PARK PLANNING and MANAGEMENT ISSUES

Caring for a park in the 21st century is a complex process involving tasks as diverse as providing facilities for more than 3 million visitors a year to monitoring wildlife diseases to attending county planning meetings.

Here is a brief overview of the management functions in Rocky Mountain National Park:

The Superintendent's Office

Rocky Mountain National Park, like other parks nation-wide, is headed by a Superintendent who oversees the entirety of park operations. In large parks, such as Rocky Mountain, an Assistant Superintendent is also appointed. Public affairs and concessions management are also part of this office.

Administration

The National Park Service receives an annual appropriation from Congress through the Department of the Interior. Administrative staff track these and other funds, providing detailed accountability on how money is spent. Payroll, human resources, contract management, and information technology are other tasks that are overseen by administrative staff.

Facilities Management

Roads, restrooms, trails, utility systems and buildings are constructed and maintained by the park's facilities management workers. These unsung heroes plow the roads, clean the restrooms, repair backcountry bridges, and care for buildings, many of which are of historic significance. Rocky Mountain's high elevation and extreme climate add to the challenges of everyday maintenance operations. In addition, park facilities and construction must be planned and operated in an environmentally sensitive way.

Interpretation

Most of the rangers that visitors encounter in the park or talk to on the phone work for interpretation. Their primary role is in providing information and education services. In addition to the personal assistance they provide in visitor centers and at ranger-led programs, interpretive rangers also create publications, exhibits, and other media that convey the park story. Park volunteers are coordinated through this department.

Resources Management and Research

These employees focus on keeping the natural resources of the park unimpaired for future generations. This effort includes traditional functions such as wildlife management and more modern tasks such as site restoration, fire management, park planning, and exotic plant control. In addition this group has responsibility for identifying the organisms in the park and for monitoring changes in park conditions. Employees within this part of the organization also coordinate the work of a variety of outside scientists, including biologists, hydrologists, chemists, archeologists, and social scientists, who conduct formal studies within the park.

Resource Protection and Visitor Management

Ensuring the safety of park visitors, and the protection of park resources, is the primary responsibility of this division. Most of the rangers who specialize in this field are commissioned law enforcement officers. Search and rescue, backcountry management, front-country roads, and the enforcement of laws and regulations pertaining to parks are included here.