Geospatial data in support of structured decision making for northeast coastal parks

Salt marshes provide a range of ecosystem services, including storm protection, recreation, and commercial fishery habitat provision. The National Park Service (NPS) aims to preserve and protect salt marshes in order to achieve multiple objectives which address their mission: to preserve unimpaired the natural and cultural resources and values of their publicly held lands. Ongoing threats, including sea-level rise, sediment deficits, invasive species, and anthropogenic pressure have led to substantial salt marsh loss in the northeast US over the last century prompting increased investment in their protection and restoration. Here we describe a structured decision making (SDM) framework involving eight NPS units designed to help guide restoration planning and investment, through identification of priority marshes. The framework was developed first through a facilitated workshop with all units, followed by unit-specific workshops where priorities were adjusted to reflect the natural and cultural resources within the unit. The final product is a series of maps depicting performance metrics over a consistent geospatial framework. Integration of these metrics into decision support tools will help guide marsh restoration investments through identification of marsh units and complexes that maximize agency priorities and objectives.