It is a new fiscal year at the Eppley Institute for Parks and Public Lands, and we have a very busy year ahead of us! We have been awarded several new projects within the last couple of months. Below is a list of what we have on the horizon.

Arthur Carhart National Wilderness Training Center: We received additional funding to conduct an instructional design review and course content revision to two previously developed Eppley/Carhart courses: Wilderness Act and Minimum Requirements Act. We're also hard at work on a new Annual Work Plan that will increase our collaboration with the Arthur Carhart Center.

Bureau of Land Management: The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) recently approached Eppley about their staff completing our online training courses through the Eppley Training Site (ETS). After obtaining more detailed information about the Institute and the types of training we create, BLM purchased 600 of our online training courses!

City of Boulder, Colorado, Parks and Recreation: The Eppley Institute received additional funding to participate in the development of an organizational assessment that will review and analyze all functions of Boulder's Parks and Recreation Department. The assessment will identify strategies to shift workloads and staffing structures to address mission-centric activities.

National Park Service Facility Management Program: We are continuing our relationship with the National Park Service Facility Management Division's Facility Management Program (FMP) for the 12th year in a row via a three-task contract. Eppley will continue to support the continuation of all FMP courses and initiatives, the update and revision of the Project Scoping Tool curriculum, and the continuation of the Facility Manager Leaders Program (FMLP). FMLP is a year-long course of study that represents a commitment to ongoing professional development for all FMP employees.

National Park Service Human Resources Gap Analysis: Indiana University was recently approved to be on the General Services Administration (GSA) schedule, and the Eppley Institute was awarded the University's first GSA contract. The Eppley Institute will evaluate a gap analysis of the National Park Service (NPS) Human Resources Career Field through the design, development, and administration of a survey. Survey results will be used to prioritize and design training events to meet the needs of the NPS Human Resource Field.

National Park Service Interpretive Development Program: We began working with the National Park Service (NPS) Interpretive Development Program in 2004. Recently, we signed a new cooperative agreement that allows us to continue to advance our primary goal of combining NPS and Eppley resources and expertise to promote the acquisition and transfer of knowledge regarding critical resource interpretation. Under the agreement, Eppley will conduct research and compile best practices for interpreting climate change and the period between the Civil War and the Civil Rights Movement.

National Park Service Special Park Use Program: This brand new project falls under our Great Lakes Northern Forest Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit. The Eppley Institute will provide knowledge, understanding, opportunities, and accountability of Special Park Use processing for public and private land owners as the processing relates to cost recovery authorities.

Staff members at the Eppley Institute for Parks and Public Lands are very excited about these opportunities and cannot wait to provide excellent service and products to our partners!