The National Park Service’s (NPS) Denver Service Center (DSC) administers the Revegetation Program portion of the Park Roads and Parkways Program (PRP Program). Revegetation guidelines require park units (parks) to prepare a revegetation plan, an implementation schedule, and multiyear cost estimates.

Technical advisors and specialists are available to manage or consult on issues associated with revegetation with native plants, erosion control, and site restoration. DSC revegetation staff is also available to prepare plans, review plans, or provide assistance. Program staff work directly with the parks to create a tailored project that meets the individual park’s needs. In addition, the program works cooperatively, through an interagency agreement, with the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) to produce seed and grow plants for revegetation efforts. Two national technical advisors, one from each agency, manage the day-to-day workings of the Revegetation Program.

The NRCS provides revegetation technical assistance to the DSC and the parks and has plant material centers throughout the country. These centers increase seed and propagate container and bare-root plants from local genetic stocks for park roads projects. DSC staff coordinate all activities with the NRCS.

The DSC revegetation staff also has indefinite quantities contracts (IDIQs) with private companies to accomplish the work. These companies offer a full range of revegetative services to the parks. The IDIQ contracts allow task (work) orders to be billed under the contracts. The management and monitoring of the task orders and IDIQ contracts are the responsibilities of the DSC revegetation staff.

Program capabilities include the following:

• Assisting parks in preparing funding requests, revegetation plans, project specifications, and contracts for revegetation services.
• Providing technical assistance on site preparation, plant establishment, weed control, seed collection, and processing.
• Providing high-quality custom-grown container plants and field production of native forb and grass seed from site-specific collections.
• Identifying plant species needed and collecting and processing native seed.
• Controlling invasive species.
• Ensuring genetic integrity.
• Identifying threatened and endangered species.

Following is a brief listing of project services.

Planning/Design

• Program Management Information Systems (PMIS) — Provide assistance with preparing revegetation elements for the PMIS statement.
• Scoping — Participate at scoping meetings to help identify revegetation issues and concerns, including types of vegetation impacted and resulting revegetation needs.
• Revegetation Plan — Prepare or assist with preparing a plan that specifies a revegetation strategy as well as area disturbed, species, required plant sizes, quantities, and a multi-year cost estimate.
• Environmental Documents — Provide revegetation-related input for compliance documents.
• Project Plans and Specifications — Provide technical review at various stages of project design
  and construction.

Construction

• Preconstruction Meeting — Address revegetation concerns in consultation with park staff.
• Coordination — Communicate through meetings, phone calls, or emails on a regular basis regarding project progress and concerns.
• Installation — Accomplish installation with park staff or a contracted company. Supervision is normally performed by the park or DSC revegetation staff.
• Contract Supervision — Track and record deliveries, invoices, and monies spent on IDIQ task orders.

Monitoring

• Methodology — Prepare or assist in preparing a system of written records, photographs, and scheduled site inspections that are crucial to every revegetation project. Three levels of monitoring are recommended, depending on the size and complexity of the project:
1. a set of before and after photographs taken from permanent (GPS) photo points,
2. level 1 plus the recording of detailed field notes following a set format, or
3. level 1 plus a statistical sampling design.

Monitoring should begin before construction and extend several years after construction. Knowing project weaknesses and strengths of each project will benefit future undertakings.

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