Characterizing the Marine Invertebrate Paleontology of Shellabarger Pass to explain the Geological Evolution of Denali National Park and Preserve

The summary for the Characterizing the Marine Invertebrate Paleontology of Shellabarger Pass to explain the Geological Evolution of Denali National Park and Preserve grant is detailed below. This summary states who is eligible for the grant, how much grant money will be awarded, current and past deadlines, Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) numbers, and a sampling of similar government grants. Verify the accuracy of the data FederalGrants.com provides by visiting the webpage noted in the Link to Full Announcement section or by contacting the appropriate person listed as the Grant Announcement Contact. If any section is incomplete, please visit the website for the National Park Service, which is the U.S. government agency offering this grant.

Characterizing the Marine Invertebrate Paleontology of Shellabarger Pass to explain the Geological Evolution of Denali National Park and Preserve: Shellabarger Pass, located in the Kichatna Mountains of the Alaska Range in the southwest corner of Denali National Park & Preserve (DENA), contains a rich assemblage of Paleozoic and possibly Mesozoic marine invertebrate fossils that may hold the key to understanding the regional geologic framework. The area is one of the least explored areas in DENA because of its remote location. However, reconnaissance fieldwork indicates that the area provides the best fossil preservation of the widest window of time, in the smallest area within DENA. Therefore, we seek to enter into an agreement with a collaborator to inventory these invertebrate marine fossils and decipher the regional geology. Most of Alaska, including this area, did not always belong to the North American continent. Over the last few hundred million years Alaska has been built by accretion of crustal fragments, many of them originally deposited 1000s of kilometers away. Recent resource assessment, stewardship planning, and legislative efforts call for inventory, condition evaluation, and protection of paleontological resources. The Denali Resources Stewardship Strategy and the Paleontology Resources Management Plan both call for inventory and monitoring of fossil resources. The Paleontological Resources Preservation Act (PRPA) of 2009 serves as explicit authority for the management, protection and interpretation of paleontological resources in parks. The PRPA specifically provides the NPS with mandates to enhance paleontological resources stewardship. It calls for the management and protection of paleontological resources using scientific principles and expertise.