Mission 66: Modernizing Campgrounds while Preserving Historic Heritage Webinar Recording

Описание: It has been about 80 years since the inception of the National Park Service Mission 66 program, an initiative that focused on providing new campgrounds and facilities across the nation, while also focusing on modernization and expansion. With the establishment of the National Park Service (NPS) in 1916, camping popularity increased exponentially; post-WWII, more and more families were packing up their cars and hitting the road. With this surge of visitors, it became apparent that existing park facilities were too small and in need of repair and expansion. Mission 66 was a successful initiative that helped standardize and modernize campground design. These campgrounds are located from coast to coast and include designed landscapes that clustered campsites into loops and accommodated car camping. They also provided modern comfort stations, walking paths, as well as gathering areas such as amphitheaters and visitor centers. These campgrounds focused on the natural environment, vegetation and features found in the area and centered on the idea of congregation with gathering areas and picnic structures. As modern visitor use evolves, it is critical to understand and assess Mission 66 resources for potential historic significance to allow them to adapt to changing needs and protect their historic character.

Learning objectives:
1. Summarize the history of camping within the National Park Service.
2. Explore how the Mission 66 program initiatives changed and created modern campgrounds.
3. Discuss the challenges and the future of Mission 66 campgrounds.
4. Discuss how the Determination of Eligibility Process Guidelines and Treatment Guidelines for Mission 66 campgrounds will help the National Park Service efficiently evaluate and sensitively rehabilitate these campgrounds to ensure their heritage as well as adapt for today’s camper.