What is the SPOP process?
“SPOP” stands for Sustainable Practices and Opportunities Plan. These plans result from a three-stage evaluation process, described below, which can be conducted by any park unit. Stage 1: Information Gathering The intent of this stage is to gather all relevant historical operational data, and to identify concerns and issues currently facing the park unit. Extensive interviews are conducted with park staff. The information assembled during this stage forms the baseline for subsequent stages of the SPOP process. Stage 2: Strategy Formulation In this stage, problems and opportunities are defined in relation to the operations of the park unit. This is done by reviewing historical trends in a set of indicators which are considered likely to be significant, such as “number of visitors per year,” or “vehicle miles traveled within the park.” These indicators will be used in the implementation stage to provide feedback on whether the park unit is moving towards greater sustainability. They sho
