Natural Resource Condition Assessments for San Juan Island National Historical Park and Ebey’s Landing National Historical Reserve

Project ID: P12AC15016

Federal Agency: National Park Service

Partner Institution: Oregon State University

Fiscal Year: 2012

Initial Funding: $69,963

Total Funding: $79,963

Project Type: Research

Project Disciplines: Biological

National Park: Pacific West Region Washington

Principal Investigator: Pakenham, Anna

Agreement Technical Representative: Weaver, Jerald

Abstract: This is a collaborative project between Oregon State University and the National Park Service to produce natural resource condition assessments for two parks in the North Coast and Cascades Vital Signs Monitoring Network: San Juan Island National Historical Park (SAJH) and Ebey’s Landing National Historical Reserve (EBLA). Through compilation and synthesis of existing scientific data, information from multiple sources, and expert judgment from an interdisciplinary team of specialists, this project will characterize the conditions of park biological and physical resources at appropriate scale(s); define threats 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, threats, and stressor factors will be evaluated and depicted spatially (as possible) to facilitate use of project findings in a wide variety of park decision and planning processes, including park reporting to the Department of Interior’s Strategic Plan land health goals. A final assessment report for each of the two parks will assist in identifying potential gaps in resource management knowledge. These gaps will contribute directly in assisting park management teams with developing improved planning documents that deal directly with visitor use services. The public will benefit from this project by better insight, management awareness, and sustainability of the natural resources at SAJH and EBLA. This project will also provide the public with useful information that will assist in their understanding of current resource conditions in the park, as well as providing them with information they can use when partnering with the park in planning projects and developing resource and general management plans for the park.