A proposed historic district that includes the Baker Wetlands should not be designated a national landmark of spiritual or religious significance, a federal official ruled.

This monthâÂÂs decision from the Office of the Keeper of the National Register of Historic Places for the National Park Service is another blow to efforts for putting the brakes on plans to complete the South Lawrence Trafficway along a route through the wetlands. The trafficway would connect Iowa Street and Kansas Highway 10 near Noria Road.

âÂÂThe National Register has determined that Haskell Institute Historic District is not eligible for listing in the National Register as a traditional cultural property âÂÂ:,â said the National Park ServiceâÂÂs letter to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

Opponents of the road have pushed to have the wetlands and nearby Haskell Indian Nations University campus designated as a traditional cultural property. Their hope: Adding spiritual and religious issues to the roadâÂÂs planning process would raise insurmountable barriers to the highwayâÂÂs construction.

But the decision by the National Park Service Office confirmed the corpsâ conclusion that already had been reached by the Kansas Department of Transportation and the Kansas Historic Preservation Officer.

âÂÂIt was an issue that needed to be addressed, and it had been addressed, and that will be the end of it,â said Bob Smith, the corpsâ trafficway project manager. âÂÂWe will not address it further.âÂÂ

Trafficway opponents arenâÂÂt giving up.

Bob Eye, an attorney for the Wetlands Preservation Organization, noted that the park serviceâÂÂs letter cautioned that âÂÂcurrent documentation lacks sufficient information and justificationâ for the school property being designated on spiritual or religious grounds.

âÂÂGiven enough information, it seems, we may have a different outcome,â Eye said. âÂÂItâÂÂs nice to know that now.âÂÂ

Reason for the decision

Before making its ruling, the National Park Service reviewed a consultantâÂÂs report about the history of Haskell and the wetlands that was prepared for inclusion in the corpsâ draft environmental impact statement for completing the trafficway.

In its statement, the corps concluded that the trafficway should be built along one of two routes: a 32nd Street alignment, through the wetlands, at a cost of $105 million; or a 42nd Street alignment, running south of the Wakarusa River, at a cost of $128.5 million.

Last week, the corps concluded that detrimental effects caused by the 32nd Street route could be mitigated with the inclusion of noise walls on both sides of the highway.

If the area were determined to be a traditional cultural property, Smith said, the corps would have had more work to do.

âÂÂWhen youâÂÂre dealing with a traditional cultural property, youâÂÂre dealing more with experiences âÂÂ: the spiritual and religious things that have taken place there,â Smith said. âÂÂThose would be much more difficult to mitigate for. That is a nonissue now.âÂÂ

But Eye said he and his clients likely would push for a comprehensive oral history to be compiled for the wetlands, in hopes of reversing the keeperâÂÂs ruling.

âÂÂI donâÂÂt think anybody ever assumed that this was the linchpin (for our case), because itâÂÂs one of many considerations,â Eye said. âÂÂFrankly, IâÂÂm glad that we know what they feel like they need is more information. ItâÂÂs better to know that and to respond to it.âÂÂ

The corps is expected to rule by yearâÂÂs end on which route the trafficway should take.