Lewis and Clark National Historical Park: Museum Management Plan

The new Lewis and Clark National Historical Park was recently created by expanding and renaming Fort Clatsop National Memorial to include additional sites along the lower Columbia River related to the Lewis and Clark Expedition. The legislation that expanded the park also directs the National Park Service (NPS) to work with the Oregon and Washington State Parks to promote visitor use and cooperative management to preserve important heritage. Additional lands that contribute to the preservation and understanding of nationally significant heritage in the Lower Columbia region exist under tribal, city, and county administrations, as well as in the private sector. In essence, LEWI is a new park, still in the process of being created; this process presents both challenges and opportunities. It is the intent of the National Park Service to have the Lewis and Clark National Historical Park work cooperatively with other agencies and organizations in the Lower Columbia region. The National Park Service recognizes that successful stewardship of the natural and cultural resources in the region would greatly benefit from increased scholarly research and increased education efforts. The NPS would like to engage other partners (governmental, non-profit, and private) to create a cooperative research center. The NPS recognizes that one component will need to be a professional archival museum and library operation. Exactly how these components would be organized and where they would need to be located over the long term will have to be determined with partner organizations.

Lewis and Clark National Historical Park: Museum Management Plan

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