Parks & Partners

The Northern Great Plains Network works with 13 parks in Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota and eastern Wyoming. These parks support unique natural resources, including large areas of northern mixed-grass prairie communities, critical river and riparian habitats, large herds of bison, and two of the four longest caves in the world.

Parks range in size from 444 acres at Fort Union Trading Post National Historic Site, to 242,756 acres at Badlands National Park, and include one national memorial, one national scenic river, one national recreational river, three national historic sites, four national monuments, and three national parks.

Parks

• Agate Fossil Beds National Monument
• Badlands National Park
• Devils Tower National Monument
• Fort Laramie National Historic Site
• Fort Union Trading Post National Historic Site
• Jewel Cave National Monument
• Knife River Indian Villages National Historic Site
• Missouri National Recreational River
• Mount Rushmore National Memorial
• Niobrara National Scenic River
• Scotts Bluff National Monument
• Theodore Roosevelt National Park
• Wind Cave National Park

Partnerships

Monitoring takes teamwork. Here are some partners who are essential to the work we do.

Invasive Plant Management

The Northern Great Plains Invasive Plant Management Team has multiple goals, all of which revolve around containing and preventing the spread of invasive species and restoring areas to native plant communities. Scientifically based research enables the team and parks to effectively and efficiently manage and control invasive species. For more information, please visit the NPS Invasive Plant Management Program.

Fire Effects Monitoring

Northern Great Plains Network collaborates with the NPS Fire Effects Monitoring group to share data collected from our plant communities monitoring research. We use the same monitoring software tool which encourages cooperative, interagency information sharing.

Bird Conservancy of the Rockies

NGPN collaborates with Bird Conservancy of the Rockies (formerly Rocky Mountain Bird Observatory) to accomplish landbird monitoring at all 13 parks. Bird Conservancy of the Rockies works with many partners, and conducts rigorous scientific monitoring and research that contributes to habitat conservation and informs management decisions.

Mosaics in Science Interns

The Mosaics in Science Diversity Internship Programs is designed to provide college students and recent graduates that are under-represented in STEM career fields with an opportunity to work in the field on natural resource science projects. Our current Mosaics in Science intern is Christian Knutson. Read Christian's blog to learn more about his science work in parks!