Outside the air regulatory setting, park, forest, and refuge managers may use data from air pollution related lichen studies to aid management decisions, conduct NEPA analyses, and provide information to the public about resource condition and impacts. To meet the requirements of the Wilderness Act, Organic Act, and National Wildlife System Improvement Act, federal land managers often subscribe to what is known as the “precautionary principle.” The precautionary principle states that “where an activity raises threats of harm to the environment or human health, precautionary measures should be taken even if some cause and effect relationships are not.
