Pacific Northwest Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit (CESU)

Natural Resource Condition Assessment for Big Thicket National Preserve

Project ID: P13AC01169

Federal Agency: National Park Service

Partner Institution: Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota

Fiscal Year: 2013

Initial Funding: $21,700

Total Funding: $60,000

Project Type: Research

Project Disciplines: Biological

National Park: Big Thicket National Park

Principal Investigator: Drazkowski, Barry

Agreement Technical Representative: Shorrock, Donna

Abstract: The project provides an assessment of natural resource conditions for Big Thicket National Preserve (BITH). This project is intended to assist BITH resource management staff to assess specific park-based resource priorities and needs. Through compilation and synthesis of existing scientific information from multiple sources, and expert judgment from an interdisciplinary team of specialists, the project will assist NPS in defining specific park priorities. The project objectives include: characterize park biological and physical resource conditions at appropriate scales; define threat and stress factors and their relationship to identified resources; identify critical data gaps; and suggest data collection or resource investigations to address those gaps. The project will define resource conditions, threats, and stressors for BITH. These factors are evaluated and depicted spatially (to the extent possible) to facilitate use of project findings in a wide variety of park decision and planning processes, and for use in park reporting to the Department of Interior’s Strategic Plan land health goals. The project will occur in three phases, and this Task Agreement funds Phase I and initial portions of Phase II. A project report will be publicly available to provide information useful for understanding the current natural resource conditions at BITH and for related partnership and educational efforts.

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