Research

Mount Rainier, North Cascades, and Olympic National Parks face increasing pressures from outside their boundaries. Declining air quality, introduction of non-native species, water pollution, incompatible uses of resources, and proximity to Puget Sound's growing urban development are among the challenges facing the ecosystems protected within the boundaries of the three parks.

To meet such challenges, the National Park Service Omnibus Act of 1998 set forth a research mandate for the Secretary of Interior to provide for the highest quality science and its use in decision making. The Act promotes cooperative agreements with universities and colleges to obtain multidisciplinary research results and information products to improve park management at local and regional levels. The legislation also encourages scientific study in parks by a broad range of entities so long as that research is commensurate with park protection.

As the first step in implementing its mandate, and in concert with the Natural Resource Challenge, the parks have increased their inventory and monitoring programs to gather baseline data that document the status and trends of ecosystem processes. The next step is to increase and improve the research studies conducted in the parks. Over time, such research will provide a body of scientific knowledge that will increase our understanding of natural and cultural resources as well as ecological processes. This knowledge will help us make informed decisions and better fulfill our management responsibilities as stewards of these unique lands.