Chapter 7: Management of Cultural Landscapes

Chapter 7: Management of Cultural Landscapes from Cultural Resource Management Guideline (NPS-28). As custodian of the national park system, the National Park Service is steward of many of America's most important natural and cultural resources. It is charged to preserve them unimpaired for the enjoyment of present and future generations. If they are degraded or lost, so is the parks' reason for being. Almost every park in the system has cultural resources, and many have cultural landscapes. In keeping with the NPS Organic Act of 1916 and varied historic preservation laws, park management activities must reflect awareness of the irreplaceable nature of these material resources. Cultural resource management involves research to identify, evaluate, register and establish other basic information about cultural resources; planning to ensure that this information is well integrated into management processes for making decisions and setting priorities; and stewardship, under which planning decisions are carried out and resources are preserved, protected and interpreted to the public. This guideline is intended to aid managers, planners, staff and cultural resource specialists. It outlines the basic principles of a good park program. Chapter 7 of the guideline provides specialized and technical information for the cultural resources management of cultural landscapes, outlining the research, planning and stewardship process.

Chapter 7: Management of Cultural Landscapes

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