Current Status
August, 2009: In Wisconsin
Final Interpretive Master Plan is approved by the South Denali Planning Committee. Coordinate the printing, binding, and shipping of 30 hardcopy Interpretive Master Plan booklets to Anchorage. Also send electronic photo library and master publication files for future printing.
Click here to view or download the final Interpretive Master Plan
July 4-31, 2009: In Wisconsin
Revise master plan to incorporate comments and revisions from the South Denali Planning Committee (including representatives from the National Park Service, Alaska State Parks, and Mat-Su Burough).
June 28-July 3, 2009: In Alaska
Presentation of draft Interpretive Master Plan to the South Denali Planning Committee in Anchorage. Site visit to refine various alignments for base transportation facility and access road.
September 14, 2008-June, 2009: In Wis.
Major development of Interpretive Master Plan that holistically incorporates visitor center and trails on Curry Ridge, along with facilities and trails at the base transportation area. This includes: mission analysis, audience analysis, finalizing theme framework, describing and creating maps of site and trail options, conceptual designs and descriptions of visitor facilities (both exterior and interior spaces), conceptual renderings and descriptions of interpretive media (both interior and exterior), developing options for base facility, adding photographs to convey messages, finalizing all writing, and preparing an attractive unified design template for the booklet. Share electronic drafts of plan with South Denali Planning Committee.
September 7-September 13, 2008: In Alaska
Site visit to study location and interpretive options for the base transportation facility. Meeting with planning team to determine functions and goals of base facility. Present initial ideas for visitor center exhibit concepts.
August, 2008: In Wisconsin
Amendment to expand the scope of the project to include the South Denali base transportation facility along the Parks Highway. This increases the timeline of the project to summer of 2009.
June 21, 2008-September, 2008: In Wis.
Refine themes/messages and site/facility concepts based on input from stakeholders and Planning Team, and data collected on site visit.
Develop specific concepts for engaging indoor and outdoor media that thematically tell the story of South Denali to visitors.
Begin design and layout of Interpretive Master Plan.
June 16-June 20, 2008: In Alaska
Present themes/messages and site/facility concepts to stakeholders and gather input for revisions.
Click here for plan drafts and presentations.
- June 16: Facilitated stakeholder meeting in Palmer on status of planning. Discussed details of draft concepts with Planning Team.
- June 17-18: Conducted interviews with community and business representatives in the South Denali region.
- June 19: Visited the interpretive center site on Curry Ridge with Bill Evans, Landscape Supervisor/Architect for Alaska State Parks. "Ground truthing" of proposed trail and facility concepts. Continued resource inventory of site. Data will be used to refine original concepts.
December 3, 2007-June 15, 2008: In Wis.
Analyze results of community meetings. Develop theme and message hierarchy to guide interpretation of South Denali. Determine site and facility concepts to serve as a program for architects. Create bubble diagrams to show space relationships and three-dimensional models.
December 3-12, 2007: In Wisconsin
Develop this website as a centralized resource to distribute information from the planning process. The website will be updated as planning progresses.
November 25-December 2, 2007: In Alaska
Facilitated community meetings to gather input about local and regional stories, benefits and concerns of development, and resources for further research.
Click here for results and presentations.
- November 27: Facilitated community meeting in Trapper Creek
- November 28: Facilitated community meeting in Wasilla.
- November 29: Facilitated community meeting in Anchorage
- November 30-December 1: Toured and analyzed existing visitor facilities in Homer, recommended in several interviews
September 26-Nov. 24, 2007: In Wisconsin
Analysis of data gathered during field research. Development of GIS files for Curry Ridge region. Preparation for community meetings.
September 20-25, 2007: In Alaska
Continued field research and inventorying at proposed visitor center site on Curry Ridge.
- September 21: Meet with State Park staff to update on progress
- September 21-23: Camped in the study area on Curry Ridge
Hiked and inventoried resources in a 2-mile radius around the proposed facility site
Recorded GPS coordinates for significant features proximal to study area
Discussed benefits and concerns of several proposed facility sites. Narrowed focus of study region to a more specific site that best enhances visitor experience while protecting the landscape
August 21-September 19, 2007: In Wisconsin
Research of resources acquired while in Alaska. Preparation for intensive site inventory.
August 13-August 20, 2007: In Alaska
First trip to initiate master planning process for South Denali Visitor Facility.
- August 13-16: Meetings with representatives from Alaska State Parks, National Park Service, Alaska Railroads, tour companies, Department of Fish and Game, and other stakeholders.
- August 16: Facilitated a Visioning Meeting with stakeholder representatives to determine goals and scope of the planning process. Click here to view results.
- August 17: Toured Eilson Visitor Center currently being constructed in Denali National Park. Earth-sheltered facility with sustainable features.
- August 18: Informal community meeting with Talkeetna residents to document ideas and concerns
- August 18: Hiked up Curry Ridge along proposed entrance road for initial view of landscape and habitat and to document
- August 19: Helicopter fly-over of Curry Ridge for broad overview of
proposed visitor center site in relation to surrounding landscape.
Begin field research of proposed site. Inventory of significant
features, plants, wildlife
July 1-August 12, 2007: In Wisconsin
Initial online research of the South Denali and Anchorage area. Coordinated travel plans with Alaska State Parks.
July 1, 2007: In Wisconsin
Cooperative Agreement is signed between Alaska State Parks and Schmeeckle Reserve Interpreters to develop the South Denali Master Interpretive Plan. Contract period runs until December 31, 2008.
Inventorying site resources on top of Curry Ridge. November, 2007