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Alaska Region
Inventory and Monitoring Program
The National Park Service has implemented a strategy designed to institutionalize natural resources inventory and monitoring on a programmatic basis throughout the agency. The 270 national parks have been grouped into 32 vital signs networks linked by geographic similarities, common natural resources, and resource protection challenges. The network approach facilitates collaboration, information sharing, and economies of scale in natural resource monitoring. The approach also provides parks with a “minimum infrastructure” to initiate natural resource monitoring.
Alaska National Parks have been grouped into four I&M Networks:
- Arctic Network (ARCN), headquarters stationed in Fairbanks
- Central Alaska Network (CAKN), headquarters stationed in Fairbanks
- Southeast Alaska Network (SEAN), headquarters stationed in Juneau
- Southwest Alaska Network (SWAN), headquarters stationed in Anchorage
The regional I&M Program coordinator provides oversight to these networks and is located in the Alaska Regional Office (AKRO) in Anchorage. Other regional natural resource scientists, regional and park GIS staff, and the regional science advisor are also located at AKRO.
All Alaska Networks have their respective Board of Directors: made up of superintendents, the regional I&M coordinator, and regional science advisor, and; a Technical Committee: made up of park resource staff, selected regional resource staff, and a liaison from USGS, Biological Resources Division. Some members of the Technical Committee are members in more than one network, providing cross referencing and coordination. More detailed information on the Board of Directors and Technical Committee can be found in the respective network Charter.
Each Alaska Network manages its respective program. However, the Alaska Networks may share common data resources such as support from the regional office and from Alaska-based partners. Alaska Networks also share common challenges in implementation with the remote nature of the parks and are working together to find solutions.
