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6.0 Monitoring Strategy 

Visibility conditions representative of those within the Class I areas is monitored 

by the IMPROVE program. In the mid-1980’s, the IMPROVE program was 

established to measure visibility impairment in mandatory Class I areas 

throughout the United States. The monitoring sites are operated and maintained 

through a formal cooperative relationship between the EPA, National Park 

Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Bureau of Land Management, and U.S. 

Forest Service. In 1991, several additional organizations joined the effort: State 

and Territorial Air Pollution Program Administrators and the Association of Local 

Air Pollution Control (which now is called the National Association of Clean Air 

Agencies) Officials, Western States Air Resources Council, Mid-Atlantic Regional 

Air Management Association, and Northeast States for Coordinated Air Use 

Management. 

A Quality Assurance Project Plan (QAPP) for the IMPROVE program, dated 

March 2002, can be found at: 

 http://vista.cira.colostate.edu/improve/Publications/QA_QC/IMPROVE_QAPP_R0.pdf

6.1 IMPROVE Program Objectives

 

Data collected at these sites are used by land managers, industry planners, 

scientists, public interest groups, and air quality regulators to understand and 

protect the visual air quality resource in Class I areas. Most importantly, the 

IMPROVE program scientifically documents the visual air quality of wilderness 

areas and national parks. Program objectives include: 

$ Establish current visibility and aerosol conditions in mandatory Class I areas, 

$ Identify chemical species and emission sources responsible for existing 

anthropogenic visibility impairment, 

$ Document long-term trends for assessing progress toward the national 

visibility goals, 

$ Provide regional haze monitoring representing all visibility-protected federal 

Class I areas where practical, as required by the EPA’s Regional Haze Rule. 

 

6.2 New York’s Monitoring Responsibilities

Section 51.308(d)(4)(iii) of the EPA’s Regional Haze Rule requires the inclusion of 

procedures by which monitoring data and other information are used in 

determining the contribution of emissions from within the State to regional haze 

visibility impairment at mandatory Class I Federal areas both within and outside 

the State. MANE-VU and New York State accept the contribution assessment 

analysis completed by NESCAUM entitled, Contributions to Regional Haze in the 
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Northeast and Mid-Atlantic United States (Appendix A). New York State agrees 

that NESCAUM is providing appropriate technical information by using the 

IMPROVE program data and the VIEWS site. Information about the use of the 

default and alternative approaches to the calculation of baseline and natural 

background conditions can be found in Section 5 of this SIP. 

New York, however, does not contain any Class I areas. Therefore, no monitoring 

plan is required to be submitted with this SIP under the EPA’s Regional Haze 

Rule. 

6.3 Monitoring Information for MANE-VU Class I Areas1 

Although New York does not contain any Class I areas, this section provides a 

description and location for the IMPROVE monitors in the Class I areas to which 

New York contributes to regional haze. 

6.3.1. Acadia National Park, Maine (Figures 6-1 and 6-2)

The IMPROVE monitor for the Acadia National Park (indicated as ACAD1) is 

located at Acadia National Park Headquarters in Maine at an elevation of 157 

meters, a latitude of 44.38 ̊ and a longitude of -68.26 ̊. 

Monitoring Strategy 

The ACAD1 site is considered to be adequate for assessing reasonable progress 

goals of the Acadia National Park by the State of Maine and no additional 

monitoring sites or equipment are necessary at this time. Maine routinely 

participates in the IMPROVE monitoring program by sending regional 

representatives to the IMPROVE meetings. 

 1

All maps in this section are derived from maps found at: 

 http://www.nationalatlas.gov/printable/fedlands.html#list
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Figure 6-1 - Locational Map of the Acadia National Park, the Moosehorn National 

Wildlife Refuge, and the Roosevelt Campobello International Park 
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Figure 6-2 - Detailed Map of Acadia National Park 

6.3.2 Moosehorn National Wildlife Refuge, Maine (Figures 6-1 and 6-3)

The haze data for Moosehorn National Wildlife Refuge is collected by an 

IMPROVE monitor (MOOS1) that is operated and maintained by the U.S. Fish & 

Wildlife Service. The IMPROVE monitor for the Moosehorn National Wildlife 

Refuge is located near McConvey Road, about one mile northeast of the National 

Wildlife Refuge Baring Unit Headquarters in Maine at an elevation of 78 meters, a 

latitude of 45.13 ̊ and a longitude of -67.27 ̊. 

Monitoring Strategy

The State of Maine considers the MOOS1 site as the only current IMPROVE 

monitoring site in Maine adequate for assessing reasonable progress goals of the 

Moosehorn National Wildlife Refuge and no additional monitoring sites or 

equipment are necessary at this time. Maine routinely participates in the 
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IMPROVE monitoring program by sending regional representatives to the 

IMPROVE meetings. 

This monitor also represents the Roosevelt/Campobello International Park in New 

Brunswick, Canada. 

6.3.3. Roosevelt/Campobello International Park, New Brunswick, Canada (Figure 6-3)

The haze data for Roosevelt/Campobello International Park is collected by the 

IMPROVE monitor (MOOS1) that is operated and maintained by the U.S. Fish & 

Wildlife Service. The IMPROVE monitor for the Moosehorn National Wildlife 

Refuge is also the monitor for Roosevelt/Campobello International Park. The 

monitor is located near McConvey Road, about one mile northeast of the 

Moosehorn National Wildlife Refuge Baring Unit Headquarters in Maine at an 

elevation of 78 meters, a latitude of 45.13 ̊ and a longitude of -67.27 ̊. 

Monitoring Strategy

The State of Maine considers the MOOS1 site as the only current IMPROVE 

monitoring site in Maine or Canada adequate for assessing reasonable progress 

goals of the Roosevelt/Campobello International Park. No additional monitoring 

sites or equipment are necessary. Maine routinely participates in the IMPROVE 

monitoring program by sending regional representatives to the IMPROVE 

meetings. 
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Figure 6-3 - Detailed Map of the Moosehorn National Wildlife Refuge Areas and 

the Roosevelt Campobello International Park 

6.3.4. Brigantine Wilderness Area, New Jersey (Figures 6-4 and 6-5)

The haze data for Brigantine Wilderness Area is collected by an IMPROVE 

monitor (BRIG1) that is operated and maintained by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife 

Service. The IMPROVE monitor for the Brigantine Wilderness Area is located at 

the Edwin B. Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge Headquarters in Oceanville, New 

Jersey at an elevation of 5 meters, a latitude of 39.47 ̊ and a longitude of -74.45 ̊. 
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Monitoring Strategy 

The State of New Jersey considers the BRIG1 site as adequate for assessing 

reasonable progress goals of the Brigantine Wilderness Area and no additional 

monitoring sites or equipment are necessary at this time. New Jersey routinely 

participates in the IMPROVE monitoring program by sending regional 

representatives to the IMPROVE meetings.

Figure 6-4 - Locational Map of the Brigantine Wilderness Area
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Figure 6-5 - Detailed Map of the Brigantine Wilderness Area

6.3.5 Great Gulf Wilderness Area, New Hampshire (Figures 6-6 and 6-7)

The haze data for Great Gulf Wilderness Area is collected by an IMPROVE 

monitor (GRGU1) that is operated and maintained by the U.S. Forest Service. 

The IMPROVE monitor for the Great Gulf Wilderness Area is located at Camp 

Dodge, which is located in the mid northern area of Greens Grant, just east and 

south of where Route 16 crosses the Greens Grant/Martins Location boundary in 

the White Mountain National Forest, South of Gorham, New Hampshire, at an 

elevation of 454 meters, a latitude of 44.31 ̊ and a longitude of -71.22 ̊. 

Monitoring Strategy

The State of New Hampshire considers the GRGU1 site as adequate for 
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assessing reasonable progress goals of the Great Gulf Wilderness Area and no 

additional monitoring sites or equipment are necessary at this time. New 

Hampshire routinely participates in the IMPROVE monitoring program by sending 

regional representatives to the IMPROVE meetings. 

This monitor also represents the Presidential Range/Dry River Wilderness Area in 

New Hampshire. 

6.3.6 Presidential Range/Dry River Wilderness Area, New Hampshire (Figures 6-6 and 

6-7)

The haze data for Presidential Range/Dry River Wilderness Area is collected by 

an IMPROVE monitor (GRGU1) that is operated and maintained by the U.S. 

Forest Service. The IMPROVE monitor for the Great Gulf Wilderness Area also 

represents the Presidential Range/Dry River Wilderness Area. The Presidential 

Range/Dry River Wilderness Area monitor is located at Camp Dodge, White 

Mountain National Forest, South of Gorham, New Hampshire, at an elevation of 

454 meters, a latitude of 44.31 ̊ and a longitude of -71.22 ̊. 

Monitoring Strategy

The State of New Hampshire considers the GRGU1 site as adequate for 

assessing reasonable progress goals of the Presidential Range/Dry River 

Wilderness Area and no additional monitoring sites or equipment are necessary. 

New Hampshire routinely participates in the IMPROVE monitoring program by 

sending regional representatives to the IMPROVE meetings. 
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Figure 6-6 - Locational Map of the Great Gulf Wilderness 

and Presidential Range Dry River Areas 
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Figure 6-7 - Detailed Map of the Great Gulf Wilderness 

and Presidential Range Dry River Areas

6.3.7 Lye Brook Wilderness, Vermont (Figures 6-8 and 6-9)

The haze data for Lye Brook Wilderness Area is collected by an IMPROVE 

monitor (LYBR1) that is operated and maintained by the U.S. Forest Service. The 

IMPROVE monitor for the Lye Brook Wilderness Area is located on Mount 

Equinox at the windmills in Manchester, Vermont. The monitor is not in the 

Wilderness Area but is located on a mountain peak across the valley to the west 

of the wilderness area. The Lye Brook Wilderness Area is at high elevation in the 

mountains and the IMPROVE site across the valley is at about the same height as 

the Wilderness Area at an elevation of 1015 meters, a latitude of 43.15 ̊ and a 

longitude of -73.13 ̊. 

Monitoring Strategy

The State of Vermont considers the LYBR1 site as adequate for assessing 

reasonable progress goals of the Lye Brook Wilderness Area and no additional 
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monitoring sites or equipment are necessary at this time. Vermont routinely 

participates in the IMPROVE monitoring program by sending regional 

representatives to the IMPROVE meetings. 

Figure 6-8 - Locational Map of the Lye Brook Wilderness Area
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Figure 6-9 - Detailed Map of the Lye Brook Wilderness Area