NPS Mission - National Park Service

National Park Service FY 2013 Budget Justifications
Program Overview
NPS undertakes applied research, preservation, and protection activities as steward of the Nation’s
archeological resources, cultural landscapes, ethnographic resources, history, historic and prehistoric
structures, and museum collections.
Applied research provides the foundation of cultural resource stewardship by providing detailed,
systematic data for planning, management, and interpretation to enable cultural resource managers to
preserve and protect cultural resources. Cultural resource inventory systems are used to manage the data
obtained through applied research. They provide the information necessary to comply with archeological,
environmental, and historic preservation mandates. Inventory systems also provide information for the
determining the most appropriate and cost-effective strategies to preserve, maintain, and protect cultural
resources.
Cultural resources management activities ensure the preservation
and protection of cultural resources. Staff experts provide
technical assistance, education, training, and planning support to
managers and their national and international partners. Parks
conduct the majority of cultural resource management actions,
with regional and Servicewide offices providing essential support,
such as policy development, training, and major preservation
work. Such activities must be ongoing to be effective. For
example, proactive responses to maintenance needs slows
deterioration, decreases costs for repair, and prevent the loss of
ONPS-28
Current Inventory Systems
• Archeological Sites Management
Information System (ASMIS)
• Cultural Landscapes Inventory (CLI)
• List of Classified Structures (LCS)
• National Catalog of Museum Objects
(Interior Collections Management
System – ICMS)
• Cultural Resources Management
Bibliography (CRBIB)
irreplaceable cultural resources. Coordination among programs eliminates redundant and conflicting
activities and maximizes the benefit derived from preservation and protection actions.
Within cultural resource stewardship, the applied research and management functions by cultural resource
type include:
Archeological Resources
The Archeology Program conducts applied research and resource management on park lands,
substantially contributing to understanding of the Nation’s prehistoric and historic past, and aims to
maintain the integrity and improve the condition of archeological resources; protect and preserve
archeological sites, collections, and records; and make information available and communicate
stewardship goals to historic preservation professionals and the public. National Register of Historic
Places and National Historic Landmark documentation is also produced from the results of documentation
and inventory activities. The Archeology Program tracks archeological resources using the Archeological
Sites Management Information System (ASMIS) and their condition through the Maintained Archeological
Sites (MAS) asset type in the Facility Management Software System (FMSS). The program also creates
training and provides technical guidance on law, procedure, policy, and best practices for the protection
and interpretation of archeological resources; and furthermore uses the results of park archeology in
public programs such as ranger events and exhibits; park and program websites; and educational
opportunities, further connecting parks, their archeological resources, and the compelling stories
contained within to the American people. As a result of the efforts of the Archeology Program, park
managers can make informed, sound decisions for planning, management, and public education and
interpretation as concerns archeological resources.
Cultural Landscapes
Cultural landscape management involves identifying the type and degree of change that can occur while
maintaining the historic character of the landscape. The Park Cultural Landscapes Program undertakes
research, planning, and stewardship activities to address these concerns. The primary purpose of
research on cultural landscapes is to define the values and associations that make them historically
significant. Research information is collected, analyzed, and organized through a variety of means,
including the Cultural Landscapes Inventory (CLI) and Cultural Landscapes Reports (CLR). The CLI is a
computerized, evaluated inventory of all cultural landscapes in which the NPS has or plans to acquire any
legal interest. A CLR is a scholarly report that documents the characteristics, features, materials, and