Paleontological resource inventory and monitoring—Klamath Network

Santucci, Vincent; Kenworthy, Jason

Paleontological resources (fossils) are any remains of past life preserved in a geologic context. Paleontological resources are non-renewable resources found in more than 210 National Park Service (NPS) units. Despite the abundance and diversity of these resources throughout the NPS, until recently few parks have adequate baseline paleontological resource data. The NPS National Inventory and Monitoring Program and the NPS Geologic Resources Division have developed various strategies to provide parks with the baseline paleontological resource data necessary for greater understanding and appropriate management of these resources. This report presents a paleontological resource summary for the parks of the Klamath Network. The summary was compiled through extensive literature reviews and interviews with park staff and professional geologists and paleontologists. Preliminary paleontological resource management recommendations are also included for each park. Including this report, summaries have been prepared for 24 NPS Inventory and Monitoring Networks. The National Inventory and Monitoring Program provided funding to complete paleontological resource summaries for each of the remaining networks. The paleontological resources known from the parks of the Klamath Network are primarily limited to some isolated megafaunal remains from the lava tubes at Lava Beds National Monument (LABE), Pleistocene/Holocene fauna from Oregon Caves National Monument (ORCA), and a late Tertiary-aged flora preserved in the Gold Bluffs at Redwoods National and State Parks (RNSP). Fossils are either rare or not well documented from the other parks in the Klamath Network including: Crater Lake National Park (CRLA), Lassen Volcanic National Park (LAVO), and Whiskeytown National Recreation Area (WHIS).

Paleontological resource inventory and monitoring—Klamath Network

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