259-4 Paleontological resource management on public lands: insights for early career scientists

Session: Science and Stewardship of U.S. National Park Service Paleontological Resources (Posters)

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The goal of resource management on public lands is first and foremost the preservation of natural resources. This includes any plants, fossils, and rock formations as they are in their present state. Any action that may alter these resources is carefully considered and must weigh future effects on park resources, visitor impact, and educational potential in addition to scientific research potential. Management practices that tend toward preservation can therefore pose a unique challenge to conducting scientific research on public lands. The National Park Service maintains a relatively high bar for preservation of natural resources. Paleontological activities conducted in the field such as prospecting, excavation, and quarry maintenance must properly justify the disruption or destruction of natural rock formations. This study provides an overview of over a year of field work at Badlands National Park and Dinosaur National Monument, both as an intern with the Scientists in Parks program and as a physical science technician with the National Park Service. At Badlands NP, we primarily conducted a pedestrian paleontological survey of 3,200 acres in the Eocene–Oligocene White River Group, during which we documented new fossil localities, reported on spatial variation in stratigraphy, and excavated several specimens. We also worked on mitigation-based projects such as collecting and providing interpretation on fossils found by visitors and monitoring construction projects. At Dinosaur NM, we cleaned, repaired, and documented in-situ fossils of the Carnegie Quarry in the Jurassic Morrison Formation. This work was tested on a new two-rope suspension system installed to address employee and visitor safety concerns, as well as protect fossil and other geologic resources. Over the course of this work, I gained considerable insight into conducting paleontological research from a resource management lens. An understanding of how scientists employed to manage public lands must balance conducting scientific research and preserving natural resources is important to any early career scientist interested in pursuing a career in this field.

Geological Society of America Abstracts with Program. Vol. 57, No. 6, 2025

doi: 10.1130/abs/2025AM-9799

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