Plant communities in the plateau were vital to the Nimiipuu. All communities have been impacted by man's activities over time, for good and bad. These impacts include livestock grazing, timber harvest, mining, pest control projects, water diversions, road construction, and fire suppression.

Relic areas, where plant communities have not been disturbed by human activities, may be present in some locations of the park. Plant community mapping and inventories of threatened, endangered or rare species are helping to identify these areas.