1996 PAIS Resources Management Plan

National Park Service

Padre Island National Seashore's (PAIS) Resource Management Plan (RMP) describes, documents, and prioritizes resource management issues, problems, and actions required to preserve and protect cultural and natural resources occurring at PAIS. The RMP will also be utilized to achieve stated management objectives in the years 1994 through 1998. The RMP provides a summary of the purpose and values of PAIS and provides the foundation for budgetary needs, and for measuring accomplishments against stated management goals and commitnents. The RMP, a planning document, is used in the development and implementation of short and long-term management strategies. The Plan is dynamic and will be revised as information and expertise is advanced. The RMP, a public document will be utilized by the park, region and WASO staffs, and will also be made available for public review. The RMP is a dynamic document which will be modified as goals are accomplished and priorities change. This RMP is significantly different than earlier versions. The first RMP was written in 1969,and was revised in 1979, 1981, 1984, 1986, and again in 1989. Project staternents still make up the bulk of this document. These statements have been constructed according to national guidelines (NPS 1989) and are more concise than in previous versions. Most resource management activities conducted in the park are now accounted for in the RMP, including administrative activities. This means that the Plan has a more programmatic approach and achievements will be tracked. In depth exploration of management issues and alternatives has been relegated specific action plans, which are developed on an as needed basis. These action plans are addenda to the RMP. Compliance needs for specific actions are identified within each project statement; this RMP is not subject to a single environmental review process as it has been in the past. This Plan goes from the broad to the specific. Inllially, legislative mandates and management objectives are introduced. The condition or "status" of each resource "type" is summarized, a list of needs is identified and specific actions prescribed. Finally, funding needs and potential funding sources are identified using programming sheets which are updated annually. Fifteen major issues have been identified. More than 35 natural and five cultural resources program statements are included. All activities are prioritized based on where they fall within the following management strategies: 1) Minimize the loss of resources/information 2) Meet legal requirements 3) Mitigate management and visitor caused impacts 4) Mitigate external impacts Protecting from and preventing the loss of cultural and natural resources is the prime management directive. However, some resources may be more or less sensitive or critical than others, just as some legal requirements may be more applicable than others. For this reason, some activities may shift in priority. This Plan documents the condition and threats to the natural and cultural resources of Padre Island National Seashore and prescribes actions designed to protect them. A wide variety of activities, including baseline inventories, long-term monitoring, experimentation or manipulative studies, resource maintenance, visitor education, and management and enforcement functions are integrated into a comprehensive resource management program. By describing current natural and cultrral resource programs/projects and proposed future program needs, this Plan serves as the park's primary plan for addressing critical resource issues and problems.