Assessment of Alternatives: Visitor/Administrative Facility Sites, Knife River Indian Villages National Historic Site, North Dakota

Abstract

In 1974 Knife River Indian Villages National Historic Site was authorized by Congress to preserve certain historic and archeologic resources of Plains Indian cultures. All lands have been acquired by the National Park Service. The historic site now has temporary administrative offices and interpretive facilities 3.5 miles north of Stanton (see Existing Conditions Map). Until permanent facilities are available closer to Stanton, guided tours and minimal interpretive and orientation displays will be centered at this location. Providing visitor and interpretive facilities and programs is particularly critical, because the cultural resources and their significance are not apparent to the average visitor. Interpretive facilities and programs are necessary for the national historic site to be appropriately used, appreciated, and valued by the public. Permanent administrative facilities are also needed for optimum protection of the irreplacable archeological resources, coordination and management of interpretive programs, and maintenance of the above programs and facilities. The alternatives presented in this assessment to solve the previously mentioned problems all conform with the proposals made in the Knife River Indian Villages Master Plan.