Pollution and the Historic Antietam Creek

4-6 Grades (Running Time: 45 minutes)

Maximum number of volunteers:  One to two  interpreters.

Theme:

Students will obtain a better understanding of how pollution spreads to our local waterways by interacting with an interpreter.  These waterways include the Antietam Creek which dumps into the Potomac River near Shepherdstown, WVA. From there the Potomac River flows to the Chesapeake Bay.

Objectives:

Using a visual aid, students will see first-hand how pollution affects the Antietam Creek. They will also learn that what happens in our area, could affect other water ways downstream.  

Materials Used:

1.       8.5x11 paper sheets
2.       Blue marker or crayon
3.       Pencils
4.       Sanitized trash like bottles, Styrofoam plates, cans…ect…

Procedure(s):

1. Give out one sheet of paper, one pencil and one blue marker or crayon to each person.

2. Instruct each person to color in half (landscape) of the paper blue without telling them that is a waterway. The white half of the paper, each student will use a pencil and draw what their dream house, dream business or dream farm would be.  Fifteen minutes should do just fine.

3. After the students are done, gather all students up and stand them in two lines facing each other. Starting with the front of the line have each student explain what their dream house, business, and or farm would be. The student will then lay the paper down with the white sections pointed toward their feet and the blue sections on both sides of the line connecting and making a creek.

4. Once all papers have been placed on the ground, then explain that the blue represents the Antietam Creek.

5. Go over the amount of pollution that is generated by their dream house, business, or farm. Pollutants can occur in from the rain, floods, or simply runoff.

6. Take however amount of sanitized trash and place it into the students hands. The bigger the dream, the more trash they will receive.

7. After all the trash has been handed out, start with the front of the lines and have each student pass their trash to the next student, so on and so forth. By the time all of the trash makes its way to the end of the lines, explain how trash and pollutants from upstream make their way downstream and dumps into the Potomac River which flows to the Chesapeake Bay.

8. After the last two children have all of the trash, ask them what they could have done differently to stop the pollution? Simple solutions could include recycle, not to build near the creek and so on. There isn’t really a wrong answer for this, as its more of a discussion to think outside of the box.

Closure: Ask the students what they could do in order to help protect the Antietam Creek? Such as landscaping, trees, or build further away from the creek.

Our 1st Annual Hiking Thorugh History Program

Our site Director John A. Miller designed a program similar to that of what he did when he was a historian at South Mountain State Battlefield. The program simply called "Hiking Through History" allows outdoors enthusiasts to take in the nature, beauty and history. The program isn't a tour, but rather it's a hike that breaks down the different time periods of what occurred without bogging the hiker down with a ton of facts. The program at Monterey Pass did just that. We covered history of our park from 1747 to 1945. And yet some of the landmarks at our park were formed over a period of millions of years ago such as Monterey Peak. The tour itself covered about three miles of trails in our park and it was the first time that many outdoors enthusiasts were able to explore the park in whole. It also is a great way of exercising as hiking through the woods is good for the mind and body.  

Program Site Number 3

Several Volunteers cleaned up and cut brush for our program site three. This area is where we will have living history programs.

Major Charles Capehart

Since Gettysburg has unveiled it's new exhibit "Above and Beyond, the Call of Duty", we figured we share Major Charles Capehart's story as he too received the Medal of Honor for his deeds at Monterey Pass.

"For The President of the United States of America, in the name of Congress, takes pleasure in presenting the Medal of Honor to Major Charles E. Capehart, United States Army, for extraordinary heroism on 4 July 1863, while serving with 1st West Virginia Cavalry, in action at Monterey Mountain, Pennsylvania. While commanding the regiment, Major Capehart charged down the mountain side at midnight, in a heavy rain, upon the enemy's fleeing wagon train. Many wagons were captured and destroyed and many prisoners taken."

Date of Issue: April 7, 1898

Action Date: July 4, 1863

His brother Henry also received the Medal of Honor for his in 1864.

Park Layout

After one year since the battlefield park land was preserved, this map here shows the final product of the trail system. We wanted to be able to allow visitors to see the battlefield as well as the natural landscape within the park itself. We have the Billy Yank Trail which begins at the museum. From there, it moves across Charmian Road to Rolando Woods Lions Club Park. It enters the actual park where the visitor will see first hand the Union right flank and the main battle line. The Billy Yank Trail leads into the Johnny Reb Trail. 

The Johnny Reb Trail will lead visitors to the Maria Furnace Road Trail. This trail tells the story of the road itself as well as the Confederate retreat from Gettysburg. It will remain in a natural state to allow visitors to experience what it was like for those Confederate and Union soldiers who marched upon it. 

The Monterey Peak Trail will be opened last. This trail will take you up to the historic peak that was made popular during the Resort Era and overlooks Blue Ridge Summit and points east. 

A total of four Program sites are included into this plan. This is where programs will begin or where living history events will be held. 

There are several interpretive themes that will go into the interpretation of the park. 

1. The Battle of Monterey Pass
2. The Confederate Retreat from Gettysburg
3. The Union Pursuit Through Monterey Pass
4. Before Gettysburg
5. South Mountain History
6. Maria Furnace Road

Monterey Pass Battlefield Park Historical Trek

Historical trekking seems to be very popular among living historians. So today, I decided that after my meeting at the museum, I would go for a trek onto the park. I figured this would be a great way to see what's going on with the park itself and determine where problems might be since we have had all this rain and snow melt. Plus, the weather was cool, sunny and besides, it's great exercise when trekking in the woods. I dressed in my 18 Century gear and went out for a hike along the historic wagon road that was established in 1747 through our neck of the woods. 

The path that I am looking toward is the Monterey Pass Peak Trail. This trail will access the mountain peak which overlooks Blue Ridge Summit. This trail is over a half mile long. The area where I am standing will become Program Site No. 4. 

This is Maria Furnace Road which saw fighting during the Civil War. It also is the great wagon road in which Fairfield and Gettysburg were founded upon. During the month of February (2016), members of the Friends of the Monterey Pass Battlefield, Inc. removed several fallen trees which opened the trail up. 

This is where our property ends and private property begins. But it was nice to see areas of the roadbed still with a little snow cover to it. This is near Fairfield Gap. 

After almost two hours of walking through the woods, it was just nice to be able to get out and enjoy nature, our history and think about where things should be laid out for the future of the Monterey Pass Battlefield Park.

Grades 6-8 Worksheets for the Tools of a Civil War Soldier Program

With the 2016 season coming up quickly at Monterey Pass Battlefield, our staff here at the institute have been hard at work. We have lots of education programs and tools that are in the works. We have two versions of the Official Monterey Pass Battlefield Park and Museum Junior Ranger books that are going into production. We just need to design the patch to go with it. We also have the Worksheet for the Tools of a Civil War Soldier program finished up. This will help children identify certain equipment that was used and examples of the uniform that Civil War soldiers wore in 1863.

Children will read the front page after the program to gain knowledge of what life was like for a Civil War soldier.  

Here, we have a typical Union soldier. The equipment he wears is fully marked with information regarding to what he was issued. 

Here, we have a Union soldier wearing a shell jacket. 

The fatigue uniform of the Union soldier.

The New York State National Guard was all over Franklin County during the Pennsylvania Campaign. 

A typical Confederate soldier.

Another version of a Confederate soldier.

The questions that students are to answer after the presentation and after reading this booklet.

Making Your Own Kit

Making your own authentic Civil War kit. Sounds hard doesn't it? Actually, it can be challenge. We here at the Monterey Pass Battlefield Institute do make a lot of our kits. From clothing to some of the easier accouterments. We do this for several reasons. 

The first and foremost, it helps us to cut down the cost. A good Civil War jacket whether it be Confederate or Union, the cost can run upwards to $200.00-$400.00 depending on the vendor. When we make our own jackets, the cost of a Charlie Childs pattern is $15.00, then add in the fabric and it usually takes two yards of that, so add $45.00-60.00 depending on what type of fabric it is. Add $20.00 for authentic buttons and the price of the jacket is coming in under $100.00. Trousers and shirts are the same way. 

Another reason is simple, the knowledge of how garments go together. We can then use that information when we interpret this time period. We do get a lot of questions regarding "Did you make that yourself?" Most times we can answer yes. Also, its a learning experience. How many of us can actually say we can make our own stuff.  

When the garment is being made it typically takes about less than two weeks for a jacket to shirt to be completed. That includes time spent doing other things. Much hand stitching goes into a single garment whether it be top or button holes. 

Lastly, when the project is finished, you'll have more respect for that garment knowing what went into it.

Now, we have made all of our haversacks in which we have patterns for. Several belts have been made us and much of what is carried inside of the knapsack such as housewife, hand towel, scarf and stuff like that.

If your a historical site and you need to figure out how to cut back or save money, this is a great way to do so. You can have workshops and teach your staff how to do much of this and build upon it as a team. 

Here are some pictures of completed garments that we made. 

An example of a George Jacket (1862)

This Commutation Style Jacket (1861)

This cooler weather dress

A cotton day dress

The artillery Richmond Type II jacket

This artillery mounted services jacket for the 150th Fort Frederick event

This entire 8th New York State National Guard uniform.

The Monterey Pass Battlefield Park and Museum Strategic Plan

It is my hope that this two and a half year plan not only increases visitation to the Monterey Pass Battlefield Park and Museum, but also raises awareness. In order to do this, we need to set some goals, gaining community support and grabbing the attention of the state, federal agencies and non-profits organizations in the area.

April 2016 - November 2018

October 8, 2015

Vision:

By the end of 2018, the Monterey Pass Battlefield Park and Museum should be a vibrant, vital, and visible community organization with museum exhibits, collections and programs that attract Franklin County residents and visitors from all over the region. The Monterey Pass Battlefield Park and Museum will go beyond the “traditional” park and museum and function as a history park that will bring the past to life in a family friendly atmosphere and in a fun and educational way.

The Monterey Pass Battlefield Park and Museum is operated by a “must join” membership non-profit organization known as the Friends of the Monterey Pass Battlefield, Inc. It is through this organization that supporters will want to get involved through membership and volunteer opportunities. New programs, exhibits, marketing, and a development plan for the battlefield park and museum will help to entice supporters to become members in a healthy and engaged museum that not only brings local history to life, but that intimately connects to them on a personal level to the past.

The Monterey Pass Battlefield Park and Museum and the Friends of the Monterey Pass Battlefield, Inc., will work together and will strive to attract and serve people of all ages. To help assist in the missions of the friends and museum; we will have to recruit volunteers to help run many of the new and current initiatives within the park, museum and organization. Volunteers will help to alleviate staffing issues and help us to keep operations moving forward.

Financial stability and security will be achieved through an experienced marketing person who can build a comprehensive development plan that will help to expand the friend’s membership and donor base. The development plan will provide ways on building attendance, raising income and gaining new memberships while maintaining a roster of past and present members and donors. These initiatives will help place the organization on a better financial footing.

Strategic Goals/Priorities

As we move forward, the Board of the friend’s organization should focus its energies and resources on four areas of priority as we move forward in the next two and half years:

1. Strengthen Financial Security –This is an area that needs improvement. By creating and implementing a development plan we can gain memberships and income sources of donations.

2. Increase Memberships – A more active membership and volunteer core will play a greater role in fundraising events, embracing new ideas and concepts.

3. Expand Programs - Quality programming will help to bring visitors to our site. Youth groups and student groups could have special after hours programs that will help teach them about this important Civil War battle, but also help them to explore other eras of cultural history.

4. Build Public Awareness – Increased branding of the organization and build visibility of membership, programs, financial support and park and museum resources.

Key Initiatives and Strategies

Goal 1: Strengthen Financial Security – An improved financial position will be achieved by creating and implementing a development plan that thoughtfully incorporates ways to diversify income sources.

Identified initiatives and strategies are:

1) A comprehensive development plan will be created that incorporates membership, donor cultivation, planned giving, annual appeal schedule, grants and foundation support, and fundraising events, etc.

2) A dedicated fundraising committee will be established to regularly review and implement the development plan. New members/volunteers will be approached to be part of this committee. While the committee will be responsible for overseeing the plan, it will remain the ultimate duty of the entire Board to ensure that it is properly implemented and supported.

Goal 2: Increase Memberships – A more active membership and volunteer core will play a greater role in fundraising events, embracing new ideas and concepts, developing inclusive history programming that engages a broad audience, and filling key staff and board roles.

Identified initiatives and strategies are:

1) Create a detailed membership plan. This plan will include:

1. Setting goals and objectives for membership numbers
2. Redesigning/reviewing the membership appeal process and materials
3. Determining methods to engage members so that they take a more active role in the organization and reduce the burden of the Board.
4. Developing incentives for membership participation (i.e., special events, members’ open house, monthly programs, Meet the Members social, etc.)
5. Establishing a committee responsible for essential membership operations: eg, recruitment of active members/outreach

2) In the immediate future the Board will reach out to a few (solid) existing members who are willing to play an active role in developing 1 or 2 new annual fundraising programs

3) The Board will actively work towards reshaping the perception of membership, striving to find ways to empower members and get them more involved

4) Expand volunteer core through planning and using programs as ways to reach more people.

Goal 3: Expand Programs– New innovative programs set forth in a thoughtful plan will attract youth, families and history buffs.

Identified initiatives and strategies are:

1. Develop more inclusive and creative programming to better serve the community, such as:

a. Scout programs

b. New school programs that connect specially with school curriculum needs

c. Meet with area teachers to identify needs and specific interests

e. Develop ways to connect to “history hobbyists”.

2. Program times and days of the week will be experimented with to see what works best with different constituents

3. To enhance visibility and to ensure success the park and museum along with the friends organization will look towards piggybacking with existing community events such as the Burning of Chambersburg

4. New ways to offset program operating costs will be pursued

a. Sponsorships

b. Grants

c. Collaborations with other partners to share resources (both staffing and financial)

5. A wish list will be created to fill in missing collections areas. This will be shared with members and possible donors.

6. Look at prior successful undertakings and see if they could be restored in a new form

Goal 4: Build Public Awareness – Increased branding of the organization and clear and consistent public communication will build visibility of membership, programs, financial support and the park’s  resources.

Identified initiatives and strategies are:

1. Develop a detailed marketing plan that will promote the uniqueness of the Monterey Pass Battlefield Park and Museum, its programs, and its resources in a way that excites and engages a broad audience.

2. Develop a greater presence with the community through new programs, exhibits, and collaborations.

The Monterey Pass Battlefield Park Interpretive Plan and Inventory of the Battlefield

Prepared by John A. Miller

First draft composed on May 2015

Battlefield Park Background

The Monterey Pass Battlefield Washington Township Park is a historical, cultural and natural resource park located in Franklin County, Pennsylvania near Blue Ridge Summit established in 2012. The park consists of about 120 acres of land that will feature interpretive trails, living history areas, and museum that will help to tell the story of the Battle of Monterey Pass, fought on July 4-5, 1863. The land was purchased by Washington Township with two community improvement grants from Franklin County. 116 acres of land was purchased from Washington Township Municipal Authority and another 1.5 acres of land from the Blue Ridge Summit Lions Club. Across the road there is 1.8 acres of land that has a fully interpretive museum which opened in October 2014. Together, these three properties make up the approximate 120 acre battlefield park.

Historical Information

The Monterey Pass Battlefield Park has a lot of history associated with it that spans from 1747-1945. The Maria Furnace Road was once part of the Great Wagon Road that led out of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. This allowed Scots-Irish, Germans and some English to travel to Appalachia. The road became an official Pennsylvania highway in 1780’s. By 1820, the area became home to several inns and farmers.

During the years leading up to the Civil War, the area was part of the Underground Railroad. In 1859, Captain John Cook, who fled out of Harper’s Ferry during John Brown’s Raid was in the area as he kept to South Mountain to avoid capture. He was captured at Mont Alto Gap. The radical Thaddeus Stevens owned property along and near Maria Furnace Road. He operated several furnaces. Caledonia State Park was where his major business was located at.

During the Civil War, the Maria Furnace Road was used by both Union and Confederate troops. It was the actions that occurred after the Battle of Gettysburg that the road is most remembered. On the night of July 4-5, 1863, a major battle had erupted at Monterey Pass. After several hours of fighting at night during severe weather, the Union cavalry was unable to block the mountain pass, but were able to destroy and capture several miles worth of wagons. Union Major Charles Capehart, 1st West Virginia Cavalry would receive a Medal of Honor in 1898. To review a more in depth history, please refer to the Monterey Pass Battlefield Management Plan.

After the Civil War, industry boomed with the arrival of the Western Maryland Railroad, mining and the harvest of timber for charcoal to be used to power the furnaces. With so much industry, this also led to wealth and the Resort era in which inner city residents built large mansions and hotels. Monterey was the main getaway for those in the city.

During the Depression, the wealth of Monterey Pass declined. The next and perhaps the last major large event took place during World War Two. American troops from nearby Camp Ritchie conducted military exercises in and around Monterey.  Americans dressed as Germans and Italian soldiers conducted mock battles to train personnel for the war in Europe. During World War Two, several of the inns and hotels fell due to fire and were erased from the landscape. Route 16, Sunshine Trail opened during this period and the old road was discontinued and closed.  

Interpretive Themes

The initial plan is to interpret this land using three main interpretive themes and the interpretive trails would be implemented in phases with regards to production of signage. The first theme is the Battle of Monterey Pass since the property was a battle position established between 12 midnight and 3:30 a.m. Areas of Maria Furnace Road is also considered as a battle line established between 3:30 a.m. and dawn. The second theme is the Retreat from Gettysburg and the final theme is the Union Pursuit. Thousands of Civil War soldiers marched and encamped along Maria Furnace and the Emmitsburg & Waynesboro Turnpike on the night of July 5-6, 1863.

An additional theme could be situated around colonial America to World War Two in certain areas that would not take away from the Civil War era. This would allow visitors to fully understand how important the area was during its 250 years of existence.  

As interpretive waysides are produced and mounted, trails could open as early as a few months for the private and personal benefit of the public depending on financial support from the Friends of the Monterey Pass Battlefield, Inc. A map with historical information and trail information should be produced into a brochure that could help educate and navigate visitors to the Monterey Pass Battlefield Park.  

Trails will be named in order to help the public understand the main interpretive themes. The battle line in the area closest to the parking lot is to be called the “Billy Yank Trail.” A trail leading to the Maria Furnace Road is to be called the “Johnny Reb Trail” while the road itself will be called the “Maria Furnace Road Trail.” Another trail leads to Monterey Peak will be named “Monterey Peak Trail”. It is recommended that a secondary trial from Monterey Peak be built to allow visitors to gain access to Maria Furnace Road near “Area A.” Key points are as follows that will allow visitors to understand and explore the Monterey Pass Battlefield Park. No need for power tools as we will blaze the trees. An easement has been granted from WTMA and Washington Township to an existing roadway to allow handicap and elderly visitors to experience the battlefield by safely see the Maria Furnace Road. This roadway begins at letter “E” below and would be stone dusted for easy mobility for wheelchairs and strollers.

The Monterey Peak Trail will require much work. As you ascend uphill, the trail is overgrown with tall invasive weeds. Once you are at the top, one can see the boulders that make up the peak. A trail will need to be found or cut in to allow visitors access to this point. Once you are on top of the peak, trees and brush obscure the overlook that once existed. The overlook has a fine view of Blue Ridge Summit to the southeast, the Catoctin Mountain to the east and to the northeast is Gettysburg Valley.

The photograph shows the view looking toward the ballparks of Blue Ridge Summit and was taken in April. The view has been taken over by the leaves and heavy brush since May came in. As of now, winter is the best time to view this area.

The rock formations are among the oldest on the American continents according to Geological surveys conducted in the area from the 1870’s to 1940’s. The peak was formed millions of years ago when this area was below sea level. As time went, deposits of sand, later covered with mud and lime sediments forming shale. A major push brought these sandstones upwards, many of them stood  miles high. After millions of years of weathering, the stones wore down. Further uplifts formed the mountain. As a result, the formation you see is the final product which stands nearly 1,600 feet above sea level.

Walking Tour

A. Located near here is Fairfield Gap where the Maria Furnace Road branched off from Furnace Road. It was there that the Confederate wagon trains moved toward Monterey Pass. During the battle of Monterey Pass, Confederate cavalry fought off a flanking attempt to block the road. After the battle, two-thirds of the Confederate army marched on Maria Furnace Road.

B. The 1st North Carolina Sharpshooters and a detachment of Alabama troops stopped the wagon train here and moved forward to Monterey Pass.

C. After the Union cavalry broke through the  Confederate battle line at the toll house, it was here the 1st North Carolina Sharpshooters entered the fight and came under heavy artillery fire from Pennington’s battery deployed at the Monterey Pass Toll House. Realizing that Confederate infantry was pouring on scene from Maria Furnace Road, Kilpatrick ordered the rest of his cavalry down the mountain to Ringgold, MD. With Monterey Pass secured the Confederate army will continue their withdrawal from Pennsylvania.

D. This area is where the Union cavalry began getting bogged down in the fight. It was here that much hand to hand combat took place. Due to the terrain, the Union right flank would rest at the base of the hill in front of you. Portions of the 1st Maryland Cavalry, Company B deployed here while the Confederates established a new battle line at the toll house.

E. It was here, where Colonel Russell Alger realized that the bridge spanning Red Run was still intact. He asked for reinforcements in order to make a charge on the Confederate position.

F. It was here where Colonel Alger supported by a portion of the 6th Michigan Cavalry formed a hasty battle line that allowed the 1st West Virginia Cavalry and the two companies of the 1st Ohio Cavalry to charge and attack the wagon train.

Management Issues & Threats

The battlefield has one of the characteristics which falls into the Wilderness Character (refer to the Wilderness Act of 1964) and could be helpful in managing our resource since it does border Michaux State Forest. The character is to provide some outstanding opportunities for solitude or a primitive and unconfined type of recreation. This solitude is a great resource which will allow visitors to reflect on the experiences of those who marched through these woods and fought a major battle here. To achieve the exception of the visitor experience some management, actions are needed in order to protect the resource and the visitor. In return, we need to serve as stewards in order to protect the battlefield for future generations.

Visitor management is accomplished by identifying threats, planning, taking administrative action, and monitoring. The Monterey Pass Battlefield should recognize the value of wilderness and the historical value for visitors and seek to maximize opportunities for personal discovery, challenge, and other experiences, while ensuring that opportunities for solitude and the natural, historical and cultural resources are not degraded.

After inventorying the newly acquired 116 acres of land acquired from the Washington Township Municipal Authority and the 1.5 acres of land from the Blue Ridge Summit Lions Club, formerly part of the Rolando Woods Lions Club Park, several of the historical features still stand out. Although, the woods are new growth and not that of the Civil War era, it still demonstrates what the terrain was like during the Battle of Monterey Pass. Wooded and several patches of undergrowth are two main characteristics often written about by those Civil War soldiers that fought there or marched through the area.

Several trails and old logging roads do exist and shows signs of heavy foot traffic, hunters and ATVs. These trails should be used for foot traffic only, to and from the Maria Furnace Road to the parking area since they are a preexisting condition to the resource. Some trails lead to private property. To restrict traffic and trash dumping on these trails, a simple wayside or kiosk planted in the middle of the trail will not only restrict traffic, but will help us to identify which trails are still being used for illegal park use.  A walk through should be conducted at least once a week to see if new problems are continuing or declining.

Maria Furnace Road is the dividing point between the Monterey Pass Battlefield Park and D.L. George’s private property. No trespassing signs are posted and should be respected. However, the boundary does go up the center of the road and at some points, cross over onto the Monterey Pass Battlefield Park property. A usage agreement should be sought since the road itself was one of the major factors as to why it made the property important for preservation and listed as one of Pennsylvania's most endangered historical sites.

Maria Furnace Road does show signs of vehicle use. This could be a safety concern for those who are walking the road and happen to see a vehicle coming. Vehicle traffic could cause long term damage to the historic resource of the Maria Furnace Road. Once the road bends, there are a few washed out areas that need attention and several trees removed that are laying over the road. The road continues back to Michaux State Forest, a public land in which Pennsylvania owns. Also, private landowner, Mummert owns several acres of land and could easily be marked for the public with kiosk and wayside planted in the road to prevent foot traffic to move further.

Educating the public on private property boundaries and educating our neighbors of this important historic resource could prevent a lot of the misuse of the property including hunters access. Flyers could be made and mailed to all the property owners that border the battlefield. Education of the park is key for a healthy relationship with our neighbors. Our visitors will also need to be educated with regards of property boundaries. A simple kiosk with a brochure that features a map of all the trails, their distances and trial type will help visitors to navigate around the property while at the same time respecting the private property of those who live outside of the battlefield boundary.

Inventory

Management is key to this property and preserving the landscape for the personal usage of the people. The property offers several key features of the historic resource that were described by Civil War soldiers who fought on the property. A hill with a rock crop prevented the Union cavalry from attacking the Confederate wagon train that was just on the other side during the night in a thunderstorm. This feature along with the landscape will help to educate the public about the importance of the terrain never before seen by visitors and or tour groups.

Each month, inventory of the resource should be taken in order to determine what needs and what steps should be taken in case of deteriorating conditions that could harm the historical nature of the property from visitor or illegal use. Inventory of the property is also needed to determine what is it exactly that the property has with regards to the management of the forest, wildlife and visitor usage.

Inventory allows us to preserve the historical and wilderness features of the site. For example, if our living history area shows signs of dead or dying vegetation or erosion on the Maria Furnace Road, then management steps should be taken to reduce the threat by moving the living history area to another area. If a new trail known as a renegade trail should appear, then actions would be taken to prevent its usage.

Determination of Action

The only time action should be taken is if the historical or natural resource of the property is in danger or if there are changes to the historical resource. Once problems arise, then management action or alternative action should be taken depending on the danger or situation of the resource. Daily actions such as Leave No Trace practices will help to cut down on problems and being proactive will also help to keep the historical resource protected for generations to come. There is a set of park rules and regulations known as Resolution 544, adopted March 5, 2012 posted on the land. If these rules or regulations are not followed, the Township code 232-25 will also allow law enforcement to take necessary actions to protect the resource.

Evation and Implement Actions

A Management, Conception, Interpretation and Preservation Plans do exist for the Monterey Pass Battlefield and were adopted by the Board of Washington Township Supervisors in 2011. These plans will help to implement policies for the preservation of the Monterey Pass Battlefield. These plans were meant to change as conditions arise.

Monitor and Adapt

As with inventory, monitoring is just as important. Monitoring allows us to collect data in order to create a plan designed to help us to identify changes to a resource and what action is needed in order to protect the historical resource. It will also help to guide us for future plans and what decisions will help to restore a deteriorating condition whether caused by human or nature.

Conclusion

These steps if used together, will help us to preserve the historical character of the Monterey Pass Battlefield Park. As stewards of the park, the number one goal to preserve the historical value of the land and protect the historical and natural resources that make up the Monterey Pass Battlefield.