CSRM conducted a thorough search of previously unexamined documents at the National Archives in Washington, DC. Among the discoveries made was that the landscape design of Fort Benning was produced by the famous landscape architect George Gibbs, who for many years was personal assistant to Frederick Law Olmstead, and later designed all of the cemeteries in France for United States military personnel killed during the First World War. Also found were original drafts of speeches written by George Patton. Such finds contributed to the rich store of history at Fort Benning.

CSRM also developed an ICRMP for Fort Benning in Georgia in compliance with regulations. For this document, CSRM developed an interactive DVD that brings together all of the relevant background information in just a click. Sensitive information, such as the location of important cultural resources, are password-protected, so as to allow only those authorized to view the maps.

Approach

Building on the award-winning cultural resource management program at Fort Benning, CSRM identified several components that could be strengthened:

• Mapped cultural resource management zones. The zones incorporate existing survey data into a user-friendly and transparent tool.
• Developed standard operating procedures (SOPs) and compliance requirements. SOPs are recurring activities for routine management actions. When a situation arises, the cultural resource manager and staff can check the SOPs to determine the appropriate course of action, ensuring that consistent and appropriate steps are taken.
• Created monitoring component to measure the condition of the cultural resource and the effectiveness of the management practices. The monitoring is scaled between compliance with the zones to the individual sites and artifacts.

To download a Powerpoint on our plan click here.