The National Capital Region's Resource Stewardship and Science (RESS) directorate helps develop resource management programs through collaboration and coordination of professional staff in scientific and scholarly research. We also provide technical assistance, analysis, and evaluation of a wide range of resource management issues in biology, ecology, archeology, cultural anthropology, history, and historic preservation.
The RESS directorate is broadly broken out into cultural and natural resource programs. The museum program staff located at the Museum Resource Center cares for museum collections as well as provides support to National Capital Region parks. The Chesapeake Watershed Cooperative Ecosystems Studies Unit fosters strong regional relationships with universities, non-profit organizations, and other federal agencies. The National Historic Landmarks program strives to identify, recognize, and preserve historic properties (both within and outside of national parks) that illustrate the heritage of the United States.