Direction for interpretive programming from Alberta Provincial Park management plans

Abstract

Park management plans provide strategic direction for the future management of specific parks. These plans set goals and strategies for many park management concerns, including ecological integrity, visitor services, facilities, boundaries, and resource allocation. Understanding interpretive goals, topics, and strategies will help a park or park system develop a coherent approach to interpretive planning, delivery, and evaluation. This study determined how interpretation was prioritized in Alberta provincial parks’ management plans. We analyzed 32 management plans based on length (average of 80 pages), age (average of 14 years), goals, topics