Taken from Summary page iii. Harpers Ferry National Monument was authorized by an act of Congress on June 30, 1944, and became Harper’s Ferry National Historical Park on May 29, 1963 (Public Law 78-386). The last general management plan for the national historical park was completed in 1980. Much has changed sine 1980—visitor use patterns and types of use have changed, people want to bring new recreational activities to the national historical park, and an additional 1,240 acres was authorized for addition to the national historic park in 2004. Each of these changes has implications for how visitors access and use the national historic park and the facilities needed to support those uses, how resources are managed, and how the National Park Service (NPS) manages its operations. A new plan is needed to: Clearly define resource conditions and visitor experiences to be achieved in Harpers Ferry National Historic Park. Provide a framework for NPS managers to use when making decisions about how to best protect national historical park resources, how to provide a diverse range of visitor experience opportunities, how to manage visitor use, and what kinds of facilities, if any, to develop in the national historic park. ////////

Harpers Ferry National Historical Park