Historic Properties Management Plan Environmental Assessment

The park and parkway contain 695 cultural resources listed, or eligible for listing, in the National Register of Historic Places. Individual resources may be historic sites, buildings, structures, or objects. As these resources are found in 44 discrete locations they are referred to in the plan as “historic properties.” The purpose of the Historic Properties Management Plan/Environmental Assessment (HPMP/EA) is to define management direction for these historic properties. Its proposals would improve cultural resource preservation; initiate appropriate uses that support park operations; protect human health and safety; improve visitor enjoyment and access; and emphasize proactive rather than reactive stewardship. The HPMP/EA evaluates three alternatives: a no-action and two action alternatives. The noaction alternative describes existing management. The action alternatives focus on the future of 11 properties that are currently unused or underused. Properties currently in use—such as the lodges at Jenny Lake and Jackson Lake and the cabins at Highlands and Lupine Meadows—were reassessed and will continue to be used as they are today. Modifications to previously approved plans for Mormon Row and White Grass Dude Ranch are also presented. Alternative B (the NPS preferred alternative) proposes to focus funding on rehabilitating up to four properties for adaptive reuse, while improving care for most of the other properties. The properties for adaptive reuse are 4 Lazy F Dude Ranch, the former Snake River Land Company Office, the historic park headquarters at Beaver Creek, and Mormon Row. Alternative B also recommends removal of three properties that have low cultural significance, poor access in terms of proximity to a park operations base or visitor services area, and limited potential for use. Those properties are Aspen Ridge Ranch, the McCollister Residence, and Sky Ranch. Alternative C would continue to care for most properties as well or better than they are now but, in order to retain all historic properties, the park would spread its future preservation efforts more thinly across the underused properties.