DNR
Home PageVisioning/Leadership Session - July 9, 2008
State Parks Visioning Ideas Summary
The following are several ideas within each of key categories or areas of state parks management and planning priorities that have been acquired from a visioning process over the past year.
Funding
[Although State Parks have a dedicated source of funds there is a growing realization these funds are not sufficient to adequately manage and maintain our properties on the long term. We need to identify options for additional funding to supplement the dedicated tax.]
Projects Matching Grants: Develop a program where funds are set aside in the Divisional budget to encourage local and statewide external funds for key, but maybe not the highest priority, projects. The Missouri State Parks Foundation would likely be involved in coordinating local fundraising for projects.
Revenue Bonding: Seek Legislative appropriations to use our Revenue Bonding authority to improve revenue producing facilities like cabins, marinas, lodges and campgrounds.
General Revenue for Capital Projects: Currently, the Division receives NO General Tax revenue. Seek Legislative approval to use General Fund revenue for all new Capital Projects. This would free up nearly one million dollars per year for use in maintaining current facilities.
Dedicated Funding for the Katy Trail: Seek to find a funding source to operate and maintain the Katy Trail. This option would free up two million dollars annually for use in maintaining current facilities.
Marketing and Promotions
Develop a “ retro “ marketing program: This program would use older type of promotions to show the history and traditions of Missouri state parks promotion to show changes and draw attention to state parks and encourage visitation.
Develop an annual park season Kick Off campaign: This might include incentives like free tours, camping, etc. and be done in the early spring to draw attention to the benefits of visiting state parks.
Upgrade Web Site: Continually update and improve the website to create an identity among today’s population which encourages them to visit our website and visit state parks and sites.
Create a free camping week or weekend: Have an early season week or weekend, where state parks and historic sites are free. This accomplishes two things. First it gets people interested in and visiting state parks and sites early in the year, which data shows will create more frequent visits during the year. Secondly, it will expose the system to those who may not have the means to use the parks and pay the fees.
The other benefit would be to create excitement and focus about state parks early in the year.
Missouri Outdoors Promotion: Work with Tourism, MDC, USFWS, NPS and Corps of Engineers to develop materials to promote the use of the outdoors in Missouri. The natural resource management agencies all have their own information and promotions… but there seems to be a need to have an integrated promotional campaign to maximize the impact, provide information and encourage use.
Diversity
Develop Diverse History in existing sites: Many of our existing parks and sites have significant, but underdeveloped or latent, histories involving the diverse population of Missouri. These histories should be identified, researched and presented as a priority within the state parks system.
Expand Urban Programs: Develop urban programs to engage children and adults of minority populations in activities which can be utilized in state parks and historic sites. Expand the program which provides outdoor skills training in urban settings ( WOW ), work with non profit and church groups to bring those populations to state parks and historic sites, create an Urban Jr. Naturalist, or Jr. Explorer program to engage these populations and encourage their use of their state parks and historic sites.
Recruit More Minority Employees: It is a known fact that diverse and first time visitors to state parks feel better connected to the site and system if they see people like themselves working in and connecting with them in parks. Develop an aggressive diversity program to attract and retain minority populations to work in Missouri State Parks and Historic Sites.
Staff Expansion and Training
Historic Restoration Team: Develop a 4 – 6 person team of construction and maintenance staff to develop specific competencies in historic restoration and enhance their training to create a statewide crew to work on renovation and restoration of high priority historic resources in the system.
University Agreement: Develop a comprehensive agreement with a University with a strong minority representation to create an integrated recruitment, internships, research and interpretive relationship which focuses on diverse themes.
Upgrade our Volunteer Program: Seek to double our Volunteer hours by creating more focus and positions to improve recruitment, evaluation and retention of volunteers in the system. Seek to have a full time volunteer coordinator in Jefferson City, Lebanon, Festus, and Brookfield, in addition to the statewide coordinator.
State Parks Ambassadors: Recruit and train retirees from DNR, Campground Hosts, Katy Volunteers and camping clubs to be ambassadors for state parks and historic sites. Hold an annual training conference, provide materials and set objectives for them to spread the word about our state parks and historic sites with the goal of getting more people connected to their parks and increase visitation.
Create a “ Meet the Employee “ Section on Web: The purpose would be to have web users and those interested in working in state parks see the faces of our employees and learn a bit about what they do. Each park/site would have photos of all their staff and a bit about what they do. There could also be a section on groups of positions.. like interpreters.. where a couple of them write a journal of what they do and why they like their jobs.
Programs and Events Expansion
Increase the number of Interpreters and Historians: To connect with parks and sites and to value them requires more information and experience. People need to touch, feel, smell and experience parks and sites… creating a connection… this can best be done with professional guidance.
Use emerging technology to improve interpretation: New wireless technology and website development creates opportunities to easily provide information at any site within a park. To download a short talk by a historian, or interpretative material at a remote site, such as Ilinwek Village, would bring that site alive and increase peoples knowledge of and connection to the site.
Use Special Events to diversify our programs and visitation: Reaching unserved audiences is important now and in the future. We can highlight our parks and sites by creating targeted special events to bring people to a park or site for an event of interest to them and then help them see other options for them at this and other state parks and historic sites. Examples: Pow Wow’s, Folk Life Festivals, Cinco DiMayo events, Juneteenth, and other multi-cultural events.
Eco and Historic Tours Use the expertise of our current staff and retirees to offer eco tours or historic tours that highlight the resources of our parks. These tours could be about CCC architecture, Civil War sites, Caves, Mills, Bridges, etc….
Bilingual Brochures: Increase the number of bilingual signing and informational brochures to assist new residents and visitors to Missouri find places of interest and where they can recreate.
Interpretation on Wheels: Create regional interpretative vans, with staffing, that would take interpretation to the locations where people are.. ie.. fairs, events, schools and community centers. This would elevate the interest of these visitors to the area state parks.
New or Expanded Facilities
Historic Sites and Museum Affiliates Program. To expand our interpretative efforts and tell more inclusive stories, without expanding the physical inventory of the park system we could enter into agreements with local historic properties and museums to integrate them into an overall plan to expand the interpretive themes and messages of the state parks system. This likely would involve signing an agreement with these entities and allow our staff to help with Technical Assistance, exhibit development and limited capital improvement and operating subsidies. Examples might include: Father Moses Slave Museum in Ash Grove; Mary Meachum Underground Railroad site; Bequette Ribeaudeaux House in St. Gen.
Increase Land Acquisition Effort. To acquire properties for future development or to protect existing parks and sites will require expanded land acquisition.
Accessible Trail Loops at each Park and Site. This would allow those who need fitness walks a consistent pathway for them to use, plus encourage older residents and those with disabilities to utilize the park more fully.
Acquire Diverse Sites. Target new acquisitions towards underdeveloped or non-existing sites that present a more inclusive history and stories in Missouri.
Acquire and develop a site to represent the agricultural history of Missouri. We do not have a site which preserves the agricultural history of our state.
