The Inventory Program Now and into the Future

1
The Inventory Program - - Now and into the Future

• Gary L. Williams, Chief
• Office of Inventory, Monitoring, Evaluation
• George Wright Society Conference
• 18 April 2007

2
Session Objective

• To Review the Status of the Natural Resource
  Inventory Program
• What it was designed to be
• Where it is now
• Where its headed in the future

3
In the Beginning.Implementation Strategy for
Natural Resource Inventories - 1992

• Service-wide, strategic initiative
• Provide basic inventory data needed by all
  parks
• 10 year timeframe for completion
• All natural resource parks considered equally - -
  no competition for funding
• Funding sequence based on individual park needs
  for inventory data
• Provide a basis for monitoring

4
IMAC Defined the Basic Set of Resource Data
Needed by All Parks

• Natural resource bibliography
• Base cartographic data (GIS)
• Digital geology map
• Digital soils map
• Meteorological data
• AQRVs listing
• Air quality data
• Water body location and classification
• Water quality data
• Digital vegetation map
• Species list of vertebrates and vascular plants
• Species status and distribution of vertebrates
  and vascular
• plants of management concern

5
(No Transcript)
6
The Natural Resource Challenge Brought Major
Funding Increases

• FY 1999 Funding for inventories was 4.2
  million
• FY 2000 Congress provided 7.3 million in
  additional funding for inventories.
• Another 4.0 million increase provided
• FY 2001 - 2003 for vegetation mapping.

7
AND. A Revised Timeline for Completion Was
Predicted

• FY 2000 Green Book All NPS-funded inventories
  will be completed in seven years, rather than the
  estimated 20 to 25 years required under the FY
  1999 funding level.
• Later estimates projected 10-12 years may be
  needed to complete the basic inventories.

8
Okay, Its Been 7 Years Now. Why Arent We Done
?

• Several Reasons
• Under-estimated funding requirements for some
  inventories
• Inventory funds have been used to support
  monitoring (ATB cuts)
• The number of parks has increased (256 vs 270)
• Scope of inventories increased (e.g.
  certification)
• Better products became available
• Capacity issues developed for some inventories

9
Projected Inventory Datasets Acquired or
Developed (GPRA Reporting)
10
So, What Does This Tell Us?

• We still have quite a ways to go, especially for
  
• Vegetation mapping
• Soils mapping
• Geology mapping
• Accelerating the process may mean
• Redefining the products being delivered, at least
  for some parks
• Deleting some inventories altogether for some
  parks

11
Milestone -- IMAC Meeting - - November 2005

• Several concerns discussed related to
  inventories
• How to track inventory expenditures and
  accomplishments better - - project level
• How to get inventories completed more quickly
• Need for specialized inventories to address Land
  Health goals
• Where to stop collecting datapark
  boundary?....quads of interest?
• IMAC Charge Convene an inventory planning
  sub- committee to develop recommended strategy

12
A Summary of the Strategic Planning Effort

• The Planning Process Has Yielded Recommended
  Changes Relative To
• Project Implementation Policies
• Inventory Products and Services Provided to
  Parks
• Annual Budget Allocations

13
Planning Sub-Committee Members

• Bert Frost WASO, DADNRSS
• Gary Williams NRPC/OIME
• Steve Fancy NRPC/OIME
• Bruce Bingham IMR
• Shawn Carter NCR
• Beth Johnson NER
• Penny Latham PWR
• Carmen Thomson MWR
• Sara Wesser AKR
• Larry West SER

14
Steps in the Planning Process Thus Far

• Two planning meetings have been held
• April 2006 Regional Coordinator Meeting
• Washington DC
• Preliminary discussions
• October, 2006 Workshop
• Briefings from Inventory Project Coordinators
• Solicited input on inventory status, products,
  timelines, budget projections, issues
• Recommendations discussed during IMAC meeting,
  December, 2006

15
Policy Recommendation - Inventory Project
Implementation - - WASO Level

• Inventory Project Tracking Database
  Development of an Inventory Database and Project
  Tracking System should be expedited
• Facilitate multiple inventory coordination and
  planning
• Provide information on project status and GPRA
  completions
• Provide the official listing of parks for the
  IM program.

16
Policy Recommendation - Inventory Project
Implementation Program Level

• Work Plans Inventory program coordinators
  should be required to submit annual work plans
• Similar to AARWP format (accomplishments work
  plan)
• Submitted in October each year
• Listing of project completions, in-work, new
  starts, rationale for park selection.

17
Policy Recommendations - New Parks and Park
Expansions

• New Parks - Parks not on the current official
  listing. Consideration given for at least some
  projects after inventories have been completed
  for 270 parks on the official IM list.
• Park Expansions Parks on the current official
  listing. Accommodated as time and resources
  permit. Case-by-case consideration.

18
Policy Recommendations - New and Updated
Inventories

• New Specialized Inventories - Service-wide
  acquisition of these inventories not incorporated
  into current planning effort.
• Priorities remain with 12 basic inventories
• But, networks encouraged to being planning for
  these inventories and identifying needs.
• Lay groundwork for future efforts
• Inventory Updates Considered in same manner as
  policy for new parks.

19
Policy Recommendations - Inventory Implementation
and Reporting

• Geographic Extent - IM funding used only to
  map to park boundaries. Other sources of funding
  needed to map beyond park boundaries
• Inventory Completion Pertains to GPRA reporting
  requirements.
• Project considered to be complete when
  products identified in NPS-75 acquired
• Completions based on entire parks. But, may
  need to consider reporting on acreage basis

20
Recommendations - - Vegetation Mapping

• Product - Alliance level maps should become the
  standard product provided to parks
• Other funding needed for Association level
  mapping or outside park boundary
• Field data collection commensurate with mapping
  level
• Each network should develop plan for imagery
  acquisition.
• Coordination - User Board should be established
• Assist in establishing vegetation mapping
  priorities
• Decisions regarding national data model

21
Recommendations - - Base Cartography

• Products - Stay the course regarding products and
  services currently provided to parks
• Inventory is technology driven
• Products tend to become outdated quickly
• Products often represent the foundation for
  other inventories.
• Should consider devoting resources to the
  long-term care and feeding of the inventory
  products
• Inventory Maintenance - The NR-GIS Program
  Manager should develop
• Plans for re-acquisition of imagery products
• Recommendations for costs and funding sources

22
Recommendations - - Meteorology

• Meteorology Issues
• Existing information summarize 1961-1990 data .
  somewhat dated
• Reasonably good description of climate history
  but,
• Real-time data needed for monitoring projects
• IMAC Recommendation (Dec. 2004) Allocate some
  inventory dollars to acquire additional
  meteorological data to supplement both inventory
  and monitoring

23
Recommended Annual Budget Structure for
Inventories

• Current Basic 12 Inventories 80
• New Inventories 5
• OM Support (Data Management) 15
• 100
• Maximum percentage not required
• percentage

24
Some of the New Inventory Needs that Have Been
Identified

• Ocean and Marine Resources
• Paleontology
• Invertebrates and Non-vascular Plants
• Biological Inventories (distribution, etc.)
• Protocol Development

25
Paleontological Resource Summary Reports

• Goal Complete reports for all 32 networks over a
  period of 4 years (FY 2009 completion)
• New Network Starts in FY 2007
• Appalachian Highlands
• Northern Great Plains
• Cumberland Piedmont
• Southeast Coast
• South Florida / Caribbean
• FY 2007 Funding 50,000

26
Paleontological Resource Summary Reports

• Reports - Comprehensive summary of a networks
  geology and fossils
• Content
• Previous paleontological inventories
• Basic local geologic formations
• Known / potential fossils for park
• Potential management issues and concerns
• Field work recommendations
• References
• Contact Jim Woods, Geologic Resources Division

27
Finally, In Summary.

• We have been at this for a long time but good
  progress has been made
• Some big challenges lie ahead
• Maintaining inventory funding
• Addressing new inventory needs
• Data analysis and evaluation of resource
  condition (DFCs, Scorecards, etc)
• Challenges have been recognized and efforts are
  underway to deal with them

28

• Thank You