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1997 EMAP Research Strategy
EMAP Research Documents
United States Environmental Protection Agency
Office of Research and Development
Washington, DC
Abstract
The Environmental Monitoring and Assessment Program (EMAP) has evaluated its progress since 1989 and the recommendations of 20 peer reviews. The program retains its goal to: Monitor the condition of the Nation's ecological resources to evaluate the cumulative success of current policies and programs and to identify emerging problems before they become widespread or irreversible. The strategy for EMAP is based on three principles. First, pursue all tiers in the monitoring framework (i.e., Index Sites, Geographic Surveys and Landscape Monitoring). Second, focus the next three years on the research and demonstration necessary to provide the scientific credibility for the monitoring network. Third, based on the knowledge of the science necessary for success, build the national network from the bottom up, starting with effective existing networks and add to them where gaps exist. The later means that EMAP itself will not be the entire national monitoring network but will contribute components to it. The exact components that EMAP will implement long-term will ultimately depend on the success of the CENR framework and decisions at the Administrator and Assistant Administrator level within EPA.