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Cultural Landscape Report Standards

The following standards apply:

  • A CLR is prepared to minimize loss of significant characteristics, features, and materials when existing information about the physical history and condition of a cultural landcape is inadequate to address anticipated management objectives, when impending development alternatives could have adverse effects, or to record actual treatment.
  • The CLR is prepared by qualified professionals based on appropriate methodologies and techniques for cultural landscape research, documentation, and evaluation.
  • Archeological records, base maps, and techniques such as soil analysis are used for data on past features and conditions.
  • Landscape, architectural, and archeological investigations supporting a CLR employ nondestructive methods to the maximum extent possible; they are prescribed and justified in a task directive that includes a research design and impact analysis.
  • Confidential information on the location, nature, character, or ownership of archeological and ethnographic resources is identified and not made available to the public.
  • National Register documentation is prepared or amended to address cultural landscape resources identified in a CLR after its preparation, if appropriate.
  • All field notes, primary documents, original maps, drawings, photographs, and plant materials gathered or associated with the research for CLRs or special landscape projects are organized and preserved as archival material or museum objects in consultation with the park or support office curator.
  • All information regarding the condition and assessment of character-defining landscape features is incorporated in the Inventory and Condition Assessment Program (ICAP).

NARRATIVES
Format:

  • The CLR is a scholarly report and shall have appropriate references and footnotes.
  • Prepare using the latest version of MS Word (or equivalent) computer word processing software
  • Laser print on 8 ½” x 11” archival quality paper.
  • Arial or Times New Roman Font, 12 pt minimum.
  • Narratives shall be consistent between authors and sections

Content:

  • Use the most current version of the DSC Editing Reference Manual
  • Contents shall be organized according to the CLR outline

Quality:

  • 8 ½” x 11” or larger, archival quality graph paper.
  • 100% Drafts shall be copy edited

DRAWINGS

Field Notes
Format:

  • 8 ½” x 11” or larger, archival quality graph paper.
  • Field notes shall be archived at the National Park Service Technical Information Center (T.I.C.) in Denver, Colorado or equivalent federal archive.
  • Graphite lead or waterproof ink required.

Content:

Field notes shall consist of hand-measured and annotated drawings and sketches that are executed in sufficient detail so that they can be translated into a formally drawn-to-scale architectural format. This typically can include, but is not limited to:

  • Site Plans
  • Floor and Roof Plans
  • Elevations
  • Sections
  • Stair Plans and Sections
  • Ornamental patterns, hardware and shapes

Quality:

  • Field drawings shall use a consistent format throughout and shall be legible (This may require redrafting and or field verification to achieve this).
  • Copies of Field Drawings may be included in the appendix of the CLR.

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Site Drawings
Format:

  • Half-size reproduction: All drawings shall be prepared to accommodate micro filming and reduced size reproduction.  Care is required in the selection of shading, cross-hatching, etc., to ensure acceptable reproduction at the reduced size.
  • Archival originals: NPS has special storage requirements for all documents.  Adhesive backed drafting methods such as “Kroy” lettering or press-on letters are non-stable and not durable for long term archival storage.  Originals using such drafting methods are not recommended. If such drafting methods are used, the author shall provide a photographic Mylar of the drawings to serve as the archival original, as well as, the original drawing.
  • All drawings shall meet or exceed DO-10A (formerly NPS-10) standards for Design and Construction Drawings in the National Park Service.
  • CAD (computer-aided drafting) files and plots are required.
  • All original drawings shall be plotted on bond paper, or mylar.
  • CAD drawings shall meet NPS standards for file naming and layering conventions, one drawing sheet per computer file.
  • All CAD drawings, and other graphic materials, shall use AutoCAD compatible software programs.
  • All drawings to accompany the CLR shall be reduced to no smaller than 8 ½” x 11” and no larger than 11” x 17”.  11” x 17” drawings shall be fan-folded to accommodate an 8½” x 11” report format.
  • Drawing text shall be no smaller than 1/16” high after being reduced to final CLR format.
  • All drawings shall be titled, cross-referenced and numbered consecutively.
  • All original drawings shall be plotted full size on Mylar and archived at the National Park Service Technical Information Center (T.I.C.) in Denver, Colorado or equivalent federal archive.
  • All original CAD files shall be copied to CD Rom for Archiving at the National Park Service Technical Information Center (T.I.C.) in Denver, Colorado or equivalent government archive.
  • Graphite lead, plastic lead or waterproof ink required.

Content:

  • All drawings shall be labeled with the name of the designer/draftsperson, titled, annotated with relevant information, and dated.
  • All drawings shall be labeled as Cultural Landscape Report Drawings with a subtitle of either Existing Conditions or Recommended Treatments.
  • All drawings shall have graphic scales.
  • Cover Sheet: Using NPS standard cover sheet format, Include sheet index, legend, abbreviations, and vicinity map indicating structure location.
  • Site Plan: Scaled drawing of site and structure.
  • Exterior Elevations: Scaled drawings of all significant site feature elevations.
  • Typical Stair Sections and Plans: Larger scale drawings of each unique stair assembly.
  • Typical Wall Sections: Larger scale drawings with annotation.
  • Ornamental or otherwise unique and relevant details: Larger scale drawings with annotation.

Quality:

  • Original full size (22” x 34” NPS Standard sheet). CLR drawings shall be prepared in such manner as to facilitate 35-millimeter filming and reduced-size reproduction.  Detailing, lettering, spacing, line-­weight, scale and other principles of technique shall be executed so as to ensure clarity and faithfulness in reduced-size reproduction, in the enlarged image as projected in 35-millimeter reading equipment, and in the "blow-back" from the 35-millimeter film to a reduction identical in size to the original tracing.  All letters and numerals shall be at least 1/8-inch in height, adequately spaced in single-stroke upper case Roman style, preferably vertical.  All lines, strokes, letters and numerals shall be uniformly dense as practicable.  Scale identification shall be by graphic illustration or by appropriate explanation to scale notation.
  • Use of “architectural computer fonts” is discouraged.

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Historic Drawings
Format:

  • All historic drawings to accompany the CLR shall be reduced to no smaller than 8 ½” x 11” and no larger than 11” x 17”.  11” x 17” half-size sheets shall be fan-folded to accommodate an 8½” x 11” report format.

Content:

  • All drawings shall be consecutively numbered and captioned with all known dates and relevant information.

Quality:

  • All reproductions of historic drawings should be of a high enough resolution so as to make all information discernable in the final report.
  • All electronic reproductions shall be TIF files.
  • All electronic images shall be backed up on CD ROMs.

Figure 1: Typical CLR cover sheet format


Figure 2: Typical CLR second sheet format

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PHOTOGRAPHS

Historic Photographs
Format:

  • Create photo or digital copies to accommodate an 8” x 10” or less page format.
  • Photographs/images shall be reproduced on archival paper.
  • 35mm film negative print or minimum 300dpi (dots per inch) TIF digital computer print shall be acceptable.
  • All archival copies shall be in black and white.

Content:

  • Photographs/images shall be numbered and captioned with all known dates and relevant information, i.e. photographer and description of image.
  • Cross-referencing of photographs to CLR narrative is encouraged.
  • Photographs/images shall be properly referenced and credited with release when required.

Quality:

  • All reproductions of historic photographs shall be of the highest resolution practicable to convey
    essential information.

Contemporary Photographs
Format:

  • 35mm or larger negative for film.
  • 300 dpi or greater density TIF or JPG file for digital computer images.
  • Create copies to accommodate an 8” x 10” or less format.
  • Photographs shall be copied on archival paper.
  • Film or digital computer positive print shall be used.
  • Color or Black and White may be used, as appropriate, but all archival copies shall be reproduced in Black and White on archival quality paper.
  • Negatives of the photographs used in the CLR shall be properly identified and supplied in archival
    quality sleeves
  • All electronic photo images shall be backed up on CD ROMs.

Content:

  • Provide comprehensive photo documentation to include all major interior spaces and exterior elevations.
  • Photographs/images shall be captioned with all known photographers, dates and relevant information.
  • Cross-referencing to CLR narrative is encouraged.
  • Photographs/images shall be properly referenced and credited with release when appropriate.

Quality:

  • All reproductions of contemporary photographs used in the CLR shall be of the highest resolution practical to convey all essential information.

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Standards in PDF format

Back to Cultural Landscape Report

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