RESCINDED
8/16/2017
DIRECTOR’S ORDER #100:
RESOURCE STEWARDSHIP FOR THE 21ST CENTURY
Director
This Director’s Order, together with Reference Manual 100, supersedes and replaces Policy Memorandum 16-01, and any other previously issued conflicting guidance.
1. Background and Purpose
2. Authority
3. Establishing the NPS Overarching Resource Stewardship
Goal
4. Integrating Natural and Cultural Resource Stewardship
5. Managing Resources Emphasizing Resilience,
Connectivity at Land/seascape Scales, and Life-cycle Stewardship
6. Incorporating the Precautionary Principle and Adaptive
Management into Resource Stewardship
7. Basing Resource Stewardship Decisions on Science, Law,
and Long-term Public Interest
8. Updating and Sustaining the Workforce
9. Ensuring Scientific Literacy for Superintendents
10. Investing in Service-wide Resource Stewardship Training
11. Integrating the Stewardship Goal within Appropriate
Management Documents
12. Roles and Responsibilities
13. Additional Definitions
______________________________________________________________________________
The National Park System[1] and related areas[2] face environmental and
social changes that are increasingly widespread, complex, accelerating, and
uncertain. Addressing these challenges
requires updates of National Park Service (NPS) policy to reflect the
complexity of decisions needed for resource stewardship. This Director’s Order (Order) is intended to
guide the Service in taking the necessary actions to support resource
stewardship to fulfill its mission in the 21st century. The Order builds on the direction set in Policy
Memorandum 16-01. See also Policy Memoranda 12-02, 14-02 and 15-01.
In 1963, A. Starker Leopold
chaired a committee of scientists in preparing a report titled, Wildlife
Management in the National Parks. Known as the “Leopold Report,” it represented
the first comprehensive attempt at evaluating best practices and principles for
sustainable resource management, and was a source of longstanding policies for
natural resource management in the National Park System.
Much has changed for the NPS
since the 1960s. The number and types of
units in the System, and its overall size, have increased significantly. The annual number of visitors has grown
four-fold. Social, cultural, and
demographic changes to American society have been profound. Climate change is creating and will continue
to drive dynamic environmental shifts that affect natural and cultural
resources, facilities, visitation patterns, and visitor experiences. Additional pressures such as biodiversity loss,
invasive species, land use changes, and pollution are accelerating. New scientific information and new
disciplines of science have expanded our understanding of natural and cultural
systems, and revealed that much is still unknown about how these systems
function.
For these reasons, the Director
asked the Science Committee of the National Park System Advisory Board (NPSAB)
to revisit the Leopold Report and
provide findings and recommendations.
The committee delivered Revisiting
Leopold: Resource Stewardship in the
National Parks (Report) to the NPSAB, which
adopted and presented it to the Director.
The Report makes several
important recommendations for advancing resource stewardship in the 21st
century, noting:
The
overarching goal of NPS resource management should be to steward NPS resources
for continuous change that is not yet fully understood, in order to preserve
ecological integrity and cultural and historical authenticity, provide visitors
with transformative experiences, and form the core of a national conservation
land- and seascape.
The purpose of this Order, and
its companion Reference Manual (RM-100), is to articulate and communicate
policies and actions to support resource stewardship in the 21st century. This Order will help the Service fulfill the
NPS mission:
The
National Park Service preserves unimpaired the natural and cultural resources
and values of the [N]ational [P]ark [S]ystem for the enjoyment, education, and inspiration of this
and future generations. The National
Park Service cooperates with partners to extend the benefits of natural and
cultural resource conservation and outdoor recreation throughout this country
and the world. [Management Policies (2006), inside front cover.]
This Order provides policies
that form a new framework for stewardship decision making within the NPS based
upon the overarching resource stewardship goal described in section 3. The Order also defines new terms and concepts
that will be used in this and future guidance.
Authority to issue this Order
is contained in the National Park Service Organic Act and other NPS laws (54 USC 100101(a) et seq.), and
delegations of authority contained in Part
245 of the Department of the
Interior (DOI) Manual.
This Order is intended only to
improve the internal management of the NPS, and is not intended to, and does
not, create any right or benefit, substantive or procedural, enforceable at law
or equity by a party against the United States, its departments, agencies,
instrumentalities or entities, its officers or employees, or any other person.
This Order reaffirms that resource stewardship is a
preeminent duty of the NPS, and that “[w]hen proposed park uses and the
protection of park resources and values come into conflict, the protection of
resources and values must be predominant.”
Management Policies, section
1.5. The NPS defines resource stewardship as both
an ethic of active responsibility to pass on the parks unimpaired to future
generations as well as the application of the necessary expertise to meet this
duty. This ethic and application of
expertise extends to NPS programs and NPS participation in partnerships. This Order does not redefine “unimpaired,”
but instead recognizes (1) there are new and complex environmental and social
forces affecting park resources that must be considered in resource management,
and (2) these forces may be beyond the influence of the NPS and their consequences
may be irreversible.
The overarching goal of resource stewardship
(stewardship goal) is to manage NPS resources in a context of continuous change that we do not
fully understand, in order to:
·
preserve and restore ecological,
historical, and cultural integrity;
·
contribute as an ecological
and cultural core of national and international
networks of protected lands, waters, and resources; and
· provide visitors and program participants with opportunities for transformative experiences that educate and inspire.
The stewardship goal will be achieved by incorporating it
into NPS management and culture. This requires relying on science and
scholarship for guidance in understanding novel conditions, threats, and risks
to resources and identifying and evaluating management actions; exemplary
resource management practices; collaboration with partners outside park boundaries;
and open and inclusive communication with partners and the public. In addition, it is essential that policies
consider NPS resources and values in a broader context, with particular
attention to preservation of significant natural and cultural land/seascape
elements, critical habitats and features, and wilderness character. (See Director’s Order #41: Wilderness Stewardship, section 6.2).
To achieve the stewardship goal, the NPS will:
·
integrate the management of natural and
cultural resources, where beneficial to resource stewardship;
·
adopt and apply new conservation
concepts and guiding strategies for resource stewardship;
·
update and sustain the NPS workforce;
and
·
incorporate these concepts, policies,
and actions into appropriate management documents.
The following sections identify specific policies and
actions necessary for implementing this stewardship goal in the 21st century.
This Order does not explicitly address the transformative
experiences component of the stewardship goal.
Efforts in that regard are already underway, and can be found in Achieving Relevance in
Our Second Century (2014)
and future guidance.
To incorporate the stewardship goal into NPS management and
culture, the Service will integrate natural and cultural resource management
where beneficial to resource stewardship.
This integration recognizes the impact of humans on their environment
and the impact of a changing environment on humans. Although natural and cultural resource
management have much in common, their separate and specific needs must also be
recognized. Integrating resource
stewardship requires coordination between natural and cultural resource
programs. It also requires coordination
within these programs where beneficial to resource stewardship. In addition, traditional
ecological knowledge (TEK) can inform integrated resource
stewardship.
The NPS will take the following actions to integrate natural
and cultural resource programs, functions, and funding mechanisms, where
beneficial to resource stewardship:
·
Create incentives for funding projects,
including the Service-wide Comprehensive Call, that integrate perspectives and
disciplines from natural and cultural resources;
·
Require existing and future Resource Stewardship Strategies to
consider natural and cultural resource integration concepts;
·
Co-locate natural and cultural resource operations where
possible and when beneficial to resource stewardship; and
·
Utilize opportunities through Cooperative Ecosystem Studies
Units (CESUs), Research Learning Centers (RLCs), and additional NPS programs
and partners to support integrated natural and cultural resource projects.
The NPS will take the following actions to increase the understanding and use of TEK:
·
Include indigenous peoples and
perspectives in defining management objectives;
·
Create mechanisms to facilitate collaboration, mutual trust, and
understanding with federally recognized Tribes, and other indigenous peoples
that build relationships beyond minimum obligatory consultation;
·
Stimulate and apply research and
scholarship that incorporates TEK and
participation of indigenous peoples; and
·
Incorporate TEK into resource planning efforts.
To achieve the stewardship goal and set priorities for
conservation, restoration, and protection of resources, the NPS will emphasize
resilience, connectivity at land/seascape scales, and life-cycle stewardship as
guiding strategies for resource management.
Application of these strategies in resource management will be informed
by scientific and scholarly research and TEK.
The NPS adopts the following operational definitions and
will provide additional guidance in RM-100:
·
Resilience is the
ability to anticipate, prepare for, and adapt to changing conditions and
withstand, respond to, and recover rapidly from disruptions. Resilience strategies may include managing
for the persistence of current conditions, accommodating change, or managing
towards desired new conditions.
Resilience strategies may vary and desired conditions must be clearly
identified.
·
Connectivity
at land/seascape scales means managing natural resources such that
processes that sustain biodiversity and viable ecosystems and populations, and
that facilitate adaptation in the face of climate and other environmental
change are maintained. See Management Policies, chapter
4. For cultural resources, connectivity refers
to the understanding of the larger thematic and geographic context for these
resources and supporting historical and cultural
integrity. See Management Policies, chapter
5. Spatial scales to maintain connectivity may
vary and desired conditions must be clearly identified. In addition, cultural connectivity goes
beyond spatial considerations to include representation of cultures through
time. Understanding the larger context
for these resources requires partnerships with stakeholders to identify shared
conservation values. See Management Policies, section
1.6.
·
Life-cycle
stewardship for natural resources means managing natural resources such
that ecological processes or species’ full life cycles are sustained over
time. For cultural resource management,
life-cycle stewardship means managing resources, historic infrastructure, and
the built environment for long-term preservation.
The NPS will apply these strategies to resource management
by taking the following actions:
·
Expand research related to resilience,
connectivity, and life-cycle stewardship to inform current and future
management and restoration projects and programs;
·
Ensure research findings and new
discoveries are shared with resource managers and the scientific community;
·
Expand land/seascape-scale resource
stewardship and connectivity by using existing authorities to form partnerships
for collaboratively managing resources outside parks. NPS efforts to advance collaborative
conservation need to be expanded to deal with 21st century conservation
challenges. (See Scaling
Up: Collaborative Approaches to Large Landscape Conservation and
future guidance);
·
Participate and collaborate in
interagency and non-governmental efforts to promote connectivity that in
particular address issues such as climate change, endangered species, and
habitat protection. These efforts may
include large-land/seascape conservation efforts, regional networks of
protected areas, and wilderness preservation;
·
Actively develop and apply tools,
capacity, and expertise available from NPS partnerships programs, including but
not limited to, the National Natural Landmarks Program, National Historic
Landmarks Program, Rivers, Trails, and Conservation Assistance Program,
National Heritage Areas Program, Technical Preservation Services, and Land and
Water Conservation Fund Program to advance resilience, connectivity at
land/seascape scales, and life-cycle stewardship as resource stewardship
strategies;
·
Develop in collaboration with
stakeholders shared management goals for ecological,
historical, and/or cultural integrity where terrestrial and aquatic
protected areas share borders;
·
Use existing and form new partnerships
with State, Tribal, regional, and local governments, other federal agencies,
non-governmental partners, and the international community to support
life-cycle stewardship and to engage in land/seascape conservation. (See Director’s Order #21: Donations and Philanthropic Partnerships, Director’s Order #20: Agreements, and Director’s Order #56: International Activities);
·
Support the needs of collaboratively
managed areas, such as national rivers and trails that promote recreational
activities and visitor enjoyment as key values to be recognized;
· Promote the use of parks for scientific and scholarly inquiry by streamlining the research permit process; and
·
Establish partnerships with (1)
educational and scientific institutions to identify, encourage, and promote
scientific and scholarly research; and (2) federally recognized Tribes and
other indigenous peoples to identify, encourage, and promote TEK, both
of which will help us to better understand the complexities and uncertainties
of the future.
To achieve the stewardship goal, the NPS will adopt the
precautionary principle and adaptive management as guiding strategies for
resource management subject to all existing authorities. These strategies will promote science-based
decisions, help deal with uncertainty, and promote a culture of learning. Management decisions based on the
precautionary principle may often require adaptive management.
The
NPS adopts the following operational definitions and will provide additional
guidance in RM-100:
·
The
Precautionary Principle requires that, when an action, activity, or
emerging condition raises plausible or probable threats of harm to park
resources and/or human health, management should take anticipatory action even
when there is uncertainty. When such
uncertainty exists, NPS managers will take actions that err on the side of caution
to protect resources in accordance with existing authorities, including NPS
obligations to prevent resource impairment and the decision-making criteria
described in section 7 of this Order.
Any decision made using the precautionary principle should take into
account: (1) the threat of harm to park
resources or public health; (2) the level of scientific uncertainty; and (3)
the preventive, precautionary action and its associated risks.
· Adaptive Management is a flexible decision-making strategy that can be adjusted in the face of uncertainties as outcomes from management actions and other events become better understood. Careful monitoring of these outcomes advances scientific understanding and helps adjust policies or operations as part of an iterative learning process. Adaptive management is a strategy for more effective decision making. Measures of successful adaptive management are how well it (1) helps meet environmental, social, and economic goals; (2) increases scientific knowledge; and (3) reduces tensions among stakeholders. (See DOI Adaptive Management Applications Guide and future guidance).
The NPS will take the following actions to apply these
strategies to resource management:
·
Incorporate the precautionary principle
and adaptive management into appropriate resource stewardship policies and
decision-making processes, while considering how actions may adversely affect
the qualities of wilderness character within the National Park System;
·
If existing or future conditions are
likely to result in unacceptable impacts to or impairment of park resources,
managers should (1) consider action even if all cause-and-effect relationships
are not fully established, and (2) modify the action as new information becomes
available;
·
Apply relevant guidance for adaptive
management stated in the DOI
Adaptive Management Technical Guide; and
·
Incorporate references to the
precautionary principle and adaptive management into other appropriate policy
guidance, in due course, including Director’s Order #12 and
the NEPA
Handbook; Director’s Order #2: Park Planning; Director’s Orders #28 and #28A, and
the Cultural
Resource Management Guideline; Director’s Order #41: Wilderness Stewardship; Director’s Order #47: Soundscape Preservation and Noise Management;
the Director’s Order #77 series and Reference Manual 77–Natural Resource
Management; and Director’s Order #79: Integrity of Scientific and Scholarly
Activities.
To fulfill the stewardship goal, the NPS will use a
decision-making framework that is explicitly based upon three criteria: (1) best available sound science and
scholarship, (2) accurate fidelity to the law, and (3) long-term public
interest. These criteria are not
mutually exclusive and are often interdependent. The focus of each of these criteria will vary
with the stage in the decision-making process and the particular decision being
made. These criteria will be applied to
management decisions using professional judgment[3]
and incorporating the resource management concepts in sections 4-6 of this
Order.
The NPS adopts the following operational definitions and
will provide additional guidance in RM-100:
· Best available sound science and scholarship is up-to-date and rigorous in method, mindful of limitations, peer-reviewed when appropriate and required, and delivered at the appropriate time in the decision-making process in ways that allow NPS managers to apply its findings. Sound science and scholarship is a body of knowledge that draws upon a broad and often interdisciplinary community of practitioners, both within and beyond the NPS.
· Accurate fidelity to the law requires that NPS decision making adheres with precision to the law, and consistently and transparently follows regulations and public policy.
· Long-term public interest emerges from the NPS mission, an evolving understanding of diverse public values and perspectives, meaningful civic engagement including multiple perspectives and generations, and the professional judgment of NPS professionals.
To ensure the three criteria are applied in the resource decision-making process, the NPS will:
·
Conduct and/or facilitate scientific
and scholarly inquiry that is directly applicable to current or expected
resource management challenges;
·
Incorporate the best available sound
science and scholarship into resource management;
·
Require NPS leadership to foster a
culture that values scientific and scholarly expertise, and supports scientists
and scholars to conduct, publish, and present research of the highest quality;
·
Ensure the proper role and application
of a wide variety of scientific and scholarly disciplines and TEK in
resource management;
·
Incorporate accurate fidelity to the
law into management decisions by ensuring employees are knowledgeable about and
follow applicable laws, regulations, and policies and have access to necessary
legal expertise;
·
Ensure that legal and ethical behavior
is a critical component of resource stewardship; and
·
Understand long-term public interest by
considering both historical and current public values and perspectives with
respect to parks, as well as the NPS mandate to provide enjoyment for future
generations.
The NPS will take the following actions to ensure that
managers are able to apply the three criteria:
·
Support resource managers, scientists
and scholars, and other appropriate staff to (1) engage diverse communities in
park resource issues, values, and science; and (2) communicate scientific and
scholarly ideas and findings to internal and external audiences in order to
continuously improve professional judgment;
·
Develop and maintain open and inclusive
public engagement strategies to identify and understand long-term public
interest and foster “co-stewardship” of resources through sustained and
committed collaborations with governmental partners, federally recognized Tribes, other indigenous
peoples, the public, and other stakeholders (see Director’s Order #75A: Civic Engagement and Public Involvement); and
·
Strategically incorporate emerging
technologies, when applicable and feasible, into park resource management to
conduct sound science and scholarship and engage the public.
To further the stewardship goal and integrate it into the
organizational culture, the NPS will update, strengthen, and maintain its
workforce to diversify, modernize, and support new generations of scientists,
scholars, resource managers, and superintendents. Enhancing and diversifying the workforce
allows our national parks and programs to reflect the diversity of America.
The NPS will take the following actions to update and
sustain the workforce:
·
Create, through strategic partnerships
with educational institutions and other organizations, a new generation of
scientists, scholars, and resource managers who reflect the diverse
backgrounds, demographics, and values of the Nation. These partnerships will help the NPS obtain
the scientific and scholarly information needed to better understand park
resources and visitors, work effectively across cultures, and address the
complexities and uncertainties of the dynamic and changing environment;
·
Establish and enhance formal
relationships, agreements, and internships with key diverse educational
institutions and organizations to identify and develop candidates for potential
positions and careers within the NPS;
·
Support new generations of scientists,
scholars, resource managers, superintendents, and all other employees by
ensuring a safe and respectful work environment that is free from
discrimination, harassment, and retaliation;
·
Incorporate the stewardship goal into
new and revised position descriptions and performance plans for all appropriate
positions throughout the NPS;
·
Work with regions, parks, and programs
to create new pathways to NPS careers, and increase diversity through improved
use of direct-hire authorities;
·
Support and encourage NPS scientists
and scholars to publish research in scientific and/or scholarly literature by
adding this responsibility to appropriate position descriptions of NPS
scientists; and
·
Support participation of NPS scientists
and scholars at professionally recognized meetings, symposia, and conferences
to (1) disseminate NPS scientific and scholarly findings; (2) learn from other
scientists and scholars; (3) maintain professional competence and credibility;
and (4) contribute to best available sound science and scholarship, and best
practices in stewardship decision making.
To
further the stewardship goal in management decisions, the NPS will require
superintendents and those who aspire to leadership positions to possess
scientific literacy appropriate to their positions and resource management
decision-making responsibilities. This
includes the full range of scientific disciplines needed to steward
resources.
The NPS adopts the
following definition and criteria for achieving scientific literacy and will
provide additional guidance in RM-100:
·
Scientific
literacy is the knowledge and understanding of scientific concepts
and processes, an understanding of the strengths and limitations of scientific
findings, and the appropriate application of scientific research to management
and policy issues.
·
Scientific literacy requires
superintendents to be able to:
o identify
scientific issues underlying decisions within the framework of best available
sound science and scholarship, accurate fidelity to the law, and long-term
public interest;
o understand
the scientific process and associated strengths and limitations, data integrity
and management, and peer review; and
o evaluate
the quality of scientific information and evidence available on the basis of
its source and the methods used to generate it.
The NPS will take the following actions to ensure that
superintendents and those who aspire to leadership positions are scientifically
literate:
· Adapt existing and appropriate scientific literacy standards;
·
Modify position descriptions to include
scientific literacy requirements;
·
Include information about relevant scientific
issues related to resource stewardship in supervisory training and other
training courses for superintendents; and
·
Identify the specific ways
superintendents can demonstrate, achieve, and maintain scientific literacy
standards. These may include formal
higher education degrees, completion of relevant advanced graduate course work,
or successful completion of training courses.
To further the stewardship goal, the NPS will invest in
Service-wide resource stewardship training to educate and support employees to
use the concepts and decision-making framework presented in this Order. This
resource stewardship training will be incorporated into existing training
opportunities.
The NPS will ensure all employees develop the knowledge,
skills, and abilities appropriate to their positions and needed to support
successful resource stewardship, by taking the following actions:
·
Establish a training and development
workgroup to develop a strategic plan for resource stewardship training that
builds upon existing training programs and opportunities (e.g., Fundamentals,
Natural and Cultural Resource Career Academies, Emerging Leaders, New
Supervisor Training, New Superintendents Academy);
· Implement a training program based upon the strategic plan that makes use of both in-person and distance learning;
· Develop training about TEK for superintendents, resource staff, and others, including training by indigenous peoples;
·
Develop detailed guidance
and training for the application of the precautionary principle and adaptive
management to be incorporated into appropriate documents;
·
Develop detailed guidance and implement
training on the resource stewardship criteria, with special focus on training
superintendents; and
· Require superintendents and other employees in leadership positions to participate in advanced training courses on an ongoing basis to ensure implementation of the most up-to-date approaches to resource stewardship.
To ensure the organization consistently works toward the
stewardship goal, the NPS will integrate the concepts, policies, and actions in
this Order into all appropriate policies, plans, studies, and inventories;
funding priorities and allocations; and field operations and programs.
As appropriate and in due course, management documents will
be developed, revised, or updated to incorporate the stewardship goal and other
requirements of this Order. These
include:
· Service-wide Policies—Director’s Orders and Policy Memoranda
· Foundation Documents
· Management, Strategic, and Implementation Plans—Resource Stewardship Strategies, Wilderness Stewardship Plans, and General Management Plans
· Resource Inventories, Studies, and Surveys—cultural landscape inventories, natural resource inventories, and visitor use studies and surveys (for example, the Comprehensive Survey of the American Public)
· Program Funding—annual budget plans and Project Management Information System (PMIS) project funding requests
· Agreements—cooperative agreements (for example, those establishing relationships with cooperative study units per 54 USC 100703, or to further park research by educational institutions per 54 USC 101702(b)), interagency agreements, and general agreements (for example, cooperating association agreements)
· Operational Plans—annual performance plans (work plans) and standard operating procedures
A more comprehensive list of plans, studies, surveys, and other appropriate documents will be included in RM-100.
Director and Deputy Director(s)
The
Director and deputy director(s) will:
·
provide Service-wide leadership on new
and revised policies and actions to lead the NPS into the 21st century of
managing and preserving resources under NPS care;
·
integrate the concepts, policies, and
actions in this Order into all appropriate policies, plans, studies, and
inventories; funding priorities and allocations; and field operations and
programs;
·
encourage parks, programs, and regions
to collaborate with national, Tribal, State,
regional, and local partners, and the public when setting priorities for
conservation, restoration, and integration of natural and cultural resources in
order to promote land/seascape-scale connectivity and management;
·
work with DOI, other agencies,
non-governmental entities, the international community, and other partners to
communicate and promote the goals and actions of this Order;
·
promote and ensure a safe and respectful
work environment that is free from discrimination, harassment, and retaliation
Service-wide;
·
prepare annual agency funding requests
in support of the integration of natural and cultural resource management where
beneficial to resource stewardship, land/seascape-scale conservation, and other
priorities as outlined in this Order; and
· promote a culture of science- and scholarly-based research and expertise within NPS decision making.
Associate and Assistant Directors (ADs)
All
ADs will:
·
communicate the importance of
integrating the stewardship goal into all work performed by the programs under
their responsibility; and
·
ensure that all appropriate staff
complete the necessary resource stewardship training as outlined in sections 9
and 10.
ADs, Natural Resource Stewardship and Science (AD-NRSS)
and Cultural Resources, Partnerships, and Science (AD-CRPS)
The AD-NRSS and AD-CRPS will:
·
together with the AD, Workforce and
Inclusion, issue, review, and revise as appropriate RM-100, which will provide
comprehensive procedures for implementation of this Order;
·
develop standards and procedures
necessary to implement the actions in sections 4, 5, 6 and 7 in collaboration
with other relevant directorates;
·
develop initiatives that support
integration of natural and cultural resource management and ensure funding
calls use this as a ranking criterion during proposal review and funding
allocation;
·
ensure, in collaboration with other
relevant directorates, regional directors, and superintendents, that indigenous
peoples have opportunities to be involved in resource stewardship planning and
actions;
·
finalize guidelines for the
establishment of interdisciplinary teams developing Resource Stewardship
Strategies;
·
create guidelines and opportunities for
employees to remain current in their fields by conducting, publishing, and
presenting scientific and scholarly work; and
·
develop initiatives to support research
on resilience, connectivity at the land/seascape scales, and life-cycle
stewardship.
AD, Workforce and Inclusion (AD-WI)
The AD-WI, in collaboration with other relevant
directorates, will:
·
develop standards and procedures
necessary to implement the actions in sections 8, 9 and 10;
·
review and develop additional
requirements for new and existing position descriptions and performance plans
in furtherance of this Order;
·
develop the criteria, standards,
measures, and training associated with scientific literacy requirements for
superintendents and other employees;
·
ensure staff within Servicing Human
Resources Offices, Human Resources Operation Centers, and other staff involved
in position description classifications, recruitment, and hiring are familiar
with the stewardship goal and priorities outlined in this Order; and
·
establish a training and development workgroup
to develop a strategic plan for resource stewardship training that includes
TEK, the precautionary principle, adaptive management, and other concepts
contained in this Order.
The AD-WI, and the AD, Interpretation and Education (AD-IE)
will establish relationships with key diverse educational institutions and
organizations in support of the actions in section 8.
Regional Directors (RDs)
Regional
directors will:
·
communicate the importance of
integrating the stewardship goal into all work performed by the parks and
regional programs under their responsibility, as well as including it in
superintendents’ performance standards;
·
ensure that all appropriate staff
complete the necessary resource stewardship training as outlined in sections 9
and 10;
·
develop regional and park initiatives
that support the integration of natural and cultural resource management;
·
require regional offices and parks to
consult with and involve indigenous peoples in resource stewardship planning,
training, and actions;
·
enhance NPS involvement in
land/seascape-scale management through collaborative efforts with
international, national, Tribal, State, regional, and local partners, and the
public;
·
review and develop additional
requirements to integrate the stewardship goal into new and existing position
descriptions and performance plans for regional and park employees;
·
direct regional and park staff to adopt
the precautionary principle and adaptive management as guiding strategies for
resource management at all levels within the region;
· ensure that resource stewardship training needs within their regions are met, and that parks are adequately supported to meet their resource stewardship responsibilities; and
·
expand capacities for
scientific- and scholarly-research by hiring and sustaining a diverse cohort of
professionals in parks and regional programs, and support the technical and
training needs that allow these professionals to remain current in their fields
and integrated within broader communities of professional practice.
Superintendents
·
integrate the stewardship goal into
day-to-day park operations, short- and long-range planning activities, and
overall park management;
·
complete educational coursework or
training programs to further scientific literacy competencies;
·
build relationships and consult with
indigenous peoples to expand the understanding and use of TEK in park planning
and training, and in the decision-making process;
·
develop and revise Resource Stewardship
Strategies based on the integration of natural and cultural resources;
·
establish and sustain integrated,
interdisciplinary resource management and assessment programs based on sound
science and scholarship that are designed, conducted,
and/or applied by professionals;
·
incorporate the precautionary principle
and adaptive management as guiding strategies for interdisciplinary resource
management actions;
·
collaborate with international,
national, Tribal, State, regional, and local partners, and the public to
support land/seascape-scale management of resources and solve complex resource
stewardship challenges;
·
apply the decision making criteria
described in section 7 to all resource management actions; and
· build and sustain relationships at all levels to increase public involvement and participation while developing resource stewardship policies and plans, and undertaking management activities (see Director’s Order #75A).
Program Managers
Program managers will:
·
integrate
the stewardship goal into short- and long-range planning activities, and
management decisions across multiple disciplines;
· coordinate, develop, and maintain strategic plans for scientific and scholarly research and application in resource management decisions, particularly region-wide initiatives that respond to contemporary conditions and stressors at appropriate scales and intervals;
· establish and sustain integrated, interdisciplinary resource management programs and assessments based on sound science and scholarship that are designed, conducted, and/or applied by professionals;
·
incorporate the precautionary principle
and adaptive management as guiding strategies for interdisciplinary resource
management actions;
·
build relationships and consult with
indigenous peoples to further the understanding and use of TEK in the planning
and decision-making process;
·
provide program staff the necessary
training, skills, and resources to be effective resource stewards and to carry
out the responsibilities of this Order;
·
assign responsibility to appropriate
staff to ensure implementation of this Order by informing them of the key
principles and how to apply them in their duties and activities;
·
collaborate with international,
national, Tribal, State, regional, and local partners, and the public to
support land/seascape-scale management of resources and solve complex resource
stewardship challenges; and
·
build and sustain relationships at all levels to
increase public involvement and participation while developing resource stewardship
policies, and undertaking management activities (see Director’s Order #75A).
Resource Managers and Park Resource Specialists
Resource managers and park resource specialists will:
·
work with superintendents, and other
park and regional staff to integrate resource stewardship practices and
strategies into park planning, management, compliance, operations, and
monitoring activities;
·
recognize opportunities to address
resource concerns with understanding and consideration of natural and cultural
resource perspectives and land/seascape-scale needs;
·
seek and support programs, projects,
and partnerships with communities, States, non-governmental organizations,
other agencies, Tribes, and the public to enhance the NPS’s ability to effect
change on a larger scale;
·
coordinate with superintendents and other park and regional
managers and consult with broader communities of practice to develop and revise
Resource Stewardship Strategies and practices based on the
integration of natural and cultural resources and the best available sound
science and scholarship, accurate fidelity to law, and long-term public
interest; and
·
participate in local resource
management coordination with government agencies, Tribes, and other local and regional
partners.
Community
Assistance Program Coordinators
Community assistance program
coordinators will:
· integrate the stewardship goal into short- and long-term planning activities, and management decisions across multiple disciplines;
· build and sustain relationships with partners at all levels to increase public involvement and participation while developing resource stewardship policies, and undertaking management activities;
· align programs, projects, and park activities within communities in support of One NPS to further the stewardship goal;
· conduct annual reviews of conservation and restoration projects that incorporate a large land/seascape or area-wide approach outside park boundaries with appropriate NPS programs to create efficiencies, leverage resources, align efforts, and engage communities; and
· collaborate and align financial and technical assistance resources with other NPS programs where there are shared stewardship objectives and opportunities.
Service-wide and Regional Learning and Development
Coordinators/Managers
Learning and Development coordinators and managers will:
· develop and maintain an integrated strategic plan for resource stewardship and science and scholarship training;
· develop training in resource stewardship science and scholarship, law, regulation, and policy, and the public interest at all levels of the organization, and in collaboration with resource specialists and larger communities of professional practice;
· coordinate and communicate with Learning and Development managers in other divisions to identify training needs and ensure that all employees are equipped to engage in decision making based in science and scholarship, law and policy, and the public interest; and
· help coordinate participation in professional associations and scientific and scholarly meetings, symposia, and conferences.
NPS Regional and National Resource Advisory Councils
Resource advisory councils will:
·
advise the Director, deputy
director(s), ADs and RDs about all resource stewardship and decision-making
matters in parks and programs;
·
encourage participation of external
scientists, scholars, and other experts in research and professional activities
to inform resource stewardship, and involvement of professionals in larger
communities of practice through regular consultations and opportunities with
professional associations; and
· assist in the development and implementation of programs and projects that expand and improve the accountability, consistency, and continuity of resource stewardship activities and practices based on sound science and scholarship, law and policy, and the public interest.
NPS Employees Participating in Research Learning Centers
(RLCs) and Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Units (CESUs)
NPS employees in RLCs and in CESUs will:
· support natural and cultural resource integration projects;
· provide opportunities to train and hire the next generation of scientists, scholars, and resource managers; and
· provide opportunities for NPS employees to develop and maintain the professional knowledge and skills necessary for resource stewardship through training, conferences, and collaborative projects.
All employees have the responsibility to help manage resources
and implement programs that further the stewardship goal.
Continuous
Change is the
concept that parks are not static entities, but instead are undergoing
long-term change. This change is not
merely a constant or seasonal change, but also the dynamic nature of
overlapping and accelerating changes facing park systems. Extreme shifts in conditions (such as
unexpected, severe wet seasons) within long-term trends of change (such as
decadal droughts) that are increasingly exceeding historic experiences,
exemplify the complex nature of change.
The conditions of park resources will continue to move beyond the bounds
of historical range of variation due to continually increasing temperatures and
other changes including those associated with ongoing and projected climate
change. In addition, ongoing social,
cultural, and demographic shifts will impact park systems. Novel and unpredicted responses to these
changes present new challenges for resource stewardship.
Core
of National and International Networks of Protected Lands, Waters, and
Resources is the
concept that NPS-administered lands, waters, and resources are ecologically
and/or culturally essential elements of national and international networks of
protected areas, when viewed holistically across boundaries and managed through
exemplary resource management practices.
Ecological Integrity is the ability of ecosystems to support and maintain a community of organisms that has a species composition, diversity, and functional organization comparable to those natural habitats or projected new conditions within the region. These characteristics may occur within a historical range of variation and with time may progress towards novel conditions associated with a changing climate. While ecological integrity necessarily builds on our understanding of the past, maintaining integrity will also be informed by scientific and scholarly research, TEK, and an evolving understanding of the resources and values that are fundamental to the park’s purpose.
Historical
and Cultural Integrity is the
ability of an object, property, site, or cultural landscape to convey its full
historical, cultural, and scientific significance. Historical and cultural integrity incorporates a variety of
perspectives, reflects current theories and best practices of all relevant
disciplines and promotes dynamic, adaptive, and data-driven resource
management.
Program Participants are
those individuals who use the Service’s programs that extend the benefits of
resource conservation and outdoor recreation beyond park visits. These are mainly non-park based experiential
programs that often work with parks, but are available in communities and other
areas outside park boundaries. See National Park Service Programs (2013).
Traditional Ecological Knowledge refers to the on-going accumulation of knowledge, practice and belief about relationships between living beings in a specific ecosystem that is acquired by indigenous peoples over hundreds or thousands of years through direct contact with the environment, handed down through generations by cultural transmission, and used for life-sustaining ways. [Rinkevich et al. Synopsis of Traditional Ecological Knowledge, 2016]
Visitors are individuals who (1) physically
visit parks for recreational, educational, or scientific purposes, or (2)
otherwise use a park’s interpretive, scientific, and educational services,
regardless of where or how such use occurs (e.g., via Internet access, library,
etc.). See Management Policies, p. 160.
-------End of Director’s Order-------
[1] The “National Park System” includes those areas of land and water administered by the National Park Service for park, monument, historic, parkway, recreational, or other purposes (see, 54 USC 100501).
[2] “Related areas” include affiliated areas, national heritage areas, national trails, and wild and scenic rivers that are not part of the National Park System.