Fort Clatsop Administrative History

Natural Resource Management

During the 19th century, lands now included in the memorial were developed by settlers who built homes, engaged in timber and agricultural production, in tourist transportation to the coast, charcoal production, and possibly some limited clay mining. On the Lewis and Clark River, dikes and levees were constructed. During the 20th century, log rafting on the river and timber harvesting around the area also impacted the natural resources of the memorial. This manipulation of the natural resources of the area greatly altered the landscape from the coastal forest environment that existed at the time of the Expedition's winter encampment. Of the 125 acres acquired by the NPS after 1958, more than half are tidelands. Of the remainder, half contained second-growth trees and vegetation and the other half was open meadow.

Identification of the memorial's natural resources was first sketched out in studies of the park's plants and animals. In 1961, a study titled "Native Plant Materials for Landscaping, Fort Clatsop National Memorial" was completed by student assistant landscape architect R.W. Rhode. This study identified for the memorial what native evergreen trees, deciduous trees, and shrubs could be used for landscaping and screening. In 1969, Margaret McCarter of Clatsop Community College completed "A Guide to the Environmental Study Area, Fort Clatsop National Memorial." In this study, which was updated in 1971, McCarter identified the major plant and animal species on the memorial grounds. Over the last thirty years, several studies identifying plant and animal species at the memorial were completed. Well over 300 different species have been identified in the coastal forest and estuarine habitats of the memorial.