Natural Resource Condition Assessments for Weir Farm National Historic Site

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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.

 

Weir Farm National Historic Site Secret Garden.

NPS/Victoria Stauffenberg.

Weir Farm National Historic Site, located in southwestern Connecticut, preserves a significant site of American Impressionism and maintains a setting of artistic expression, while offering opportunities for inspiration and education. The site was established in 1990 to preserve and interpret the landscapes associated with J. Alden Weir and his impact on Impressionism of American art. These rolling hills, fields and forest, stone walls, rock outcrops, streams and a pond were inspirational to Weir and other artists, and provide important open space habitats for numerous species including 21 mammal species (including 5 bats), at least 70 bird species, 3 fish species, 12 amphibian species, 7 reptile species and 21 butterfly species.

NRCA reports completed for this park:

Traditional NRCA: 2016

Traditional NRCA Report: 2016

In an effort to better understand the natural resources and processes within this Historic Site, a Natural Resource Condition Assessment was conducted and published in 2016. Available data and the needs of the National Historic Site were evaluated, and the following resources were chosen to be evaluated:

		- Air and climate
		- Geology and soils
		- Water
		- Biological integrity
		- Human use
		- Landscapes

The indicators within each of these resources were mixed in condition ratings. Seven indicators were in good condition; ten indicators were in a condition of moderate concern; ten indicators were in a condition of significant concern; and four indicators were not assigned a condition score, due to lack of data or undefined metrics. Overall, assessment of natural resource condition at Weir Farms National Historic Site reflects condition supportive of a wide variety of native flora and fauna within the park ecosystems. Resource managers will continue to manage wetlands, forests, and native vegetation and to steward all other resources found within the park.

Links to other 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.