So when Ayres was hired to work on developing the Sinks Canyon Master Plan , Ashby said , “ I jumped at the chance to be able to work in that environment , because Lander is such an amazing place .”
Carruthers credits Ashby and his Ayres development services group – which included a landscape architect and a parks planning team – with broadening the approach to the Master Plan and involving the public in that process .
“ Perhaps the greatest benefit in bringing in Ayres is that they helped us with really thinking of the park as a holistic unit ,” she said . “ And they were very engaged publicly . They were intent on public satisfaction with the project . I really liked that .”
Ashby described his role in the process as “ keeping a focus on the big picture .” That picture came into focus during a series of 16 public input and steering committee meetings held between April 2019 and July 2020 .
“ That public engagement process was different from other State Parks projects I ’ ve worked on ,” Carruthers said , adding that the meetings generated a tremendous amount of public
support as Lander residents shared their dreams for the future of Sinks Canyon .
“ By spurring us to think bigger and outside the box , Ayres helped show the public what the park could be ,” Carruthers said . In particular , she cited Ayres ’ effective use of photos , maps , and other graphics during the public meetings .
“ That got people even more excited ,” she said , adding that those graphics , now included in the final draft of the Master Plan , have been helpful in soliciting private funding to augment the state legislature ’ s financial commitment to the plan ’ s implementation .
“ We have been lucky to receive private and corporate donations for amenities in our parks system but are thrilled to see locals engaged in this process and committed to improving the area ,” Carruthers said .
PARK REALIGNMENT NEEDED
A major recommendation of the Master Plan is presenting Sinks Canyon State Park to visitors in a more logical fashion . www . AyresAssociates . com 5