Harpers Ferry Center National Park Service U.S. Department of the Interior Lake Clark National Park and Preserve Long-Range Interpretive Plan October 2010 Lake Clark National Park and Preserve Long-Range Interpretive Plan October 2010 Prepared by: Department of the Interior National Park Service Lake Clark National Park and Preserve Alaska Region Harpers Ferry Center Interpretive Planning Cover Photo: Twin Lakes Area Photo Credit: Wasserman / NPS Table of Contents Plan Highlights 2 Message from the Superintendent of Lake Clark National Park and Reserve 5 The Planning Process 6 Part One: Foundation for Planning 7 Site Background 8 Enabling Legislation 8 Mission, Purpose, and Signifi cance 9 Interpretive Themes 11 Desired Visitor Experiences 12 Park Visitors 14 Issues and Challenges Affecting Interpretation 16 Part Two: Existing Conditions 19 Information and Orientation 20 Facilities and Popular Destinations 21 Interpretive Media 25 Interpretive Media Assets 30 Personal Services 31 Partnerships 36 Part Three: Recommendations 38 Goals for Interpretive Planning 39 Research and Evaluation Needs 50 Staffi ng and Training Needs 51 Implementation Plan 52 Appendices 59 Appendix A: The Planning Team 60 Appendix B: Accessibility Guidelines 62 Appendix C: Interpretive Themes and Stories 63 Plan Highlights During the next seven to ten years Lake Clark National Park and Preserve interpretive services will provide visitors with opportunities to increase their understanding and appreciation for the park and its resources; to engage in local educational opportunities; and to protect the park resources. To provide an active, engaging interpretive program, park staff and partners will work together focused on the following goals: Develop Marketing Strategies and Improve Orientation Connect to Virtual Visitors Upgrade and Improve Interpretive Services at the Port Alsworth Visitor Center Complex Upgrade and Improve Site-Specifi c Interpretation Improve Existing Interpretive Programs Increase Interpretive Opportunities in Homer Expand Existing and Develop New Educational Opportunities Use Interpretation and Education to Address Resource and Safety Concerns Expand Existing and Develop New Opportunities to Engage Youth Maintain and Grow Existing Partnerships and Explore New Partnership Opportunities Fully Integrate Commercial Services into the Interpretive Program Expand the Volunteer Program 2 I National Park Service The park and preserve is a cultural landscape long used by indigenous r e peoples. The Dena'ina Athabascans have lived in this area for over a iv R t thousand years. Many place names recall stories or events or identify a if E S k T Sw family lineage with the place. w e n North G t n a 0 5 20 Kilometers R C iver Snowcap hillig 0 5 20 Miles Mountain an N Ri Mount ver Torbert A 11413ft Private Lands 3479m C Many tracts of private lands Lake Clark Native Corporations A P in and near the park and National Park Lands R P preserve are not open to Please do not trespass. public use or travel without Lake Clark National Preserve N land owners’ permission. Be a g courteous and respect is Wilderness area Ranger station h Mount Spurr private property. boundary r la 11070ft r Rive m e a in 3374m v itn a i Ig A R R iv e r K M e rri y ll Rive LA K E ha n r A M N A C S o K A CH t t Merrill S CH A o S r n e Pass An iv ot y R he iver Riv r R Kenibuna e r Two Lakes A Lake (Tutnutl'ech'a Vena) The L Tusk r e iv R s A n o c a e eacol N N R IE AC GL DE K A WILDERNESS AREA OC Old Village BL site Tel H LA K E ana Riv aq E FI S qu er uan H I T la a Lake Telaquana W Te (Dil Pass Blockade ah Vena) LAKE CLARK Lake NATIONAL PRESERVE ig River Lake Clark Pass k B M (Qizhjeh Vena Tustes) or Big u F (V lc th River a h Summit r /t a Telaquana S o Lakes s tn Lake N 'a a Mountain tn 8020ft S a R Turquoise Lake L q iv 2445m N L ' e (Vandaztun Vena) I ) r LAKE CLARK I H B i r g e A iv R A NATIONAL PARK R ig Z iver B R T DOUBLE k N tna or dro tnu) F A ka ghu Twin Lakes uth ili k'id (Ni/qidlin So N Ch ila N (Ts Vena) GLACIER O Richard Proenneke iver B Snipe Lake R U (K'ada/a Vena) Historic Site River O River jik ift K i Dr ) M u T n B t U a h il n O Fishtrap Lake ak a D Portage ik il E (Nunch'qe/chixi Tl Q r Lake e R Vena) a iv iq' R (/ nk oto Redoubt Volcano Otter ok T Lachbuna Lake Lake Ch (Bentuggezh r (Nl'a/i Vena) ve I K'enulgheli) Caribou i ) 10197ft R nu Lake s /t 3108m k a ji d k i ' r k K l a M 'a C h e k e C g La ( a k e t t t l G r e Li e o r P C I Kijik Mountain K (K'unust'an) Crescent R ) Kijik Lake A A H Lake (K'q'uya Vena) L N C Kijik site C re E s c (Qizhjeh) V C e P Caution. C er n o Private property u iv t ll H rr eek R y Redoubt Point K ok interspersed with an Cr i R C se E E t n i re tn public lands. d v ek a K J e e x r R A H u iv L Z Tomm T e I y r C Q r R T ( E U I X E Tanalian Mountain C D N I (Tanq'nust'in) A B L A Native Corporations Port Alsworth WILDERNESS AREA Y G Visitor Center I Long Lands National Park Tanalian River N E D Lake Field Headquarters (Tanilen Vetnu) E CHISIK r Tanalian Falls Trail, X ISLAND e Kontrashibuna Lake U v T Ri Post Office, lodgings, (Qen/ghishi Vena) Ch a t and private airstrips ulitn in o G P (C ) s h'alitnu ye K e Joh Slope ns N on Mountain R 3510ft iv 1070m er Lower Tazimina Lake Upper Tazimina Lake A Iliamna Volcano T Sixmile Lake (Taz'in Vena) (Unqeghnich'en Tazin Vena) (Ch'naqa/'in) (Nundaltin) 10016ft Pickeral 3053m Silver E Nondalton Native Lakes R Salmon (Nuvendaltin) W Lakes e s t Silver L r G Corporations ive Salmon R l a a Creek n c i i m e i r r Hickerson N z e N k a v C Lake T i r e R e e Lands e r k I C e il k A i Alexy P r a l Lake a T r Roadhouse I C Y e Mountain A B A r v ) l I T N e N e i u C H I p R n a p t r U w n e T a e V te l r l Creek i Pedro Bay K a A h h L g Pile Bay Village U w U u e S O N N N ( Iliamna Y I A E N B E Newhalen E P I L Old Iliamna Y O P L A N Village site B I K S N I C A I N K E K I S L A Meadow I N N A A ) Lake I M E N I A A V I L I L ( N Lake Clark National Park and Preserve Lake Clark National Park and Preserve Long-Range Interpretive Plan I 3 NPS Summit of Iliamna Volcano viewed from the Kenai Peninsula 4 I National Park Service Message from the Superintendent of Lake Clark National Park and Preserve In 1980, Lake Clark National Park and Preserve was one of thirteen National Park System units created or expanded by the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act. Covering over four million acres, the park includes Lake Clark, the sixth largest lake in Alaska, three national wild rivers, and two active volcanoes. Arriving almost exclusively by small aircraft, visitors fi nd themselves in a wilderness where they can explore, see, and experience a largely undisturbed natural landscape. Due to the remote nature of the park, visitor services are also off ered in the gateway community of Homer, Alaska. The Long-Range Interpretive Plan is a document that sharpens our focus and draws together all of the education and interpretation eff orts related to the national park and preserve. The Foundation for Planning section of this document defi nes the park themes, identifi es the desired visitor experience, lists issues and challenges, and describes the existing condition of the interpretive services within the park. The Recommendations section identifi es the specifi c actions that we and our partners intend to take to meet our vision for the future of interpretation over the next seven to ten years. Lake Clark National Park and Preserve is supported through partnerships with many local, regional, and national organizations. The park staff engaged partners, local community members, commercial operators, and many others throughout the planning process. This collaborative eff ort produced a more comprehensive and inclusive look at how we will interpret the park to visitors in the future. By providing a broad spectrum of services, including a variety of media using the most current technologies, more visitors will be encouraged to experience the park in person as well as virtually.