Reorganization

The Natural Resource Program Center

by Dan Kimball

E-mail dan_kimball@nps.gov
Currently acting as Manager of the
Natural Resource Program Center,
Kimball is Chief, NPS Water Resources Division;
Natural Resource Program Center;
Fort Collins, Colorado

The National Park Service established the Natural Resource Program Center in mid-1996 as part of its restructuring effort. The center is a key component of the Natural Resource Stewardship and Science Directorate and was created to provide specialized advice and assistance to parks in the protection and management of natural resources, particularly in physical sciences and natural resource disciplines most lacking at parks. Another major goal was to increase the efficiency of providing services to the parks and in administering the various programs of the center.

[Image]
The Northern Pintail (Anas acuta) is a common North American duck that relies on healthy freshwater habitats in numerous units of the national park system. ŠJeff Selleck

The center comprises five divisions: Air Resources, Environmental Quality, Geologic Resources, Natural Resource Information, and Water Resources divisions. The center concept enhances communication and coordination among the divisions, resulting in improvements and increased effectiveness in each program area; it also increases efficiency as administrative staff are shared between divisions. Staff of these divisions are located primarily in Colorado, and the center is managed by a leadership council with chairmanship rotating annually.

Each division works both independently and cooperatively, depending on the nature and scope of a particular natural resource issue, activity, or project. In addition to providing specialized expertise in physical and natural sciences, the center also provides policy, regulatory, and permitting assistance to parks; assists in the development of NPS natural resource guidelines; promotes and facilitates interagency and external partnerships; and, on a national basis, compiles and synthesizes natural resource information. Staff of the program center also work closely with the Natural Systems Management Office of the Natural Resource Stewardship and Science Directorate, which provides leadership on major biological issues and in understanding and managing parks as part of larger landscapes or ecosystems.

One tool that has helped the program center integrate its natural resource management programs with other agencies is the part-time placement of technical staff in the offices of cooperating science agencies. The Water Resources Division, for example, works with both the USGS Water Resources Division and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to increase efficiency, break bureaucratic barriers, and share resources. Respective goals of these collaborations have been to increase water-quality data collected in parks through the National Water-Quality Assessment Program (NAWQA) and examination of the potential risks to waterfowl and shorebirds at parks and refuges from the ingestion of lead fishing sinkers. Likewise, the Geologic Resources Division has established liaisons at each of three USGS regional offices across the country, resulting in many projects in the areas of park mapping, research, and visitor education.

Although it has been in existence for only a short time, the Natural Resource Program Center has been effectively involved in several significant natural resource issues, such as the proposed New World Mine near Yellowstone National Park, a large landfill proposed adjacent to Joshua Tree National Park, and minerals management planning at three parks in Texas. Staff have also worked together in developing and implementing a number of multidisciplinary natural resource programs, such as abandoned mine lands restoration, natural resource damage assessment, and inventory and monitoring.

Other articles in the "Meeting Demands" chapter: