Pacific Northwest Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit (CESU)

Natural Resource Condition Assessment for Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area

Project ID: J8W07100040

Federal Agency: National Park Service

Partner Institution: Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota

Fiscal Year: 2010

Initial Funding: $35,000

Total Funding: $70,000

Project Type: Research

Project Disciplines: Biological

National Park: Greater Yellowstone Network

Principal Investigator: Drazkowski, Barry

Agreement Technical Representative: Jean, Cathie

Abstract: The project is Phase I of a two phased assessment of natural resource conditions for Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area. Through compilation and synthesis of existing scientific and information from multiple sources, and expert judgment from an interdisciplinary team of specialists, this collaborative project will: characterize park biological and physical resource conditions at appropriate scale(s); 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. Resource conditions and threat and stressor factors are evaluated and depicted spatially (as 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.

Deliverables: