Natural Resource Condition Assessment for Tonto National Monument

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The NPS is implementing a Natural Resource Condition Assessment (NRCA) for Tonto National Monument (hereafter referred to as ⿿park⿝). This agreement describes the scope and tasks associated with preparing the NRCAs for this park. The NRCA will be developed collaboratively between NPS and USU. The NRCA will develop assessments for a subset of important park natural resources and resource management topics. The assessment will evaluate and report on current conditions, fundamental data and knowledge gaps, and describe resource stressors of concern to park resource managers. Project scope is comprehensive in that a wide range of biotic, abiotic, landscape, and ecological resources and interactions will be considered. The goals are to develop information to assist park managers⿿ efforts to develop near-term management priorities, engage in watershed- and landscape-scale partnerships and education efforts, conduct park planning, and report program performance. The project will rely on the available science (data, information, expertise) contributed by the park, Inventory and Monitoring Networks (I&M), NPS program offices, and park partners (academic, other agencies). This project will compile, evaluate, and synthesize the existing scientific information from these multiple sources, and rely on expert judgment from an interdisciplinary team of specialists. This project assists in the promotion and improvement of the public⿿s understanding of the natural and recreational aspects of park lands, as well as the engagement of park partners in shared environmental stewardship, thus fulfilling the public purpose. Additionally, prioritizing park resource conditions will facilitate park reporting toward the Government Performance and Results Act (GPRA; Pub.L. 103-62), as well as respond to the Department of Interior⿿s Strategic Plan (2014-2018) for landscape-level understanding of resources.

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