National Park Management
The National Park Service uses critical loads to:
- guide management decisions
- help develop Resource Stewardship Strategies
- influence environmental policy
- respond to permits for new emission sources near park units
What are the steps for identifying sensitive resources?
While each process uses the data slightly differently, the steps for identifying sensitive resources are generally the same:
- identify resources at risk from N and S pollution
- identify which resources are in exceedance of their critical load
- identify where in the park the exceedances are occurring
Access the relevant websites and a step-by-step guide for using each website.
WHAT ARE CRITICAL LOADS AND WHY DO THEY MATTER? | overview of how N and S pollution impact ecosystems |
IDENTIFY RESOURCES AT RISK FROM N OR S AIR POLLUTION | provides CL values and CL exceedances in a single place for all NPS units |
NPS PARK AIR PROFILES | descriptions of resources with critical loads in Class I NPS units |
CONDITIONS AND TRENDS OF POLLUTANTS AND ECOSYSTEM HEALTH IN NPS UNITS | for each NPS unit, assesses current resource condition relative to pollution and trends in N and S deposition |
REPORTS ON CRITICAL LOADS AND CL EXCEEDANCES WITHIN NPS UNITS | provides access to NADP-CLAD Critical Load Summary reports for each NPS unit |
INTERACTIVE MAPS OF CRITICAL LOADS AND EXCEEDANCES | shows the spatial distribution of CLs and CL exceedances across the contiguous US |