About Us
The Southeast Coast Network (SECN) is one of 32 National Park Service (NPS) Networks established to implement an integrated monitoring program under the Natural Resource Challenge. The SECN contains twenty parks, seventeen of which contain significant and diverse natural resources. In total, SECN parks encompass more than 184,000 acres of federally-managed land across North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama and Florida. The parks range in size from slightly more than 20 acres to nearly 60,000 acres and when considered with non-federal lands jointly managed with SECN parks the Network encompasses more than 253,000 acres.
The SECN Board of Directors (Board) is comprised of five Network park Superintendents and the Southeast Region Inventory and Monitoring Coordinator - with one Superintendent to serve as chairperson. The Board promotes accountability and effectiveness by reviewing progress towards goals, providing quality controls, and reviewing Network expenditures. The Board collaborates with the Network Coordinator, Technical Steering Committee and Network Park's Resource Staff in the overall design and implementation of Vital Signs monitoring and in other management activities related to the Natural Resource Challenge.
The Technical Steering Committee is comprised of resource managers (elected by the Network Park Resource Representatives and the concurrence of their Park Superintendent) and non-voting, volunteer scientists as needed. The Committee includes the Network Coordinator, Science Information Specialist, CESU Coordinator and park resource managers. Other scientists with knowledge of sampling procedures, monitoring techniques and statistical methods also serve as reviewers to evaluate conceptual designs, monitoring strategies and the ecological relevance of monitoring proposals.