Cedar Breaks National Monument: Natural Resource Condition Assessment

Baril, Lisa; Struthers, Kimberly; Valentine-Darby, Patricia

The Natural Resource Condition Assessment (NRCA) Program, administered by the National Park Service’s (NPS) Water Resources Division, provides a multidisciplinary synthesis of existing scientific data and knowledge about current conditions of important national park natural resources through the development of a park-specific report. The NRCA process for Cedar Breaks National Monument (NM) began with a meeting that was held on April 11, 2017 with staff from the monument, Zion National Park (NP), NPS Intermountain Region Office, NPS Northern Colorado Plateau Inventory and Monitoring Network (NCPN), and Utah State University. Cedar Breaks NM was established in 1933 to preserve the “multicolored geologic spectacle of the Cedar Breaks amphitheater, scenic vistas, and natural and cultural resources of scientific interest for public appreciation, education, recreation, and enjoyment.” Eleven of the monument’s natural resources , grouped into five broad categories, were selected for current condition assessment reporting. The five categories included landscapes, air and climate, geology and soils, water, and biological integrity, which included wildlife and vegetation resources. The monument’s viewsheds were considered to be in good condition, and night sky, soundscape, and geology were rated as good to moderate concern. Non-native invasive plants and mammals were of moderate concern and air quality and upland vegetation were rated as moderate to significant concern. None of the resources were exclusively rated as of significant concern; however, conditions for three resources, springs and seeps, birds, and unique vegetation, are unknown due to a lack of current data from which to evaluate conditions and represent data gaps. Cedar Breaks NM is a park that faces many threats including increasing temperatures due to climate change, especially given the high elevations at the monument, and an ever-increasing human population within and surrounding Cedar City, Utah. Monument management has developed a proactive science program that partners with other parks, agencies, and the local community. These partnerships will become even more important in maintaining or influencing monument resource conditions and identifying necessary adaptations in a rapidly changing environment.

Cedar Breaks National Monument: Natural Resource Condition Assessment

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