Heartland Network Natural Resource Monitoring Program

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Heartland Network Natural Resource Monitoring
Program
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Cultural and Natural Significance of Heartland
Network Parks

• Protecting the Habitat of Our Heritage
• Free Flowing Rivers and Streams
• Presidents
• Deciduous Forests
• Civil War battlefields
• Prairies and Savannas
• Native Americans
• Wetlands
• Westward Expansion

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History of Natural Resource Management in NPS

• 1930s. Amidst an agency dominated by landscape
  architects and engineers, George Wright uses his
  private fortune to conduct the first faunal
  inventories of NPS units. (Note the first
  national parks had been in existence nearly 60
  years at this time).
• 1940s. War times conditions stress national
  resources reducing NPS natural resource staff
  from its peak during Wrights and New Deal
  levels.
• 1956 66. Mission 66 initiative concentrates
  NPS resources and attention on development of
  visitor services to accommodate record
  visitation.
• 1970s - present. NPS takes greater
  responsibility for managing ecosystems, not just
  charismatic species, driven the by growth of
  ecological thinking.
• 1993. Most NPS science staff transferred to the
  newly created National Biological Survey, which
  would later become the Biological Resources
  Division of USGS.

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History of Natural Resource Management in
NPSState of the Parks Report (circa 2000)

• 80 (1/3) of the natural resource parks had no
  professional natural resource manager.
• Another 84 parks had only 1 or 2 natural resource
  professionals.
• Almost all projects/studies were short-term
  staff mostly deals with the crisis of the day.
• Science/data and management are not tightly
  connected.
• Parks unable to provide desired future resource
  condition or natural resource goals.

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Natural Resource Challenge
Revitalize and expand the natural resource
program within the park service and improve park
management through greater reliance on scientific
knowledge
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NPS Natural Resource Challenge

• Accelerate Inventories
• Design/Implement Vital Signs Monitoring
• Collaboration with scientists and others
• Improve Resource Planning
• Enhance Parks for Science
• Assure Fully Professional Staff
• Control Non-native species
• Protect Native and Endangered Species
• Enhance Environmental Stewardship
• Expand Air Quality efforts
• Protect and restore Water Resources
• Establish Research Learning Centers

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Purpose of Monitoring

• Determine the status/trends in the condition of
  park resources
• Assess the efficacy of management and restoration
  efforts
• Provide early warning of impending threats
• Provide a basis for understanding and identifying
  meaningful change in natural systems
  characterized by complexity, variability, and
  surprises improves decision-making.

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Vital Signs Monitoring
To track a subset of physical, chemical, and
biological parameters that represent the overall
health of the parks.
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Overview of Vital Signs Monitored
Landscapes Land use / land cover Terrestrial
Ecosystems Community Monitoring Plant
communities Grassland birds Population
Monitoring Invasive, exotic plant
species Missouri bladderpod Western prairie
fringed orchid Black tailed prairie
dog Deer Environmental Monitoring Air
quality Climate Aquatic Ecosystems Community
Monitoring Aquatic invertebrates Fish
communities Population Monitoring Topeka
shiner Environmental Monitoring Water
chemistry Discharge
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Vital Signs Monitoring 3 Characteristics

• Long-term, ecological monitoring perspective

• Core staff and dedicated funding
• Rigorous planning and documentation standards
• Focus on long-term trends, e.g. decadal sampling
  intervals in some cases

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Vital Signs Monitoring 3 Characteristics

• Integration and coordination among parks,
  programs and agencies

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Vital Signs Monitoring 3 Characteristics

• Emphasis on Information Management

• 1/3 staff time spent managing and analyzing data
• Database systems and processes to insure data
  integrity
• Making information available to managers through
  analysis and interpretation

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NPS Monitoring Program Development and
Organization Prototype Programs
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NPS Monitoring Program Development and
Organization IM Networks
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Heartland NetworkEstablished 2001
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The Network Strategy

• Groups of parks working together collaboratively
  under a Network Charter
• Administrative tool for greater efficiency
• Core professional staff augmenting work done by
  park staff
• Board of Directors
• overseeing activities
• Technical Committee
• representing each park.

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Network Structure

• Board of Directors
• Superintendents assigned to the BOD on a rotating
  basis
• Technical Committee
• One representative from each member park

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Heartland Network Staff
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Why is monitoring important to Park Managers?

• Inventory and monitoring are critical for
  cost effective, accountable resource management
  informed by scientific information.

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Management Needs for Monitoring Information
Natural and Cultural Landscape Restoration
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Management Needs for Monitoring Information
Recreation, Health and Safety
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Management Needs for Monitoring Information
Effects of Prescribed Fire
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Management Needs for Monitoring Information
Grazing and Bison Management
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Management Needs for Monitoring Information
Invasive Exotic Plant Management