Enterprise Architecture helps the National Parks Serive

Volunteer crew around a sequia

Week 9
If you asked the National Park Service if they used Enterprise Architecture for their project, they would say no. However, if you look at what they are doing, there are a lot of similarities. Firstly, they have clear principles and guidelines for what they want to accomplish. They create a future state vision for what they think the park needs. And they create a project plan using technology to help them.

Working in my safety vest in front of Grizzly Giant

One project currently underway is in the Restoration of the Maraposa Grove in Yosemite. The National Park Service has been trying to do a restoration project since the 1980s to save the giant sequoia trees.  Sequoia's are the largest tress, actually the largest living organisms, and can live to be 3,000 years old. Unfortunately, sequoias meed a lot of water, and because the root systems are shallow, they are sensitive to ground compacting around their base.

Wild roses

The environmental impact study (EIS) of the Maraposa Grove found that the parking lot and roads were shunting of precious water away from the trees. The tram system used to take visitors to see the tress was creating further damage. The trams were getting too close to the tree bases, and the area that the concessioner used to work on trams block some of the most beautiful trees to visitors. And only 10% of visitors actually used the trams. Finally, the paths around the trees no option for the disabled.

The plan has required clear information from the EIS. Communication with the government, local residents, and visitors to the park has been extremely important. Much of the funding has come from the Yosemite Conservancy. Awareness of sources of funding for the project is important. The project needs to ensure visitors can see the sequoias while still protecting the tress. The National Park Service is following the lead of others who have created a raised walkway that will allow people to see the vegetation without touching it. The walkway will also be ADA compliant. There will continue to be a trail to the upper grove, this will allow people to walk all the way up. And using the latest technology for low impact roadway material, the park will still be able to get maintenance vehicles to the top of the park without water run off or compacting of the soil around the tree roots.

Here is a better picture of the Grizzly Giant
Those ant looking things at the base are people

A well led assessment with a clear understanding of the end-state and guiding principles can ensure that any project delivers the best possible outcome for the lowest possible cost. whether it is a system implementation at work, or a National Park Service Restoration project.