FEDERAL LAND MANAGERS' AIR QUALITY RELATED VALUES WORKGROUP (FLAG)
PHASE I REPORT
(December 2000)

C. Federal Land Managers' Approach to AQRV Protection

Overview

FLM responsibilities for resource protection on Federal lands are clear and there should be no misunderstanding regarding the tools the FLM uses to fulfill these responsibilities. Opportunities to influence decisions regarding pollution sources external to the park or wilderness are limited. However, FLMs strive to minimize emissions from internal sources and their effects. Approaches for minimizing air pollution from external and internal sources are discussed in detail below.

1. AQRV Protection and Identification

Congress assigned the FLMs an affirmative responsibility to protect AQRVs in Federal Class I areas. The FLMs interpret this assignment as a responsibility to:

1. Identify AQRVs in each of the Class I areas.
2. Establish inventorying and monitoring protocols for AQRVs.
3. Prioritize AQRV inventorying and monitoring (because of constrained budgets).
4. Specify a process for evaluating air pollution effects on AQRVs, including the use of sensitive indicators.
5. Specify adverse effects for each AQRV.

To the extent possible, AQRVs have been identified for each Class I area. Additional AQRVs may be identified in the future as more is learned through science about the sensitivity of resources to air pollution. Public involvement in this process is necessary and will be accomplished through participation in the land management planning process or reply to an announcement in the Federal Register.

While the sensitivity of an AQRV to air pollution may be known, the long term monitoring of its health or status may not have been accomplished. The expense of monitoring all AQRVs simultaneously is prohibitive. Consequently, FLMs seek opportunities through the permitting process and through partnerships to gather more information about condition of AQRVs.

Because AQRVs themselves are often difficult to measure, surrogates are used as indicators, or sensitive indicators, of the health or status of the AQRV. Designing a working process for Class I area management and AQRV protection is outlined ahead in this document.

Finally, an adverse impact is determined for each AQRV. An adverse impact from air pollution results in a diminishment of the Class I area's national significance, that is, the reason the Class I area was created. Adverse impacts can also be an impairment of the structure or functioning of the ecosystem as well as an impairment of the quality of the visitor experience. The FLMs make an adverse impact determination on a case-by-case basis, based on technical and other information.