Will Rogers State Historic Park Historic Landscape Manangement Plan

Will Rogers State Historic Park

In March 2003, the California Department of Parks and Recreation (DPR or Department) adopted the Historic Landscape Management Plan (HLMP) as the guiding document for implementation of historic preservation and site planning efforts at Will Rogers State Historic Park (WRSHP) in Los Angeles County. Will Rogers State Historic Park is the site of the ranch and home of one of the most significant Americans of the early twentieth century—Will Rogers. As such, the Will Rogers Ranch is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

The State Park Commission adopted the General Plan for WRSHP Park in March 1992. The General Plan directed the department to preserve, interpret, and make accessible the Will Rogers Ranch, its associated collections, historic structures, and overall historic landscape for the public’s enjoyment and appreciation. It also declared that the primary purpose of the park was to serve as a memorial to this internationally significant American, and to perpetuate the uses, values, and “sense of place” that he created at his Santa Monica Mountains ranch home.

The Historic Landscape Management Plan therefore provides the latest scholarship and updated planning direction for the preservation of significant cultural and natural features, operational uses, and continued public access at WRSHP. This HLMP is the result of several years of intensive research, study, and public input. The resulting plan provides DPR management with a proactive guide to support the Department’s Mission, its internal and legal resource management directives, and its declared purpose for Will Rogers SHP.