Federal Partner: National Park Service

Project Description: The goals of this project are to educate future practitioners (university students) in methods and practices of cultural landscape preservation, and to provide technical landscape preservation support to NPS parks in the Northeast Region.

This project will allow students to engage in actual preservation planning projects through internships, field schools; and/or research assistantships. This task agreement will allow the Recipient to make its research and professional landscape preservation expertise accessible to parks units in the NPS Northeast Region to meet ongoing historic preservation and environmental regulations, enhance interpretation, and address landscape treatment and maintenance. It will also allow NPS to benefit from the broader academic and technical expertise at State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry in the areas of landscape preservation and history, digital modeling, natural systems, and conservation design.

Lead Principal Investigator: John Auwaerter, SUNY, College of Environmental Science and Forestry

Co-Principal Investigator: Prof. Aidan Ackerman, SUNY, College of Environmental Science and Forestry

Partner Institution: SUNY, College of Environmental Science and Forestry

Federal Agency: National Park Service

Federal Agency Technical Contact: Robert Page

Federal Involvement: NPS Olmsted Center Director Bob Page worked with ESF on project management, work planning, and student advising.

Project Type: Technical Assistance

Project Discipline: Cultural Resources

Project Sub-Discipline(s): Cultural and Historic, Engineering, Design, & Sustainability

Start Year: 2019

End Year: 2021

Initial Funding Amount: $97,575.00

Federal Grant Number: P19AC00944

Amendments

• Amendment Number: 1, Year: 2022, Amount: $-69.40

Location: NPS Northeast Region Parks

Student and Other Involvement:

• Masters Students: 2
• Staff: 1

Summary of Student Involvement: This project supported Master of Landscape Architecture students Mary Martin and Ashley Crespo in their digital modeling work at Eisenhower National Historic Site and Flight 93 National Memorial through the ESF Digital Model Lab headed by Prof. Aidan Ackerman.

Summary of Other Involvement: James Mealey assisted with refining draft research projects at Flight 93 and Saint-Gaudens National Historical Park.
PI John Auwaerter provided technical landscape preservation assistance and Section 106 advising to Roosevelt-Vanderbilt Natioanl Historic Sites, Women’s Rights National Historical Park, and Harriet Tubman National Historical Park; and taught an upper-level course in historic preservation and cultural landscapes (cost-shared with ESF)as part of the task agreement scope to train future landscape preservation practioners.
Prof. Aidan Ackerman refined student digital modeling work at Flight 93, Eisenhower, and Statue of Liberty.

Project Description: The project makes use of the recognized expertise in cultural landscape preservation at The State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry through the Center for Cultural Landscape Preservation, based in the Department of Landscape Architecture. It will benefit the Recipient by supporting education in cultural landscape preservation by exposing students to actual research problems and solutions through an innovative, collaborative effort between the Recipient and NPS staff. This project further relates to the Recipient’s public mission to serve the state, nation, and world in meeting the needs of its citizens through education, research, and public service.

Project Objectives:

Saint-Gaudens National Historical Site: Undertake research on design and planning issues at Blow-Me-Down Farm; organize and execute a treatment workshop with Recipient and NPS park and partner staff; complete a written report and illustrated treatment plan(s) for the site.

Summer 2019 field school: Undertake academic and logistical planning to support field school through the State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry; Recruit students to participate in field school; Organize and execute meeting(s) between NPS and Recipient to scope field school work that will provide data for a Cultural Landscape Inventory of the Seal Harbor district of the hiking trails at Acadia National Park.

Technical Assistance to Northeast Region Parks: Respond to requests Women’s Rights National Historical Park, Fort Stanwix National Monument, Roger Williams National Memorial, and Roosevelt-Vanderbilt National Historic Sites.

Disseminate research findings on cultural landscape preservation with other NPS regions and national audiences through participation in a national conference.

Appoint student(s) to assist with research and planning scoped under this project.

Lead Principal Investigator: John Auwaerter, SUNY, College of Environmental Science and Forestry

Co-Principal Investigator: Prof. George Curry, SUNY, College of Environmental Science and Forestry

Partner Institution: SUNY, College of Environmental Science and Forestry

Federal Agency: National Park Service

Federal Agency Technical Contact: Robert Page

Federal Involvement: NPS Olmsted Center Director Bob Page assisted ESF with work planning, student training, and coordination with park staff. HOFR/ELRO Park staff provided ESF with assistance on field work and research.

Project Type: Technical Assistance

Project Discipline: Cultural Resources

Project Sub-Discipline(s): Cultural and Historic

Start Year: 2018

End Year: 2020

Initial Funding Amount: $135,000.00

Federal Grant Number: P18AC00858

Amendments

• Amendment Number: 01, Year: 2022, Amount: $-739.13
• Amendment Number: 02, Year: 2022, Amount: $0.00

Location: NPS units in the Northeast Region

National Park or Protected Area: Saint-Gaudens National Historical Site, Women’s Rights National Historical Park, Fort Stanwix National Monument, Roger Williams National Memorial, and Roosevelt-Vanderbilt National Historic Sites

State(s): New York

New York Counties: Dutchess

Student and Other Involvement:

• Masters Students: 3
• Undergraduate Students: 1

Summary of Student Involvement: This project supported Master of Landscape Architecture (MLA) students Connor Neville and Justin Kwiatkowski on field work and development of mapping and inventory for cultural landscape inventories at the Home of Franklin D. Roosevelt and Eleanor Roosevelt National Historic Sites. The project also supported MLA student Meaghan Keefe to develop digital models of the Statue of Liberty, and undergraduate student Nathan Bauder to assist with finalizing a cultural landscape report for Gettysburg National Military Park.

Summary of Other Involvement: Project supported ESF Professor Rachel Leibowitz in summer 2019 to assist with historical research, and ESF Professor Aidan in summer 2019 to oversee students working in the ESF Digital Modeling Lab on NPS projects.

Project Description: This project will provide the research necessary to document the design and construction of the Flight 93 National Memorial landscape. The research will document the history of the Flight 93 National Memorial, focusing on the period since September 11, 2001, that includes the design and construction of the memorial landscape. The project will also document the existing conditions of the memorial landscape and analyze the existing as-built landscape to assist in understanding the design intent of the memorial, and how it compared to what was actually constructed. This research will form the basis for a future phase of work that will provide long- and short-term recommendations for management of the memorial landscape.

Lead Principal Investigator: John Auwaerter, SUNY, College of Environmental Science and Forestry

Co-Principal Investigator: Dr. Rachel Leibowitz, SUNY, College of Environmental Science and Forestry

Partner Institution: SUNY, College of Environmental Science and Forestry

Federal Agency: National Park Service

Federal Agency Technical Contact: Robert Page

Federal Involvement: NPS Olmsted Center Director Bob Page provided project oversight, assistance with project management and work planning, field work, and coordination with FLNI park staff. NPS Olmsted Center Program Manager Eliot Foulds assisted PI John Auwaerter with developing a research plan and for undertaking research at the NPS Denver Service Center archives. NPS Olmsted Center historical landscape architect James Mealey worked with PI John Auwaerter to develop character-area reports for the memorial landscape.

Project Type: Research

Project Discipline: Cultural Resources

Project Sub-Discipline(s): Cultural and Historic

Start Year: 2019

End Year: 2022

Initial Funding Amount: $113,948.00

Federal Grant Number: P19AC01006

Amendments

• Amendment Number: 01, Year: 2021, Amount: $0.00

Location: Shanksville, PA

National Park or Protected Area: Flight 93 National Memorial

State(s): Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania Counties: Somerset

Student and Other Involvement:

• Masters Students: 2
• Undergraduate Students: 1

Summary of Student Involvement: Master of Landscape Architecture Student Justkin Kwiatkowski assisted with site work developing the landscape features inventory, and creating existing conditions plans of the memorial. Master of Landscape Architecture Student Ashley Crespo developed digital models of the memorial groves to understand their existing conditions and projected growth. Undergraduate student Bryan Sak assisted with digital modeling of the memorial’s 40 memorial groves.

Summary of Other Involvement: Co-PI Rachel Leibowitz assisted with student meetings, site visits, and researched the design and construction of the memorial.
PI John Auwaerter assisted with student mentoring, site visits, finalizing the existing conditions plans, and drafting the landscape feature inventory, and working with NPS Olmsted Center staff to incorporate site history and existing conditions information into reports that documented each of the character areas of the landscape.

Project Description: The project will provide a site history, existing conditions documentation, and analysis & evaluation of the Stanton House grounds. This project will provide Women’s Rights National Historical Park with documentation to guide short and long-term management of the landscape. The research will document the evolution of the Stanton House grounds and surrounding area from prior to European settlement to the present, with a focus on the period of significance between 1847 and 1862. The existing conditions documentation will provide an overview of the Stanton House unit’s physical context within the neighborhood along Washington Street and the Cayuga-Seneca Canal, an illustrated narrative that documents the existing character of the Stanton House unit, and a summary of existing park operations. The analysis and evaluation will provide an overview of the current National Register status of the park; recommendations for updating the National Register documentation pertaining to the landscape; and an evaluation of the cultural landscape to identify contributing and non-contributing characteristics and associated features.

Lead Principal Investigator: John Auwaerter, SUNY, College of Environmental Science and Forestry

Co-Principal Investigator: Prof. Jean Yang, SUNY, College of Environmental Science and Forestry

Partner Institution: SUNY, College of Environmental Science and Forestry

Federal Agency: National Park Service

Federal Agency Technical Contact: Robert Page

Federal Involvement: Bob Page, Director, NPS Olmsted Center, assisted with project scoping, coordination with park staff, site visits; Kelsey Little, GIS coordinator at the Olmsted Center, provided ArcPro training to the students; WORI Cultural Resource Program Manager Jess Bowes coordinated site visits, provided research data, and met with the students.

Project Type: Research

Project Discipline: Cultural Resources

Project Sub-Discipline(s): Cultural and Historic

Start Year: 2020

End Year: 2024

Initial Funding Amount: $85,000.00

Federal Grant Number: P20AC00955

Location: Seneca Falls, New York

National Park or Protected Area: Women’s Rights National Historical Park

State(s): New York

New York Counties: Seneca

Student and Other Involvement:

• Masters Students: 3
• Interns: 1

Summary of Student Involvement: Master of Landscape Architecture graduate students Anna Tiburzi, Diane Portugal and Jake Totten undertook historical research, writing, and development of landscape maps in ArcPro.

Summary of Other Involvement: ESF Professors Maren King and Rachel Leibowitz led an undergraduate studio in 2020 to develop preliminary treatment concepts for the Stanton landscape and its surroundings.
ESF Professor Jean Yang and John Auwaerter completed the draft site history.

Project Description: This project will allow SUNY ESF students with opportunities to become involved in National Park Service natural and cultural resource management. These opportunities will focus on landscape preservation technical assistance related to the adaptation of the South Street Properties (Home for the Aged and Tubman Residence) and Old Thompson AME Zion Church into units of the National Park System. This technical assistance also will address transportation issues related to access to and connection between the park properties, park wayfinding and interpretation, and protection of the park’s historic setting. Given the park’s proximity to Syracuse, this agreement will provide SUNY ESF students with opportunities to work with the NPS, Harriet Tubman Home, Inc. and the City of Auburn on a variety of resource management issues.

This is phase 2 of P16AC01231 that involves historical research, documentation of existing conditions, analysis & evaluation, and treatment recommendations for the cultural landscape of Harriet Tubman National Historical Park (partner-owned South Street properties and NPS-owned Thompson AME Zion Church property)

Lead Principal Investigator: John Auwaerter, SUNY, College of Environmental Science and Forestry

Co-Principal Investigator: Prof. George Curry, SUNY, College of Environmental Science and Forestry

Partner Institution: SUNY, College of Environmental Science and Forestry

Federal Agency: National Park Service

Federal Agency Technical Contact: Robert Page

Federal Involvement: NPS Olmsted Center Bob Page assisted with project planning, project management, and review of draft reports, and participated in the studio. NPS staff Brian Strack and Frank Barrows also participated in the studio steering committee.

Project Type: Research

Project Discipline: Cultural Resources

Project Sub-Discipline(s): Cultural and Historic, Engineering, Design, & Sustainability

Start Year: 2017

End Year: 2020

Initial Funding Amount: $87,000.00

Federal Grant Number: P17AC01100

Amendments

• Amendment Number: 01, Year: 2020, Amount: $0.00

Location: Two properties in the City of Auburn and Town of Fleming, NY

National Park or Protected Area: Harriet Tubman National Historical Park

State(s): New York

New York Counties: Cayuga

Student and Other Involvement:

• Masters Students: 2
• Undergraduate Students: 7

Summary of Student Involvement: Together with P16AC01231, this project supported Graduate Research Assistant Claire Fischer for a full-time summer internship and AY 50% research project assistant to undertake existing conditions mapping and landscape feature inventory for this project. Graduate Research Assistant Connor Neville assisted with developing treatment recommendations for the landscape.
Seven landscape architecture students participated in an ESF Landscape Architecture studio that explored treatment concepts for the cultural landscape.

Summary of Other Involvement: Nine community members including Harriet Tubman Home, Inc. staff and executive director, local residents, a Tubman descendant, subject area experts, and others served on a steering committee for the studio project.
PI John Auwaerter took the lead on research and writing for the site history, existing conditions, and analysis and evaluation, and assisted with review and comment on the city/state DOT NY 34 improvement project and its potential effects on the cultural landscape of the Harriet Tubman Home, Inc., property.

Project Description: This project supports the documentation, evaluation, and treatment planning for the cultural landscape of Fredericksburg National Cemetery. The SUNY project team will work in close partnership with the NPS Olmsted Center and park staff throughout this project. The scope of the project includes research, writing, and graphics corresponding to the Site History, Existing Conditions, and Analysis & Evaluation components of CLR Part I, and Treatment that comprises CLR Part II. This research will help the park protect the landscape’s character-defining features from alteration or loss and provide park management with the information needed to make decisions about changes in the future.

Lead Principal Investigator: John Auwaerter, SUNY, College of Environmental Science and Forestry

Co-Principal Investigator: Prof. George Curry, SUNY, College of Environmental Science and Forestry

Partner Institution: SUNY, College of Environmental Science and Forestry

Federal Agency: National Park Service

Federal Agency Technical Contact: Robert Page

Federal Involvement: NPS Olmsted Center Director Bob Page assisted ESF with project scoping and project management, communications with park staff, reviewed draft products, and attended site visits and a treatment workshop with park staff. FRSP park staff provided research leads, answered research questions, and participated in the treatment workshop to refine landscape management recommendations.
In addition, Susan Dolan, NPS Park Cultural Landscape Program Director, and other members of the Maintenance Action Team provided ESF with with data about existing conditions as part of the National Cemetery Investment Initiative.

Project Type: Research

Project Discipline: Cultural Resources

Project Sub-Discipline(s): Cultural and Historic, Engineering, Design, & Sustainability

Start Year: 2016

End Year: 2019

Initial Funding Amount: $72,500.00

Federal Grant Number: P16AC01223

Amendments

• Amendment Number: 01, Year: 2019, Amount: $0.00

Location: Fredericksburg

National Parks or Protected Areas:

• Fredericksburg National Cemetery
• Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania National Military Park

State(s): Virginia

Virginia Counties: Spotsylvania

Student and Other Involvement:

• Masters Students: 1

Summary of Student Involvement: Graduate research assistant Arleen Bartels (Master of Landscape Architecture) assisted with development of landscape treatment recommendations, mapping, and inventory. She attended two site visits to the cemetery, and used her work on the project as part of an independent study at ESF focusing on landscape management pratices.

Summary of Other Involvement: PI John Auwaerter researched and wrote the site history, and existing conditions, and worked with graduate assistant Arlene Bartels in finalizing the landscape feature inventory and landscape treatment recommendations.
Note that work on this project was delayed from the period of performance to due a backlog of work on two other ESF task agreements at FRSP involving landscape research, history, inventory, and management for Chancellorsville Battlefield and Wilderness Battlefield, which together encompassed thousands of acres.

Project Description: This project will provide the historical information necessary for Arlington National Cemetery to appropriately manage the Memorial Amphitheater grounds. The research will document the history and existing conditions of the Memorial Amphitheater grounds; and analyze and evaluate the historical significance of the landscape and its associated features. A treatment plan for the landscape will be addressed under a separate task agreement (PA21AC10241).

This project supports a partnership between the Department of Defense and the NPS to share best management practices in the conservation and long-term stewardship of National Cemetery landscapes and provide opportunities for youth to learn about the United States National Cemetery System. The products created from these tools will be used to increase public awareness and understanding of the memorial landscape.

Lead Principal Investigator: John Auwaerter, SUNY, College of Environmental Science and Forestry

Co-Principal Investigator: Dr. Rachel Leibowitz, SUNY, College of Environmental Science and Forestry

Partner Institution: SUNY, College of Environmental Science and Forestry

Federal Agency: National Park Service

Federal Agency Technical Contact: Robert Page

Federal Involvement: Bob Page, Director, NPS Olmsted Center, assisted with project scoping and management, communications with Arlington National Cemetery Staff, and research leads, and reviewed draft reports. Staff from Arlington National Cemetery provided assistance with archival research in cemetery holdings and review of draft products.

Project Type: Research

Project Discipline: Cultural Resources

Project Sub-Discipline(s): Cultural and Historic

Start Year: 2019

End Year: 2022

Initial Funding Amount: $125,057.00

Federal Grant Number: P19AC01010

Location: Arlington, Virginia

National Park or Protected Area: Arlington National Cemetery- Memorial Amphitheater grounds

State(s): Virginia

Virginia Counties: Arlington

Student and Other Involvement:

• Masters Students: 1

Summary of Student Involvement: The project supported Master of Landscape Architecture student Anna Tiburzi in academic year 2020-2021.Anna developed existing conditions maps of the Memorial Amphitheater grounds, and undertook research to develop five period plans of the grounds that document the historic evolution between 1864 and 2021.

Summary of Other Involvement: PI John Auwaerter researched and wrote the site history, with research assistance from student Anna Tiburzi. Co-PIs Rachel Leibowitz and George Curry participated in project meetings and review of drafts.
Final draft of report for this project, together with report from P21AC10241 (treatment) submitted to the Army in February 2023. Received final comments in September 2024.

Project Description: This project will allow SUNY ESF to make its more than two decades of cultural landscape research and professional preservation expertise accessible to parks units in the NPS Northeast Region. This will support the training of SUNY ESF students as future landscape preservation professionals through involvement in National Park Service natural and cultural resource management. Students will assist parks in meeting historic preservation/environmental regulations, enhancing interpretation, informing landscape treatment; and completing baseline cultural landscape inventories. Specific objectives of this agreement include providing ongoing Section 106 advising and landscape preservation assistance to national park units where SUNY ESF has completed research, completing components of three draft Cultural Landscape Inventories, and developing a proposal for a cultural landscape preservation field school at Acadia National Park in summer 2018.

Lead Principal Investigator: Mr. John Auwaerter, SUNY, College of Environmental Science and Forestry

Co-Principal Investigator: Prof. George Curry, SUNY, College of Environmental Science and Forestry

Partner Institution: SUNY, College of Environmental Science and Forestry

Federal Agency: National Park Service

Federal Agency Technical Contact: Robert Page

Federal Involvement: The PI worked closely with NPS Olmsted Center staff to produce the CLIs for Gettysburg National Cemetery and Chancellorsville Battlefield, for updates to CLIs at Home of FDR and Eleanor Roosevelt NHS, and to plan for an unrealized field school at Acadia National Park. The PI also worked with park staff on providing Section 106 advising.

Project Type: Technical Assistance

Project Discipline: Cultural Resources

Project Sub-Discipline(s): Cultural and Historic

Start Year: 2017

End Year: 2019

Initial Funding Amount: $93,000.00

Federal Grant Number: P17AC01514

Location: NPS Northeast Regional Parks

National Park or Protected Area: Home of Franklin D. Roosevelt National Historic Site, Eleanor Roosevelt National Historic Site

State(s): New York

New York Counties: Dutchess

Student and Other Involvement:

• Masters Students: 1
• Undergraduate Students: 1

Summary of Student Involvement: The project supported full-time summer internships for Master of Landscape Architecture student Justin Kwiatkowski and Bachelor of Landscape Architecture student Vera Angelina to undertake research and field work for updating cultural landscape inventories at the Home of FDR and Eleanor Roosevelt national historic sites.

Summary of Other Involvement: This project supported the PI in providing technical landscape preservation assistance to national parks in the Northeast Region based on prior research projects and on specific assignments for providing Section 106 advising to HOFR, VAMA, FOST, and WORI. The project also supported the transfer of research completed for CLRs at Gettysburg National Cemetery and Chancellorsville Battlefield to the NPS CLAIMs system-Cultural Landscape Inventory.
The original scope proposed a summer field school at Acadia National Park, and the PI worked with the NPS Olmsted Center in initial planning. However, due to capacity issues at the NPS Olmsted Center, the field school was called off. The project instead supported two ESF students for full-time summer internships at Home of FDR and Eleanor Roosevelt national historic sites.
The project also cost-shared the PI’s delivery of a 500-level ESF course that introduced students to historic preservation and cultural landscapes, as part of the project scope to train future landscape preservation practioners.