Abstract

The United States National Park Service (NPS) manages over 385 units comprising nearly 34 million hectares. About 270 of NPS units have significant natural resource components. Wildlife management actions in these units are based on the NPS mission, legal mandates, management policies, and public expectations. Among the most important NPS policies is the goal to maintain naturally functioning systems. Therefore, diseases are not inherently bad or in need of management if they are a native component of the system. Although policy guidance to all NPS units is consistent, planning outcomes and management actions vary among units due to differences in purpose and enabling legislation that originally designated the site. For example, this difference is evidenced in disease management approaches to address bovine brucellosis in free-ranging bison in Yellowstone National Park versus those that resulted in elimination of the disease in the fenced bison population in Wind Cave National Park. Adherence to the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) also plays a significant role in planning management actions by all federal agencies but the NPS is held to a particularly high standard for compliance by its constituency. In the realm of wildlife diseases, this is exemplified in the approach that NPS has taken for decision-making on the use of oral rabies vaccination and management of elk populations affected by chronic wasting disease. Although the processes used and management alternatives implemented by the NPS may vary from state wildlife departments, or even other federal agencies, the NPS is an active partner in addressing wildlife disease issues that threaten natural processes.