BIOTIC RESOURCE SYNTHESIS OF FIRE ISLAND NATIONAL SEASHORE
Natural Resource Report NPS/NCBN/NRR—2011/292

Carol Lynn Trocki
University of Rhode Island
Coastal Institute Building
1 Greenhouse Road
Kingston RI, 02880

January 2011

U.S. Department of the Interior
National Park Service
Natural Resource Program Center
Fort Collins, Colorado
___________________________

Introduction

The National Park Service (NPS) is currently engaged in preparing a General Management Plan (GMP) for Fire Island National Seashore (FIIS). Each unit of the National Park Service is required to maintain a current GMP to ensure that each park has a clearly defined direction for resource preservation and visitor use (NPS 2006). GMPs are created by interdisciplinary teams comprised of planners, park staff, and technical experts using a multi-step process that incorporates substantial public involvement. All park planning should be based on current scientific and scholarly understanding of each park’s ecosystem to help ensure that decisions are consistent with park purposes (NPS 2006).

The purpose of this project was to create a collective description of the park’s biotic resources (plants, animals, natural communities), and associated management issues, for use in the GMP planning process at FIIS. Information on the biotic resources of FIIS has been gathered from a variety of sources and summarized here in a manner that is relevant, accessible, easily understandable, and transferable. For each biotic resource identified, information on the current status and significance has been provided, along with a description of any known or perceived threats to the resource, recognized gaps in information, and a list of suggested management recommendations for future consideration.

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