Next week the National Park Service (NPS) will begin work on a Comprehensive Interpretive Plan (CIP) for Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore and as part of that process is seeking input from the public and interested groups at two public meetings scheduled for Saturday, March 6.

This plan will define the National Lakeshore’s interpretive program for the next few years.

Public meetings will be held from 1 to 3 p.m. in Room 231 in the library at Indiana University-Northwest, 3400 Broadway in Gary; and from 5 to 7 p.m. at the Dorothy Buell Memorial Visitor Center, 1420 Munson Road in Porter.

These open-house style meetings will provide an opportunity for interested individuals to review, discuss, and comment on the interpretive themes and visitor experiences being considered.

Acting Chief of Interpretation Karen Haner emphasized that the public plays a vital role in helping to shape the future of the park’s interpretive operations. “This plan will establish a foundation of how we will base our decisions for the next seven to ten years,” she said. “While the National Park Service will ultimately make decisions on a variety of factors, including law, established interpretation standards, guiding policies, budget, and staffing, the perspectives of the public are an important part of the plan.”

The CIP process helps parks make choices and is written to provide guidance to park staff, NPS said. It helps the park decide its education objectives, the programs audiences, and what mix of media and personal services to use. Although the CIP process contains specific elements, good planning is customized to meet an individual park's needs and situations.

“The CIP is not a recipe,” NPS said. “Rather it is a guide to effective, goal-driven planning. While it considers past interpretive programming, it is primarily a forward-looking document that concentrates on actions needed to create or sustain a vigorous and effective interpretive program for the future.”

To learn more about the CIP process, specific information about Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore interpretive planning, and the park, visit www.nps.gov/indu

Posted 2/26/2010