General Management Plan

 

Summary

This General Management Plan/ Environmental Assessment proposes and evaluates a preferred management strategy for long-term protection and visitor use of Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park, located in metropolitan Atlanta, Georgia. The park, which memorializes the site of some of the heaviest fighting of the Atlanta campaign of the Civil War, has ben under the protection of the National Park System since 1933.

Major Issues:

Because of its location in a rapidly growing urban area, the park in recent years has experienced problems with conflicting visitor uses. The park's open spaces and placid setting attract heavy local recreation use, especially on nice weekends during spring and fall. This has led to overcrowding of the visitor center area at certain times (mostly Sunday afternoons) and controversy between local visitors and those who come to the park to enjoy its historical features.

Proposed Changes:

In an effort to address those major issues, the National Park Service proposes the following changes at Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park:

  1. Conflicting uses of the open field near the visitor center will be separated and dispersed to other locations in the 2,884-acre park. Local visitors seeking recreation space will be directed to other, non-historic fields in the park, reserving the visitor center area for those who come to experience the story of the Kennesaw Mountain battle.
  2. Living history demonstrations now conducted at the visitor center wil lbe relocated to Cheatham Hill, providing a more accurate historical setting as well as an official presence that will help protect important Civil War earthworks. To discourage general reccreation use of Cheatham Hill, the Park Service will remove existing pit toilets and picnic tables.
  3. In a further effort to protect the park's historic resources from non-appropriate uses, the Park Service will increase Ranger patrols and strictly enforce laws and regulations on intoxication, under-age drinking, drug use and disorderly conduct and destruction of property. The park staff will also work with news media to encourage local residents to use the nearby Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area and other local facilities as alternative recreation sites on spring and fall weekends.
  4. Civil War earthworks and other cultural resources in the park will be stabilizzed and protected from erosion by grass planting, vegetative screening and other measures to prevent visitors from trampling critical ground cover. A long-term goal will be to gradually restore the park's historic scene and vegetation.
  5. The park's interpretive program will be strengthened through new wayside exhibits throughout the park and improved parking at major interpretive areas such as Kolb Farmhouse, Pigeon Hill and the 24-Gun Battery.
  6. Further steps will be taken to safeguard the park's collection of Civil War artifacts and its archeological resources.

Other Alternatives Considered:

In addition to the preferred management strategy identified in this document as the Proposed General Management Plan, the National Park Service considerred two other options:

  1. A "no action" alternative that would leave the park's resource protection and visitor use policies unchanged; and
  2. An alternative calling for management of the park strictly as a Civil War memorial, banning all recreational uses.

The three alternatives and the environmental impacts of each are discussed in detail elsewhere in this document. Environmental consequences would be relatively minor. However, the alternative calling for management of the park solely as a Civil War memorial also contemplates the removal of 200 acres of forest in an effort to restore the park to its appearance at the time of the Civil War.

Comments Invited:

The National Park Service invites your comments on the Proposed General Management Plan and alternatives for Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park. Comments may be sent to the Southeast Regional Director, National Park Service, 75 Spring Street, SW, Atlanta, Georgia 30303. Once comments have been evaluated, the National Park Service will announce its decision and begin implementing the plan.

 

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Purpose And Need For The Plan

 

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Description Of The Park

 

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Proposal and Alternatives

 

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Environmental Consequences Of The Proposed Action And Alternatives

 

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List Of Persons And Agencies Consulted

 

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Transcripts of Appendices

 

Graphic: General Development

 
Sketched map shows slight crescent, narrow shape of park. Highlights interpreting nodes for 24 gun battery, big kennesaw mountain, pigeon hill, cheatham hill, and kolb farm area.
General Development Graphic for 1988 KEMO General Management Plan

NPS

 

Graphic: Vicinity Map

 
Sketched map shows I-75 travels north-south through Atlanta. Traveling north it passes east of Smyrna, through the eastern portion of Marietta and Kennesaw and east of Ackworth. The park is depicted directly west of Marietta.
Vicinity Map in the 1988 KEMO General Management Plan.

NPS

 

Graphic: Regional Map

 
Sketched map shows the states and capital cities of the eastern half of the U.S map. A star represents Kennesaw Mountain just northwest of Atlanta in Georgia.
Regional Map of the 1988 KEMO General Management Plan

NPS

 

Graphic: Management Zoning/Boundary Adjustment

 
Sketched map shows 2,874 acres of historic zone and 4 acres of development zone in the park. Development zone is in NE section at visitor center, maintenance, and housing. A 4 acres section NE of Kolb Farmhouse is labeled delete from boundary.
Management Zoning/Boundary Adjustment from 1988 KEMO General Management Plan.

NPS

 

Appendix: Legislation A-1

 
Legislation relating to National Battlefield Parks. See Transcript in Appendices Legislation A-1.
1988 KEMO General Management Plan

NPS

 
Continued Legislation relating to national battlefield parks. See Transcript in Appendices Legislation A-1
1988 KEMO General Management Plan

NPS

 

Appendix: Legislation A-2

 
Legislation Relating to the National Battlefield Parks. See Transcript in Appendices Legislation A-2.
1988 KEMO General Management Plan

NPS

 
Continued Legislation relating to national battlefield park. See Transcript in Appendices Legislation A-2
1988 KEMO General Management Plan

NPS

 
Continued Legislation of National Battlefield Parks. See Transcript in Appendices Legislation A-2
1988 KEMO General Management Plan

NPS

 

Appendix: Legislation A-3

 
Executive Order No. 6166. See Transcript in Appendices Legislation A-3.
1988 KEMO General Management Plan

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Continued Executive Order No. 6166. See Transcript in Appendices Legislation A-3.
1988 KEMO General Management Plan

NPS

 

Appendix: Legislation A-4

 
Executive Order No 6228. See Transcript in Appendices Legislation A-4.
1988 KEMO General Management Plan

NPS

 
Executive Order No 6228. See Transcript in Appendices Legislation A-4.
1988 KEMO General Management Plan

NPS

 
Continued Executive Order No 6228. See Transcript in Appendices Legislation A-4.
1988 KEMO General Management Plan

NPS

 

Appendix: Visitation (bar graph)

 
Bar Graph of Visitation at Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park. See Transcript in Appendices Visitation C.
1988 KEMO General Management Plan

NPS

Last updated: August 8, 2021

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Contact Info

Mailing Address:

900 Kennesaw Mountain Dr
Kennesaw, GA 30152

Phone:

770-427-4686 x0

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