The Pacific Island Network (PACN) of the National Park Service (NPS) Inventory and Monitoring program is currently in the process of implementing vital signs monitoring within 11 PACN parks. As a basis to monitoring, effective communication is essential. This poster features Pu'uhonua o Honaunau National Historic Park on the island of Hawai'i, the location of historical sites, anchialine pools, and rare plants and animals.

The Pacific Island Network (PACN) of the National Park Service (NPS) Inventory and Monitoring program is currently in the process of implementing vital signs monitoring within 11 PACN parks. As a basis to monitoring, effective communication is essential.

Morro Bay, on the central California coast, was the site of a workshop to develop a conceptual framework for an ecosystem-based management initiative. IAN staff worked with Morro Bay scientists, resource managers, and stakeholders to develop conceptual diagrams for Morro Bay, offshore Estero Bay and the Morro Bay watershed. These diagrams examined key features, threats, and management objectives of the Morro Bay ecosystem.

Morro Bay, on the central California coast, was the site of a workshop to develop a conceptual framework for an ecosystem-based management initiative. IAN staff worked with Morro Bay scientists, resource managers, and stakeholders to develop conceptual diagrams for Morro Bay, offshore Estero Bay and the Morro Bay watershed. These diagrams examined key features, threats, and management objectives of the Morro Bay ecosystem.

Communication among managers, the public, and scientists is the key to successful ecosystem management; however, the varied perspectives and interests of these groups can make such communication difficult. One way to achieve effective communication is to develop a common knowledge base by combining syntheses of key scientific results with information-rich visual elements.

This poster series outlines the work of the National Capital Region Network's (NCRN) Inventory and Monitoring Program. The program's role is to monitor the status and trends of the parks, their vital signs and development pressures. Park vital signs monitoring is designed to inform managers of the condition of water, air, plants and animals, and the various ecological, biological, and physical processes that act on those resources.

Antietam National Battlefield is managed within the historical context of General Robert E. Lee's first invasion of the North during the Civil War. The 1,926 acre park is located in the heart of Maryland and is surrounded by rolling hills dotted with farm fields and pastures reminiscent of the day of battle. Patches of forest, open meadow, streams, and cropland are found within the park.

Catoctin Mountain Park originated as a Recreation Demonstration Area in 1936 and is managed today for its recreational use and the conservation of its cultural and natural resources. The park encompasses 5,810 acres of mixed hardwood forest located in the mountains of the Catoctin Ridge in north-central Maryland. Two high-quality streams bisect the park and the unique three million year old geology forms a number of cliffs and scenic vistas.

The Chesapeake & Ohio Canal National Historical Park is the largest and longest park in the National Capital Region, stretching along the Potomac River for 184.5 miles from Washington, DC to Cumberland, MD. The park's 19,236 acres cut through four major physiographic provinces and include diverse wetlands, floodplain, and upland forests. Hundreds of historic structures are preserved as reminders of the Canal's role as a major transportation system during the Canal Era.

George Washington Memorial Parkway was established to protect the scenic views along the Potomac River and its tributaries in the Washington, DC area. The park's 7,210 acres provide habitat for dozens of state-listed species of rare, threatened, or endangered plants and animals, many of which are associated with rare plant communities of the Potomac River Gorge.