Natural Resource Condition Assessments for Fort Monroe National Monument

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The Natural Resource Condition Assessment (NRCA) Program provides framework, funding, and publishing support to parks to aid in the synthesis and documentation of natural resource conditions. Condition assessment reports are a tool to describe selected park resources, and record a snapshot of their current condition, identify trends, and identify potential or current threats and stressors. Understanding the condition and trend of natural resources is key for parks and NPS planners to appropriately prioritize and allocate stewardship resources.


 

North Beach Area at Fort Monroe National Monument.

NPS photo

Fort Monroe National Monument has a diverse history spanning the American story from American Indian presence, Captain John Smith's journeys, first arrival of enslaved Africans in English North America, a safe haven for freedom seekers during the American Civil War, and a bastion of defense for the Chesapeake Bay through the 21st Century. Located at the tip of the Virginia Peninsula in Hampton, Virginia, the site includes the largest stone fort built in the United States. It was was formally added to the National Park System in 2011, recognizing millennia of human interactions with this landscape.

Natural resources within the 325-acre park boundary include ecologically diverse and productive saltmarsh wetlands and a variety of plants and animals.

NRCA reports completed for this park:

Traditional NRCA: 2018

Traditional NRCA Report: 2018

In an effort to better understand and manage the natural resources of the site, a Natural Resource Condition Assessment was completed, and published in 2018. Staff from the National Park Service (NPS), University of Richmond, and University of Maryland worked together to identify the natural resources and stressors to include in this condition assessment. The final report includes four resource topics:

		- Air
		- Water
		- Biota
		- Landscape dynamics

The condition of air resources at Fort Monroe National Monument was found to be of significant concern. Aquatic resources, biotic resources, and landscape dynamics were all assessed as being of moderate concern. Management issues of concern include rising sea level, the effects of increasingly frequent and intense coastal storms, history of military use, water quality degradation, introduction of exotic species, air pollution, habitat fragmentation, and the impacts of recreational use.

Links to NRCA Products
Materials produced by the park and the NRCA Program.

For other reports and natural resource datasets visit the NPS Data Store.

Source: Data Store Collection 7765 (results presented are a subset). To search for additional information, visit the Data Store.