Denver Service Center Focuses on Protecting and Preserving NPS Resources

The Denver Service Center (DSC) is the NPS centralized office for planning, design and construction. Through project management and contracting services, the Denver Service Center aims to protect and preserve the natural and cultural resources of the national park system.

The Denver Service Center is committed to nurturing natural habitat and integrating resiliency and sustainability into all National Park Service (NPS) projects. Involved in planning for the future, incorporating sustainable processes into building construction, and executing demolition projects focused on ecological restoration, DSC project managers act as NPS project stewards, providing technical expertise, contracting services, and project management to national parks when requested. As the main NPS project execution office for projects funded through the Great American Outdoor Act’s (GAOA) National Parks and Public Lands Legacy Restoration Fund, DSC is dedicated to addressing the extensive maintenance backlog in national parks.

From mountain trails to park benches and campsites, national parks and historic sites were created with people and communities in mind, integrating features into the natural environment that allow visitors to make the most of their time. DSC provides services to improve the visitor experience across the national park system, from managing transportation logistics into and out of parks to optimizing campground spaces. When approaching large-scale projects, DSC architects and engineers make considerations aiming to balance both the park’s visitor experiences, and the health of the land within it.

Top image
West Lake Trail damage from Hurricane Irma in 2017.
Credit: NPS/Heidi Flugstad.

Bottom image
The newly constructed boardwalk on West Lake Trail, Everglades National Park.
Credit: NPS/Federico Acevedo.

Recently, DSC partnered with Everglades National Park to restore the scenic West Lake Trail, which was damaged by Hurricane Irma in 2017. The project was funded through Public Law 115-123 for national park units significantly impacted by Hurricanes Harvey, Irma and Maria. The NPS implemented several innovative construction methods to plan for future sea level rise and increased storm intensity, including raising the walking surface of the boardwalk to account for future storm surge uplift. The trail allows visitors both to enjoy the breathtaking waterway while avoiding damage to the surrounding flora and fauna. Paying mind to sustainable materials, minimal ground cover, and efficient design principles, project managers, contractors, and builders actively involve themselves in climate-friendly solutions surrounding construction.

Demolition in progress at Cuyahoga Valley National Park. After the vacant structures are demolished, trees and other and native vegetation will be planted to restore the area.

NPS Photo

Also, the Denver Service Center is currently managing a GAOA-funded project to restore 12 acres of open space within Cuyahoga Valley National Park. The project is removing vacant structures and planting native trees to restore the natural landscape in the park and create additional recreational opportunities for visitors. While many DSC projects involve construction or rehabilitation, demolition plays an important role in addressing deferred maintenance in the National Park Service. Returning the land to its natural state is an integral part of the park’s restoration efforts.

Left image
Manmade pond at Watergate Recreation Site, Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area.
Credit: NPS photo

Right image
Restoration in progress at Watergate Recreation Site, Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area. The pond area has been dewatered and excavated to an appropriate slope.
Credit: NPS photo.

The DSC is also involved with the Watergate Restoration Project at Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area, an effort to restore the natural function of wetlands, floodplains, and a stream at the Watergate Recreation Site after the construction of the Susquehanna-Roseland Transmission Line in 2013-14 impacted the environment at Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area. To mitigate those effects Public Service Electric & Gas (PSE&G) and PPL Electric Utilities (PPL) have fully funded the Watergate Restoration Project. Though much work has already been completed on the project, construction work continues to seed and plant the area with native vegetation, remove manmade dams to restore the natural flow of the stream, create new wildlife habitat, and treat invasive species of plants so that native plants can thrive.

The principles guiding each of these projects are central to a justice-centered restorative initiative, and an emerging picture of what restoration means within our national park lands. The Denver Service Center is proud to be a part of restoring and protecting our national parks for the enjoyment of this and future generations.