100 National Park Service Units: A Milestone for Axias

The National Park Service (NPS) has been an integral part of Axias’ work since 2014. From our very first project, providing cost estimates for the renovation of the Historic Carter G. Woodson Home in Washington, DC to today, Axias has now supported projects at 100 different NPS sites.

Fun fact—the National Park Service oversees more than just “National Parks.” While the 63 National Parks are the crown jewels of the NPS, there are more than 400 different “NPS Units”. Monuments, Historic Sites, Historical Parks, Memorials, Seashores, Lakeshores, Recreation Areas, Preserves, Battlefields, and Scenic Rivers, among others. These designations serve different purposes: some protect vast natural landscapes and ecosystems; others preserve places of pivotal historic events; still others commemorate individuals, safeguard shorelines, or provide recreational access to rivers and reservoirs. Axias’ cost estimators and facility assessors have seen them all!

Projects for NPS are rarely routine. Each park presents its own unique constraints, from remote locations to challenging environmental conditions. Working in these environments pushes us to think more critically about construction logistics, risk, and constructability, and it ultimately makes us better professionals by continually expanding our understanding of how projects are actually built and who will build them.

So, what marks our 100th? The Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve. This National Park has a focus on protection and recreation, with a preserve section that allows for regulated hunting. Great Sand Dunes National Park has unique geography that has resulted in the formation of the tallest dunes in North America, sitting at the base of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains.

As we hit this milestone, we asked our staff about their favorite experiences in National Parks, for business or pleasure.

Martin’s favorite park is the Shenandoah National Park because, as he puts it, “It’s right here in our backyard and has great views!” Also noting his love for The Apple House restaurant for the crazy good donuts, and of course flyfishing.

Martin Jacobs, MRICS
Principal

Matt Owens has been a key part of Axias’ work with NPS since project one, working on more NPS projects than anyone on the Axias team! He’s seen it all on NPS projects, from comfort stations to trails and visitor centers to complex infrastructure improvements like the water system replacement at Big Bend National Park. With all he’s seen, Matt’s favorite National Park is Rocky Mountain for its abundant wildlife and gorgeous views.

Matt Owens
Vice President

Grace shares Matt’s love for the Rocky Mountain National Park as a former Colorado resident, but her favorite NPS project was in Yosemite National Park. She knows a lot about the wastewater system and backpacker camp at Glen Aulin (sadly only conducting the value management workshop virtually).

Grace Hagan, CVS
Value Engineer

John counts Yellowstone as his favorite park. He shared, “The last time I was there, I heard elk bugling as I walked from my car to the NPS office building for a meeting. It was incredible. Also, being ‘local’, I love having the option of taking the Beartooth Pass home, weather permitting.”

John Adams
Senior Cost Manager

Last year, Maneel visited Mount Rainier National Park as part of a site visit for a wastewater treatment rehabilitation project. Even though the weather was warm, the mountain was still capped with snow, and he captured some amazing photos. Maneel shared:
“The estimate for this project was particularly interesting because we had to account for several site-specific conditions, including snow removal requirements and the potential for unknown underground rock, in addition to the typical considerations associated with wastewater pipeline rehabilitation.”

Maneel Patel
Senior Cost Manager

Dave has worked at many NPS units over his time with Axias, but of all the parks, he calls the Great Smoky Mountains his favorite. The jaw-dropping scenery and cute black bears he saw while completing a condition assessment of horse trail facilities made a lasting impact on him, and the park’s accessibility from the East Coast makes a trip back with the family a high priority.

Dave Evans
Lead Facility Condition Assessor

Luke got to visit the lesser-known Isle Royale National Park for his work with Axias, participating in a site visit for a new dock construction project. He learned some interesting things about the park’s unique wildlife, which includes the longest study of the cohabitation of gray wolves and moose.

Luke Argent
Facility Assessor

And finally, last summer, Laura discovered Big Horn Canyon National Recreation Area (while on a road trip that took her to Badlands, Mount Rushmore, Wind Cave, Devils Tower, The Big Horn National Forest, Yellowstone, Grand Tetons, and Theodore Roosevelt National Park.)
“We just stumbled upon Big Horn Canyon Recreation Area, which sits right on the border of Wyoming and Montana. The views were stunning, the lack of people … amazing. We had the whole place to ourselves, just us and the Big Horn Sheep.”

Laura Okell
Director of Marketing & Proposals