Natural Resource Condition Assessments for Petrified Forest National Park

Learn about NRCAs

• How do parks use NRCAs?
• Learn more about the NRCA Program

The Natural Resource Condition Assessment (NRCA) Program provides framework, funding, and publishing support to parks to aid in the synthesis and documentation of natural resource conditions. Condition assessment reports are a tool to describe selected park resources, and record a snapshot of their current condition, identify trends, and identify potential or current threats and stressors. Understanding the condition and trend of natural resources is key for parks and NPS planners to appropriately prioritize and allocate stewardship resources.

 

Colorful petrified wood covers the ground at Rainbow Forest.

Photo by NPS/T. Scott Williams

Located in northeastern Arizona, Petrified Forest National Park is known for its fossils of fallen trees that lived about 225 million years ago. Once living trees, the remnants have transformed from wood to almost solid quartz. In addition to learning about the forest that once thrived here, visitors to the 220,000-acre park can hike, bike, and horseback ride through the colorful Painted Desert that sweeps through the park.

Links to NRCA Products
Materials produced by the park and the NRCA Program.

For other reports and natural resource datasets visit the NPS Data Store.

Source: Data Store Collection 7765 (results presented are a subset). To search for additional information, visit the Data Store.