Natural Resource Condition Assessment

Background

The National Park Service identified the need to better understand and evaluate existing data, and in some cases collect new site-specific data, to understand the state of knowledge and condition of natural resources within and adjacent to park units. The Natural Resource Condition Assessment Program will allow the NPS to gain this needed understanding and to eventually address threats and issues on watershed or regional scales. Information gained under this program will form the basis for development of actions to reduce and prevent impairment of Park resources through park and partnership efforts. Results of this assessment will provide 11 park units located in the National Capital Region Network with an integrated, overall evaluation of current natural resource conditions. The natural resource condition assessments will interpret natural resources in their regional context, evaluate overall condition status for key natural resources in targeted areas, document critical data and knowledge gaps, and highlight existing/emerging resource condition threats and stressors for each park.

The NCRN is working with the Integration and Applications Network (IAN) at the Univeristy of Maryland to aggregate existing data sets, synthezise maps, and develop assessment reports. The assessment of Rock Creek Park was completed in the Summer of 2009 and work on the assessments for Antietam National Battlefield, Manassas National Battlefield, and Monocacy National Battlefield are on-going. The assessments for the remaining network parks are scheduled to be completed by 2012.