Cabrillo National Monument has two documents with which all staff and VIPs should be familiar. The first and most important is the Foundation Document of February 2017. The second is the Long-Range Interpretive Plan from April 2009.

“Every unit of the national park system will have a foundational document to provide basic guidance for planning and management decisions—a foundation for planning and management. The core components of a foundation document include a brief description of the park as well as the park’s purpose, significance, fundamental resources and values, other important resources and values, and interpretive themes. The foundation document also includes special mandates and administrative commitments, an assessment of planning and data needs that identifies planning issues, planning products to be developed, and the associated studies and data required for park planning. Along with the core components, the assessment provides a focus for park planning activities and establishes a baseline from which planning documents are developed.”

An ebinder article comparing both of these documents is being created. In the meantime, please read the Foundation Document Overview.