White Sands

National Monument

Strategic Plan

FY 2001–2005

Fiscal Years 2001-2005

Strategic Plan

For

White Sands National Monument

Approved: _____________________________ ____________

White Sands National Monument

P.O. Box 1086

Holloman AFB, New Mexico 88330

505-479-6124

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Approval page 2

Table of Contents 3

Preface 5

Introduction 10

1. Mission Statement 11

II. Long Term Goal Explanation 13

Category I: Preserve White Sands National Monument Park Resources 17

Ia01b. Non-native Wildlife 17

Ia1B. Exotic Vegetation Species 18

Ia4. Water Quality 18

Ia5. Historic Structures 18

Ia6. Museum Collections 19

Ia7. Cultural Landscapes 19

Ia8. Archeological Sites 19

Ib2A. Cultural Resource Baseline 20

Ib2B. Cultural Landscape 20

Ib2C. Historic Structures Baseline 20

Ib2D. Museum Collections 20

Ib2F. Historic Research Baseline 21

Ib3. Vital Signs 21

Category II: Provide for Public Enjoyment and Visitor Experience of

White Sands National Monument 21

IIa1. Visitor Satisfaction 21

IIa2. Visitor Safety 22

IIb. Visitor Understanding and Appreciation 22

Category IV: Ensure Organizational Effectiveness of White Sands

National Monument 23

IVa3A. Workforce Development and Performance-Employee Performance

Standards 23

IVa4A. Workforce Diversity-Permanent Women and Minorities 23

IVa4B. Workforce Diversity-Temporary/Seasonal Women and Minorities 24

IVa4C. Workforce Diversity-Permanent Employees with Disabilities 24

IVa4D. Workforce Diversity-Temporary/Seasonal Employees with

Disabilities 24

IVa5. Employee Housing 24

IVa6A. Employee Safety, Lost Time Injury Rate 25

IVa6B. Employee Safety-Continuation of Pay 25

IVb1. Volunteer Hours 26

IVb2A. Cash Donations 26

IVb2C. Donations from Cooperating Association 26

3. How Goals will be Accomplished 27
4. Key External Factors 27
5. Program Evaluation 28
6. Consultation 29
7. List of Strategic Plan Preparers 29
8. List of Appendices 29

PREFACE

The Strategic Plan for White Sands National Monument was written to fulfill the requirements of the Government Performance and Results Act. Following is a brief overview of that law, passed by the U. S. Congress in 1993.

It should be noted, however, that the Strategic Plan is much more that just a response to legislative mandate. The law was a catalyst that caused the White Sands National Monument staff to reexamine its fundamental mission and to take a fresh, longer-range view, in concrete terms, of what results or outcomes it needed to achieve in order to more effectively and efficiently accomplish that mission. It caused us to reexamine the present condition of the natural and cultural resources in our care, the current status of our visitor services, and our existing fiscal, human, and other resources to do our job. It pushed our sights above the usual daily focus on activities and products to take in the bigger picture of where we are and where we need to be. It encouraged us to think and plan in new ways. The effort wasn't easy, was even painful at times. The results, however, will be better planning, better management, and better communication with all of our constituencies and stakeholders, as well as amongst ourselves, about where we are, where we need to be, and how we are going to get there.

GPRA is one of the most recent and comprehensive of a number of laws and executive orders directing federal agencies to join the "performance management revolution" already embraced by private industry and many local, state, and national governments.

In a nutshell, performance management ensures that daily actions and expenditures of resources are guided by long- and short-term goal setting in pursuit of accomplishing the organization’s primary mission, followed by performance measurement and evaluation. Importantly, the goals are quantifiable and measurable results or outcomes, rather than efforts or outputs (activities, services, products). The established and proven performance management approach is to establish goals–allocate resources to accomplish those goals–take action/do the work–measure results–evaluate and report performance–use evaluation to adjust goals and reallocate resources–and continue the loop. This process sharpens our focus on accomplishing our mission in the most efficient and effective ways, and holds managers and employees accountable on a clear and measurable basis.

The approach seems so elegantly simple and logical that one is compelled to ask, "Isn’t that what everyone is already doing?" In fact, most federal agencies have not traditionally done business this way. They have been funded and conducted their business by activities, rather than by goals. Too often they have conducted business year after year based on what they have always routinely done, rather than in pursuit of mission-oriented goals. Too often they have not measured their performance in terms of results achieved, but rather in the level of activities conducted, products produced, or services provided–if they have measured performance at all. And too often managers and employees have not been held accountable for their performance in achieving concrete, results-oriented goals, and have not communicated the outcomes of their work to their important constituencies–the American people, the Congress, even the President. So performance management, as embodied in GPRA, is new, revolutionary, and vitally important to a more effective, efficient, and credible federal government.

GPRA requires federal agencies to develop and use three primary documents in conducting their business. These documents are also submitted to the Congress and the Office of Management and Budget (OMB):

1. Strategic Plan of no less than five years duration, reviewed and revised every three years, and containing:

• mission statement based in law, executive order, etc.;
• long-term goals which are objective, quantified and measurable, to accomplish mission;
• how goals will be accomplished, an adequate explanation including "…operational processes, skills and technology, and the human, capital, information and other resources required to meet those goals…"
• relationship of annual goals to long term goals, a description of how long term goals are carried out in annual goal increments;
• key external factors which could positively or negatively affect goal accomplishment; and
• program evaluation methodology, a description of how mission and goals were arrived at and a schedule for future program evaluations.
• GPRA also requires consultation with affected and interested parties in the development of the Strategic Plan, and it requires that the plan be
• developed by federal employees (versus contractors, etc.).

1. Annual Performance Plan tiered off the Strategic Plan, showing how long term goals will be accomplished in annual increments, and containing:

• annual goals to incrementally achieve long-term goals in the Strategic Plan;
• annual work plan, i.e. explanation of how annual goals will be accomplished - "briefly describe the operational processes, skills and technology, and the human, capital, information and other resources required to meet the performance goals…"
• basis for measuring results - "…provide a basis for comparing actual program results with the established performance goals…." and "….describe the means to be used to verify and validate measured values."

1. Annual Performance Report reviewing each year’s successes and failures and identifying where activities or goals need to be revised in the future, addressing:

• what annual goals were met or exceeded,
• what annual goals were not met,
• why goals were not met, and
• what remedial action will be taken for goals to be met.

Importantly, GPRA mandates that long-term goals and annual goals be results or outcomes rather than outputs (activities, products, or services) and that they be "objective, quantifiable, and measurable" so that performance can be adequately measured and reported, progress on mission accomplishment assessed, and managers and employees held accountable.

While the National Park Service has long been a mission-oriented organization, it has also had a long tradition of planning, managing, and budgeting by activity, problem solving and issue resolution. Its response to GPRA requirements will help it focus on accomplishing its mission through establishing long-term and annual goals, allocating resources to those goals, and measuring and reporting results.

In consultation with Congress, OMB, and other interested parties, the National Park Service (NPS) developed its own unique GPRA implementation process. Using this process, the NPS methodically developed its first "servicewide" Strategic Plan and submitted it on September 30, 1997. That plan was revised and published electronically on January 15, 2000. A copy of the revised plan is available for review on the Internet at http://www.nps.gov.

The NPS manages the National Park System, which consists of over 380 units located in nearly every state and territory of the nation. Thus the NPS is fundamentally a field-based, resource preservation and visitor service organization, where results or outcomes actually occur in the parks rather than Washington headquarters. In addition, the NPS has legislated partnership responsibilities, carried out by central offices throughout the country, to provide technical assistance and grant funding to other non-federal preservation entities. Therefore, as part of its GPRA implementation process, the NPS decided that each of its component parks, programs, and offices would develop and submit their own Strategic Plans, Annual Performance Plans, and Annual Performance Reports. The National Park Management Omnibus Act of 1998 codified into law that all field units of the National Park System would write Strategic Plans and Annual Performance Plans consistent with the Government Performance and Results Act.

The local plans address the long-term goals in the "servicewide" plan that are appropriate to the individual units as parts of the overall National Park System, NPS, and its mission. Then they add goals specific to their own legislative mandates, missions, resources, visitor services, and issue needs. The local plans, then, are a blend of national and local missions and goals.

This Strategic Plan for White Sands National Monument follows this pattern. It is a five-year plan covering fiscal years 2001 through 2005. It consists of a mission statement born out of the NPS organic act as well as specific legislation establishing this park. It contains mission goals, closely paralleling the "servicewide" mission goals, that illustrate in broad brushstroke what we do far beyond just five years - "in perpetuity" - to accomplish our stated mission. It then contains long-term goals, which target in quantified, measurable ways what we will accomplish in the next five years toward achieving our overall mission goals and mission. The long-term goals address both appropriate "servicewide" goals as well as park-specific outcomes. The goal numbering protocol follows that the "servicewide" plan with park-specific suffixes. Since not all "servicewide" goals apply to White Sands National Monument, some numbers are skipped. In addition, there are numbers containing 0s which are not in the "servicewide" plan and indicate park-specific goals.

Following the simple goal listing, each long-term goal is repeated with one or more explanatory paragraphs that give background, detail, and other information useful to help the reader understand the goal as well as to sketch in how the goal will be accomplished.

After these goal explanations, the plan contains a general section on "How Goals will be Accomplished" which briefly sketches the park's organization, staffing, fiscal, infrastructure, and other resources available to achieve the park's long-term goals. This is followed in turn by brief discussion of "Key External" factors over which park staff may have influence but not control, and which could positively or negatively affect goal achievement.

Finally, there is a brief discussion of how the contents of the plan were arrived at, and a listing of those who were consulted in the development of the plan.

It should be noted that the goals in this plan are generally predicated on "flat budgets" for the next five years. Other than increases for inflation, we assumed no major increases in funding. Where increases in appropriations were known or are likely, they were taken into account. Where other funding sources (donations, fee revenues, etc.) were "reasonably assured," they too were taken into consideration when setting performance targets. Obviously, limits on funding constrain what can be accomplished toward our goals and mission. GPRA, however, is distinctly not about discussing budget shortfalls or requesting or justifying additional funding. Rather it is about planning, managing, and communicating what we can accomplish with what we already have. Performance target numbers speak for themselves about how well funded we are to accomplish our mission, and where targets are low, additional budget discussions might be generated. But this is not the primary purpose of the plan.

We would, however, be remiss in our duties as stewards of, and storytellers about, the priceless natural and cultural resources–defining America's heritage–which are in our care if we did not duly note that we sincerely believe we are under-funded and under-staffed to fully achieve our important mission and goals. On the other hand, we also recognize that we are but one of many worthwhile federal enterprises which compete for scarce and precious tax dollars, and we are pursuing a wide variety of alternative management, funding, and staffing scenarios to supplement our appropriations. In the meantime, we welcome the opportunity to respond to the requirements of GPRA with this Strategic Plan and its companion documents to better plan, manage, and communicate how–and how well–we are achieving our mission through performance goals supported by existing, and largely flat, levels of funding.

Each year that Strategic Plan is in effect, beginning with fiscal year 2001 (October, 2000) there will be a companion Annual Performance Plan which shows in annual goals, that year's targeted incremental achievement of each long-term goal, and a work plan for accomplishing that increment. Each year there will also be an Annual Performance Report discussing actual achievement of the prior year's annual goals and progress on long-term goals.

Additional copies of the White Sands National Monument Strategic Plan are available at park headquarters at 19955 Highway 70 West, Alamogordo, New Mexico. Questions and comments are welcome and encouraged and can be addressed to Superintendent, White Sands National Monument, P. O. Box 1086, Holloman AFB, NM 88330. As they are written and approved, copies of the current year's Annual Performance Plan and Annual Performance Report will also be available on request, with questions and comments equally welcome.

INTRODUCTION

This Strategic Plan was written for White Sands National Monument, one of over 380 units of the greater National Park System administered by the National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior.

The National Park System preserves outstanding representatives of the best of America's natural, cultural, and recreational resources of national significance. These resources constitute a significant part of America's heritage, character and future. Along with similar resources of local, state, tribal, and national significance administered by other public and private organizations and supported by National Park Service technical assistance and grant funding support, White Sands National Monument is a vital part of America's national system of parks and other preserved resources. The National Park Service not only directly and indirectly preserves these myriad national treasures, it also makes them available to millions of visitors from throughout the country and the world every year.

White Sands National Monument was established by Presidential Proclamation in 1933. It is located in south central New Mexico, within Otero and Dona Ana counties. It lies within the Tularosa Basin, an enclosed drainage system within the northern reaches of the vast Chihuahuan Desert. The park is approximately 144,000 acres in size. The land area of the park is 100% fee title owned by the U.S. Government and is managed by the National Park Service. The park receives approximately 600,000 visitors each year (see Appendices 1, 2, and 3).

The elements of an abundance of gypsum, an enclosed drainage system, a dry climate, and strong winds have combined to create a unique natural area. The White Sands dunefield is the largest area of gypsum sand in the world. The outstanding geological and biological features, the superlative scenic values and recreational opportunities, and its location on a major highway (U.S. 70) make White Sands National Monument one of the most popular national park areas in the southwest United States.

White Sands Concessions, Inc. operates a gift shop in the Visitor Center complex through a concessions contract with the National Park Service. Southwest Parks and Monuments Association is a private, non-profit cooperating association that operates a book sales outlet in the Visitor Center.

The park is open year-round, except Christmas day. It is a day use area, with operating hours generally from 7:00 a.m. to one-half hour after sunset. Picnicking facilities, hiking trails, ranger-guided activities, and primitive backcountry camping are among the services provided for the public.

I. MISSION of the National Park Service at White Sands National Monument

The primary significance of White Sands National Monument lies in its superlative geologic values. The dunefield is actively migrating. Dune movement is an easily observed example of a dynamic geologic process. The story of gypsum sand, its formation into dunes and their movement, as well as the stories of larger geological events, can be learned at White Sands, the world’s largest gypsum dunefield.

The White Sands flora and fauna are also significant. Through extremes of adaptation and natural selection, they thrive in a uniquely harsh environment. A highly specialized community of plants and animals form a complex, interdependent life system developed on a substrate of ever-shifting sand. There is great potential for further scientific study of these highly adapted life forms.

The significance of the cultural resources of White Sands National Monument has also been recognized. They include Native American archeological sites, features associated with ranching, and the White Sands Historic District, a complex of administrative buildings and residences constructed by the Works Progress Administration in the 1930s that is on the National Register of Historic Places. Prehistoric use of the area was significant; however little scientific archaeology has been performed.

The scenic values and recreational opportunities draw hundreds of thousands of visitors annually.

It is the mission of the National Park Service at White Sands National Monument to preserve the world’s largest gypsum dunefield and additional features of scenic, scientific, and educational interest and to provide for educational and recreational opportunities compatible with the protection of those resources for future generations.

White Sands National Monument’s mission is accomplished through the pursuit of the following broad, "in perpetuity" goals:

II. LONG-TERM GOALS

During the next five years–fiscal years 2001 through 2005–the National Park Service will achieve the following specific long-term goals in pursuit of its mission and mission goals at White Sands National Monument. These long-term goals are objective, quantified, and measurable. Due dates, performance indicators, performance target numbers, desired condition, and baselines, as appropriate, are embedded in each goal statement in order to avoid separate long lists of performance measures. Each long-term goal is listed in the context of the mission goal it is targeting to achieve. Following this listing of long-term goals further information is provided for each goal, beginning on page 18.

Mission Goal Ia. Natural and cultural resources and associated values at White Sands National Monument are protected, restored and maintained in good condition and managed within their broader ecosystem and cultural context.

Long-term goals:

Mission Goal IIa. Visitors safely enjoy and are satisfied with the availability, accessibility, diversity, and quality of park facilities, services, and appropriate recreational opportunities at White Sands National Monument.

Mission Goal IIb. Park visitors and the general public understand and appreciate the preservation of White Sands National Monument and its resources for this and future generations.

Mission Goal IVa. The National Park Service at White Sands National Monument uses current management practices, systems, and technologies to accomplish its mission.

Mission Goal IVb. The National Park Service at White Sands National Monument increases its managerial resources through initiatives and support from other agencies, organizations, and individuals.

Mission Goal Ia. Natural and cultural resources and associated values at White Sands National Monument are protected, restored and maintained in good condition and managed within their broader ecosystem and cultural context.

Mission Goal IIa. Visitors safely enjoy and are satisfied with the availability, accessibility, diversity, and quality of park facilities, services, and appropriate recreational opportunities at White Sands National Monument.

Mission Goal IIb. Park Visitors and the general public understand and appreciate the preservation of parks and their resources for this and future generations.

Mission Goal IVa. The National Park Service uses current management practices, systems, and technologies to accomplish its mission.

Mission Goal IVb. The National Park Service at White Sands National Monument increases its managerial resources through initiatives and support from other agencies, organizations, and individuals.

White Sands National Monument’s long-term goals will be accomplished in five annual increments detailed each year in an Annual Performance Plan. The Annual Performance Plan will contain annual goal increments of the long-term goal. (see Appendices 4 and 5 for budget information), a permanent work force of 19 permanent positions and 7 seasonal positions. This work force is supplemented by 6,500 hours of Volunteers-in-Parks service and 2 Student Conservation Assistants. Southwest Parks and Monuments Association has two staff members assigned to White Sands National Monument–a full-time manager and a part-time sales clerk. The park staff is organized into five operating divisions: Facility Management, Visitor Protection, Resource Management, Interpretation and Visitor Services, and Administration. See Appendix 6 for park organizational chart.

The park’s annual base operating budget is supplemented each year by special project monies, donated funds, park housing funds, and recreation fee funds. Achieving and/or exceeding performance targets in annual and long-term goals is often dependent on the availability of special project funds and the assistance from Regional Support Offices, as well as partners and cooperators.

While park management and staff can plan, manage, and largely control much of what occurs in the park, other things they can only influence, especially things external to park boundaries. Some things, such as natural events, they have no control over whatsoever. In developing White Sands National Monument's Strategic Plan and its long-term goals, it was important to take into consideration key external factors that could negatively or positively affect goal outcomes. A few of the most important or most likely are identified briefly below. This is by no means an exhaustive list but simply those that are most likely to influence outcomes as viewed at the time of writing the plan.

White Sands National Monument is surrounded by the U.S. Army White Sands Missile Range, an active military testing facility. On a regular and frequent basis, testing operations on the Missile Range interfere with park operations. The NPS plays an active role in the scheduling of park closures due to missile testing.

White Sands NM is adjacent to Holloman Air Force Base. The United States Air Force and the German Air Force conduct fighter pilot training at this installation. The flight runways are located approximately 6 miles from park headquarters. Aircraft operations are a visual and auditory intrusion on the park experience at White Sands.

The United States Border Patrol operates an inspection station on U.S. Highway 70 less than a mile from park headquarters. Their 24-hour a day operation has an impact of park operations. NPS and Border Patrol law enforcement agents cooperate in a number of areas.

Other major land managers in the vicinity include the U.S. Forest Service/Lincoln National Forest, the Bureau of Land Management, and the Mescalero Apache Tribe.

The non-native oryx, an African antelope introduced into the Tularosa Basin by the New Mexico Department of Game and Fish, is a major impact concern. Natural resources are negatively impacted by this large, free-roaming, prolific population.

The large border community of El Paso/Ciudad Juarez is located approximately 70 air miles from park headquarters. The current population is approximately two million. Air quality in the Tularosa Basin, particularly visibility, is affected by this growing metropolitan area. Economic and population growth is stimulated by the North American Free Trade Agreement, and further reduction of air quality is expected.

The town of Alamogordo, New Mexico (approximate population of 30,000) is the nearest community. White Sands National Monument draws hundreds of thousands of visitors into and through Alamogordo annually. White Sands is considered the major tourist draw for Alamogordo. Park managers work closely with the Alamogordo Chamber of Commerce and other local organizations.

V. PROGRAM EVALUATION METHODOLOGY AND SCHEDULE

FOR FUTURE EVALUATIONS

In 1997, members of the White Sands National Monument management team attended a GPRA training session at Carlsbad Caverns National Park. During FY 1997, a preliminary Strategic Plan and Annual Performance Plan were produced. This was done during a transition period between park superintendents and during the initial implementation phase of GPRA compliance in the National Park Service.

At a White Sands NM management retreat in December 1997, the preliminary documents were reviewed and found to be lacking. In October 1998, the White Sands management team met for two days to review NPS guidance materials for preparing strategic plans and other requirements of GPRA and the NPS implementation process, and to begin a rewrite of the Strategic Plan for White Sands National Monument.

The management team reviewed park legislation, past history and current conditions. . Products of a pre-GPRA strategic planning effort were reviewed and incorporated in the new effort. Throughout 1999, groups and organizations were contacted in regards to White Sands management activities and future directions. These groups are identified in the following section.

After a careful review of the 2000 National Park Service Strategic Plan, the White Sands management team determined the most important needs for the park and developed long-term goals to accomplish the larger mission goals. A review of current and anticipated fiscal and human resources took place in order to assure that long-term goals and performance targets were realistic.

With all this information and planning in place, the Strategic Plan for White Sands National Monument was written. An Annual Performance Plan for FY 1999 was completed, and one will be done each year. An end-of-year performance report, the Annual Performance Report, measuring results accomplished against documented performance targets will be completed at the end of each fiscal year. The Strategic Plan for White Sands National Monument will be the document that guides park management. It will be referred to regularly as a matter of doing business, and it will be reviewed on an annual basis for revision or refinement.

VI. CONSULTATION

Meetings discussing long-term strategic plans for White Sands NM have taken place between the NPS and representatives of a number of local groups and agencies, including U.S. Senator Domenici’s office, U.S. Representative Skeen’s office, the City of Alamogordo, Otero County, the White Sands Missile Range, the New Mexico State Department of Game and Fish, Oliver Lee Memorial State Park, White Sands Concessions, Inc., and the Alamogordo Chamber of Commerce.

In 1997, 38 American Indian Tribes were contacted to determine an interest in conducting consultation meetings, as prescribed by the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act. In 1997 and 1998, meetings were held with representatives of five groups including the Pueblo of Acoma, Mescalero Apache Tribe, Zuni Tribe, Hopi Tribe, and the Piro-Manso-Tiwa Tribe to discuss cultural resources management and other issues at White Sands National Monument.

VII. STRATEGIC PLAN PREPARERS

The following National Park Service staff played key roles in preparing this strategic plan:

Bill Conrod, Resource Management Specialist, White Sands NM

John Ford, Facility Manager, White Sands NM

Sherry La France, Administrative Officer, White Sands NM

James A. Mack, Superintendent, White Sands NM

John Mangimeli, Chief of Interpretation and Visitor Services, White Sands NM

Diane White, Cultural Resources Management Specialist, White Sands NM

Appendix 5 White Sands FY 2001 Base Budget by Park Function

APPENDIX 1. WHITE SANDS ANNUAL VISITATION 1992-2001

APPENDIX 2. WHITE SANDS VISITATION BY MONTH

APPENDIX 3

White Sands National Monument

Annual Visitation 1933-2001

APPENDIX 6