Purpose of and Need for the Plan

<< Previous | Table of Contents | Next >>

PURPOSE, NEED, AND SCOPING

PURPOSE AND NEED

The purpose of this Final General Management Plan / Environmental Impact Statement is to clearly define a direction for resource preservation and visitor experience at Crater Lake National Park over the next 15 to 20 years. The approved plan would provide a framework for proactive decision- making, including decisions on visitor use, natural and cultural resource management, park development, and addressing future opportunities and problems.

This document will not describe how particular programs or projects will be implemented or prioritized. Those decisions will be deferred to more detailed implementation planning, which will follow the broad, long- range decision making presented in this document.

The National Parks and Recreation Act of 1978 (PL 95- 625) requires the preparation and timely revision of general management plans for each unit of the national park system. The previous Master Plan for Crater Lake was approved in 1977. A number of subsequent planning efforts were initiated, each undertaken to enhance the visitor experience and resource protection at the developed areas of Crater Lake National Park. The park has implemented significant portions of the plans for specific developed areas. For example, Crater Lake Lodge has been rehabilitated and reopened in May 1995. A new dormitory for concession employees has been built near Mazama Village. This General Management Plan will provide an opportunity to consolidate these past decisions that are spread throughout several documents into a single document. The Final General Management Plan/Environmental Impact Statement takes a new look at the management of the park based on the changes that have occurred since 1977 and current issues and concerns confronting the park, with the intent of building on the park’s previous planning accomplishments. Visitor use patterns and demographics have changed, there are new demands for recreational experiences and activities, and 22,400 acres were added to the park. Each of these changes has implications for how visitors access and use the national park and the facilities needed to support those uses, how resources are managed, and how the National Park Service manages its operations.