilderness consists of lands on Horn and Petit Bois Islands off the coast of Mississippi; it is the only designated wilderness area on the Gulf Coast protected by the National Park Service. The wilderness boundary includes all of Petit Bois Island and most of Horn Island. Scenic views, night skies, and natural sounds are important components of the wilderness character, though they are being degraded by oil and gas development in the viewshed.

jgerbich Cross-Out jgerbich Cross-Out jgerbich Comment on Text This was not specifically mentioned during the briefing as an issue, but based on the same reasoning for removing the text in "Barrier Islands," I have also removed this and added in the analysis table.

Interpretive Themes Interpretive themes are often described as the key stories or concepts that visitors should understand after visiting a park—they define the most important ideas or concepts communicated to visitors about a park unit. Themes are derived from, and should reflect, park purpose, significance, resources, and values. The set of interpretive themes is complete when it provides the structure necessary for park staff to develop opportunities for visitors to explore and relate to all park significance statements and fundamental resources and values.

Interpretive themes are an organizational tool that reveal and clarify meaning, concepts, contexts, and values represented by park resources. Sound themes are accurate and reflect current scholarship and science. They encourage exploration of the context in which events or natural processes occurred and the effects of those events and processes. Interpretive themes go beyond a mere description of the event or process to foster multiple opportunities to experience and consider the park and its resources. These themes help explain why a park story is relevant to people who may otherwise be unaware of connections they have to an event, time, or place associated with the park.

The following interpretive themes have been identified for Gulf Islands National Seashore:

· Sand, Sea, Salt Marsh, and Maritime Forest. The unique terrestrial and marine ecosystems within Gulf Islands National Seashore that provide important habitat for a diversity of life including threatened and endangered species motivates preservation and protection by the National Park Service, partners, and citizen stewards. More than 80% of the national seashore is marine or open-water habitat, including seagrass beds, tidal salt marsh, bayous, and deeper open-water areas, that provides essential fish and nursery habitats. Terrestrial habitats include newly formed and relict sand dunes, live oak forests, wet pine flatwoods, and maritime forests.

· Forts and Fire Power. The coastal fortifications within Gulf Islands National Seashore represent a continuum of seacoast defense systems that span almost 150 years from the Spanish colonial period through World War II. Coastal ports along area harbors and river mouths were the gateways to the outside world as well as targets for an enemy.

Forts Pickens, Barrancas, Advanced Redoubt, McRee, and Massachusetts illustrate the evolution of harbor defenses in response to changes in weapons technology and stand today as monuments to America’s early homeland defense system.

· Barrier Islands. The barrier islands of the national seashore extend for 160 miles east to west, from Florida’s Santa Rosa Island in the east to Mississippi’s Cat Island in the west. Barrier islands, salt marshes, and marine areas are continually reshaped by the dynamic and rapidly changing environment of the northern Gulf Coast.

The natural processes of waves, sand erosion and deposition, storms, and currents are evident in the migration of these islands. Human activities such as dredging of shipping and navigational channels, beach replenishment, and changes in the amount of sediment moving within the Mississippi Sound and Gulf of Mexico waters cause significant effects on the natural barrier island processes.

· Visitor Enjoyment. Scenic beaches, dynamic bayous, and cultural treasures provide opportunities for the 21st century visitor to experience adventure, relaxation, reflection, and learning and to create memories, including participation in citizen science, thus fostering a community of engaged and active national seashore stewards.

Activities include water sports, visiting historic sites, wildlife viewing, boating, hunting and fishing, and traditional recreational activities on pristine white sand beaches. The seashore offers popular gathering sites at forts and beaches.

· Wilderness Islands. Gulf Islands National Seashore includes the only federally designated wilderness area on the Gulf Coast protected by the National Park Service—Horn and Petit Bois Islands in Mississippi. These wilderness islands provide sanctuaries for flora and fauna, as well as opportunities for visitors to experience secluded public recreation, physical challenges, inspiration, reflection, and solitude.

Access to these islands provides visitors with unique opportunities to experience night skies, natural sounds, and primitive viewsheds and reconnect with the outdoors.

· Location and Legacy. Fort Pickens and Fort Barrancas are monuments to the skill and toil of slave masons, carpenters, and laborers who built these forts to protect and ensure the liberty of the United States, even as they were denied that individual liberty. These historic masonry forts stand today as monuments to challenges of all those who constructed, manned, and fought within their brick confines.

Part 2: Dynamic Components The dynamic components of a foundation document include special mandates and administrative commitments and an assessment of planning and data needs. These components are dynamic because they will change over time. New special mandates can be established and new administrative commitments made. As conditions and trends of fundamental resources and values change over time, the analysis of planning and data needs will need to be revisited and revised, along with key issues. Therefore, this part of the foundation document will be updated accordingly.

Special Mandates and Administrative Commitments Many management decisions for a park unit are directed or influenced by special mandates and administrative commitments with other federal agencies, state and local governments, utility companies, partnering organizations, and other entities. Special mandates are requirements specific to a park that must be fulfilled. Mandates can be expressed in enabling legislation, in separate legislation following the establishment of the park, or through a judicial process.

They may expand on park purpose or introduce elements unrelated to the purpose of the park. Administrative commitments are, in general, agreements that have been reached through formal, documented processes, often through memorandums of agreement. Examples include easements, rights-of-way, arrangements for emergency service responses, etc. Special mandates and administrative commitments can support, in many cases, a network of partnerships that help fulfill the objectives of the park and facilitate working relationships with other organizations. They are an essential component of managing and planning for Gulf Islands National Seashore.

Special Mandates

· National Seashore Legislative Boundary (16 USC 459H[b]). Gulf Islands National

Seashore is composed of a series of barrier islands, mainland, and waters along the northern Gulf Coast in both Mississippi and Florida. In general, the boundary of the offshore islands in Florida extends on the north to the south boundary of the Intracoastal Waterway and on the south outward to 1 mile beyond the low tide line of the islands. The boundary in Florida encircles the westernmost 7 miles of Perdido Key and encircles all 48 miles of Santa Rosa Island, exclusive of Pensacola Pass. The boundary in Mississippi extends 1 mile north and south beyond the low tide line of the offshore islands, with the exception of Cat Island. The boundary in Mississippi is contiguous from the old Gulfport shipping channel to the Alabama state line, exclusive of the Pascagoula shipping channel. The Intracoastal Waterway and the ship channels are excluded from the national seashore. All submerged lands within the legislative boundary in Mississippi are owned by the U.S. government and administered by the national seashore. Some of the submerged lands within the legislative boundary in Florida have been “dedicated and conveyed” to the U.S. government, including those adjacent to Fort Pickens, Santa Rosa, and Naval Live Oaks areas. The remainder of the submerged lands within the boundary in Florida is owned by the state. The National Park Service administers the waters within the legislative boundary regardless of the ownership of submerged lands, including the water surface and water column.

· Land Acquisition

- (PL 106-554). Within the boundaries of the national seashore, lands, waters, and interests therein may be acquired by donation, purchase with donated or appropriated funds, or exchange, except that property owned by a state or any political subdivision, thereof, may be acquired only with the consent of the owners.

Submerged lands (1-mile buffer zone surrounding lands of Cat Island) can only be acquired by donation from the state of Mississippi.

jgerbich

Is this enough to get at the issue text that was removed from the "Barrier Islands" FRV regarding human activities in the shipping/navigational channels? If not, can we add some language here to discuss the issue as it relates to the legislation? The issue language has also been added as a threat in the analysis table for "Barrier Islands."

- (PL 95-625). Gulf Islands National Seashore was authorized to acquire 600 acres along Marsh Point in Mississippi; actual acreage is 511 acres. Acquisition of this land has not taken place, but the lands would be managed under the national seashore’s general management plan should a willing seller and funding become available.

· Pensacola Naval Air Station (PL 91-660). The Pensacola Naval Air Station regulates public access to Bateria de San Antonio (Water Battery), Fort Barrancas, the Advanced Redoubt, and the visitor center located within their boundaries. Public access may be restricted during heightened national security level changes.

Approximately 14 miles of the easternmost part of Santa Rosa Island is owned by the U.S. government and administered by Eglin Air Force Base. By legislation, those lands will be transferred to the administrative jurisdiction of the national seashore should they ever be deemed excess by the military.

· Wilderness Management (PL 95-625 and Wilderness Act of 1964). In accordance with the requirements of the Wilderness Act, facilities will not be provided on Horn and Petit Bois Islands for the convenience of visitors because those islands will be managed to maintain their primeval character. There is a small administrative enclave on Horn Island for the purposes of maintaining a dock and ranger station. These facilities are being evaluated for removal, and these seven acres would be managed as potential wilderness. Essential administrative activities in wilderness will be carried out without the use of mechanized equipment in accordance with the Wilderness Act of 1964.

· Navigation and Maritime Safety (PL 91-660 and 95-625). The establishment of the national seashore shall not abridge the authority of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, with respect to navigation or related matters, except that beach erosion control and hurricane protection and spoil deposit activities shall be carried out by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in accordance with a plan that is acceptable to the Department of the Interior. Public Law 95-625 allows the U.S. Coast Guard and the Federal Aviation Administration to use the designated wilderness areas for navigational and maritime safety purposes.

· Hunting and Fishing (PL 91-660). Hunting and fishing shall be permitted on lands and waters within the national seashore in accordance with applicable federal and state laws, except where or when prohibited by the Secretary of the Interior for reasons of public safety, administration, fish or wildlife management, or public use and enjoyment.

· Fort Pickens Aquatic Preserve (18-20 Florida Administrative Code). The Fort Pickens Aquatic Preserve surrounds the western end of Santa Rosa Island and the eastern end of Perdido Key. Management of the preserve will be a joint effort between the Florida Department of Environmental Protection and the National Park Service.

· Outstanding Florida Waters (State of Florida designation). The Florida Department of Environmental Protection designated waters within Gulf Islands National Seashore as “Outstanding Florida Waters.” This designation grants special protection to Florida waters based on their natural attributes.

· Rights-of-Way and Easements

- (PL 106-554). The national seashore’s enabling legislation was amended to include a provision to allow an easement over approximately 150 acres of land on Cat Island known as the Boddie Family Tract. This easement has yet to be negotiated.

- (PL 91-660). Existing gas and oil transmission easements and rights-of-way through the national seashore (when oil and gas are removed from outside the boundaries) shall not be diminished, and the Secretary of the Interior may permit additional rights-of-way or easements.

Administrative Commitments

· Local Utility Agreements and Easements (not all-inclusive). The national seashore has a right-of-way agreement with the City of Gulf Breeze to allow construction and maintenance of a storm drain and waterline along the northwestern boundary of the Naval Live Oaks Area. A right-of-way through the national seashore may be needed to allow the City of Gulf Breeze to maintain a new waterline along U.S. Highway 98.

The Florida Department of Transportation was granted a 160-foot-wide perpetual easement to operate, maintain, and repair that section of U.S. Highway 98 that crosses the Naval Live Oaks Area. The easement includes the right to issue and renew public utility permits within the right-of-way.

Gulf Power Company has rights-of-way to operate and maintain an underground electrical line and facilities in the Naval Live Oaks Area and for an electrical distribution system within the Fort Pickens Area.

The City of Ocean Springs, Mississippi, has a right-of-way to operate and maintain existing water and sewer systems within the Davis Bayou Area.

· Law Enforcement. Jurisdiction over law enforcement matters is mixed. In Florida, all units, with the exception of the Pensacola Naval Air Station Historic District, are under concurrent jurisdiction, in that both the federal government and the state have the power to deal with all degrees of crimes. Exclusive federal jurisdiction has been retained for the Pensacola Naval Air Station Historic District because the surrounding Naval Air Station lands are held under the same federal jurisdiction.

In Mississippi, all lands and waters of the national seashore are under concurrent jurisdiction except for inholdings and recently acquired lands, which are under proprietary jurisdiction. NPS law enforcement actions include enforcement of federal and state criminal laws, traffic statues, and NPS regulations aimed at protecting resources and visitor experience from inappropriate activities.

Where submerged lands are owned by the State of Florida, the National Park Service still has regulatory authority to apply NPS regulations to activities occurring on the water surface, in the water column, and on shore below the mean high water line within the seashore’s boundary.

- Memorandums of Agreement. Memorandums of agreement with a number of local law enforcement agencies provide the opportunity to work in harmony for the common purpose of better protecting life and property of the public they serve by cooperating in the use of trained personnel and equipment where unforeseen threats to human life and property within the respective jurisdictions arise. These groups include the following:

Florida

· City of Gulf Breeze Police Department

· Escambia County Sheriff’s Department

· Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Department

· Santa Rosa County Sheriff’s Department

Mississippi

· Ocean Springs Police Department

- Memorandums of Understanding. The national seashore has memorandums of understanding with the Jackson County and Harrison County, Mississippi, sheriff’s offices for purposes of assisting in the enforcement of federal laws and regulations on the lands and waters of Gulf Islands National Seashore within the state of Mississippi.

· Fire Protection and Emergency Medical Services

- Memorandums of Understanding. Memorandums of understanding with a number of local fire departments allow the assistance of structural fire prevention and suppression and the protection of life and property from fire on lands administered by the national seashore. These groups include the following:

· Gulf Breeze Volunteer Fire Department, Florida

· Escambia County Fire and Rescue, Florida

· Pensacola Naval Air Station, Florida

· Okaloosa Island Fire District, Florida

· Ocean Springs Fire Department, Mississippi

- Memorandum of Understanding. A memorandum of understanding with Big Lagoon State Park provides for personal services and equipment required for prevention and suppression of wildland fires and the protection of life and property from these fires in the Perdido Key Area administered by Gulf Islands National Seashore and Big Lagoon State Park administered by the State of Florida.

- Cooperative Agreement. A cooperative agreement with the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services allows for conducting fire management activities and preliminary fire-related investigations.

· Commercial Services (16 USC 1, 2-4 and PL 105-391). Commercial services are provided at Gulf Islands National Seashore by way of concessions contracts and commercial use authorizations.

Assessment of Planning and Data Needs Once the core components of part 1 of the foundation document have been identified, it is important to gather and evaluate existing information about the park’s fundamental resources and values, and develop a full assessment of the park’s planning and data needs. The assessment of planning and data needs section presents planning issues, the planning projects that will address these issues, and the associated information requirements for planning, such as resource inventories and data collection, including GIS data.

There are three sections in the assessment of planning and data needs:

1. analysis of fundamental resources and values

2. identification of key issues and associated planning and data needs

3. identification of planning and data needs (including spatial mapping activities or GIS maps)

The analysis of fundamental resources and values and identification of key issues leads up to and supports the identification of planning and data collection needs.

Analysis of Fundamental Resources and Values The fundamental resource or value analysis table includes current conditions, potential threats and opportunities, planning and data needs, and selected laws and NPS policies related to management of the identified resource or value.

Fundamental Resource or Value

Terrestrial and Marine Ecosystems

Related Significance Statements

Significance statements 1, 2, 3, and 5

Current Conditions and Trends

Conditions

• In Pensacola Bay, 90% of seagrass has disappeared since the 1960s due to water quality degradation

• Davis Bayou and Naval Live Oaks forest communities are transitioning from historic fire-dependent ecosystems due to the infrequency of naturally occurring and prescribed burns

• Listed threatened and endangered species in habitats protected by the national seashore include mice, sea turtles, invertebrates, and shorebirds

• Gulf sturgeon is a federally listed threatened species Recent radio-tracking studies demonstrate the importance of barrier islands to the life cycle and recovery of this species

• The national seashore has two exotic plant management teams that collect data related to invasive species

• The Gulf Coast Network of the NPS Inventory and Monitoring Program conducts regular assessments of water quality, seagrasses, and land birds and is developing protocols to monitor terrestrial vegetation, shoreline position, and island topography

Trends

• Seagrass coverage is declining in Mississippi and Florida

• Shorebird nesting is declining overall

• In the Davis Bayou area pitcher plants are declining due to excessive overstory vegetation Prescribed burns could improve habitat conditions for pitcher plants

• In Florida, sea turtle populations are stable, but active management is needed due to excessive human-caused (anthropogenic) light sources

Fundamental Resource or Value

Terrestrial and Marine Ecosystems

Threats and Opportunities

Threats

• Invasive species (plant and animal) are an issue and include tawny crazy ants, torpedo grass, cogon grass, Cuban bull rush, lion fish, nutria, and popcorn trees (Chinese tallow trees)

• The use of prescribed burns is difficult due to the proximity of urban development

• There have been issues with harassing and/or taking of species including pelicans, sea turtles, alligator snapping turtles, and dolphins

• High visitation and organized educational groups affect national seashore resources

• Although a pack it in, pack it out policy has been implemented for trash management, trash and debris continue to impact wildlife

• The presence of asphalt on beaches (at Fort Pickens Road in particular) can impede natural dune formation

• Marine debris washing onto barrier islands includes beach trash from visitors, industrial trash from drill platforms and commercial boats and ships, and larger debris, such as buoys, from the Gulf of Mexico

• Vegetated dune systems and their inhabitants are impacted by high visitation

• Some fishermen have caught bait fish inside national seashore boundaries for commercial sales; this resource extraction impacts resources

• Predators threaten the productivity of shorebirds nesting at the seashore

• Vehicles cause some mortality of nesting shorebirds and chicks on roadways

• Sea level rise has increased and is projected to increase an additional 1 82–2 32 feet by 2100 Climate change may also cause increases in mean annual temperature, frequency of intense storm events, and extreme heat events (>95 °F) These changes threaten terrestrial and marine ecosystems through loss of land, increased erosion, rising groundwater tables and possible salt water intrusion, loss of nearby freshwater ecosystems, and an increase in nonnative plants and shift in ranges of native vegetation northward

• Anthropogenic light can affect the ecosystems at the national seashore

Opportunities

• Provide for better coexistence between human and nonhuman users of the beaches

• Increase discussions with local and state agencies and enhance partnerships related to management of water within the national seashore boundary

• Increase education of public and local agencies about management of water within the national seashore

• Develop curriculum-based education programming to include impacts of trash by working with state, local communities, oil and gas developers, and the shrimping industry This trash includes both that on the beaches from visitors as well as large beach debris washing up from Gulf of Mexico

• Pursue experimental fire management practices

• Continue to implement speed control measures on roads in the national seashore

Data and/or GIS Needs

• Visitor services study

• Study of effectiveness of visitor management efforts

Planning Needs

• Marine resources management plan

• Invasive species management plan

• Resource stewardship strategy

• Visitor use management plan

• Motorized vessel use plan

• Fisheries management plan

Fundamental Resource or Value

Terrestrial and Marine Ecosystems

Laws, Executive Orders, and Regulations That Apply to the FRV, and NPS Policy-level Guidance

Laws, Executive Orders, and Regulations That Apply to the FRV

• Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act; 16 USC 668

• Clean Water Act; 33 USC 1251-1387, 33 USC 1151

• Clean Air Act; 42 USC 7401 et seq

• Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended; 16 USC 1531 et seq

• Federal Noxious Weed Act of 1974, as amended; 7 USC 2801 et seq

• Migratory Bird Treaty Act; 16 USC 703-712

• National Invasive Species Act; 16 USC 4701

• National Environmental Policy Act of 1970; 42 USC 4321

• Wilderness Act (1964); 16 USC 1131 et seq

• Executive Order 13112, “Invasive Species”

• Secretarial Order 3289, “Addressing the Impacts of Climate Change on America’s Water, Land, and Other Natural and Cultural Resources”

NPS Policy-level Guidance (NPS Management Policies 2006 and Director’s Orders)

• NPS Management Policies 2006 (§1 6) “Cooperative Conservation Beyond Park Boundaries”

• NPS Management Policies 2006 (§4 1) “General Management Concepts”

• NPS Management Policies 2006 (§4 1 4) “Partnerships”

• NPS Management Policies 2006 (§4 4 1) “General Principles for Managing Biological Resources”

• NPS Management Policies 2006 (§4 6 2) “Water Rights”

• NPS Management Policies 2006 (§4 6 4) “Floodplains”

• NPS Management Policies 2006 (§4 8 1 1) “Shorelines and Barrier Islands”

• NPS Management Policies 2006 (§4 10) “Lightscape Management”

• NPS Management Policies 2006 (§4 7) “Air Resource Management”

• NPS Management Policies 2006 (§4 7 2) “Weather and Climate”

• Director’s Order 18: Wildland Fire Management

• Director’s Order 77-2: Floodplain Management

• NPS Reference Manual 18: Wildland Fire Management

• NPS Natural Resource Management Reference Manual 77

• NPS Procedural Manual 77-1: Wetland Protection

• NPS Procedural Manual 77-2: Floodplain Management

Fundamental Resource or Value

Coastal Fortifications

Related Significance Statements

Significance statement 4

Current Conditions and Trends

Conditions

• All coastal fortification sites require ongoing maintenance and repair When the national seashore was created in the 1970s, much work was done, but more remains to be completed

• Fort Pickens, Fort Massachusetts, and Fort Barrancas have high visitation levels

• Officers’ quarters are used as park housing, and rent is used to help maintain structures

• There are a range of conditions for coastal fortifications—some are in fair condition and others are in poor condition, but all are in need of maintenance and repair

Trends

• Due to insufficient level of maintenance, the condition of coastal fortifications is continually deteriorating

Threats and Opportunities

Threats

• Rainfall, periodic catastrophic storms, and a continuous growing season all affect the integrity of historic structures

• Vandalism, including graffiti, has been an issue at certain coastal fortification sites

• Unsealed concrete at gun batteries creates issues with rusting and concrete blowouts

• Certain fortifications in especially bad condition have been managed by benign neglect (e g , Battery Cullum-Sevier)

• Sea level rise may inundate many coastal fortification sites This is especially a problem at Fort Massachusetts and Fort McRee

• Metal structures, armaments, and visitor facilities are continually affected by salt corrosion

Opportunities

• Adaptively reuse some structures; regular use of the sites helps with general maintenance

• Enhance interpretation of the coastal fortifications based on new historical research (e g , waysides)

Fundamental Resource or Value

Coastal Fortifications

Data and/or GIS Needs

• Historic resource study

• Administrative history

• Cultural landscape inventories

• Historic American Buildings Survey / Historic American Engineering Record documentation

• National Register of Historic Places nominations

Planning Needs

• Historic structure reports

• Cultural landscape reports

• Resource stewardship strategy

Laws, Executive Orders, and Regulations That Apply to the FRV, and NPS Policy-level Guidance

Laws, Executive Orders, and Regulations That Apply to the FRV

• Antiquities Act of 1906; 54 USC 320301-320303, 34 Stat 225

• Archeological and Historic Preservation Act of 1974; 54 USC 312502 et seq

• Archaeological Resources Protection Act of 1979; 54 USC 302902

• Historic Sites Act of 1935; 54 USC 320101 et seq

• Museum Properties Management Act of 1955; 54 USC 102501-102504

• National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, as amended; 54 USC 300101 et seq

• Executive Order 11593, “Protection and Enhancement of the Cultural Environment”

• Secretarial Order 3289, “Addressing the Impacts of Climate Change on America’s Water, Land, and Other Natural and Cultural Resources”

• “Curation of Federally-Owned and Administered Archaeological Collections,” 36 CFR 79

• “Protection of Historic Properties,” 36 CFR 800

NPS Policy-level Guidance (NPS Management Policies 2006 and Director’s Orders)

• NPS Management Policies 2006 (chapter 5) “Cultural Resource Management”

• Director’s Order 24: NPS Museum Collections Management

• Director’s Order 28: Cultural Resource Management (1998)

• Director’s Order 28A: Archeology (2004)

• NPS Museum Handbook, parts I, II, and III

• The Secretary of the Interior’s Standards and Guidelines for Archeology and Historic Preservation

Fundamental Resource or Value

Barrier Islands

Related Significance Statements

Significance statements 1, 2, 3, and 5

Current Conditions and Trends

Conditions

• The natural accretion and erosion processes that maintain the barrier islands have been disrupted by storm events, sea level rise, dredging, and beach renourishment

• The east and west transport of marine sediment has been reduced by dredging to maintain navigation channels

• The sediment supply that supports the barrier islands will be augmented by 19 million cubic yards of compatible sand that will reconnect East and West Ship Islands

• Recurring dredge placement and renourishment is taking place at Perdido Key as a result of the dredging maintenance of Pensacola Pass

• Fort Massachusetts and the north shore of West Ship Island was last renourished in 2011–2012

• The U S Army Corps of Engineers has proposed widening the Pascagoula shipping channel and the Gulfport shipping channel west of West Ship Island (outside the seashore boundary)

Trends

• The barrier islands are eroding at different rates; East Ship and Petit Bois Islands are eroding faster than the other islands

• The canopy is declining on the barrier islands; storms kill off pine trees, which affects wildlife habitat

• High levels of visitation result in impacts to dunes and dune vegetation

• There is regularly occurring beach renourishment at non-NPS beaches such as at Navarre Beach and Pensacola Beach The impacts on NPS beaches from sand placement and transport due to these projects are unknown jgerbich Inserted Text Please add, "...due to dredging and other human…