In addition to surrounding land use, ongoing and future climate change is a concern for park managers. It will affect natural and cultural resource protection as well as park operations and visitor experience. Effectively managing park resources involves understanding the past climate, present conditions, and projected future change. Park managers need to understand how climate influenced the abundance and distribution of plants and animals in the past to understand how they may respond in the future. They also need to plan for climate-related events that can include more intense storms, flooding, heat waves, or drought. Any of these events may substantially affect the conditions of a park’s natural and cultural resources. They can also affect visitor health and safety.