1. Why is the ZBar/Spring Hill Ranch a part of the National Park System?
2. What is the National Park Trust (NPT)?
3. Why is NPT working to preserve the tallgrass prairie?
4. What is the "private/public partnership" for a national preserve all about?
5. What will happen now that Congress has acted to designate the National Preserve?
6. What can people expect to see at the new National Preserve?
7. Who is interested in visiting a Tallgrass Prairie Preserve?
8. How does this prairie project differ from the Nature Conservancy's prairies in Kansas and Oklahoma?
9. What is the Advisory Committee on the Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve and what role will it play in managing the ranch?
10. What type of fundraising is involved in this project?
11. What can I do to help preserve the prairie?

Why is the ZBar/Spring Hill Ranch a part of the National Park System?

The tallgrass prairie is the only major ecosystem in the United States that was not adequately represented in the National Park System--and there was no better place to see the prairie and experience its splendor than in the Kansas Flint Hills. The ecological, historical, and cultural treasures of the Z Bar/Spring Hill Ranch illustrate and elaborate on the lessons of American history.

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What is the National Park Trust (NPT)?

The National Park Trust (NPT) is the private land conservancy dedicated to saving parklands and resources through cooperative efforts to complete parks, expand existing parks, and create new parks.

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Why is NPT working to preserve the tallgrass prairie?

Tallgrass prairie once covered nearly 400,000 square miles of North America, from Ohio to the Rocky Mountains and from Canada to Texas. Today, less than one percent of this ecosystem remains, much of it in the untilled expanse of grass in Kansas known as the Flint Hills. This ecosystem is unique to the United States and it is disappearing, and nowhere in the National Park System is its story adequately illustrated for the public.

There is no finer example of tallgrass prairie than the 10,894-acre Z Bar/Spring Hill Ranch of Chase County, Kansas. The National Park Service, in its 1991 study of the ranch, determined that the property contained significant natural and cultural resources and was "both suitable and feasible" for inclusion in the National Park System. When an option on the property became available in 1994, NPT acted on the park service study, and acquired the Z Bar Ranch for eventual management as a unit of the National Park System through the first private/public partnership of its kind.

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What is the "private/public partnership" for a national preserve all about?

The approach to conservation outlined in the Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve Act leverages capital from NPT, a private conservation organization, with limited funds from the federal government to create a national park unit open to the public. Unlike other tallgrass prairie preserves that are primarily research oriented and not largely available to the public, the Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve Act was developed to preserve a critical natural resource for the public within the confines of severe budget constraints. The approach will be "a model for the nation," according to the bill's chief sponsor, Senator Nancy Landon Kassebaum.

The Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve will provide visitors with the opportunity to experience the subtle beauty and natural wonder of the prairie, as well as the fascinating cultural resources of this property, although only a small portion (maximum 180 acres) will be owned by the federal government. NPT will continue to own and pay taxes on the rest of the property, nearly 11,000 acres. NPT took its commitment to this partnership even further last year when the board of trustees pledged to donate the 180 acres to the Park Service, thus leaving no cost to the taxpayers for land acquisition.

Another aspect of the partnership approach for creating the Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve is the priority NPT has placed on building goodwill in the local community. Since acquiring the property in 1994, NPT has dedicated itself to making the historic ranch headquarters open to the public, albeit on a limited basis. The monthly open houses and visible presence of a "good neighbor" have fostered goodwill and enabled NPT to overcome the concerns long held by some in the community about the presence of a federal land unit.

Partnerships continue to take shape around the country as private and public entities realize the need to work together for resource protection. Several other national park units include private property within their boundaries. Two of them (Canyon de Chelly National Monument in Arizona and Independence Hall National Historic Park in Philadelphia) are completely owned by non-federal entities. At the Channel Islands National Park off the coast of California, The Nature Conservancy owns a significant portion of one of the islands under Park Service management.

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What will happen now that Congress has acted to designate the National Preserve?

NPT has signed an interim Cooperative Agreement with the National Park Service. The terms of that agreement guide the management and operation of the new park unit until the General Management Plan (GMP) for the national preserve is completed. Congress has mandated that the GMP be completed in three years. When the GMP is complete, NPT and the National Park Service will enter into a long-term Cooperative Agreement. Until the GMP is completed, and though the Park Service will have staff on site, NPT is playing a major role in providing public programming at the ranch.

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What can people expect to see at the new National Preserve?

The public will be able to tour the historic core area 7 days a week. This area includes the impressive 19th century limestone mansion, barn and outbuildings, and the one-room schoolhouse. The Z Bar Bookstore operated by the National Park Trust which is located in the middle floor of the mansion is open 7 days a week. The Preserve contains the 1.75-mile Southwind Nature Trail, which is open to the public from 8:30 a.m. until 5:00 p.m.. The National Park Service operates the "Treasures of the Tallgrass" prairie bus tour three times per day seven days a week. All of the activities at the Preserve illustrate the natural and cultural history of the Flint Hills, the ecology of the tallgrass prairie ecosystem, American Indian culture, the Flint Hill ranching tradition and the story of westward expansion.

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Who is interested in visiting a Tallgrass Prairie Preserve?

Lots of people! The National Park Service, in its 1991 Special Resource Study of the Z Bar Ranch, estimated 60,000 to 100,000 people per year would visit a National Park devoted to the natural and cultural resources of the Flint Hills. Already, visitors to the monthly open houses and private group tours have numbered more than 18,000. Seniors, school children, families on vacation, international visitors, range managers, conservationists, architecture aficionados and outdoor enthusiasts of all kinds seek out the Z Bar Ranch. Its proximity to the Santa Fe National Historic Trail and other unique historic sites captures the interest of wide array of travelers.

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How does this prairie project differ from the Nature Conservancy's prairies in Kansas and Oklahoma?

The key difference between NPT's Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve of the National Park Service and The Nature Conservancy's (TNC) prairies is the dual emphasis the Park Service will place on the natural and cultural significance of the ranch. TNC's properties are largely scientific research reserves normally closed to the public. As a National Park unit, the Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve will provide the highest level of resource protection and visitor services, including the development of a top-notch National Park Service interpretive and educational program targeted to the public. The missions of these different organizations are very complementary.

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What is the Advisory Committee on the Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve and what role will it play in managing the ranch?

The 13-member advisory committee established in the legislation ensures the involvement of Kansans in the development of the National Park Service General Management Plan for the Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve. Its members include representatives of the National Park Trust, local landowners, cattle ranchers and representatives of higher education institutions; agricultural interests, conservation and historic preservation interests, representatives of local governing bodies, and a representative of the Kansas governnor.

Now that it has been appointed by the Secretary of the Interior, the Advisory Committee will hold meetings and conduct other activities to help provide the National Park Service with advice concerning the development, management, and interpretation of the preserve.  The committee also will provide advice on the General Management Plan (GMP) which the National Park Service will complete by the end of 1999.  In addition to the advice offered by the committee, the National Park Service is carefully considering all of the public input that is received throughout the planning process.

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What type of fundraising is involved in this project?

Fundraising for the Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve has been ongoing since NPT purchased the Z Bar/Spring Hill Ranch in 1994 for a purchase price of $4,777,000. Individuals and foundations have demonstrated a strong commitment to preserving the tallgrass prairie for future generations, evidenced by a number of large gifts.

NPT is committed to retiring the mortgage debt and owning the ranch in perpetuity, while cooperating with the National Park Service for management of the Preserve. This commitment means the expense of property taxes, insurance and staff/operations will be ongoing. Donations to meet these stewardship needs are actively being sought while plans are set for creation of a stewardship endowment fund.

To support the establishment of the Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve, friends, foundations and the corporate community are invited to join the National Park Trust in making the dream of preserving the nation's tallgrass prairie legacy a reality.

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What can I do to help preserve the prairie?

Join the National Park Trust-Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve. The support of our friends makes it possible for NPT to continue operating the historic area.

Make a generous contribution to the National Park Trust/TPNP project. Your contribution will ensure preservation of the Preserve for future generations.

For more information, call or write:

National Park Trust
415-2nd Street, N.E., Suite 210
Washington, DC 20002
Phone: 202-548-0500
Fax: 202-548-0595
E-mail: npt@parktrust.org

For information on visiting and volunteer opportunities, call or write:

Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve
Attn: Park Rangers
Rt.1, Box 14
Strong City, KS 66869
Phone: 316-273-8494
Fax: 316-273-8347
E-mail: tapr_interpretation@nps.gov

DIRECTIONS

The Z Bar/Spring Hill Ranch lies 2 miles north of Strong City, Kansas, on Highway 177 (18 miles west of Emporia, 16 miles south of Council Grove, and 85 miles northeast of Wichita).

A note on visiting the ranch:

• For your enjoyment and safety while visiting the ranch, comfortable outdoor clothing is recommended, as well as footwear suitable for negotiating uneven walkways, steep stairs, and unpaved footpaths. 
• Assistance and/or alternative programming is available for our guests with physical limitations. 
• Please call ahead to make arrangements.

For more information, contact:

Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve
Rt. 1, Box 14
Strong City, KS 66869
Phone: 316-273-8494
Fax: 316-273-8247
E-mail: tapr_interpretation@nps.gov

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