The Role of Science in National Park Service Decision-making
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The Role of Science in
National Park Service Decision-making
Suzanne Lewis
IN THESE CHALLENGING TIMES, when allocations to parks are not increasing at a rate com-
mensurate with costs, park managers are faced with difficult decisions about park priorities
and staffing: which programs are going to grow, which are going to remain flat, which are
going to be downsized, or even disappear? We also are making choices about resources and
visitor-use issues in a complex context, and often in a divisive atmosphere. By mandate and
necessity, science is a part of the decision-making equation. As decision-makers, our jobs are
made much easier, and the results are better, when the science is relevant, readily available,
and clearly communicated.
In keeping with the times, then, this resources and issues? Science—even good
essay addresses four key areas relating to science—does not replace good decision-
the intersection of science and management making. Science is an important and even
in National Park Service units: the role of critical input into decision-making. Science
science in park decisions; science successes helps us to decide where to focus our
and science stalls in the National Park Ser- efforts. For instance, in the winter-use
vice; the differences between science and debate that has been going on in Yellow-
resource management, and how to improve stone for almost 20 years, natural resource
the way they work together; and, finally, the monitoring has helped us to determine that
art of communicating science to park man- snowmobiling has greater impacts on air
agers. These comments should be taken for quality and the natural-sound environment
what they are: a combination of information than on water quality and wildlife popula-
and advice, from a park manager’s perspec- tions.
tive, challenging scientists to keep working Science also helps us to set reasonable
hard, keep getting better, and keep focusing thresholds for change, and tells us when we
their efforts on science that makes a differ- are close to those thresholds. The state of
ence to decision-makers in parks. Wyoming, for example, has established a
threshold of allowing no more than a 10-
The role of science in park NTU (nephelometric turbidity unit) in-
management crease in sediment in Outstanding Natural
First, what role does science play in Resource Waters. Science helps us to deter-
park management—in helping a superin- mine trends, and helps us to set priorities
tendent to make decisions about park for resource programs. In Yellowstone, we
36 The George Wright ForumIntegrating Science and Management
have been counting fewer and fewer More than 40 microbiologists study
Yellowstone cutthroat trout (YCT) spawn- the thermophiles in hot springs, for purpos-
ers in Yellowstone Lake. As a result, we have es ranging from cataloguing the life they
intensified our lake trout control efforts and find to trying to understand life on Mars.
begun to search for stream reaches where Scientists study fish; they monitor air and
we might begin restoring populations of water quality. There’s even a researcher
native YCT. studying the fungi in mammal scat. Based
But scientific information is only one on all of this science, researchers have pro-
input into management decisions. As a park vided us with a reasonably clear picture of
manager, I have to balance many issues and the status and trend of many of Yellow-
interests in every decision I make. Most of stone’s highest-priority resources, and they
those issues and interests are based on val- have developed a context for identifying
ues, rather than quantitative information. At which biological and physical resources are
the end of the day, I will never have all of the most important to monitor. In fact, the
information I need to make a decision. I Greater Yellowstone Inventory and Moni-
often have to do what Malcolm Gladwell, in toring (I&M) Network’s vital-signs devel-
his book Blink, calls “thin slicing”: take a opment process, which engaged more than
small amount of information, often just an 250 scientists over a three-year period, has
impression, and make a quick decision. been instrumental in helping park managers
Having access to better information can decide what to monitor.
mean making a better-supported decision. However, the most controversial and
But I still have to weigh all of the informa- important decisions I make, as a superin-
tion, including the science, and use my best tendent, turn as much on people’s values as
judgment. on biology, geology, or ecology. In the case
of winter use, for example, resource impacts
Science successes and science stalls are important, but the primary decision to
Second, what are our science success- be made is based on a value question: Are
es, and where has our science stalled? In the snowmobiles a proper mode of transporta-
National Park Service, our successes tend to tion for a national park? The same is true of
be in the biological and physical sciences. bison management, wolf restoration, grizzly
In Yellowstone, an incredible network of bear recovery—even the question of where
scientists—at least 211, based on the num- and when we ought to enable people to use
ber of research permits the park issues— cell phones in Yellowstone. These ques-
gathers information about the park. There tions are all about values.
are scientists studying wolves, grizzly bears, Then there’s the question of social sci-
elk, pronghorn, and bighorn sheep. ence. In the National Park Service, we sim-
Scientists study fire behavior and fire ecolo- ply do not have the kind of science firepow-
gy. They study rare plants, exotic plants, er in the social sciences that we do in the
willows, aspen, and whitebark pine. biological and physical sciences. In Yellow-
Twenty-two seismic stations and 12 GPS stone, in 2006, of 211 research permits,
leveling stations help more than a dozen sci- only three were for social science studies:
entists to monitor the Yellowstone Volcano. that’s 1.4%. There are simply not enough
Volume 24 • Number 2 (2007) 37Integrating Science and Management
people out there helping us to understand routes, and development of better vaccines
our visitors. And yet we need that kind of and delivery systems—informs what we do
information. The kinds of decisions I make and how we do it. Science especially helps
as a superintendent every day demand it. us to come up with good adaptive manage-
Social scientists are equipped to give mean- ment strategies.
ingful input into the values-based issues Lake trout control—setting and pulling
that we face. That input seems to be largely 13 miles of gill nets each week in Yellow-
missing from the national parks, especially stone Lake: not science. In fact, it can be
as it relates to value-based issues involving backbreaking labor. It is dirty, smelly work,
natural resources. Social science is our pulling fish that have been dead for almost a
biggest “science stall.” A stall that we can- week from nets. Where science intersects
not afford to let go on unaddressed. with lake-trout control is in determining the
best places and types of nets to set to catch
Science and resource management the most lake trout with the least bycatch of
Third, although we do both in the na- Yellowstone cutthroat trout. Our staff is also
tional parks, there is a distinction between working with outside scientists to deter-
resource management and science. Re- mine how effective the program has been, to
source management is roll-up-your-sleeves, create models that predict where we will
get-down-in-the-dirt work. It needs to be find new spawning areas, and to develop
informed by science, but is more oriented better methods of monitoring the popula-
toward on-the-ground results, and often tion of YCT in the lake. Again, we adapt our
guided more by experience or intuition program as we acquire new scientific infor-
than by science. For example, controlling mation.
exotic plants is not science. It is typical of One of the challenges faced by scien-
the work done in resource management: tists is translating discoveries into proce-
sweltering on a hot summer day in a Tyvek dures and practices that can be implement-
suit, mixing tanks of herbicide, walking ed by resource managers—people who are
along roadsides, and spot-spraying weeds. not necessarily scientists. That is where the
But knowing which herbicide to mix for rubber meets the road in most parks. To be
which weed is the result of science—science relevant to managers, scientists should
that comes to us through private industries, always ask themselves: How can resource
universities, and the cooperative ecosystem managers use the information that I am dis-
studies units, as well as our own staff. covering? How can they use it in adaptive
Science helps to improve the resource management? How can they use it to
management performed in parks. Managing increase the focus and effectiveness of their
bison—hazing, capturing, shipping, hold- programs? How can they use it to evaluate
ing—is not science. It is simply hard work, their programs, many of which are at least
done by dedicated park rangers and based partly on intuition?
resource staff in the bitter cold of winter, in
the deep snows of West Yellowstone, the The art of communication
biting winds of Stephens Creek. Science— Finally, none of these things are possi-
ecological monitoring, monitoring travel ble without good communication between
38 The George Wright ForumIntegrating Science and Management
scientists and managers. As a superintend- to understand a word, explain it. Or
ent, I sometimes feel a bit like Mark Twain, choose a more common word.
who famously quipped, “Researchers have • A picture is worth a thousand words.
already cast much darkness on the subject, Sometimes I just need to see it. That
and if they continue their investigations, we doesn’t mean just charts and graphs.
shall soon know nothing at all about it.” Real pictures, or at least good graphics
Think about it: the first thing scientists do, that depict the situation, are always
when they go to school to become scien- helpful.
tists—no matter what field they go into—is • Keep it short! Synthesize. Explain
learn a specialized language. This language what you know in 4–5 bullets. You
helps them to communicate with other sci- might know more than anyone else in
entists in the field, but it does not help them the world about the tapeworms in Yel-
to communicate with anyone else. lowstone Lake, but I can’t afford to. It
For instance, the gold standard for is actually harder work to boil things
written science communication is the peer- down to a few bullets than it is to tell
reviewed manuscript—again, good for other the “rest of the story.” Do the work; the
scientists, not so good for the rest of us. The rewards, as far as communication, will
results of a survey recently published in the be great.
journal Science found that managers only
used journal articles to gain information On a final note, there are six principles
about 2% of the time. Again, necessary for of influence I have used successfully when
scientific credentials, but not an ideal com- trying to communicate and influence oth-
munication tool. ers. They also tend to work when others are
Finally, scientists tend to know (and trying to influence me:
communicate) too much. As a manager, my
job requires that I be like the Mississippi • Reciprocation. Simply put, that
River: a mile wide and an inch deep. There means, You, then me, then you, then
are simply too many issues on the table for me. Or, put another way, it means you
me to be able to focus too deeply on just should be the first to give service, infor-
one. I read a lot of technical reports and sci- mation, and concessions.
entific articles on the resource issues I am • Scarcity. The Rule of Rare. Simply
personally involved in, the ones with high emphasize genuine scarcity, share
complexity and high stakes: bison manage- unique features, and always provide
ment, winter use, road construction. For exclusive information.
everything else, I need the Cliff ’s Notes ver- • Authority. Showing is knowing. Estab-
sion as a primer. lish your position through profession-
Here are some pointers for communi- alism, industry knowledge, your cre-
cating scientific information to the superin- dentials, and always admitting weak-
tendent: ness first.
• Commitment. Always the place to
• Use plain language. If someone out- begin. Start small and build over time.
side your area of expertise is not likely Where possible, start with emphasiz-
Volume 24 • Number 2 (2007) 39Integrating Science and Management
ing existing commitments, start from compliments, and always seek oppor-
“public” positions (not personal ones), tunities for cooperation and collabora-
and start with what are voluntary tion.
choices, not mandates.
• Consensus. People proof and people Case studies—yes, social science studies—
power. Unleash that power by showing have proven that these principles can and
responses of many others (not just your do work, but mostly they are just a good,
own), sharing the past successes of oth- common-sense approach to communicat-
ers, and providing testimonials of simi- ing needs in order to influence others. We,
lar others who share your views. managers and scientists, have to make sure
• Liking. Making friends to influence that we are working in sync and communi-
others. Uncover similarities between cating well. The costs of failing to integrate
you and who you are hoping to influ- science and management are simply too
ence, finds areas to provide genuine high.
Suzanne Lewis, Yellowstone National Park, P.O. Box 168, Yellowstone National Park,
Wyoming 82190-0168; suzanne_lewis@nps.gov
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