Geologic Resources Management

Roles and Responsibilities

The Director of the National Park Service establishes and approves servicewide geologic resource policies and standards. The Director is ultimately responsible for establishing programs that conserve geologic resources unimpaired for the enjoyment of future generations and for ensuring that such programs are in compliance with directives, policies, and laws.

The Associate Director, Natural Resource Stewardship and Science (ADNRSS), has functional authority, through the Geologic Resources Division, for:

• developing policies and standards for the Director’s approval;
• providing policy oversight of NPS geologic resource programs, including evaluating the results of field performance in complying with directives, policies, and laws;
• providing direct assistance to parks in specific program areas; and
• administering geologic resource programs for which the ADNRSS has direct authority.

As a component of the Natural Resources Program Center, the Geologic Resources Division exercises the ADNRSS’s responsibility by:

• directly providing and coordinating volunteer programs that provide specialized expertise to parks and regions on geologic resources and issues in and outside of park units;
• coordinating the NPS's geology-based partnerships; and
• working with park and regional staff to develop servicewide geologic resource policies, regulations, guidance, and procedures that will help parks conduct effective geologic resource management.

As another component of the Natural Resources Program Center, the Water Resources Division exercises the ADNRSS’s responsibility by directly providing assistance to parks on hydrologic systems.

The regional director, through or with the assistance of an assistant or associate regional director, is responsible for:

• ensuring that geologic resource management within the region is uniformly implemented in compliance with directives, policies, and law;
• identifying regional coordinators and contacts, where required, who can provide information and data about park geologic resources and geologic resource management to the Natural Resources Program Center;
• providing geologic expertise not available in the parks; and
• coordinating and facilitating geologic research .

Support office natural resource staff and/or cluster or regional natural resource program coordinators have responsibility for:

• assisting parks in geologic needs identification;
• data collection and analysis;
• planning, program, and project development; and
• providing advice on scientific and geologic resource management issues.

The superintendent is responsible for:

• understanding the park’s geologic resources and their condition, and
• establishing and managing park geologic resource programs and ensuring that they comply with directives, policies, and laws.

The park natural resource manager, on behalf of the superintendent:

• carries out needs assessments and planning;
• conducts operational geologic resource management activities in compliance with directives, policies, and laws;
• inventories, identifies, protects, and interprets geologic resources;
• observes and monitors geologic processes; and
• coordinates and/or assists with specific geologic research.