Baseline General SurveysA good source of information about various resources in a National Park can be found in resource specific surveys and plans. A guide to the various NPS natural resource plans can be found in the NPS Park Planning: Planning Catalog (January 2020). The catalog provides an overview of the purpose for various natural resource planning and management studies as well as how they can be used for project development. The catalog can also be used to provide a guide to developing additional resource management studies which may be beneficial to a specific park resource. The Natural Resource Condition Assessment (NRCA) Program provides funds and oversight to evaluate the condition of natural resources in parks. Condition assessments are a tool for park managers to document current conditions, trends, critical data gaps, and drivers and stressors. Project findings provide credible science to assist planning, management, and stewardship activities. Potential impacts to natural resources that may result from NPS projects are identified and considered as part of the Planning/Pre-NEPA (National Environmental Policy Act) part of the Project Impact Evaluation Process. Studies are developed to target the specific issues associated with that resource and may include studies like wetland delineations, biological surveys, air quality and visual impact evaluations and more. The scale and scope of these studies are tailored to the individual project and resource issues. Additional References |
Last updated: December 7, 2021