Statement of Significance (as of designation - February 18, 1997):
The initiation of the National Park Service master planning process at Mount Rainier National Park in the late 1920s was a major step in the design and management of scenic reservations in the 20th century. Besides being the first fully developed example of NPS master planning, Mount Rainier also remains the most complete example of the results of such planning. The park has retained most of the facilities built during the historic period.

Through a CESU agreement, the NPS and the University of Oregon have produced recommendations for the rehabilitation of portions of the landmark road corridor of the park to be funded by federal highways. The work will serve as a prototype for evaluation criteria that will result in work recommendations to occur on the parks historic roads over the next six years where construction costs are expected to be more than 50 million dollars.

Recommendation/Change since last report:
Continue working with Federal Highways, park staff, and the University. Renew the CESU agreement to facilitate appropriate evaluation that will lead to recommendations in the protection of the parks landmark highway corridor. CESU agreements that initiated this work were authored by cultural resource staff in the PWR Seattle. Contact was made through this established relationship.