T239 Geology in the National Parks: Research, Mapping, Education, and Outreach I

Wednesday, 3 November 2010
8:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Room 405

“NATIONAL PALEONTOLOGY SERVICE”: THOUGHTS FROM AN EIGHT-YEAR EFFORT TO DOCUMENT FOSSILS THROUGHOUT THE NATIONAL PARK SYSTEM

Paper number: T239-14
Program: Technical Sessions
Time: 11:00 AM – 11:15 AM

Authors

Abstract

Fossils are a diverse resource now known in at least 228 National Park Service units. In 2002, the National Park Service published a paleontological resource summary for the 16 parks in the Northern Colorado Plateau Network. That publication heralded a new era for the systematic documentation of fossils throughout the National Park Service. This effort gathered data from published and unpublished sources about paleontological resources in the NPS, uncovered numerous “one-of-a-kind” paleontology stories from throughout the NPS, and added more than 75 parks to the list of NPS units with fossils. A written summary for each network park was produced, including an introduction, geologic background, and a summary of known and/or potential paleontological resources in the park. Museum collections and fossils found in cultural resource contexts were also assessed. The summaries included a list of preliminary resource management recommendations, a bibliography, and list of data sets. Although field work was not a part of the documentation process, report authors made recommendations for future field work where appropriate. The reports were reviewed by park staff and also underwent peer review.

Between 2002 and 2006, 13 network reports were completed utilizing discretionary funds from individual networks. In 2006, the National Park Service Inventory and Monitoring (I&M) Program provided funding to systematically evaluate the remaining 19 networks. The final five networks were completed in 2010, marking the end of this effort. Throughout the process, the reports have evolved to include new levels comprehensiveness and are now catalogued in the NPS Natural Resource Technical Report Series. The National Park Service’s comprehensive paleontological resource inventory supports paleontological resource stewardship, education and outreach efforts including field-based inventories, thematic inventories, National Fossil Day, and the Junior Paleontologist program. With these reports, the inventories form a foundation for future paleontological resource monitoring. Many thanks to the dozens of interns, contractors, geologists, paleontologists, NPS staff, I&M networks, and the national I&M Program that contributed to this unprecedented effort.