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Battle News
What you'll find here: Articles of information concerning the Gettysburg Battle and Battlefield.

New General Management Plan - Summary of Alternatives

Table 1: Management Plan Elements
Identifies the key elements of the GMP in relationship to the Park's Mission Goals.

Management Plan Element	Mission Goal	Types of Management Prescriptions
Land & Resource Management	All significant resources associated with the Battle of Gettysburg (historical and cultural landscapes, structures, archaeological sites, curatorial objects) are protected, restored, and maintained.	Define park management zones and their purposes. Define policies and guidelines for resource management in each management zone.
Interpretation Facilities & Services Management	The public understands & respects significant events associated with the Gettysburg Campaign & their impact upon the development of the nation.	Define park-wide interpretive goals. Provide guidance for how these goals will be realized park-wide & within the park's management zones.
Visitor Use & Park Facilities Management	Visitors safely enjoy high quality educational experiences, accessible to all segments of the population.	Define, in general, where major park facilities should be located. Provide guidance on how visitor activities should be managed in order to protect resource qualities & to respond to carrying capacities of the landscape.
Partnerships & Cooperative Activities Management	Public & private entities understand the park's mission & act cooperatively with the park management to protect & interpret resources.	Define cooperative management initiatives which can protect park-related resources outside the park boundaries. Provide guidance on mechanisms to attract non-NPS human & financial resources in support of the park's goals.

Table 2: Land and Resource Management Characteristics of Alternatives
Highlighting actions recommended for each alternative within each of the Management Zones.

Management Zones	Alternative 1 No Action	Alternative 2 Minimum Action Required	Alternative 3 Restoration of Significant Battlefield Elements Relevant to Battle Outcome	Alternative 4 Maximum Restoration
Zone 1: Battle Action Areas	N/A*	Manage landscape to reinstate & preserve open & wooded spatial characteristics of 1863 landscape.	Manage landscape to reinstate & preserve open & wooded spatial characteristics of 1863 landscape. Restore selected landscape features (trails, fences, lanes, orchards) & buildings which were significant to battle outcome. Manage 1863 woodlots to maintain open views in areas which were significant to outcome of battle.	Identical to Alternative 3 with addition of removal of non-historic & non-contributing structures & landscape features.
Zone 2: Rear Support Areas	N/A*	Preserve existing landscape features.	Manage landscape to reinstate & preserve open & wooded spatial characteristics of the 1863 landscape.	Same as Zone 1 for this Alternative.
Zone 3: Battlefield Commemoration Area	Retain current management areas & policies from existing General Management Plan	Maintain & restore current monuments & monument groupings. Limit new monuments to those authorized by Congress.	Restore current monuments, groups, & commemorative features to convey their original design intent. Limit new monuments to those authorized by Congress.	Same as Alternative 3 including the restoration of missing commemorative features, but prohibit new monuments.
Zone 4: Soldiers' National Cemetery	Retain current management areas & policies from existing General Management Plan.	Restore pattern of open & massed vegetation in original Saunders design. Maintain current conditions & management policies in rest of cemetery.	Restore pattern of open & massed vegetation in original Saunders design, including regrading in center of burial area, walkways & re-establish other missing features. Remove post-Saunders era features.	Same as Alternative 3, plus ?
Zone 5: Visitor & Park Support Facilities	N/A*	Maintain existing landscape screens between existing maintenance & service areas and battle landscape.	Maintain existing screens between existing maintenance/visitor facilities & battle landscape. Locate new visitor service & park operations sues so that existing wooded areas can shield them from view from Battle Action areas.	Relocate most visitor services to a central location, outside Battle Action zone. Locate new visitor service & park operations so that existing wooded areas can shield them from view from the Battle Action areas.

Table 3: Interpretive Facilities and Services Management Characteristics of Alternatives
Describes the key management actions recommended for each major type of interpretation, by Alternative.

Types of Interpretive Facilities & Services	Alternative 1 No Action	Alternative 2 Minimum Action Req'd	Alternative 3 Restoration of Significant Battlefield Elements Relevant to Battle Outcome	Alternative 4 Maximum Battlefield Restoration
Central Overview Interpretation at Visitor Center & Cyclorama Ctr.	Maintain existing Visitor Center & Cyclorama at current location	Develop new Visitor Center, Cyclorama associated services & related facilities outside Battle Action Zone. Provide expanded overview of Gettysburg Campaign to place battle in context. Diversify interpretation to include points of view of combatants & non-combatants.	Same as Alternative 2	Same as Alternative 2
Battlefield & Other Interpretation	Continue existing battlefield interpretive methods. Provide interpretive links to the town's interpretive pathway system.	Continue existing battlefield interpretive methods, expanding areas to be interpreted to take advantage of landscape improvements. Provide interpretive links to the town's interpretive pathway system.	Develop a variety of visually unintrusive interpretive methods (audio, pamphlets, personal tours) to portray the meaning of the landscape. Incorporate pathways & 1-2 interpretive venues at center of the borough to communicate town's relationship to battle & its commemoration.	Orient battlefield interpretation to the commemorative zone, as originally intended when the park was established. Provide interpretive links to the town's interpretive pathway system.
Auto Tour	Retain existing self guided tour route, oriented to 3 days of battle.	Retain existing self guided tour route, oriented to 3 days of battle.	Retain existing self guided tour route, oriented to 3 days of battle.	Initiate interpretive tour route at slow speed as intended by avenue designers.
Ranger Tours	Continue to focus tours on those limited areas where the battlefield landscape allows for clear communication of decisive engagements of the battle.	Expand tours taking advantage of many new areas of battlefield where the landscape allows for clear communication of decisive engagements of the battle.	Expand Ranger tours to potentially include the entirety of the Battle Action Areas, utilizing the resources of the new Visitor Center to allow visitors to customize their experiences.	Orient Ranger tours to the commemorative avenues, potentially initiating battlefield routes from designated tram stops.
Licensed Battlefield Guide Tours	Maintain LBG licensing & tour offerings from existing Visitor Center.	Same as Alternative 1	Same as Alternative 1	Maintain LBG licensing & tour offers from existing Visitor Center with potential involvement in battlefield loop tours.
Bus/Tram Tours	Maintain existing interpretive materials on waysides, markers, & in cemetery.	Retain existing system of private buses & tour licensing. Explore new interpretive shuttle routes to provide interpretation & to relieve traffic at heavily visited sites.	Same as Alternative 2	Initiate battle-wide interpretive tram & shuttle routes, potentially offering multiple choices departing from the Visitor Center
Commemorative Interpretation	Maintain existing interpretive materials on waysides, markers, & in cemetery.	Same as Alternative 1.	Same as Alternative 1.	Eliminate contemporary wayside markers. Reinstate protective area around monuments & markers reenforcing original design intent within commemorative area.

Table 4: Visitor Use and Park Facilities Management Characteristics of Alternatives
Summarizes actions recommended to manage visitor use & circulation as well as park & visitor support facilities.

Visitor Use Management	Alternative 1 No Action	Alternative 2 Minimum Action Req'd	Alternative 3 Restoration of Significant Battlefield Elements Relevant to Battle Outcome	Alternative 4 Maximum Battlefield Restoration
Automobile Access	Existing avenue system, one-way operation in segments, open to public.	Existing avenue system, one way operation in segments. Manage &/or restrict traffic in areas susceptible to resource degradation or over-use in peak periods.	Same as ALternative 2.	Existing avenue system, one -way operation in segments. Manage commemorative avenue system to favor shuttle vehicles in peak periods.
Parking	Maintain existing Visitor Center parking lot, overflow lots, & roadside parking.	Relocate central parking & overflow lots to new Visitor Center location. Maintain scattered lots & roadsides.	Same as Alternative 2.	Locate all long-term parking at Visitor Center with incentives of price & convenience to encourage visitors to leave cars there & take public transportation.
Walking Trails	Maintain existing marker trails.	Relocate trails to historic lanes & ways to max. degree possible.	Relocate trails to historic lanes and ways to maximum degree possible. Remove non-historic trails in Battle Action zone.	Same as Alternative 3 with removal of all non-historic trails in park.
Horse Trails	Allow current horse usage with continuing trail deterioration.	Relocate horse trail to historic lanes & ways, subject to user support for appropriate construction to protect resource.	Same as Alternative 2	Same as Alternative 2
Public Transportation	Continue to license private tours, requiring Licensed Battlefield Guides on board.	Continue to license private tours, requiring LBG's on board. Provide shuttle service to highly visited sites in peak periods of use, originating at the Visitor Center.	Same as Alternative 2 with addition of shuttle service to downtown.	Continue to license private tours requiring LBG's on board. Provide park-wide shuttles throughout the park, originating at Visitor Center.

Park Facilities

Visitor Center	Maintain current facilities in current location	New state of the art facility outside Battle Action area to incorporate museum, cyclorama, electric map, support, parking & related facilities.	New state of the art facility outside Battle Action area to incorporate museum, cyclorama, electric map, support, parking, & related facilities.	New state of the art facility outside Battle Action area to incorporate museum, cyclorama, electric map, support, parking, & related facilities.
Amphitheater	Maintain current facility in current location.	Relocate to vicinity of new Visitor Center	Relocate to vicinity of new Visitor Center	Relocate to vicinity of new Visitor Center
Scout Campground	Maintain in current location	Relocate to vicinity of new Visitor Center or eliminate.	Relocate to vicinity of new Visitor Center or eliminate.	Relocate to vicinity of new Visitor Center or eliminate.
Comfort & Guide Stations	Maintain in current locations.	Maintain current locations.	Maintain current locations.	Eliminate in favor of central facilities at Visitor Center.
Picnic Facilities	Maintain in current locations.	Relocate all sites to vicinity of new Visitor Center	Relocate all sites to vicinity of Visitor Center.	Relocate all sites to vicinity of Visitor Center.
Park Maintenance	Maintain in current facilities.	Relocate to Visitor & Park Facilities support area.	Relocate to Visitor & Park Facilities Support area.	Relocate to Visitor & Park Facilities Support area.

+ Supportive
0 Little or no support of goals
- Contrary to goals
-- Highly contrary to goals

Mission Goals	Sub-Goals	Alternative 1	Alternative 2	Alternative 3	Alternative 4
Resource Preservation	Historic Structures & monuments are restored & maintained to contemporary preservation standards	O	+	++	++
	Park's historic landscape is preserved, inc. elements that were pivotal to the battle.	-	+	++	++
	Park's natural resources are maintained & managed to support historic landscapes.	-	+	+	+
	Park's archaeological sites are known or can be predicted & are in good order	0	+	++	++
	Park's Scenic qualities & rural setting are preserved & enhanced.	0	+	++	++
	Land uses, including agriculture, are appropriate to historical & cultural landscape in the park.	-	0	+	++
Interpretation	Visitors understand the significance of the Gettysburg Campaign to the Civil War's outcome.	-	++	++	++
	Visitors understand impact of the Gettysburg Address & the war on reunification of the nation.	-	++	++	++
	Visitors understand impacts of the battle & war on individual soldiers & non-combatants.	-	+	++	++
	Visitors are satisfied with the interpretive programs & services provided within park.	0	++	++	++
Visitor Experience	Visitors are satisfied with availability, accessibility, & quality of park facilities.	0	++	++	+
	Park facilities & service support the historic character & interpretive mission of the Park.	--	+	++	++
Partnership	Effective measures have been implemented to ensure protection of key resources outside NPS boundary.	0	++	++	++
	Mechanisms are in place to attract non-NPS financial & other resources to park mission.	0	++	++	++

Table 6: Environmental & Other Impacts
Indicates relative scales of impacts of each GMP Alternative.

Management Elements	Impacts	Alternative 1	Alternative 2	Alternative 3	Alternative 4
Cultural Resources	Historic Buildings & Districts	0	+	++	+++
	Archaeological Resources	0	0	0	0
	Cultural Landscapes	--	++	+++	+++
Natural Resources	Water Resources	0	+	+	+
	Wetlands & flood plains	-	+	+	+
	Flora	-	+	+	+
	Wildlife & Aquatic Life	0	0	0	0
	Species of Special Concern	0	+	+	+
	Energy	0	0	0	0
	Natural or Depletable Resources	0	0	0	0
	Prime or Unique Farmlands	0	0	0	0
	Air & Noise Quality	0	0	0	0
Interpretation & Visitor Use	Overall Park Visitation	0	+	+	+
	Park Operations Efficiency	0	+	++	++
Partnerships/Community	Regional Economy*
	Local Business*
	Socio-economic characteristics	0	0	0	0
	Traffic & parking, in park*
	Traffic & parking outside park*
	Land Use	0	0	0	0
	Public Health & Safety	0	0	0	0

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