Final General Management Plan, Development Concept Plan, and Environmental Impact Statement: Natchez National Historical Park

The purpose of this Record of Decision (ROD) is to document the National Park Service's (NPS) approval of a General Management Plan for Natchez National Historical Park (NHP), Natchez, Mississippi. The Draft General Management Plan/Environmental Impact statement for Natchez NHP was distributed for public and agency review in May 1993. Only minor changes were required as a result of that review. In February 1994, the General Management Plan/Final Environmental Impact Statement (GMP/FEIS) was distributed. The GMP/FEIS documents the environmental consequences of the proposed plan and its alternatives. Natchez National Historical Park was established by Congress to preserve and interpret the history of Natchez, Mississippi. This Final General Management PlanlEnvironmentallmpact Statement is prepared to support the objectives for which the park was established. The purpose of this plan is to establish and guide the overall management, development, and use of the park in ways that will best serve visitors while preserving the historic character and appearance of the resources. Three alternatives for future management and use of the park are analyzed in this document. The alternatives range from continuing existing trends and management actions at two NPS visitor contact areas to a more comprehensive alternative that makes four NPS visitor contact areas open to visitors. All alternatives share the objective of preserving the park while continuing to provide for visitor understanding and appreciation of its resources and their stories. Alternative 1, the status quo (continuation of existing trends) alternative, describes the conditions that would exist if current management strategies were continued. The Melrose estate would be maintained essentially as it is, and visitors would learn about the workings of the estate. Visitors would see the rehabilitated carriage house, the main house, and the dependencies. Exhibits on black history would be developed in the William Johnson house, and the adjacent McCallum house would be adapted for use as a visitor contact area. Visitors would gain some inSights into the story of the free black SOCiety. At the Fort Rosalie site the historic Stietenroth house would v be used as NPS headquarters, and all other structures would be removed, if possible. Open space would be established. The fort site would be archeologically investigated and interpreted, the bluff would be stabilized, and the box factory (in the mid-level area of Fort Rosalie) would be removed. Also, under alternative 1, the relation of plantation slavery and cotton production, an important part of the Natchez story, would be interpreted, and there would be a few exhibits on black history at Underthe- Hill. Limited staffing would mean that few cooperative agreements would be developed to help the community preserve and interpret the city's other significant historic resources. The interpretive story would focus on antebellum Natchez (1840s to 1860s). Alternative 2, the proposed action, describes conditions that would be needed to meet congressional intent for establishing the park.

Final General Management Plan, Development Concept Plan, and Environmental Impact Statement: Natchez National Historical Park

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