National Park Service Public Access Plan

National Park Service

doi:10.36967/2308916

This document is in response to the Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) memoranda that require the National Park Service (NPS) to develop a Public Access Plan for the results of its scientific, technology, economic and engineering research, unless its release is restricted by policy such as CFR 30 - 550.197, “data and information to be made available to the public or for limited inspection”. The NPS is a bureau of the Department of the Interior with less than $100 million in annual science, technology, and engineering research funding, hereafter referred to as scientific and scholarly activities. To meet its mission—to preserve unimpaired the natural and cultural resources and values of the National Park System for the enjoyment, education, and inspiration of future generations—NPS engages in inventories, research, and monitoring studies. These activities require data collection, analysis, and reporting of scientific findings on all aspects of cultural and natural resources throughout the park system. This plan identifies how data and information from such scientific and scholarly activities will be made easily available to the public.