Yellowstone Center for Resources 2010 Annual Report

Yellowstone Center for Resources

Introduction Yellowstone’s unique geological and biological resources inspired its creation as the world’s first national park in 1872. The National Park Service (NPS) is legally responsible for preserving, unimpaired, the park’s natural and cultural resources and values for the enjoyment, education, and inspiration of this and future generations. The Yellowstone Center for Resources (YCR) works to fulfill these responsibilities for the resources we are mandated to manage and protect. This annual report highlights 2010 activities undertaken by YCR in connection with that mission. In a sense, the report serves as both mirror and frame. While the contents serve to reflect or mirror our progress over a finite 12-month period, the report’s structure provides a yardstick – or frame, if you will – for measuring that progress and determining exactly how well we are meeting our continuing mission to protect and preserve. As in past years, this year’s report structure is also a direct reflection of YCR’s operations. The report’s first two sections address Cultural and Natural Resource initiatives. The third section, Professional Support, summarizes key programs and activities that support YCR’s mission by providing financial, technical, and other essential services to work areas and staff directly engaged in cultural and natural resource programs. Partnerships and agreements with other federal and state agencies, academia, and public organizations continue to be critical to our successes in stewardship. The YCR also continues to benefit from the hard work of many volunteers and cooperators, as evidenced by approximately 200 research permits typically issued each year to investigators from across the United States and a number of foreign countries. For more information, readers may contact us at (307) 344-2203, visit the park’s website at www.nps.gov/yell, or the Greater Yellowstone Science Learning Center website at www.greateryellowstonescience.org.