Inventory and Monitoring of Park Natural Resources
Resource Inventories
Preserving the unimpaired splendor of the national parks for the enjoyment of future generations is the fundamental purpose of the National Park Service. This mission includes protecting the clear, star- filled skies over places like the Grand Canyon and ensuring that creatures like the grizzly bear and black -footed ferret grace our lands in perpetuity. The safekeeping of the awe-inspiring natural wonders in our national parks requires the identification of their key components, including living things, natural processes, and landscape features. Natural resource inventories allow managers to account for park resources, such as the presence and distribution of plants, animals, and nonliving resources such as water, landforms, and climate in the parks. This type of baseline information is needed to make scientifically sound management decisions that ensure the future health of the parks.