Attachment_4_-_APCO_draft_plan.docx

Attachment 4

Appomattox Court House National Historical Park

LONG RANGE INTERPRETIVE PLAN

DRAFT: May 11, 2020

THIS IS A VERY, VERY DRAFTY DRAFT

-- N O T F O R D I S T R I B U T I O N --

National Park Service | 2

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ABOUT INTERPRETATION PLANNING

Planning is organized decision-making. Park staff and partners work in collaboration to determine direction, think through parameters and mutually agreed-upon criteria, and use data to make informed, strategic, and realistic decisions about future actions. The goal of visitor experience planning is to make decisions and set priorities that help to strategically apportion limited NPS resources to their best advantage to do the most good in service to the public.

A good interpretive plan has focus, provides direction, and reflects informed choices to move an organization forward. Good plans don’t overwhelm or promise to do too many things. Good plans also experiment and stretch organizations and challenge their individual members to experiment to meet current and future audience needs and expectations.

Interpretation planning is built on data, regular reviews and analysis, and annual adjustments to the action plan. With attention to annual reviews and incremental adjustments, the large-scale, “one-and-done” planning efforts of the past become less necessary. Incremental, iterative planning is more effective, tailored, flexible, and responsive to current audiences, needs, and circumstances. Shorter planning cycles are less expensive and have the added benefit of better matching the strategic planning cycles of partners and philanthropies.

The Measure of a Good Plan

A primary measure of a good plan is one that is implemented; where actions are systematically accomplished and periodically examined for relevance and adjusted accordingly. A plan that looks pretty but it isn’t used to guide an organization isn’t a real plan.

Another measure of success for a planning process is at the end, participants should feel in control (not overwhelmed), confident, connected, and energized. There should be a clear understanding of common direction.

At the end of the process, personal and professional relationships will have been strengthened, responsibilities are shared, and there should be a realistic perspective that looks forward to the challenges that will grow and stretch both organizations and individuals.

The Planning Process

The collaborative process used in planning helps to establish common understanding, direction, and priorities for park staff and partners. Planning helps position a national park service unit to be the strongest park it can be given its strengths, niche, and capacity. A good plan balances aspiration with the will and capacity to carry out the actions.

Expectations should be realistic. A planning process cannot transform a park into something that can’t be realistically achieved nor can planning recreate past times or replicate how a park functioned in an earlier era and under different circumstances.

This plan was built on analysis and synthesis of data and information about the park, the community, and relevant research on visitor-serving cultural organizations. It builds on the foundations established in the park’s Foundation Document and other plans. It follows National Park Service (NPS) requirements for interpretation planning in Director’s Order #6.

Plans for visitor experience, media, services, operations, and programming will are reviewed at least annually and updated as circumstances change.

ABOUT THE PARK

Site Background

Appomattox Court House National Historical Park commemorates the events of the Appomattox Campaign that led to the surrender of the Army of Northern Virginia under General Robert E. Lee, to Lieutenant General Ulysses S. Grant, commander of the Union forces which effectively marked the end of the Civil War. Today, the park protects the resources associated with the Appomattox Campaign and the site of the surrender and interprets the significance of these events.

In April 1865, Confederate General Lee retreated from Petersburg and Richmond, across southern Virginia, with Union forces in relentless pursuit. On the afternoon of April 8, Union troops under the command of Brevet Major General Custer captured 25 Confederate artillery pieces and more than 1,000 prisoners, blocking the vital Richmond-Lynchburg Stage Road at the Battle of Appomattox Station.

On the following morning, April 9, 1865, in an attempt to break through the Union position, the last battle of the Appomattox Campaign took place, which sealed the fate of the Army of Northern Virginia. Hostilities briefly ceased in the afternoon when Lee ordered truce flags sent out and wrote a note to Grant requesting a meeting to discuss the terms of surrender of the Army of Northern Virginia. Approximately 100,000 Union and Confederate troops remained in battle lines in the surrounding farms and fields, and anxiously awaited word of the outcome of the meeting.

The two generals met at the home of Wilmer McLean in Appomattox Court House to agree upon the final terms of surrender for the Army of Northern Virginia.

By April 13, Confederate troops had stacked their arms along the Richmond-Lynchburg Stage Road, were issued paroles, and were permitted to return to their homes. Other Confederate commanders still in the field soon followed Lee’s lead in surrendering, thus concluding the Civil War.

In a Civil War marked by divisiveness and bitter fighting, the surrender at Appomattox Court House was remembered by many as the first step toward reconciliation and a reunited nation. Grant’s compassion and generosity [in the terms of surrender?] did much to allay the emotions of defeated Confederate troops. The gracious and respectful actions by both sides at Appomattox Court House set the stage for the peace and reunion of the nation following a devastating war. Comment by Parnicza, Elizabeth R.: We should complicate this paragraph a bit. Appomattox should be seen as a pivot point from war to Reconstruction, and I would like to see Reconstruction included with the same weight as the campaign leading to the surrender. We should carefully consider how we frame the surrender as a step toward reconciliation and reunion. Reunion—yes. Reconciliation—it’s part of the continuum, but the personal civility and respect shown between Lee and Grant and the two armies in surrender is not the theme that prevails postwar. Why? What about the roots of the Lost Cause laid at Appomattox, in the memory of the event, the campaign leading up to it, and Lee’s farewell orders? Comment by Blacoe, Joanne C.: Incorporate into the matrix.

For more information:

https://www.nps.gov/apco/learn/historyculture/index.htm

Park Description

Congress passed an act on June 18, 1930 to recognize the site of the surrender at Appomattox Court House as a national monument. It authorized the War Department to acquire one acre of land at the site of the old courthouse, and to fence the area and erect a monument.

Appomattox Court House was transferred to the National Park Service (NPS), Department of the Interior (DOI), in 1933. Reflecting a growing consensus among NPS historians at the time that the most appropriate memorialization for battlefields was landscape preservation, the decision was to restore the most important “witness” structures that stood at the time of the surrender, rather than erect a monument.

Appomattox was designated a national monument in 1940 by the Secretary of the Interior (5 CFR 1520). It was redesignated as a national historical park in 1954. A new boundary was authorized in 1976 that included acquired lands associated with the battles and surrender. 1992 NPS[?] [Who testified?] testimony to Congress addressed the importance of protecting lands associated with military actions in the Appomattox Campaign that took place prior to the surrender.

Appomattox Court House NHP encompasses approximately 1,700 acres of rolling hills in rural, central Virginia, 92 miles west of Richmond and 18 miles east of Lynchburg. The courthouse building was reconstructed to function as the park visitor center. It is located on Virginia State Route 24, two miles northeast of the town of Appomattox, Virginia.

There are 27 original and reconstructed 19th-century structures on the site including the reconstructed McLean House, the original 1819 Clover Hill Tavern, and other structures in the village of Appomattox Court House. The reconstructed McLean House sits on the foundation of the historic building and includes approximately 5,000 original bricks. Comment by Parnicza, Elizabeth R.: This seems high. We should check and confirm.

The village is intended as an immersive experience in an April 1865 rural town that encourages visitors to walk the country lanes, grass fields, and among the homes, fenced yards, and outbuildings of the town and includes the tavern, jail, store, small family burial plots, and orchards. Sweeping views of a pastoral landscape and forested hills provide a serene and contemplative setting to reflect on the causes and consequences of the Civil War. Comment by Parnicza, Elizabeth R.: This is an aspect I think the LRIP should consider. This is the original model for the village dating back to the park’s earliest days and reinforced during Mission 66. Do we want to continue this style of interpretation? Do we want to consider using the buildings for something more than a quick peek-in to see, “Oh, yes. An old-fashioned village store. And here, a lawyer’s office.” Could we use our buildings to tell a bigger story to engage our visitors?

For more information:

https://www.nps.gov/apco/index.htm

Legislation

Appomattox Court House National Monument was authorized by Public Law 71-379 46 Stat 777 S3810, June 18, 1930.

“…for the purpose of commemorating the termination of the War Between the States which was brought about by the surrender of the army under General Robert E. Lee to Lieutenant General Ulysses S. Grant at Appomattox Court House in the State of Virginia, on April 9, 1865, and for further purpose of honoring those who engaged in this tremendous conflict…”

The park was renamed as a national historical park through Public Law 83-334 Stat 54 HR 40 on April 15, 1954. For context, the Supreme Court’s Brown v. Board of Education decision came out just over a month later on May 17, 1954.

See appendix for legislation text.

Does this work? https://www.loc.gov/law/help/statutes-at-large/71st-congress/session-2/c71s2ch520.pdf

Part I

THE FOUNDATION

FOR PLANNING

The foundation for planning is derived from legislation and provides basic guidance for planning and management decisions. Park purpose, significance statements, and interpretive themes remain relatively stable over time. Together, they establish an organizational baseline for planning and management efforts.

The following statements were identified for the park in the Foundation Document in November 2015.

Park Purpose

Park purpose statements describe why an area was set aside by Congress or the President and what specific purposes exist for that park. Purpose statements are derived from legislation, legislative history, public participation, and public rule making.

The purpose of the park is to:

· commemorate the surrender of General Robert E. Lee to Lieutenant General Ulysses S. Grant— in and the effective termination of the Civil War brought about by the Appomattox Campaign and the surrender, March 29–April 12, 1865—and to honor those engaged in this great the conflict;

· preserve and protect those park resources, including landscape features, historic structures, archeological sites, cemeteries and monuments, archives and collections that are related to the Appomattox Campaign, the surrender, and its legacy;

· provide opportunities for the public to learn about the Civil War, the people affected, the Appomattox Campaign, and its culmination in the surrender at Appomattox Court House; and the beginning of peace and national reunification after the Civil War. Comment by Parnicza, Elizabeth R.: Is there room to adjust this to mention that it wasn’t all peace and reunification after the Civil War?

Park Significance

Significance statements describe a site’s national significance including a National Park System unit’s distinctive natural, cultural, and recreational resources and values that are the specific rationale for national recognition of the site.

The park is significant for:

· The Effective End of the Civil War - Surrender of the Army of Northern Virginia under General Robert E. Lee to the commander of Union forces, Lieutenant General Ulysses S. Grant (April 9–12, 1865) The village of Appomattox Court House and the surrounding landscape have exceptional integrity and are seminal to understanding the surrender and subsequent events. In combination with park archives and artifacts, they form an outstanding assemblage that contributes to public understanding about how these events shaped the military, political, and social outcomes of the Civil War.

· The Battles of Appomattox Station (April 8, 1865) and Appomattox Court House (April 9, 1865) which led to the surrender. Park lands include the largely unaltered terrain and key topographic features of the battles that influenced their outcomes. They include the remains of domestic and agricultural sites associated with the engagement.

· Reunification of the nation after the Civil War began with the terms of the surrender and magnanimous actions of Union and Confederate soldiers at Appomattox Court House. The rural setting of Appomattox Court House evokes a sense of place and time. The park’s landscape, structures, commemorative features, archeological resources, archives, and artifacts provide opportunities for the public to understand the different concepts and meanings ascribed to the end of the Civil War over time. Comment by Parnicza, Elizabeth R.: And to the challenges, dangers, and opportunities of Reconstruction in rural Virginia.

Interpretive Themes

Interpretive themes are an organizational tool that provide a conceptual framework for visitor experience planning and programming. Themes are derived from and capture the essence of park purpose, significance, resources, and values.

Themes can help explain why a park story is relevant to people who may be unconnected to an event, time, or place. They go beyond simple descriptions or recitations of fact; they reflect the context and effects of events or processes in order to foster opportunities for visitors to experience and consider the meanings, concepts, and values represented by park resources.

While themes are important as a framework to help guide and focus development of visitor experience, services, and programming, interpretive themes are not intended for public use.

An Interpretive Theme Matrix is included in the appendix. The theme matrix describes in more detail the theme statements, examples of concepts that may be included within each theme, and lists examples of topics and stories that could be used to illustrate the themes.

NOTE: See separate email for information about theme matrix. Decisions about themes will be made there. These record what is in the Foundation Document

· The Final Days of the Civil War and Surrender Military actions in the Appomattox Campaign (March 29-April 12, 1865) forced the surrender of the Army of Northern Virginia to the Union Army, effectively ending the Civil War; and, when Generals Grant and Lee met in the McLean House to discuss terms of surrender, they set the tone in a peaceful conclusion of the war by choosing reconciliation over vengeance.

This theme focuses on the battles in and around Appomattox Court House in March and April 1865 that led to surrender of the Army of Northern Virginia to Federal troops, effectively ending the Civil War and setting in motion the tone for peace and national reunification after the war.

· The Unresolved Legacy of Appomattox While Appomattox symbolized a promise of national reunification—a single step on a complex journey to resolve sectional divisions—tensions among conflicting social forces contributed to the unresolved legacy of Appomattox as African Americans struggled for equal rights guaranteed through the 13th, 14th and 15th Amendments [to the Constitution] while white Southerners wrestled with economic and political dislocation, and feelings of submission, humiliation, and resentment.

This theme focuses on reunification and its context and challenges.

· Memory and Meaning Commemoration and preservation at Appomattox reflects a range of motivations and views of its history as filtered through the values of different people over time including Civil War veterans interested in national reconciliation, white Southern supporters of the “Lost Cause” of the Confederacy, African Americans seeking accountability for promises of freedom unfulfilled, the federal government, and others.

This theme focuses on commemoration and preservation; how commemoration efforts have been manifested in the built environment; how people remember differently; who decides or “owns” history; the “Lost Cause” of the Civil War; how the past is shaped by the present and how the present affects the past.

More Guidance in Foundation Documents

Foundation Documents identify the following features that are important and considered in interpretation planning.

· Fundamental Resources and Values Are the features, systems, processes, experiences, scenes, sounds, smells, or other attributes tied to legislation and significance that are essential to achieve the purpose of the park and maintain its significance. If any of these are allowed to deteriorate, the park purpose and/or significance could be jeopardized.

The following descriptions are particularly long; should they be edited for ease of reading? Comment by Parnicza, Elizabeth R.: I think they should be. Of course these are critical, but do we need the full description? We have the Foundation Doc and CLR that we can reference for some of this. Comment by Blacoe, Joanne C.: Title and one-sentence description. Comment by Blacoe, Joanne C.:

Fundamental Resources and Values are:

· Buildings and Structures The village of Appomattox Court House consists of 27 original and ___ reconstructed structures that reflect the built environment of April 1865. Several are witness structures and several were used by the military in 1865. The McLean House was reconstructed through historic documentation and archeological evidence and is built on the site of the original house. The Clover Hill Tavern complex was where paroles were printed for the Confederate soldiers. Other important buildings in the village: Peers House, Isbell House, Mariah Wright House, Meeks Store, Appomattox County Jail, Kelly House, and Woodson Law Office. Other structures—barns storehouse, stables, and outbuildings—frame the historic setting for the conclusion of the Appomattox Campaign, surrender, and its legacy.

· Sites, Roads, Lanes, Cultural Landscape Features, and Archeological Resources The landscapes, country roads and lanes around APCO were filled with Confederate and Union soldiers from April 8 to April 17, 1865. The Richmond-Lynchburg Stage Road is a key cultural landscape feature and a historic route that was both an avenue of advance and retreat for Union and Confederate forces. Union forces lined up along a portion of the Richmond-Lynchburg Stage Road on April 12 to receive the arms of thousands of Confederate soldiers, who marched through the village and stacked their arms in accordance with the terms of surrender. A knoll north of the village along the Richmond-Lynchburg Stage Road is the site of an exchanged salutes between Union and Confederate soldiers as a sign of mutual respect. Other important landscape features are: remnants of field works built by Confederate forces at New Hope Church, campsites of Union and Confederate forces, headquarters sites of Lee and Grant, and the apple orchard site where Lee waited before meeting Grant at the McLean House. Many landscape features and sites are likely to contain archeological resources that could provide new insights into the final days of the Civil War.

· Archives and Museum Collections Archives and museum collections are tangible links to the events that unfolded at Appomattox Court House. The collections are used by researchers and historians and inform interpretation and education programming. The collection includes several objects of particular significance that relate to individuals and events associated with the Appomattox Campaign such as surrender souvenirs collected by participants. Artifacts from the museum collection are displayed in buildings throughout the park. The primary exhibit space is in the reconstructed court house visitor center building. The museum collection also includes significant archeological materials and records gathered during onsite investigations.

· Commemorative Resources Commemorative resources reflect how the conclusion of the Civil War has been remembered and honored by different generations up to and including the establishment of the park. Concern over appropriate ways to commemorate and recognize the site of surrender influenced efforts to designate the site under administration of the War Department in 1930. With the transfer of APCO to the NPS, the decision was made to restore a village setting and rebuild the McLean House rather than erect a traditional monument or memorial. The North Carolina monument is the only state monument to be erected in the park. The Raine Monument is a memorial to a Civil War soldier and former resident of Appomattox Court House who died during the war. Other commemorative markers such as tablets and plaques are found throughout the park.

· Viewshed Viewsheds provide context for the cultural landscape features that are key to understanding the battles and events that led to the surrender. Although not present in April 1865, wood lots and forests provide important vegetative buffers that screen the visual impacts of modern structures on the edges of the park. Maintaining viewsheds are fundamental to protecting the park experience and context.

· Contemplative Atmosphere The village of Appomattox Court House and its surrounding rural landscape were developed to create an immersive experience and contemplative atmosphere. It conveys a sense of solemnity and an opportunity to reflect on the desperate struggle to end the Civil War, the surrender at Appomattox Court House, and preliminary steps toward reconciliation of a war-torn nation. The lack of modern visual intrusions contributes to the contemplative atmosphere and creates a sense of place that can provoke thoughts on the causes and consequences of war.

· Other Important Resources and Values These may not be fundamental to the purpose of the park or significance, however, are important to consider in planning processes.

These related resources may not be fundamental to the purpose of the park or significance but may be part of the broader context or setting for park resources, stories, or operations. They can reflect areas of mutual benefit, interest, or potential collaboration so can be important to consider in planning processes.

Other Important Resources and Values are:

· Natural Resources Approximately 1,700 acres of natural resources including plant and animal communities, streams, wetlands, forests, and agricultural lands. Biological inventories have documented 498 species of vascular plants, 99 bird species, 22 mammal species, 13 reptile species, 17 amphibian species, and 37 species of fish. The park protects eight miles of streams and roughly 40% of its upstream watershed. The park lies in the Appomattox River watershed, which drains into the James River and Chesapeake Bay.

Recommend shortening these descriptions.

Related Resources are:

· Confederate Cemetery The Confederate Cemetery, owned and managed by the Appomattox Chapter of the United Daughters of the Confederacy (not the NPS), contains 18 Confederate graves and one Federal grave. These soldiers are among the last killed during the Appomattox Campaign. Located near the west entrance of the park, the Confederate Cemetery is often the first stop for park visitors.

· Site of the Battle of Appomattox Station The core of the fighting took place less than a mile west of the park’s westernmost boundary. After capturing Confederate supplies waiting for Lee’s army at Appomattox Station, 25-year-old Brevet Major General George A. Custer’s cavalry command, the Third Division of the Army of the Shenandoah, made several mounted charges through wooded terrain and into a clearing ringed with 25–30 cannons deployed by 37-year-old Confederate Brigadier General Reuben L. Walker. The first three charges were repulsed largely by firing canister (shells filled with small iron balls), and a final concerted charge netted 25 cannons, 200 wagons, and 1,000 prisoners. By capturing the Confederate supplies, dispersing Confederate (Walker’s) artillery, and securing the Richmond-Lynchburg Stage Road, the Federals gained the advantage of position on April 8, 1865. They held the high ground west of Appomattox Court House, which blocked the road Lee intended to use, and forced his surrender the next day.

· Battle of Appomattox Court House Ridgeline The ridgeline between the park’s southern boundary and current Route 631, gave Union troops advancing from the southwest a topographic advantage over Confederate troops located on lower ground within and near the village of Appomattox Court House. This ridge is part of a “pincer” movement that barred Lee’s escape west, trapping his army in the village and making surrender all but inevitable. The last battle actions took place along this ridgeline area as Confederate and Union cavalry, artillery, and infantry clashed while protecting their own flanks. Grant’s strategy to cut Lee off from supplies of food and military equipment at towns along the railroad prevented Lee from regrouping with Confederate forces to the south.

Foundation Documents also have information on:

· Resource Conditions Foundation Documents include assessments and analysis of current conditions, trends, potential threats and opportunities relating to park resources.

· Park Planning Needs Foundation Documents identify and prioritize park planning issues and needs.

For Information on Park Planning:

· Foundation Documents

· Appomattox Court House Foundation Document

· Other park planning documents are here.

· Park research and reports are here [hyperlink].

GOALS

Park management decisions are guided by agency and park goals and outcomes. Goals are used to frame, focus, and prioritize management choices and actions.

DOI Secretary Priorities The priorities for the Secretary of the Interior are:

· Create a conservation stewardship legacy second only to Teddy Roosevelt

· Utilize our natural resources

· Restore trust with local communities

· Ensure that sovereignty means something

· Generate additional revenues to support DOI and national interests

· Protect our people and the border

· Strike a regulatory balance

· Modernize our infrastructure

· Reorganize for the next 100 years

· Achieve our goals and lead our team forward

Other Key DOI Initiatives

· Employ veterans

· Support DOI infrastructure needs

· Create jobs in the American economy

· Provide access to outdoor recreation opportunities

For Information: DOI Strategic Plan (2018-2022)

National Park Service – Goals There are no National Park Service agency goals.

(As of April 2020.)

NPS Interpretation, Education, and Volunteer - Goals

Achieving Relevance in Our Second Century, the National Park Service Washington Area Support Office (WASO) Division of Interpretation, Education, and Volunteers (IEV) identified the following outcomes for interpretation activities (2014).

· Relevance and Inclusion The National Park Service facilitates thematic, inclusive, and inquiry-based interpretation.

· Educational Leadership The National Park Service is a valued and significant educator.

· Active Engagement The National Park Service works hand-in-hand with communities to engage people of all ages and backgrounds in meaningful and mutually beneficial volunteer opportunities.

· Business Acumen The Interpretation, Education, and Volunteers program employs excellent business practices to maximize and leverage resources.

Northeast Region Values The Northeast Region works to advance the following guiding values:

· Exemplary Stewardship We take care of many of the nation's most precious places with high degrees of integrity and excellence and in a sustainable manner.

· Engaged Storytelling We share multi-faceted American stories in a manner that is honest, based on scholarship, is audience-centered, and fun. We promote opportunities for audiences to actively participate in programming and engage with the resources that we steward.

· Strong Business Management We make informed decisions based on data and experience, leveraging innovation for the best possible impact.

· Care for our Workforce We respect, care for, support, and develop our people, giving them the tools and training they need to do work safely and effectively. We value the contributions of all to our mission and values, ensuring that diversity is supported and encouraged.

· Partner to Achieve Mutual Goals We promote a culture of partnership–internally and externally—because we achieve more with others working beside us. Through relationships with partners and communities, we find ways to ensure our efforts will be valued by this and future generations.

Appomattox Court House NHP Comment by Parnicza, Elizabeth R.: I think these elements still stand, but since we’ll likely be starting the plan in 2021 and maybe completing in 2022, I’d want to revisit these to see if they need tweaking or to make sure we have concurrence with the team. It’s been a while since the strategic plan was envisioned and completed.

Park Vision for Change From Appomattox Court House NHP Strategic Plan (2017-2021)

VISION

In 2021, new and varied access to Appomattox Court House National Historical Park’s stories inspires personal connection with the park’s significance and their evolving relevance.

CORE VALUES AND BEHAVIORS

Integrity: We do the right thing

· Be consistent in your work to meet the park’s mission.

· Treat others as you want to be treated (coworkers, visitors, community partners).

· Maintain a positive attitude in your daily work.

· Be honest in your successes and failures.

· Give 100% effort in all that you do.

· Use the highest moral and ethical standards.

Teamwork: We work together as one unit

· Recognize our common goals and work together to achieve them.

· Work together across divisions.

· Celebrate each other successes as a success for the team and the park.

Education: We spur interest and excitement about our history

· Reach out to diverse communities through inclusive history and stories.

· Provide accurate information and resources for further study.

· Impart knowledge about the events that occurred at APCO.

· Share the relevance of what happened here in 1865 to what is happening today.

Communication: We communicate thoughtfully

· Be dedicated to sharing relevant information in a timely manner.

· Seek input from a variety of people and perspectives.

· Be an active and receptive listener.

· Provide timely and appropriate feedback and responses to communication.

· Ensure the communication was received.

· Understand and communicate at the level of your audience with the appropriate delivery method.

Preservation: We believe in the power of place and importance of stewardship.

· Share the power of place and importance of stewardship.

· Preserve and protect original historical structures while promoting opportunities for visitor interaction.

· Inspire an appreciation of preservation.

· Manage the built environment in a manner that evokes the 1865 landscape while also meeting NPS policy requirements.

PRIORITIES

· Physical Accessibility: Get visitors to the stories - Improve physical access to the structures and landscape that tell our story.

· Whole Story Interpretation: Make different stories readily available to visitors - Improve visitor circulation and access throughout the park to increase interpretive and recreational opportunities.

· Evoke 1865 Landscape: Keep the 1865 time period alive in the visitors’ experience – Find opportunities to enhance the historical atmosphere of the site while improving infrastructure to meet visitor needs and NPS requirements.

· Leveraged Technology: Use technology in new ways to improve efficiency and access to stories - Improve both digital and personal connection with the story through new applications.

· Clear Orientation: Use first-contact to get visitors on track to connect personally with the stories - Clearly orient visitors to find the stories they connect with through personal services.

· New Use of Existing Spaces: Use what we have to come together and make new visitor opportunities - Increase internal collaboration; implement new uses of existing spaces to share our story.

GOALS

By 2021, the park will accomplish the following:

· Physical Accessibility Improve access into the village for mobility-impaired visitors as by constructing a walkway from the visitor parking lot to the visitor center that meets ADA requirements.

· Whole Story Interpretation A trail and circulation design plan is completed and funding proposals are developed and submitted for segments of trail development.

· Evoke 1865 Landscape Develop accessible road surface from Tibbs Lane to the Salute Site that that evokes the 1865 appearance while meeting ADA requirements.

· Leveraged Technology Install fiber optics as the foundation for creating various electronic and digital access opportunities to enhance visitor experience; implement one (1) interactive application and promote one (1) accessibility application.

· Clear Orientation Add wayfinding signage to guide visitor to personal services and outlying areas of park per needs identified in accessibility study.

· New Use of Existing Spaces Develop plan for park structures to address employee work spaces, educational programming, and storage needs across the park.

Part II

ENVISIONING THE FUTURE

This section includes describes desired visitor experiences, identifies targeted audiences, and lists the challenges and issues that affect visitor experience.

To envision the future, planning groups discuss, determine, and consider these things because the consensus group decisions in these areas form important criteria that, moving forward, are reference points to help parks make tough decisions about priorities; specifically, where parks will invest scarce and valuable resources—and even more importantly, where we won’t.

Desired Visitor Experiences

Desired visitor experiences describe the physical, intellectual, and emotional experiences should be available for visitors to the park. These experiences will be available for audiences of all abilities, including those with visual, auditory, mobility, or cognitive limitations.

Visitors will have the opportunity to:

The APCO Strategic Plan priorities/goals seem to cover Desired Visitor Experiences.

· Physical Accessibility - Visitors with mobility impairments will have access to the village and visitor center.

· Whole Story Interpretation – Visitors can explore diverse stories and the full context of the surrender through exhibits, personal services, and a variety of trail options. have access to trail s. [Not sure this captures this function? Not clear on how trails relate to “whole story interpretation.”]

· Evoke 1865 Landscape – Visitor s will have access to an accessible road surface from Tibbs Lane to the Salute Site that that evokes the 1865 appearance while meeting ADA requirements. Comment by Parnicza, Elizabeth R.: This seems like a targeted statement directed at a particular accessibility task. I think we could say something more like: “Visitors will explore a cultural landscape and rehabilitated historic village that evokes but does not attempt to recreate an 1865 landscape.”

· Leveraged Technology – Visitors will have digital access opportunities to enhance their experiences.

· Clear Orientation – There is clear wayfinding signage to guide visitors to personal services and outlying areas of the park (as identified in accessibility study).

· New Use of Existing Spaces – The park will have employee work spaces, educational programming, and storage needs that work. Comment by Parnicza, Elizabeth R.: The park will explore new employee work spaces and new interpretive uses of existing structures.

Targeted Audiences While all people are welcome and invited to participate, some audiences are targeted for focused attention because they may be inadequately served by existing interpretation, need different strategies for engagement, or require specific methods to open communications or to establish or sustain relationships.

The park has identified these targeted audiences:

· Audience - Short sentence describing why the park chose this audience and what targeting them will do for the park (the goal/purpose for targeting them).

· Audience - Short sentence describing why the park chose this audience and what targeting them will do for the park (the goal/purpose for targeting them).

· Audience - Short sentence describing why the park chose this audience and what targeting them will do for the park (the goal/purpose for targeting them).

· Audience - Short sentence describing why the park chose this audience and what targeting them will do for the park (the goal/purpose for targeting them).

Consider… When developing interpretation experiences, products, and services for targeted audiences:

· Activities created with audiences tend to be more valuable than activities planned for them, or programs presented “at” them.

· Consider and value the life experiences of individuals and groups such as their time available for interaction, cultural traditions, levels of education, learning styles, languages, and other factors.

Challenges and Issues Affecting Interpretation

Issues and challenges describe such things as societal influences, pressures, trends, internal or external issues, initiatives, relationships, communications, or goals that may affect interpretation. They are the things that may affect planning or that need to be considered when developing implementation strategies and actions.

Identifying and understanding the challenges help to develop strategies to overcome them, build on strengths, mitigate competing interests, overcome obstacles, and helps to resolve management issues.

Note

· Money, people, and time are perennial challenges in any organization. To be productive in this exercise, acknowledge these three things, then set them aside to focus on listing other internal and external challenges and issues facing the park and similar visitor-serving organizations. Comment by Parnicza, Elizabeth R.: I think people could be a useful discussion here as there may be wiggle room in the org chart. It could be a limited discussion, but I’m curious about whether we have the skills and positions to match our goals. It’s not helpful to build out a dream org chart structure, but I would like to know if we are consistently deficient somewhere and should pursue a new position or configuration of current structure. It’s time for this kind of assessment.

Challenges and issues facing the park/division are:

· Title [One to two sentence description of challenge.]

· Title [One to two sentence description of challenge.]

· Title [One to two sentence description of challenge.]

· Title [One to two sentence description of challenge.]

Part III

RECOMMENDATIONS

FOR VISITOR EXPERIENCE, INTERPRETATION, AND EDUCATION

Recommendations are the actions that will move the park toward its future vision. They are grounded in goals and connect to park themes.

Recommendations are not a wish list; they should be realistic, achievable, and sustainable. Recommendations provide direction and focus for customer service, visitor experience, community engagement, and interpretation and education services and programming over the next few years. The recommendations were developed in collaboration with park partners.

The actions become part of the Action Plan, the basis for ongoing annual planning for the Interpretation division. The Action Plan (chart) is contained in the appendix of this plan.

Consider…

While parks will always perform a range of services for a variety of audiences, a successful interpretive plan for most parks will usually identify only four or five areas of primary focus per (four-year) park planning cycle. That doesn’t mean a park won’t do other things; the purpose of a plan is to identify specific areas of focus for attention to meet larger park and agency goals.

Why only a few? Realistically, too many areas of focus significantly reduce the resources available, dilute attention and capacity, and can feel overwhelming to the point of paralysis. Too many areas of focus obscure direction and are barriers to getting any task done. At the start, they set up challenges to implementation and long-term success. It is more useful to list a few strategic actions to accomplish within a planning cycle than create a laundry list of actions that will likely never be done.

It is also helpful to take the long view and remember that planning is a continuous cycle and not a one-time event. There is time later to address or phase in other priorities. The goal of planning is to prioritize given current circumstances. Areas of focus will shift from cycle to cycle; informed by conditions at the time the planning is done.

Recommendations frequently fall roughly into these areas of focus. They are listed here to help start the discussion. A park may have another area of focus that is not listed here. Note: These areas are interconnected and will often overlap.

1. Partnerships and Community Engagement Parks seek to become valued members of their communities and strengthen relationships with them. Collaboration and partnerships are means to greater community engagement, not an end in themselves.

The planning process can help parks and community organizations identify, reveal, and explore common purpose and develop strategies for cooperation for mutual benefit. Examples can include: cooperative programming, outreach, youth employment and youth programming, diversifying volunteer opportunities and strengthening the volunteer program, increased reliance on formal partners such as cooperating associations, concessions, building partner resilience (strategic, financial, and/or organizational resilience), local tourism organizations, or other relationships established for mutual benefit.

Communities are often engaged directly through increased opportunities for recreation, volunteerism, youth employment, or engaging a community’s children through education partnerships or direct education services.

2. Education Education is a community engagement strategy. Parks serve their communities through focused attention to educators and students.

Planning weighs the reach and effect of NPS education investments such as whether there is higher impact by serving educators—who in turn reach many more students—or in direct services to students (for example, on-site or through distance education). Parks seek sustainable ways to have as broad and effective an education reach as possible. Note: Operations planning can also help with this.)

Rather than package education materials according to park topic areas as was done in the past, parks start with school district goals to see where the NPS can help them achieve the standards they have set for their students. (See appendix for local school district goals.)

3. Interpretation Infrastructure, Technology, Accessibility Parks seek to modernize and improve physical and programmatic interpretation and visitor experience services and infrastructure of a park—such as updated exhibits, waysides, video/film, audio-visual elements, and improved accessibility to media, services, and resources to comply with law. They seek to improve and update technology-based interpretation as a component of an overall strategy (rather than an end in itself.) Goals are to make these products relevant, sustainable, and accessible. Planning helps to prioritize projects and organize funding requests.

4. Operations Aligned with the physical improvements are the operations to manage personnel and visitor logistics because operations determine the levels of service a park is able to offer to the public.

Parks look for sustainable operations, and they seek flexibility to have time to engage with their communities and invest in the workforce. Without sustainable operations, parks can’t do what they would like to do.

Operations planning can develop strategies to create and sustain on-demand visitor access, improve return on investment of human resources, move visitors through a site, or develop ways to manage fixed or fluctuating staffing levels.

Note: Operations analysis is frequently done separately from interpretation planning. It is often most beneficial and recommended as a pre-planning analysis and experimentation six months to a year before the start of formal planning efforts.

5. Interpretation Programming and Services Parks seek to diversify and experiment with services and programs to appeal to modern visitors and their expectations. They make data-driven decisions to update and reinvigorate menus of programming and services. This can energize staff and partners.

To prepare, parks review social science, data, and long-term trends across the Service and at other visitor-serving cultural institutions (national and international). This data indicates decreasing demand for many traditional NPS offerings such as personal services programs. Even in places with increasing visitation, there is lower demand for formal programs and higher demand for independent access and exploration.

Note: In the past, the NPS Long Range Interpretive Plan focused primarily on programs and services. Visitor experience is more multi-faceted than just programs and tours.

6. Visitor Experience Parks seek to re-envision or update the comprehensive visitor experience. Visitor experience planning is frequently combined with other NPS planning efforts that affect experience (such as transportation plans, trail plans, visitor use management plans [carrying capacity], or accessibility assessments). Goals are often to improve on-demand access to sites and eliminate barriers to visitation and access.

7. Workforce Parks focus investment on the workforce—employees, volunteers, and other non-paid workers—and seek to promote inter-divisional collaboration.

A focus on workforce enhances external awareness, skills, and practical experience that strengthens performance and the capability to protect resources and serve the public.

Investment in the workforce helps to build resilient, satisfied, and innovative employees who actively contribute to an efficient, effective agency that serves visitors, communities, and the NPS mission.

The major recommendations for the park are:

· Title of the Recommendation Brief description of the recommendation goes here.

· Action to achieve this recommendation is listed here.

· Action to achieve this recommendation is listed here.

· Action to achieve this recommendation is listed here.

· Title of the Recommendation Brief description of the recommendation goes here.

· Action to achieve this recommendation is listed here.

· Action to achieve this recommendation is listed here.

· Action to achieve this recommendation is listed here.

· Title of the Recommendation Brief description of the recommendation goes here.

· Action to achieve this recommendation is listed here.

· Action to achieve this recommendation is listed here.

· Action to achieve this recommendation is listed here.

· Title of the Recommendation Brief description of the recommendation goes here.

· Action to achieve this recommendation is listed here.

· Action to achieve this recommendation is listed here.

· Action to achieve this recommendation is listed here.

What Happens Next…

· These actions will be revisited at least annually and prioritized and adapted based on changing circumstances, opportunities, operational need, funding, budget availability, and other factors. Actions that are not completed in the year identified will be reevaluated as a future action.

APPENDIX

This appendix includes sources of data and other resources helpful for park planning.

Action Plan Actions are taken from the APCO Strategic Plan. There is a lot here already.

This plan shows the actions that will be taken to implement initial planning decisions. After analyzing data and feedback, this plan will be updated at least annually and become the basis for annual planning and accountability for park staff.

ACTION PLAN

(Lead) [by Title] Budget/PMIS (if applicable)

Physical Accessibility

· If funded, begin construction of the walkway

· If not, obtain funding for walkway construction x

· Finish construction of the walkway Comment by Parnicza, Elizabeth R.: Still not funded.

x

Whole Story Interpretation

· At least one trail is constructed and others are in progress. Comment by Parnicza, Elizabeth R.: This is largely managed by Natural Resources Management, though we…