The NPS has had an active dive program for many decades. Park divers participate in diving for a wide number of reasons, including maintenance of facilities, resource & cultural management, recovery, law enforcement, interpretation, etc. Each Regional Director is responsible for designating a Regional Dive Officer (RDO) who is responsible for that region's overall diving management program. The RDO also serves as the regional representative on the NPS Diving Control Board (DCB). Regional Directors and park managers will provide the RDO with information necessary to meet Departmental and Servicewide reporting requirements.
The DCB is charged with administrative oversight of the servicewide diving safety program and will ensure compliance with OSHA, Departmental and NPS policies and procedures. The DCB also ensures proper training and certification of all NPS diving programs and development and maintenance of a diving information management system.
Q.
I was surprised to learn recently about all the underwater areas that
are actually administered
by the NPS. How does NPS attempt to strike a balance between protecting
submerged natural and cultural resources and providing recreational diving for
park visitors?
I'm glad you asked because this is
one of the more fascinating programs that the NPS is involved in.
A SCUBA diver visiting the underwater resources managed by the NPS is
no different than a hiker visiting an alpine meadow in a mountain national
park. However, the saying "
take
only pictures, leave only footprints
"
might change to “take only
memories, leave only bubbles”. The bigger problem lies in determining what
our submerged cultural resources are and which of those resources are at risk.
"It is probable that a greater number of monuments of the skill and industry of
man will, in the course of the ages, be collected together in the bed of the
ocean than will exist at any other time on the surface of the continents."
(Charles Lyell 1797-1875)
With increasing awareness of America's
underwater cultural resources, employees of the National Park Service began in
the 1960's to investigate shipwrecks with
SCUBA equipment, and to document their locations and condition. This activity
accelerated in the 1970's as park managers became
increasingly aware of the richness and importance of these submerged
resources. In 1980 this effort was formalized within the Submerged Cultural
Resources Unit, staffed by professional underwater archaeologists, technicians
and other professionals to provide the National Park System with the necessary
expertise.
