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THE CURRENT STATUS OF ENVIRONMENTAL INTERPRETATION IN WASHINGTON STATE PARKS ON PUGET SOUND by Holly Haley A Thesis Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree Master of Environmental Studies The Evergreen State College March 2015 ©2015 by Holly Haley. All rights reserved. This Thesis for the Master of Environmental Studies Degree by Holly Haley has been approved for The Evergreen State College by ________________________ Jean MacGregor Member of the Faculty ________________________ Date The Current Status of Environmental Interpretation in Washington State Parks on Puget Sound Holly Haley The Puget Sound Initiative (PSI) is a large-scale federal and state restoration effort to improve the health of Puget Sound. Among many broad-scale initiatives involving Washington State and local governments and tribes, the PSI has identified 24 State Parks on Puget Sound as sites to model Sound friendly development with restored shorelines and advanced stormwater and wastewater treatment facilities. The lack of public awareness of Puget Sound’s eroding health in the communities surrounding the Sound has been identified as a major barrier to gaining the support needed for successful restoration and protection of watershed natural resources. This thesis describes the potential of an environmental interpretation component of the PSI to educate and encourage environmentally responsible behavior in the millions of citizens who visit Washington State Parks on Puget Sound. It also provides an assessment of the current status of environmental interpretation in those parks. Current research suggests environmental interpretation in public parks can be an important and effective natural resource management tool. Analysis reveals that environmental interpretation is a stated natural resource management policy objective of the PSI and Washington State Parks agency and specific interpretive plans have been created to showcase the “Puget Sound Friendly” wastewater and shoreline development improvements in Washington State Parks. An embedded case study of several Green Vision parks (parks specially designated as models of “green practices”) compares stated environmental interpretation policy objectives with actual implementation as well as assesses the level of support for interpretation in Washington State Parks. Most of PSI cleanup efforts in the parks have been completed, yet there is minimal evidence of implementation of the environmental interpretation plans designed to accomplish the PSI goals. Lack of financial resources remains the principal barrier to increased environmental interpretation and implementation at these sites. TABLE OF CONTENTS List of Figures ................................................................................................................................ vii List of Tables ................................................................................................................................... xi Acknowledgements ................................................................................................................... xiii 1. Introduction ......................................................................................................................................... 1 2. Literature Review .............................................................................................................................. 7 2.1 Research Questions and Methodology for Literature Review ................................... 7 2.2. Environmental Interpretation .............................................................................................. 9 2.3 Natural Resource Management of Puget Sound ........................................................... 26 2.4 The Puget Sound Initiative and Washington State Parks ......................................... 42 3. Original Research Design And Methodology ........................................................................ 45 3.1 Research Questions ................................................................................................................. 45 3.2 Methods for Original Research ........................................................................................... 46 3.3 Methods for Data Analysis .................................................................................................... 54 4. Case Study Results .......................................................................................................................... 57 4.1 Review of Washington State Parks Documents ........................................................... 57 4.2 First-hand Observation Data on Environmental Interpretation Available in Washington State Parks on Puget Sound ............................................................................... 99 4.3 Interviews with Parks Staff ................................................................................................ 113 4.4 Embedded Case Study Results .......................................................................................... 129 4.4a. Review of State Park Documents ............................................................................ 129 4.4b. First-Hand Observation Data in Four State Parks ............................................ 135 4.4.c. Interviews with Parks Staff and Volunteers ........................................................ 191 5. Discussion and Analysis ............................................................................................................. 211 5.1. Findings on the Potential of EI in Washington State Parks on Puget Sound .. 211 5.2. Reality of EI in State Parks on Puget Sound Compared to Ideals ....................... 218 6. Recommendations ........................................................................................................................ 247 7. Conclusion ........................................................................................................................................ 259 References ................................................................................................................................... 265 Appendices .................................................................................................................................. 273 v List of Figures Figure 1. Concept model of relationships linking interpretation with environmental education (Kohl, 2005). .................................................................................................... 14 Figure 2. Visual representation of amount of time average U.S citizen spends in formal educational system in their lifetime (NRC, 2009). ........................................................... 16 Figure 3. Conceptual model of processes (connections and meanings) defining the personresource relationship (Miller, 2010). ...................................................................... 18 Figure 4. Communication approach and outcomes of interpretation in natural protected areas (Newsome et al, 2013) ............................................................................................. 20 Figure 5. Map of Puget Sound’s watershed (PSP, 2012). ................................................. 27 Figure 6. Newspaper announcement on toxics in Puget Sound ........................................ 28 Figure 7. Visual model of Puget Sound Action Agenda recovery model (PSP, 2014) .... 34 Figure 8. EPA Outreach, Education, Stewardship program grant funding to Puget Sound Partnership to implement comprehensive public engagement program to advance Puget Sound 2020 Action Agenda (EPA, 2009). ........................................................................ 35 Figure 9. Awareness of phrase “Puget Sound Starts Here” among Puget Sound residents in 2013. ............................................................................................................................. 38 Figure 10. Rating of health and condition of Puget Sound waters among Puget Sound residents in 2013. .............................................................................................................. 39 Figure 11. Rating of how urgent the need to clean up and protect Puget Sound waters in 2013................................................................................................................................... 40 Figure 12. Agreement ratings for ‘one person’s actions can make a difference in improving the health of the waters and fish and wildlife habitat in the Puget Sound region' among Puget Sound residents in 2013 .................................................................. 41 Figure 13. Washington Department of Ecology Puget Sound Cleanup Projects .............. 48 Figure 14. State Parks on Puget Sound with PSI Projects (map from WSPRC Green Vision Plan. ....................................................................................................................... 50 Figure 15. Washington State Parks selected to showcase Green Vision Plans. ............... 52 Figure 16. WSPRC 2013 Centennial Plan performance goals authorized under RCW 79A.75.005 in 2004........................................................................................................... 73 Figure 17. WSPRC Green Vision Plan for Washington State Parks for Puget Sound friendly parks (2007)......................................................................................................... 80 Figure 17a. Example of Concept Plan for Twanoh State Park ........................................