General Areas of Responsibility
Operational and Implementation Plan
Preliminary Management Plan
The Friends of Lower Howard's Creek, Inc., is the private, community-based organization that will work in partnership with the Clark County-Winchester Heritage Commission and Clark County Government to develop and maintain the Lower Howard's Creek Nature and Heritage Preserve as a community historic museum, nature sanctuary and education center.
Clark County Government will own the Preserve, the Heritage Commission will manage the Preserve, and the Friends will assist with Preserve management on an ongoing basis and involve the community in using the Preserve and in providing the funding and facilities needed to fully utilize the Preserve's assets on a continuing basis.
This Clark County public/private partnership will have fundamental responsibility for the long-term operation and success of the Preserve with the understanding that the three organizations will seek public and private funding and support of the Preserve's basic mission from both inside and outside the community. The success of the Preserve will require attention from the Friends organization for the Preserve to be successful.
The Friends will probably need to become involved to some degree in the following general areas of responsibility:
1. Staffing the programs of the Preserve. This will include recruiting and training volunteers to lead regularly scheduled hikes and to offer or supervise other programs that might be developed consistent with the Preserve's mission. As interest and funding increases, more programs can be offered by volunteers and by professional staff at some future date.
2. Maintaining and expanding Preserve facilities. Volunteers will be needed to insure that trails are maintained and that new trails are developed. Basic infrastructure such as gates and parking lots and fencing will need to be monitored and minor repairs that cannot be handled by county maintenance crews will be taken care of the by the Friends.
3. Fundraising for expanded facilities, land acquisition, easement acquisition, and staff support will be a major responsibility of the Friends. As a non-profit, charitable organization, it will be able to receive donations of money and land. In some cases, the Friends may be the preferred donee for contributors of land and easements on land. In other cases, the Friends may be able to act quickly to purchase an important tract of land when public procurement rules would prevent the county from acting. Public funds might be obtained later to allow the county to acquire the land from the Friends.
4. Publicity and Promotion of the facility within the community and outside the community. The facility can benefit from the individual, corporate and foundation support from outside Clark County and should be an attraction for people throughout the state and nation. The group may take on new responsibilities and will change its emphasis as the needs of the Preserve and interests of its membership changes.
Its fundamental mission as the private operation partner cannot be neglected if the Lower Howard's Creek Nature and Heritage Preserve is to be successful over the years. The Friends will have responsibility in providing ongoing leadership including leadership succession, record keeping, public communication and long-term planning.
It is of critical importance to document all of the above at the outset including a broad mission statement supported by more specific goals and objectives with time lines for accomplishing each.
Operational and Implementation Plan
1. Executive Committee. Leadership, government relations, community relations.
2. Organization Committee. Recruitment, public relations, member services, newsletter.
3. Finance Committee. Budgeting, Grant writing, endowment development, sales and program income development such as contracts with schools systems.
4. Natural Resources Management Committee. Control of exotics. Managing critical areas. Wildlife management.
5. Cultural Resource Management Committee. Ongoing monitoring of site needs, research.
6. Interpretation Committee. Organizing and scheduling hiking program. Overseeing museum or exhibition areas, trail signs, publications.
7. Facilities Committee. Trail maintenance, building management.
Brief Outline of Goals for the Preliminary Management Plan
1. Establish and Retain Natural Forests similar to the Settlement Period in Clark County.
2. Target Exotic Species for control and eradication.
3. Keep visitors from areas containing endangered and threatened species.
4. Develop trails that provide views of scenic areas.
5. Use historic fords if possible and consider placement of wooden footbridges where necessary.
6. Deny access to archaeological sites.
7. Fence off areas like Martin's Mill that pose dangers to visitors.
8. Provide access via guided hikes only during the Development Phase.
9. Protect hikers at overlook areas with design and signage.
10. Repair the historic road as a trail and for access.
11. Deny the removal of artifacts and organisms from the Preserve.
