A 10th Anniversary Tribute

Captain John Smith Chesapeake National Historic Trail

By Paula Degen

On December 19, 2006, President George W. 布什总统签署法案，建立约翰·史密斯船长切萨皮克国家历史步道. Four hundred years earlier, 这条小径的同名者登上了离开英国前往切萨皮克湾的三艘船中的一艘，并被载入了美国的历史书.

在我们庆祝国家历史步道被指定十周年之际, 我们向那些看到了这条小径将人们与该地区深厚历史联系起来的潜力的有远见的人表示敬意, remarkable natural beauty, and opportunities for recreation. 他们相信这条小径可以激励人们珍惜和保护切萨皮克河，把它当作国宝. 

2006年5月，内政部长德克·肯普索恩和首席执行官斯蒂芬·阿德金斯出席了一场活动，以争取对新路线的支持, DOI photo

commission’s January 2005 meeting. 这个想法立即得到了认可，因为它代表了“委员会对海湾修复的综合方法”, balancing water quality and habitat protection with culture, education, and access.” Led by Ann Swanson, executive director, 切萨皮克湾委员会说服其在切萨皮克执行委员会的合作伙伴敦促美国政府采取行动.S. Senators Paul Sarbanes (D-Md.) and John Warner (R-Va.)发起立法，授权国家公园管理局研究拟议的步道的可行性. Congress passed bi-partisan legislation for the feasibility study in July 2005. 执行委员会正式通过了一项决议，敦促国家公园管理局加快这项研究，以便国会有时间在詹姆斯敦成立400周年之前采取行动, approaching in May 2007.

Garnering Support

Meanwhile, The Conservation Fund, National Geographic Society, Chesapeake Bay Foundation, Chesapeake Bay Commission, Chesapeake Bay Program, state legislators, county commissioners, mayors, tourism offices, tribal leaders, businesses, nonprofit organizations, and many others were working to build public support for the trail.

切萨皮克湾基金会(Chesapeake Bay Foundation)报告称，该基金会的数千名成员在致国会的信上签了名. The fledgling Friends of the Captain John Smith Trail, founded in 2005, was growing along with support for the trail. 努南在自然保护基金组织召集了一群充满热情的人才，为“朋友”组织工作，并致力于小径项目.

The National Park Service completed the feasibility study in record time, noting “exceptionally high” public interest and support for the trail. 研究得出的结论是，史密斯的航行路线符合指定为国家历史路线的所有标准.

Senators Sarbanes and Warner were joined by Senator Barbara Mikulski (D-Md.) in introducing a bill to authorize the trail. The late Congresswoman Jo Ann Davis (R-Va.)和24个共同发起人在众议院提出了配套立法. H.R. 5466 passed the House on December 5, 2006; S.2568 passed the Senate on December 7; and on December 19, 布什总统签署了第109-418号公法，建立了约翰·史密斯船长切萨皮克国家历史步道，作为国家步道系统的第25条补充.

在詹姆斯敦部署的切萨皮克湾解释浮标系统的第一个浮标，NOAA照片

Reflecting on the successful push to create the trail and what might lie ahead, 帕特·努南(Pat Noonan)在2007年写道:“历史悠久的国家步道通常有一个公民团体来支持他们的管理, advocacy, and outreach. The trail’s current support group, 名为“约翰·史密斯船长小径之友”，可能会为接下来的任何协会提供一个核心.”

That is, indeed, what occurred. With strong support from The Conservation Fund and other partners, “朋友们”开始加强能力建设，并与国家公园管理局切萨皮克湾办事处建立了牢固的关系。切萨皮克湾办事处位于安纳波利斯，被指定负责管理这条新路线. Through a merger in 2010, “约翰·史密斯船长切萨皮克小径之友”和“切萨皮克门户之友”——也是一个与该地区的NPS合作的非营利组织——组成了一个新组织:十大赌博正规老平台协会.

Signing event at Sandy Point State Park in 2012 to expand the trail, DOI photo

Implementing the Vision

我们今天庆祝的这条小径与十年前指定的小径在几个方面有所不同.

First, we no longer think of it as an all-water trail. The actual language of P.L. 109–418 states: “The John Smith Chesapeake National Historic Trail, a series of water routes extending approximately 3,沿着切萨皮克湾和弗吉尼亚州切萨皮克湾的支流，绵延5000英里, Maryland, and Delaware, and in the District of Columbia, 它追溯了约翰·史密斯船长1607-1609年的航行，绘制了切萨皮克湾的陆地和水道.…”

While “water trail” is not part of the official name, 这条小径的支持者吹捧它的独特性，因为它是一条全水小径，沿袭了史密斯的探险. However, 综合管理计划反映了公众对包括景观和水路的步道的支持, and for visitors to have opportunities for land-based, as well as water-based, experiences. 我们仍然认为这条步道是第一条以水为基础的国家历史步道, but we no longer think of it as an all-water trail.

A second important difference is the scope of the trail. 附在法案上的官方地图显示了史密斯的探险路线，以及他可以乘船旅行的地方. Pennsylvania was not mentioned in the trail legislation. 更广阔的视野不仅包括约翰·史密斯船长和詹姆斯敦殖民者的旅行, 还包括当时切萨皮克流域内美洲印第安人居住的土地和河流. In 2012, four rivers in five states—the 

Susquehanna in Pennsylvania and New York, the Upper Nanticoke in Delaware and Maryland, the Chester in Maryland, and the Upper James in Virginia—were officially designated as part of the trail. These rivers, which added 841 miles to the roughly 3,000 miles of Smith’s voyage routes, expanded opportunities for public access, recreation, and tourism, and for telling a larger story of American Indian towns and cultures.

The Chesapeake Conservancy was the prime mover for expanding the trail, 首先，通过资助研究来确定历史连接组件的潜力，然后建立水径组联盟, state agencies, tribal communities, governors, and others to support the additions. 许多领导指定国家历史步道运动的人也站在扩张的最前沿. 一些年轻的工作人员在幕后帮助他们的导师创建了这条小径，现在他们是切萨皮克湾保护运动的领导者. Notably, Joel Dunn, who worked for The Conservation Fund to establish the trail, now leads the Chesapeake Conservancy.

A third difference is less obvious, perhaps, but indicates an evolution in branding and interpreting the trail. Instead of a national trail to memorialize John Smith, as it was often promoted in the early days, we think of it now as the Chesapeake trail. 约翰·史密斯船长提供了他在这里的历史记录，影响了未来的欧洲殖民，他的重要性不容忽视, his story is only part of what the trail represents. 当切萨皮克的故事也反映了美国印第安人的观点和切萨皮克家园的自然历史时，更大的切萨皮克故事会更加丰富.

帕特里克努南在詹姆斯敦400活动标志着正式启动的路线，NPS照片