Air quality monitoring considerations for the Gulf Coast Network

National Park Service Air Resources Division

The NPS Air Resources Division (ARD) contracted with the University of Denver (DU) to produce GIS-based maps and an associated look-up table that provide baseline values for a set of air quality parameters for all Inventory and Monitoring parks in the U.S. These maps and table will serve as the Air Quality Inventory for the parks. Air Quality Inventory products are available on the Internet at http://www2.nature.nps.gov/ard/gas/ (see section called Air Atlas). ARD used preliminary DU products to help develop a strategy for expanding NPS ambient air quality monitoring with increased funding from the Natural Resources Challenge. At this time, ARD does not intend to fund additional monitoring at any NPS units in the Gulf Coast Network. The air monitoring strategy will be revisited in FY 2004 if additional funding becomes available. Data from the Air Quality Inventory, national air monitoring programs described below, and other air quality sources, were used in conjunction with park-specific resource information to evaluate the following needs relative to the Gulf Coast Network: 1) the need for additional ambient air quality monitoring at any Network park, i.e., wet deposition, dry deposition, visibility, and/or ozone monitoring, and 2) the need for air quality effects-related monitoring at any Network park. The results of this evaluation, as well as a brief summary of results of past air quality monitoring at relevant sites, are discussed below.