Attachment_16_FOMA_FoundationDocument.pdf

Foundation Document Fort Matanzas National Monument Florida June 2016

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

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FORT MATANZAS

NATIONAL MONUMENT

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ATANZAS R IVER

Passenger Ferry

Matanzas Inlet

Summer Haven

Visitor Center

Fort Matanzas

Picnic area

Nature Trail

Beach ramp

ANASTASIA ISLAND

Park area

Boardwalk

Parking lot

RATTLESNAKE

ISLAND

Contents Mission of the National Park Service 1

Introduction 2

Part 1: Core Components 3

Brief Description of the Park 3 Park Purpose 5 Park Significance 6 Fundamental Resources and Values 7 Other Important Resources and Values 8 Interpretive Themes 9

Part 2: Dynamic Components 10

Special Mandates and Administrative Commitments 10 Assessment of Planning and Data Needs 10

Analysis of Fundamental Resources and Values 10

Analysis of Other Important Resources and Values 18

Identification of Key Issues and Associated Planning and Data Needs 21

Planning and Data Needs 23

Part 3: Contributors 27

Castillo De San Marcos National Monument and Fort Matanzas National Monument 27 NPS Southeast Region 27 Other NPS Staff 27

Appendixes 28

Appendix A: Enabling Legislation and Legislative Acts for Fort Matanzas National Monument 28

Appendix B: Inventory of Administrative Commitments 30 Appendix C: Past and Ongoing Park Planning and

Data Collection Efforts 31

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.

Fort Matanzas National Monument

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, other important 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 Fort Matanzas National Monument 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, other important 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 Fort Matanzas National Monument is 14 miles south of St. Augustine, on the northeast Atlantic coast of Florida. Fort Matanzas National Monument was established by presidential proclamation on October 15, 1924. The U.S. War Department administered the fort until it was transferred to the Department of the Interior, National Park Service in 1933. Additional acreage was added to the park in 1948, and subsequent donations by the Johnson family during the 1960s expanded the park by about 70 acres. The various land expansions that followed resulted in the inclusion of significant natural resources within the park boundaries. These resources include a variety of natural habitats that support diverse plant and animal communities typical of the Northeast Florida coastal barrier ecosystems. The park encompasses approximately 300 acres, divided between the southern tip of Anastasia Island (approximately 110 acres) and the northern end of Rattlesnake Island (approximately 190 acres).

The history of Fort Matanzas is closely linked with St. Augustine and the Castillo de San Marcos, which served as the city’s chief defensive structure for many years. Since St.

Augustine’s founding in 1565, the outpost town had been the heart of Spain’s coastal defense system in Florida. After the completion of the Castillo in 1695, the town still had a glaring weakness—the Matanzas Inlet. The inlet allowed easy access to the Matanzas River, by which enemy vessels could attack St. Augustine. In 1740, troops from the British colony of Georgia blockaded the St. Augustine Inlet and began a 39-day siege of the town. The British eventually retreated and the Spanish immediately sought to fortify Matanzas Inlet, realizing that British control of this strategic entry to the river could ultimately lead to the surrender of the town.

Construction of a masonry fort began soon thereafter. In 1742, with the fort near completion, the British positioned 12 ships near the inlet. The fort’s cannons were able to drive off the British scouting boats and the ships. Besides warning St. Augustine of enemy vessels, the fort also served as a rest stop, coast guard station, and a place where vessels heading for St. Augustine could get advice on navigating the river. Its primary mission, though, was maintaining control of the Matanzas Inlet, which it did successfully throughout the fort’s military life. This control prevented the enemy from easily accessing the southern approach to St. Augustine.

Today, more than 568,500 people visit the park annually, and of those, about 65,000 people visit the fort. Visitors to Fort Matanzas National Monument can experience exhibits on the fort’s history and explore the fort via regular NPS-led boat trips to the fort, which is supported by ranger talks and occasional historic weapons firing demonstrations. The park visitor center is on Anastasia Island, a barrier island separated from the Florida mainland by the Matanzas River and the Intracoastal Waterway. Because the authorized boundary of the park extends only to the mean high tide line on both Anastasia and Rattlesnake Islands, neither the waters of the Matanzas River, the Intracoastal Waterway, nor the Atlantic Ocean are part of the national monument.

The Matanzas Inlet that separates Anastasia Island from Rattlesnake Island, where the fort stands, is one of the last natural inlets (i.e., with no dredged channel) on the east coast of Florida and is unsuitable for navigation, except by small craft. Predominant habitats in Anastasia Island include beaches along both the Matanzas River and the Atlantic shore, stabilized sand dunes supporting maritime forest, secondary dunes further inland, and salt marsh. Rattlesnake Island supports slash pine and red bay woodlands, oyster shell beaches, and developing hardwood forests typified by wax myrtle, cedar, and cabbage palm.

In addition to visiting the fort, the park offers a variety of recreational activities, including bird watching, boating, fishing, kayaking, nature walks, swimming, and wildlife viewing. The park offers a 0.5-mile self-guided nature trail on a boardwalk through a coastal maritime forest and through the dunes to a beach overlook. The majority of the land on Rattlesnake Island is open to the public, with the exception of the area immediately surrounding the fort. Although most of the parkland on Anastasia Island is closed to the public because of the dunes and their sensitive environment, the beach areas are open to the public and receive the vast majority of the park’s visitors, who enjoy traditional beach activities such as picnicking, boating, shelling, wading/swimming, and sunbathing.

Park Purpose The purpose statement identifies the specific reason(s) for establishment of a particular park. The purpose statement for Fort Matanzas National Monument was drafted through a careful analysis of its enabling legislation and the legislative history that influenced its development. The park was designated on October 15, 1924, through Presidential Proclamation No. 1713 (see appendix A for presidential proclamation and subsequent legislation). The purpose statement lays the foundation for understanding what is most important about the park.

Fort Matanzas national MonuMent preserves the fortified watchtower, completed in 1742, which defended the southern approach to the Spanish military settlement of St. Augustine, and protects approximately 300 acres of Florida coastal environment.

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 Fort Matanzas National Monument, 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 Fort Matanzas National Monument. (Please note that the sequence of the statements does not reflect the level of significance.)

· Built from coquina, a locally quarried form of limestone, Fort Matanzas is the only example of a Spanish fortified watchtower in the continental United States.

· Fort Matanzas is the best-preserved component of the Spanish outer defense system that once protected St. Augustine.

· Fort Matanzas’ setting provides a rare opportunity for visitors to experience the natural landscape as it might have appeared to an 18th-century Spanish soldier.

· Fort Matanzas National Monument preserves an undeveloped portion of an Atlantic barrier island and coastal ecosystem containing dunes, marsh, maritime forest, and associated flora and fauna, including threatened and endangered species.

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 Fort Matanzas National Monument:

· Fort Matanzas. Fort Matanzas is a coquina masonry Spanish fortification that guards the southern mouth of the Matanzas River, the Matanzas Inlet. The fort protected the “back door” entrance to the city of St. Augustine, a weak spot in the city defense, and also served as a rest stop, coast guard station, and a place where vessels heading for St. Augustine could get advice on navigating the river. Located on Rattlesnake Island, the fort was completed in 1742, although there were successive watchtowers at the Matanzas Inlet from 1569 until 1740. Fort Matanzas is a rare surviving example of Spanish fortification as erected in Florida in the 18th century. The fort includes an elevated gun deck, officer’s quarters, soldiers’ quarters, powder magazine, and a 30-foot high observation deck. The structure is a tangible symbol of Spanish culture and heritage in the area.

· Historic Setting and Natural Environment. The natural landscape surrounding the fort retains a high degree of natural integrity encompassing broad, sweeping views extending out from the fort, providing an authentic experience to visitors in terms of the strategic location and remoteness of the fort. Supporting the historic setting and viewshed is approximately 300 acres of undeveloped Atlantic barrier island and coastal ecosystem that are protected by Fort Matanzas National Monument. Natural coastal processes in the park, such as erosion, shoreline migration, deposition, and inlet formation, are allowed to continue without interference.

Other Important Resources and Values Fort Matanzas National Monument contains other resources and values that are not fundamental to the purpose of the park and may be unrelated to its significance, but are important to consider in planning processes. These are referred to as “other important resources and values” (OIRV). These resources and values have been selected because they are important in the operation and management of the park and warrant special consideration in park planning.

The following other important resources and values have been identified for Fort Matanzas National Monument:

· Cast Iron Cannons. Five cannons once guarded the fortress, facing in the three approaching directions. Each cannon could easily reach the inlet, then only a half-mile away. Two of these original cannons still stand at the fort today. They were made around 1750 (probably in Spain), emplaced at Matanzas in 1793, and left behind by the Spanish when they departed Florida in 1821. The other two cannons, now on the gun deck, are modern reproductions purchased through donations to the park and used in the park’s living history cannon firing demonstrations.

· Archeology. Fort Matanzas National Monument has seven archeological sites that are listed in the National Register of Historic Places. These resources are primarily shell middens and sites associated with Spanish and British periods of occupation. The historic and aboriginal middens on Rattlesnake and Anastasia Islands have provided, and will continue to provide, information useful for interpretation to the public.

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 and other important 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 Fort Matanzas National Monument:

· Protecting a Strategic Location. Fort Matanzas stands as a reminder of the importance of guarding the Matanzas Inlet, which had been the backdoor, southern water approach to St. Augustine and the Spanish fortress Castillo de San Marcos.

· The Soldier Experience. The then-isolated location of Fort Matanzas took soldiers away from home, family, and the conveniences of community life in St. Augustine. Today, a relatively undeveloped natural landscape is evocative of the remote experiences of the Spanish soldiers charged with keeping a vigilant watch in defense of their way of life and of a key post of the Spanish Empire.

· Natural Connections. Through the conservation of portions of the Atlantic coastal barrier island ecosystems of Rattlesnake and Anastasia Islands, Fort Matanzas National Monument serves as a gateway to the natural world, through recreation, exploration, understanding, and stewardship of the natural resources that comprise this native ecosystem.

· Preservation and Stewardship. The stewardship of this nearly 300-year-old fortified Spanish watchtower requires careful preservation methods and traditional masonry techniques to maintain and safeguard Fort Matanzas for the purpose of providing an authentic place for reflecting on our nation’s past.

· St. Augustine and American Beginnings. Fort Matanzas National Monument provides an opportunity for personal reflection on the beginnings of St. Augustine and the country. Whether a view reminiscent of the undeveloped landscape first experienced by native peoples, the clash of nations between the French and Spanish in 1565, or Spain’s struggle to protect its strategic port from British control in the 1740s, this special place represents the early period of what would become the United States of America.

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 and other important 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 Fort Matanzas National Monument.

Fort Matanzas National Monument has no special mandates. For more information about the park’s administrative commitments, please see appendix B.

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 and other important 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 and other important 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 and other important 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

Fort Matanzas

Related Significance Statements

• Built from coquina, a locally quarried form of limestone, Fort Matanzas is the only example of a Spanish fortified watchtower in the continental United States

• Fort Matanzas is the best-preserved component of the Spanish outer defense system that once protected St Augustine

Current Conditions and Trends

Conditions

• Major efforts were made to stabilize and restore the fort in 1916, 1922, the 1930s, and the late 1970s Presently, the fort is in good condition

• There is no after-hour security for the fort

• There is a visitor center / headquarters on Anastasia Island where ferry passes are issued

• The number of visitors at any one time is controlled by boat capacity

• A ranger-led experience is included as part of the visit to the fort

• An 8-minute movie is shown on request at the visitor center outlining the history of the fort

• The ferry boat to the fort and the fort itself are not accessible There is a stair of 15 steps to get up to the fort

• There is a coquina seawall along the northeast side of the fort, currently covered by a coquina revetment

• The coquina seawall and portions of Rattlesnake Island are flooded several times annually due to high tides in the spring and fall

Trends

• Increasing visitation and associated foot traffic

• Expansion of natural resources interpretation

• The number of visitors per year at Fort Matanzas has been steadily increasing The most visited areas today are the beach sites

Fundamental Resource or Value

Fort Matanzas

Threats and Opportunities

Threats

• Shifting shoreline due to coastal erosion poses a threat to the integrity and foundation of the historic watchtower

• Climate change / sea level rise

• Shifting ground, wash over

• Unauthorized access/uses

• Future increases in sea level, possibly combined with changes to storm frequency and magnitude, will probably result in increased erosion and flooding of the coquina seawall and portions of Rattlesnake Island

• Increase visitation may negatively impact the coquina material of the structure, ranging from wear and tear of the floors to visitors touching the coquina walls

• Human impacts from visitation and use (i e , wear and tear)

• Vegetation growing on fort

Opportunities

• Increase natural resources interpretation at Fort Matanzas

• Enhancement of overall visitor experience

• Structure monitoring through gap/crack measuring

• Maintenance projects for floors, coquina replacement, and repointing

• Expand interpretive programming to include the surrounding areas (by the visitor center, across the river by the beach, etc )

• Improve restoration of parts of the structure (correct mistakes from the past)

• Photo monitoring of the structure

• Creating programs with accessibility in mind (also beach access)

• Creating materials and programs in Spanish

Data and/or GIS Needs

• Climate change vulnerability assessment

• Coastal geomorphology modeling

• Cultural landscape inventory

• Ethnographic overview and assessment

• Preservation guide for Fort Matanzas

• Visitor use study

• Climate data and information

Planning Needs

• Accessibility plan

• Climate change adaptation plan

• Comprehensive interpretive plan / long-range interpretive plan

• Cultural landscape report

• Historic structure report to include specific treatment plan (update)

• Visitor use management plan

• Resource stewardship strategy

Fundamental Resource or Value

Fort Matanzas

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

• Archeological and Historic Preservation Act of 1974

• Archaeological Resources Protection Act of 1979

• Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990

• Historic Sites Act of 1935

• National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, as amended

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

• Executive Order 11988, “Floodplain Management”

• “Protection of Historic Properties” (36 CFR 800)

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

• 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 (chapter 5) “Cultural Resource Management”

• NPS Management Policies 2006 (chapter 7) “Interpretation and Education”

• NPS Management Policies 2006 (chapter 8) “Use of the Parks”

• NPS Management Policies 2006 (chapter 9) “Park Facilities”

• NPS Management Policies 2006 (chapter 10) “Commercial Visitor Services”

• Director’s Order 6: Interpretation and Education

• Director’s Order 24: NPS Museum Collections Management

• Director’s Order 28: Cultural Resource Management

• Director’s Order 28A: Archeology

• Director’s Order 42: Accessibility for Visitors with Disabilities in National Park Service Programs and Services

• NPS Transportation Planning Guidebook

• 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

Historic Setting and Natural Environment

Related Significance Statements

• Fort Matanzas’ setting provides a rare opportunity for visitors to experience the natural landscape as it might have appeared to an 18th-century Spanish soldier

• Fort Matanzas National Monument preserves an undeveloped portion of an Atlantic barrier island and coastal ecosystem containing dunes, marsh, maritime forest, and associated flora and fauna, including threatened and endangered species

Current Conditions and Trends

Conditions

• Overall natural conditions are fair to good

• The historic setting is good and provides a sense of isolation at the fort (no electricity, etc )

• Most of the ocean and Matanzas River shoreline along the island is undeveloped, with only a few coastal structures near the visitor center

• Predominant habitats in the Anastasia Island portion of the park include beaches along both the Matanzas River and the Atlantic shore, stabilized sand dunes supporting maritime forest, secondary dunes further inland, and salt marsh

• Fort Matanzas National Monument protects approximately 300 acres of dunes, marsh, and maritime forest within a nearly undisturbed barrier island system

• Fort Matanzas serves as habitat, nesting, or feeding grounds for a variety of threatened or endangered species This includes habitat for the extremely limited-ranged and endangered Anastasia Island beach mouse

• Fort Matanzas is part of the Guana Tolomato Matanzas National Estuarine Research Reserve This reserve contains approximately 55,000 acres of county, state, and federal lands, providing protection for salt marsh and mangrove tidal wetlands, oyster bars, estuarine lagoons, upland habitat, and offshore seas

• Data are being gathered on a three-year cycle for fire and fuel dynamics There have been small fires at the park, but minor in scale in that they have petered out before becoming of concern

• Fort Matanzas shows a prominence of natural sounds, a critical component of the historic and coastal setting, visitor experience, and plays an important role in wildlife communication, behavior, and other ecological processes The average existing sound level (with the influence of man-made sounds) is predicted to be 0 7 dBA above the natural ambient sound level Compared to parks throughout the national park system, this is a low number

• Fort Matanzas provides important coastal habitat for nocturnal wildlife and a unique opportunity for the public to enjoy night sky resources

• The park night sky quality is partially degraded due to the proximity of the multiple population centers

• Water quality, hydrology, and biological integrity at the park are rated fair

• Historic views of the natural landscape are often obscured by pollution-caused haze

• There is a statewide and coastal statewide fish advisory in Florida with consumption guidelines due to mercury that includes fish caught in the Matanzas River and other park waters

Trends

• Natural resources are generally stable

• Increasing visitation, foot traffic

• Outlying area is becoming more and more developed

• Increased vehicle traffic on U S Highway A1A

• Overuse of beach by those who prefer a nonvehicle beach

Fundamental Resource or Value

Historic Setting and Natural Environment

Threats and Opportunities

Threats

• Sea-level rise (climate change), which may lead to salt water inundation in the marsh, geomorphological changes in the dunes and ocean beach during storm surge, and substrata and vegetation change as the sand budget shifts across the barrier island and the marsh

• The dock next to the fort on Rattlesnake Island could be under potential threat during storm surge and as geomorphology changes in the dunes, potentially limiting visitor access

• Increasing visitation, impact on natural resources with increasing use and foot traffic

• There is not enough parking available on peak visitation days; overuse of the area and illegal parking cause damage to vegetation, park infrastructure such as pavement edges, and minor soil erosion Pedestrian safety is also compromised as a result

• Boat traffic creates a minimal impact on soundscape and a greater impact through wave action and safety The waterways can become congested in the summer on weekend days

• Trespass vehicles (off-road) impact vegetation, dunes, etc

• Increasing construction outside of the park boundary impacts the viewshed

• Wildfire risk increases with increasing visitation

• Encroachment of human population and development is the most important threat or stressor the park must consider Development may lead to increasing point and nonpoint source pollution, affecting air and water quality Increased vehicle emissions can occur as more people move to the area In-park biological integrity may also be stressed from these outside influences

• Potential increase in noise from nearby development, transportation, and aircraft

• Potential increase in artificial light from nearby development, light domes from bright towns/cities

• At night, air pollution scatters artificial light, increasing the effect of light pollution on the night sky

• Coal-fired power plants and vehicle exhaust are believed to be major contributors to air quality impacts in the southeastern US Both sources have reduced emissions significantly in the past decade to reduce ozone and fine particles, and these reductions should also improve air quality at the park Additional reductions from power plants are required by 2018

• Atmospheric nitrogen deposition levels in the park are above critical load for forest vegetation, suggesting it is are at risk for harmful effects Wetland areas are sensitive to nutrient enrichment effects of excess nitrogen from deposition and run-off, which can help invasive nonnative plant species to grow faster and out-compete native vegetation adapted to lower nitrogen conditions

• The 2011–2013 estimated wet mercury deposition for the park is very high at 13 1 micrograms per square meter Mercury and other toxic pollutants accumulate in the food chain and can affect both wildlife and human health

Fundamental Resource or Value

Historic Setting and Natural Environment

Threats and Opportunities

Opportunities

• Park expansion to county and/or conservation easement property

• Visitor center expansion

• Enhancement of overall visitor experience

• Expand interpretative and educational tools to communicate the connections between historic views, natural environment, sensitive park resources (forest, wetland, wildlife, water quality, Fort Matanzas, cast iron cannons), air quality/pollution, human health, climate change, and other associated resources

• Natural resource interpretation

• Boat-based interpretation

• Focus structured development, nonnative species, and other natural resources education campaigns on low population centers with a high potential for growth

• Develop acoustic goals, indicators, and standards in related park plans

• Manage lighting at the park in order to achieve fully sustainable outdoor lighting; this includes lighting only when and where it is needed, shielding lights and directing them downward, and using warm colors rather than white or blue

• Work cooperatively with other federal and state air quality agencies and local stakeholders to reduce air quality impacts in the park from sources of air pollution Partnering with potential nearby developers or planners could similarly help increase awareness about the importance of park historic viewsheds, air quality, and night sky

• Improve park sustainability and environmental leadership through the Climate Friendly Park certification including an environmental management system (Director’s Order 13A:

Environmental Management Systems).

Data and/or GIS Needs

• All taxa-biodiversity inventory

• Coastal geomorphology modeling

• Detailed, large-scale vegetation maps are in production with an anticipated completion date of fall 2016

• Baseline acoustic data

• Baseline night skies data

• Visitor use study

• Climate data and information

• Pollution studies

• Air quality monitoring data

• Visual resource inventory

Planning Needs

• Cultural landscape report

• Lighting plan

• Fire management plan

• Resource stewardship strategy

• Comprehensive interpretive plan / long-range interpretive plan

• Climate change adaptation plan

• Visual resource management plan

Fundamental Resource or Value

Historic Setting and Natural Environment

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

• Clean Air Act of 1977 (42 USC 7401 et seq )

• National Environmental Policy Act of 1969

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

• Executive Order 11988, “Floodplain Management”

• “Audio disturbances” (36 CFR 2 12)

• 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 4) “Park Management”

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

• NPS Management Policies 2006 (§3 1) “General”

• NPS Management Policies 2006 (chapter 4) “Natural Resource Management”

• NPS Management Policies 2006 (§5 3 1 7) “Cultural Soundscape Management”

• Director’s Order 18: Wildland Fire Management

• NPS Reference Manual 18: Wildland Fire Management

• Interagency Burned Area Emergency Response Guidebook

• Director’s Order 32: Cooperating Associations

• Director’s Order 47: Soundscape Preservation and Noise Management

• NPS-75 Natural Resources Inventory and Monitoring Guideline

• NPS Natural Resource Management Reference Manual 77

• Director’s Order 77-1: Wetland Protection

• NPS Procedural Manual #77-1: Wetland Protection

• Director’s Order 77-2: Floodplain Management

Analysis of Other Important Resources and Values

Other Important Resource or Value

Cast Iron Cannons

Current Conditions and Trends

Conditions

• Original, historic cannons are in fair condition for their age

• Cannon have rusting and oxide jacking (expansion of material)

• For the replica guns, carriage metal is rusting/fused and guns have some surface rust

Trends

• Continued deterioration, with downward trend in condition over time

Threats and Opportunities

Threats

• Weather

• Visitors sitting on cannon erodes paint finish

• Acidification caused by air pollution from coal-fired power plants, vehicle exhaust, and other sources, is probably causing damage to the cast iron cannon and other cultural resources, and may be increasing maintenance costs While wet deposition (acid rain) contributes partly to the deterioration, sulfur dioxide gas from combustion is the main contributor to deterioration of stone, paint, and some metals

• Salt environment causes rust

Opportunities

• Preventative maintenance planning

• Digital recording of cannon on fine scale

• New technology uses for record keeping

• Interpretive signs

Data and/or GIS Needs • Artillery documentation

Planning Needs

• Historic ordnance maintenance plan

• Comprehensive interpretive plan / long-range interpretive plan

• Resource stewardship strategy

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

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

• Archeological and Historic Preservation Act of 1974

• Clean Air Act of 1977 (42 USC 7401 et seq )

• Archaeological Resources Protection Act of 1979

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

• Management of Museum Properties Act of 1955 (PL 84-127) (16 USC 18f through 18f-3)

• “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 (§4 7) “Air Resource Management “

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

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

• Director’s Order 24: NPS Museum Collections Management

• Director’s Order 28: Cultural Resource Management

• Director’s Order 28A: Archeology

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

Other Important Resource or Value

Archeology

Current Conditions and Trends

Conditions

• The park’s archeological collection is in good condition, as are the site conditions, as reported in the Archeological Site Management Information System

• The condition of underground archeology is not known

• Vast majority of the archeological sites have not been investigated

• There is a regional archeological survey plan completed

• Several archeological surveys and investigations have taken place at Fort Matanzas since the 1960s These surveys have provided comprehensive coverage of the park and suggest that there is a low potential for finding additional sites on land

• There are seven recorded archeological sites at the park

• An underwater archeological survey of the river east of Fort Matanzas, conducted in 1979, did not identify any submerged cultural resources but suggested that intact resources could be present under overburden

• Approximately 40,085 archeological specimens have been collected through excavations at Fort Matanzas and Castillo de San Marcos National Monument, with historic ceramics representing the majority of the objects

• Some of these archeological specimens are on loan to the NPS Southeast Archeological Center in Tallahassee, Florida, for analysis, study, and cataloging The remainder of the park’s museum collections is stored at the Timucuan Ecological and Historical Preserve museum management facility in Jacksonville, Florida

Trends

• There is increasing public interest in archeology through articles on metal detection (this topic comes up regularly at the park)

• Erosion is increasing

• Water is destroying archeological sites

• Looting and illegal collection is affecting sites

• National Park Service is actively protecting sites and following section 106 protocols as written in the National Historic Preservation Act

Threats and Opportunities

Threats

• Use of metal detectors around the fort may lead to the disruption and looting of archaeological sites

• Construction and other ground-disturbing activities in the park

• Shifting shorelines due to coastal erosion leading to the erosion of archeological sites

• Encroachment of river on midden

• People trampling or looting sites

• Disruption of potential historical resources from seekers of slaughter site

• Climate change may impact archeological sites in Fort Matanzas if more erosion occurs because of increased storm frequency and intensity or sea level rise

• As archeological and historic resources become submerged or compromised because of climate change, they become unavailable for archeological research, artifact recovery, and visitor enjoyment

Opportunities

• Remote sensing could reveal more information

• Future technology uses, ground-penetrating radar

• Partnering with local archeologists and clubs

• Interpretive programming with archeology focus

• Completing formal, comprehensive archeological survey of the park

Other Important Resource or Value

Archeology

Data and/or GIS Needs

• Archeological overview and assessment

• Remote sensing

• Comprehensive archeological inventory

Planning Needs

• Comprehensive interpretive plan / long-range interpretive plan

• Resource stewardship strategy

• Climate change adaptation plan

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

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

• Archeological and Historic Preservation Act of 1974

• Archaeological Resources Protection Act of 1979

• Historic Sites Act of 1935

• Management of Museum Properties Act of 1955 (PL 84-127)

• National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, as amended

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

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

• “Protection of Historic Properties” (36 CFR 800)

• 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 (§4 1) “General Management Concepts”

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

• NPS Management Policies 2006 (§4 2) “Studies and Collections”

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

• NPS Management Policies 2006 (chapter 7) “Interpretation and Education”

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

• Director’s Order 6: Interpretation and Education

• Director’s Order 24: NPS Museum Collections Management

• Director’s Order 28: Cultural Resource Management

• Director’s Order 28A: Archeology

Identification of Key Issues and Associated Planning and Data Needs This section considers key issues to be addressed in planning and management and therefore takes a broader view over the primary focus of part 1. A key issue focuses on a question that is important for a park. Key issues often raise questions regarding park purpose and significance and fundamental and other important resources and values. For example, a key issue may pertain to the potential for a fundamental or other important resource or value in a park to be detrimentally affected by discretionary management decisions. A key issue may also address crucial questions that are not directly related to purpose and significance, but which still affect them indirectly. Usually, a key issue is one that a future planning effort or data collection needs to address and requires a decision by NPS managers.

The following are key issues for Fort Matanzas National Monument and the associated planning and data needs to address them:

· Historic Preservation of the Historic Structure. The original fort structure was completed in 1742 with repairs in 1916, 1924, 1935, and major work done in 1980. Some of the repairs were incompatible, and there has been an overall lack of preservation. There is not currently any work being completed to preserve the fort. The fort is experiencing increased deterioration because of weather, erosion, increased visitation, and the lack of a plan with short- and long-term goals. There is not a comprehensive understanding of how to continue to maintain the structure in its present condition without continued deterioration. A proactive plan, in collaboration with a state historic preservation officer representative, would help determine next steps and improve preservation work.

Associated Planning Needs:

- Historic structure report (update) with a specific treatment plan

- Resource stewardship strategy

- Cultural landscape report

Associated Data Needs:

– Preservation guide for Fort Matanzas

– Cultural landscape inventory

· Vulnerability to the Effects of Climate Change. Sea level is projected to increase more than 0.5 feet by 2050 and more than 2 feet by 2100 for the region due to climate change. Increases in storm frequency and intensity are also projected as mean annual temperature increases (+2.5 to 3.6°F by 2050; +3.6 to 6.7°F by 2100). Increases in sea level and storm intensity may lead to loss of land and critical sand dune habitat for threatened and endangered species, increase erosion and/or accretion across the coastline, with the potential loss of nearby freshwater ecosystems due to salt water intrusion as sea level rises. Under certain storm conditions, the incoming tide breaches the sea wall and reaches the fort. Increasing sea levels and increasing frequency of storms could cause structural damage to the fort. These conditions could also lead to increased erosion of the sand dune habitat where threatened and endangered species are living. The NPS Southeast Coast Inventory Monitoring Network actively monitors saltmarsh elevation change in response to sea level rise.

Associated Planning Needs:

– Climate change adaptation plan

Associated Data Needs:

– Climate data and information

– Climate change vulnerability assessment

· Visitor Experience. The park needs to address staffing and programming issues to improve the visitor experience and mitigate the human-caused impacts on resources, the fort, and other visitors’ experiences. Visitor congestion and an inadequate visitor center are impacting the number of people able to experience Fort Matanzas. The park turns away many visitors because of full parking lots, while illegal parking is currently an issue on both sides of the road leading to the park entrance. There are about 36 parking spaces at the visitor center because the spaces in the dirt parking lot are not lined. Approximately 568,500 people are visiting the park annually, and more than 90% of staff time is spent serving the approximately 65,000 who visit the fort itself. Boat tickets sell out early in the afternoon and do not meet the peak demand.