Finding aid for the Division of Resource Management and Science Records
Ward Eldredge, Anna Uremovich, Tammy Fishman, Alyson Mazzone, Bekah Piche, Allison Metzler
Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks
47050 Generals Highway
Three Rivers, CA 93271-9700
Phone: (559) 565-3133
Fax: (559) 565-3133
Email: Ward_Eldrege@nps.gov
URL: http://www.nps.gov/seki
© 2011
National Park Service, Sequoia & Kings Canyon NP. All rights reserved.
Finding aid for the Division of Resource Management and Science Records
Collection number: SEKI 22369
Museum and Archives
Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks
Three Rivers, California
- Processed by:
- Ward Eldredge, Anna Uremovich, Tammy Fishman, Alyson Mazzone, Bekah Piche, Allison Metzler
- Date Completed:
- August 2011
- Encoded by:
- Tammy Fishman
© 2011 National Park Service, Sequoia & Kings Canyon NP. All rights reserved.
Descriptive Summary
Title: Division of Resource Management and Science records
Dates: 1874-2003
Bulk Dates: 1964-1999
Collection number: SEKI 22369
Collector:
Sequoia National Park (Calif.). Division of Resource Management and Science.
Collection Size:
50 linear feet.
Repository:
Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks, Museum and Archives
Three Rivers, CA 93271-9700
Physical location: Sequoia Kings Canyon National Parks. Ash Mountain Headquarters, Archive.
Languages:
Languages represented in the collection:
English
Abstract: Records generated within the organizational divisions of Sequoia Kings
Canyon National Park concerning Park management, planning and development.
Access
Collection is open for research by appointment.
Publication Rights
Many collections are former federal government records and are in the public domain. Other collections are from private sources;
copyright has been transferred to the NPS on most. Some collections have publication restrictions. Researchers are required
to properly credit all materials used. The researcher assumes responsibility for acquiring copyright permissions when needed.
Preferred Citation
Division of Resource Management and Science records, SEKI 22369. Courtesy of the National Park Service, Sequoia & Kings Canyon
National Parks.
Biography / Administrative History
By the 1930s, the Parks' superintendent was beginning to grapple with the complexities of park resource management. Under
John R. White, Sequoia was one of the first parks to address the cumulative effect of visitation and development on the ecosystems
the Parks were meant to protect. Following the publication of the Leopold Report in 1963, Park staff began to include larger
numbers of ecologists, biologists, and botanists, and a wide range of research projects were undertaken. In 1976, the Division
of Natural Resources Management was established out of the consolidation of work functions drawn from throughout the Parks'
administration.
Vanguard efforts at Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks have included the development of prescribed fire as an ecological
tool, early attempts to manage visitation to minimize impacts to wilderness areas, and the promotion of parks as a place for
scientific research.
Scope and Content of Collection
The collection consists of correspondence, planning documents, permits, reports, field data, and photographs. Important topics
include the advent of prescribed fire, forest ecology, the development of meadow monitoring and the limitation of stock use,
the effects of visitors on the wilderness, baseline data for species distribution, the protection of Park caves, documentation
of Park landscapes, and the emerging importance of science to Park management.
Arrangement
The collection is organized into eight series: Series I Division Plans and Reports; Series II Scientific Research Permits;
Series III Wilderness Impact Records; Series IV Natural Resources Inventory; Series V Cave Records; Series VI Wildlife and
Ecology Records; Series VII Forestry Records; and Series VIII Aerial Photography
Indexing Terms
The following terms have been used to index the description of this collection in
the library's online public access catalog.
Sequoia National Park (Calif.) Division of Resource Management and Science.
Preservation of caves.
Natural resources--Management.
Conservation of natural resources.
Wildlife conservation.
Grazing--Environmental aspects.
Vegetation surveys--Sequoia National Park (Calif.)
Environmental pollutants--Adverse effects.
Fire management--Sequoia National Park (Calif.)
Archeological investigations.
Natural history collections--Management.
Scientific research--Permissions.
Wilderness areas--Recreational use--Environmental aspects.
Plants, Protection of.
Separated Material
Steven DeBenedetti Collection (unprocessed);
Harold Werner Collection (unprocessed)
Folder 001-177
Series 1.
Division plans and reports
1986-1998
Series Scope and Content Summary
The series consists of plans, reports, and budgets. Important topics inlcude the management of Parks' natural and cultural
resources, including specific plans for: fish and wildlife, vegetation, air, water, and fire.
Arrangement
Chronological.
Folder 178-614
Series 2.
Scientific research permits
1963-1979
1970-1979
Series Scope and Content Summary
The series consists of correspondence, status reports, and forms relating to the permitted collection of specimens for scientific
research.
Arrangement
Arranged alphabetically by principal investigators last name.
Folder 615-845
Series 3.
Wilderness impact records
1939-1989
Series Scope and Content Summary
The series consists of field notes and data sheets, compiled Park resource management records, reports, and research studies.
The bulk of the material relates to pioneering work in evaluating stock use impacts upon montane meadows. Other topics include:
trail rehabilitation; campsites inventory, and campsite rehabilitation.
Arrangement
Original order. Arranged in the following three groups, each roughly chronological: curated Park resource management records
(including district ranger reports, grazing files, soil and moisture crew files, and meadows data); field notes and data sheets
for specific meadows; and late projects and publications.
Folder 846-869
Series 4.
Natural resources inventory
1985-1999
Series Scope and Content Summary
The Natural Resources Inventory was a project to document the distribution of vascular plants thoughout the Parks. It lasted
from 1985 to 1996. The series consists of field notes and data sheets relating to baseline biological survey data.
Arrangement
Chronological.
Folder 870-891
Series 5.
Cave records
1955-1974
Series Scope and Content Summary
The series consists of correspondence, maps, publications, and photographs and negatives relating to the Parks' caves.
Arrangement
Arranged alphabetically, mainly by cave name.
Folder 892-910
Series 8.
Aerial photographs
1874,
1953-2003
1964,
1973
Series Scope and Content Summary
The series consists of black-and-white prints and negatives, color prints and negatives, color diazopositives, color transparencies,
and films. The majority of this material consists of aerial photographs. A smaller group consists of motion picture film.
Arrangement
Chronological.