Project Profile: A Strategic Approach to Building Forest Resiliency in Southeast Parks

The Foothills Parkway in Great Smoky Mountains National Park provides unique views of the scenery.

Smokies Life

Inflation Reduction Act
Resilience | FY 24 $500,000

The National Park Service (NPS) is addressing the climate change vulnerability in the Southeast and National Capital Area park ecosystems. These areas face threats from tree pests like pine beetles and emerald ash borers, which can devastate native trees, while invasive species such as privet and Chinese tallow thrive. Currently, southeast parks lack a climate adaptation plan, unlike parks in the National Capital Area, which have benefited from climate vulnerability assessments and forest resilience planning. By expanding this proven model, the NPS aims to guide management actions across multiple parks, promoting resilience and ensuring the best species outcomes.

Why? Understanding ecosystem climate change vulnerability and resilience at regional and local scales is critical for park management decisions. The Appalachian Mountains, known for their rich biodiversity, serve as a crucial "superhighway" for species migration. Climate change and the resulting proliferation of pests and invasive species threaten this unique geography. This project employs the Resist-Accept-Direct (RAD) climate change response framework to provide NPS managers with tools and maps to understand biodiversity assets, climate change resilience, and appropriate management for specific park areas.

What Else? The project expands on previous assessments and utilizes NatureServe’s Habitat Climate Change Vulnerability Assessment framework. This framework assesses climate departure, ecosystem-specific changes, and resilience components.

About the Inflation Reduction Act

The Inflation Reduction Act provides the National Park Service with an historic opportunity to address critical ecosystem resilience, restoration, and environmental planning needs. Projects funded in national parks represent broad-scale and impactful resource investments across every corner of out nation—from Alaska to Florida to Maine.