Interpretation
Articles
“Why Go Regional For Interpretive Planning?”
America’s Byways Resource Center, Vistas, November/December 2008
(PDF, .txt)
Interpretation: Why Go Regional For Interpretive Planning?
by Cheryl Hazlitt
Senior Interpretive Planner, USDA Forest Service Center for Design and Interpretation
Editor’s Note: Cheryl Hazlitt provided insights to the initial steps in interpretive planning in the September-October issue of “Vistas,” examining whether you should hire a contractor or do it yourself (or combine the two strategies). Please visit the “Resources” section of BywaysResourceCenter.org to see this past issue.
When agencies, municipalities and organizations join forces together to complete regional interpretive strategies, everyone wins. This type of planning is not easy; it is collaborative, and requires compromise, debate and discussion by all affected parties. But it can be beneficial for everyone.
Costs And Funding Sources
Funding for interpretive plans can come in a variety of colors from capital investment to preconstruction funds, grant awards and even combined dollars. Some organizations grant seed money for planning. Dollars tied to construction projects can be set aside for preplanning. Generally, for complete master interpretive plans for large land areas, such as a national forest or park, or scenic byways, you can estimate incurring costs between $30,000 and $50,000. Site-specific or area interpretive plans, defined by their scope, tend to range between $5,000 and $25,000.
One completed plan was the result of a county tourism director who saw the need and obtained grant funding, including a “tourism sustainability plan for residents” as part of the scope. Other projects arose when local representatives took legislators to the field for an up-close view. Community members can pressure Federal and State agencies to protect a sense of place by developing master interpretive plans for lands surrounding their community. Federal land agencies can be a driving force because of the requirement for recreation and management strategies.
Thematic Architectural Consistency
One of the strongest arguments for regional planning is the development of a unified look consistent with the landscape and its stories. Consistent elements in signage set the stage for future signs. A scenic byway’s entry portal can give visual clues to visitors that this is a special roadway. On one byway in western Wyoming, the design included a boardwalk within the kiosk station area, mimicking the wooden boardwalks found in many towns in the region. A 2003 National Association of Interpretation Media Awards winner in Wayside Exhibits used frame sign-supports that were metal forms sculpted and painted to resemble prairie grass, tree saplings or other features of the prairie landscape that the signs interpreted. These design decisions contribute to a positive visitor experience and speak to regional influences.
Strong Community Building
One of the most powerful reasons for developing regional interpretive plans lies in the process of doing it. The relationships among individuals on the planning team carry long-term implications for partnerships. Often times during the planning process, shared information between partners allows programs to broaden and deepen. For example, several agencies with minimal dollars to individually fund a seasonal interpretive program staff decided to combine their dollars and share a full-time staff interpretive position for year-round programming at all three sites.
When funds are minimal, some basic planning and partnering can often lead to additional funds. Park County in central Colorado used grant dollars to fund a countywide interpretive plan with an emphasis on maintaining quality of life for local residents, drawing tourism dollars and strengthening the local economy. Agencies partnered together to build a new visitor center, refurbish a second one, publish a tourism guide to county recreation and design interpretive signage that has consistent elements from one end of the county to the other. The partnerships remain ongoing because of the relationships built over ten years ago. As one State byway coordinator commented to me, “The best planning efforts are the ones where local communities hold the leadership, not the government employees who will ultimately move on over time.”
The Process: How Does It Work?
There has to be a champion, someone who is committed to initially lead the effort. This can be at a Federal, State, or local level. The leader takes the initiative to contact local stakeholders. In one case on a 164-mile scenic byway, over fifty different stakeholder groups were contacted. From this large group, a smaller steering committee evolved to handle the difficult decisions and prioritizing. Leadership in driving the interpretive planning process requires diligence, group facilitation skills and the ability to help a group hold onto a vision when the going gets tough.
How Do We Start?
As in any good planning process, identify stakeholders to serve as the source for validating decisions and recommendations in the planning phase.
- Hold “workshop” sessions before submittal phases for stakeholders.
- Glean as much information as possible in the first workshop about sites, topics, themes and architecture that represents the sense of place.
- Develop an existing inventory, identifying existing sites and topics on a map. This provides stakeholders an overview of the locations and messages of the existing sites, and allows for analysis of what is missing. It quickly allows groups to process what is on the ground in a large landscape setting.
- A second workshop is useful for setting priorities for implementation. When multiple partners and stakeholders are working on the plan, it is hard work to get through this phase, but it’s critical for future phases to happen.
- Establish criteria for prioritizing sites or products. Criteria can be tied to maintenance and operation, highway reconstruction, or dollars available for site design and construction, for example.
- Discuss the sense of place and regional look of an area. How do stakeholders describe the community’s best features? Use this to create architectural themes that blend with interpretive themes.
With shrinking Federal, State and municipal budgets, it becomes imperative that interpretive plans tie into regional and local management issues. They must identify cost-saving measures, and provide recommendations and priorities that allow managers to strategically serve the greatest number of public users. A plan is only as good as the vision it sets forth, and the processes it sets in motion.
About The Author:
Cheryl Hazlitt has written numerous interpretive and exhibit plans and overseen exhibit projects from writing text to final exhibit fabrication. Cheryl is a Certified Interpretive Trainer, and serves as the judging coordinator for the National Association of Interpretation’s annual Media Award Competition. Contact her at chazlitt@fs.fed.us or visit www.fs.fed.us/r2/cdi for more information about the Center for Design and Interpretation.
About CDI:
CDI is a full-service internal team bringing together the disciplines of interpretive planning, graphic illustration, landscape architecture and engineering. Its mission is to provide high-quality products and services that are sustainable and conserve resources, provide for public enjoyment and education especially in meeting accessibility requirements, and are flexible and responsive to customer needs. CDI employees serve Districts, Forests and other clients as a trusted ally, providing creative ideas and alternatives to meet their needs. For more information about CDI, visit: www.fs.fed.us/r2/cdi.
