Tools

Project Review Process

The Parkway's Resource Planning and Professional Services Division has developed a project review process to minimize conflicts between cultural resource and natural resource managers. Previously, anyone proposing a project at the park would complete the planning and design phase of the project alone, then send out the plan for others to review. At that point, reviewers might be reluctant to ask for any major changes. As part of the pre-implementation phase of the new process, all players who will have an interest in a proposed project review it in the field before any design work begins. This generally happens in the spring for all projects proposed for that year. The group first identifies all the natural and cultural resources that will be affected by the project and then designs solutions that address all natural, cultural, and scenic resource concerns. This is the point at which negotiations take place on planning and management issues. The team stays together throughout the course of the project, with the Resource Planning and Professional Services Division acting as the project gatekeeper and holding all the data on compliance. Park planning and resource management staff believe this new process works well and is an effective way to integrate natural and cultural resource concerns.