Appalachian Trail Natural Resource Condition Assessment

In 2018, the CLUS entered an agreement with the National Park Service Appalachian National Scenic Trail (APPA) through the Chesapeake Watershed CESU. The goal of this two and a half year agreement is to provide an assessment of the current ecological conditions and trends for natural resources and ecosystems of management interest to the Appalachian National Scenic Trail, to identify data and knowledge gaps, and to highlight existing and potential threats.

The objective of a natural resource condition assessment is to document the state-of-knowledge and known conditions of natural resources using science-based, quantitative metrics, and to identify threats to resource conditions and gaps in natural resource information. The outcome of this project is a publicly available report that Park Managers can use to evaluate and prioritize habitats that may require restoration, enhanced protection, and/ or further study.

Natural Resource Condition Assessment Program

The Natural Resource Condition Assessment (NRCA) Program was developed in 2006 to help National Park Service Staff manage resources within a larger ecosystem context by providing a snapshot-in-time of their park unit conditions. Since 2008, more than 100 of 270 National Park Units have had assessments completed or have ongoing projects with expected completion dates in 2018.

NRCA projects contribute to strategic resource stewardship and a “systems level” approach by evaluating and reporting on current conditions, identifying critical data gaps, and analyzing a subset of stressors relating to the park unit. NRCA reports are used by resource managers to develop short and long term strategies for resource protection, helping to prioritize the protection of vulnerable resources with often limited staff levels and funding. Additionally, assessments support partnership building and education efforts by providing information and data to support resource preservation efforts.

Appalachian National Scenic Trail

The more than 2,100 mile Appalachian National Scenic Trail spans 14 states in the eastern United States, including Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland, West Virginia, Virginia, Tennessee, North Carolina, and Georgia. APPA is managed and maintained by multiple local, state, regional, and federal agencies, and has a complex land ownership pattern: it traverses 6 national parks, 8 national forests, and 67 state-owned lands – plus many lands owned and managed by local municipalities or non-profits. It is one of the largest and most accessible National Park units in the eastern United States.

As a narrow, linear trail corridor, APPA is exposed to development threats, including energy infrastructure development and residential development. Given the latitudinal and elevational range of APPA, the park is uniquely vulnerable to climate change, especially in the northern reaches, but also contains some of the most significant climate refugia in the eastern U.S. Other current threats to natural resources include invasive species, air pollution, and visitor use impacts.

Resources

The Center for Land Use and Sustainability has developed an Appalachian Trail Natural Resource Condition Assessment (NRCA) mapping portal. This ArcHUB site was created as a companion to the full report so that users can interact and visualize NRCA data through story maps, apps, and web maps.

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