These National Park Service Resource Briefs are the next iteration of Natural Resource Condition Assessments. They analyze and present the condition of important natural resources in 11 National Capital Region National Parks to guide local and regional management of these resources.

Published in 2022, the 2021 Severn River Report Card summarizes data collected in the summer of 2021. It was a troubling year for water quality in the Severn River in 2021. The overall grade for the Severn River dropped to a D+ in 2021, largely due to a decline in underwater grasses. This decline offset improvements seen in dissolved oxygen.

In the annual IAN Report Card, IAN staff reflect on accomplishments from 2021. The self-assessment is based on indicators in three categories: social impacts, ecological outcomes, and partner engagement. Overall, IAN received an overall grade of C+ (79%), a moderate score nearly in the good range.

This report card provides a transparent, timely, and geographically detailed assessment of Chesapeake Bay and its Watershed. Since 2016, UMCES has engaged stakeholders throughout the watershed to transform the report card into an evaluation of the Chesapeake Watershed health. Watershed health includes traditional ecological indicators, but also economic and societal indicators. This is the third year the watershed has been scored, and four new economic indicators have been added.

The first-ever Cuando River Basin Report Card aims to assist in decision making to expand protected lands, increase biodiversity, maintain migration routes, and draw more tourists to the area. Inclusive conservation, which centers conservation actions on the needs of local communities, is at the heart of this approach.

For the last decade, the State of Maryland has invested in and made progress toward adaptation. Through increased funding, planning, regulatory changes, and restoration, Maryland has become a leader in coastal and climate adaptation. However, there is a need to clarify adaptation goals in order to measure progress and hold the state accountable.

The aim of this report card is to provide a transparent, timely, and geographically detailed assessment of 2019-2020 Coastal Bays health. Coastal Bays health is defined as the progress of four water quality indicators (total nitrogen, total phosphorus, chlorophyll a, dissolved oxygen) and two biotic indicators (seagrass, hard clams) toward scientifically derived ecological thresholds or goals.

The Darwin Harbour Integrated Report Card has been developed through extensive consultation with stakeholders from the Darwin Harbour region and relies heavily on their knowledge and expertise. Initiated by the Darwin Harbour Advisory Committee, a series of workshops were held in March 2020, representing the first step in this report card journey.

Published in 2021, the 2020 Severn River Report Card summarizes data collected in the summer of 2020. The Severn River received a C- grade in 2020. All three indicators--water clarity, dissolved oxygen, and underwater grasses--declined from 2019 to 2020. However, more samples were collected in 2020 than in 2019, so comparing the two years is not apples to apples.

In the annual IAN Report Card, IAN staff reflect on accomplishments from 2020. The self-assessment is based on indicators in three categories: social impacts, ecological outcomes, and partner engagement. Overall, IAN received an overall grade of C (78%) which is a decrease from the 2019 score of B (84%).