DEVELOPING SUMMARY REPORTS FOR CAVE AND KARST RESOURCES FOUND WITHIN THE NATIONAL PARK SERVICE

The United States National Park Service (NPS) preserves and protects some of the most amazing natural and cultural resources in the world. The National NPS Cave and Karst Program advocates for the protection of all cave and karst resources within park units, including more than 4,900 caves and extensive karst features. The Cave and Karst Program is developing Cave and Karst Summary Reports for all NPS park units containing these types of resources. These summary reports include discussions on geology, archeology, biology, hydrology, paleontology, other potential discipline studies, the significance of each park unit resources, and current monitoring activities. These synopses are important in an effort to identify and understand cave and karst resources within NPS units. They will be used to identify any gaps or information needs for the long-term protection and conservation of these fragile and sensitive resources. Other uses will include the ability to provide better and more accurate information for upcoming Foundation and State of the Parks documents, which are national-level programs designed to assist all park unit’s planning processes and to determine the current status and condition of parks and their resources.