Western Arctic National Parklands welcomes research projects designed to enhance the understanding of resources or systems for the purposes of park management and the advancement of broad scientific understanding. Researchers are encouraged to contact the park research coordinator early in the planning process to discuss proposed work and streamline the permitting process.

Permit Requirement and Timeline

A Scientific Research and Collection Permit is required to conduct research on all NPS lands.

The permitting process requires approximately 90 days.

Submit applications for summer field work by March 31.

To aid in the preparation of a successful application, researchers should first review the following documents:

• Park specific research permit conditions and stipulations
• NPS research stipulations
• Contact information

Permit Application Process

1. Scientific Research and Collection Permit Applications are submitted online at http://science.nature.nps.gov/research/ac/ResearchIndex. Large documents may crash the system so it is best to remove unnecessarily large images and maps prior to upload, or simply break up the study plan into two or three smaller files. Researchers without access to the internet can contact the park research coordinator for an application form.
2. In addition, we ask that researchers complete a short questionnaire describing field operations.

Application Review Process
The review process is designed to ensure that park resources, subsistence users and visitors are not unduly affected by the proposed research. An interdisciplinary team will evaluate applications to determine potential impacts in several areas:

• Environmental resources (NEPA)
• Cultural resources (NHPA Section 106)
• Subsistence resources and/or activities (Section 810, ANILCA)
• Wilderness values (Section 4(c) of the 1964 Wilderness Act, with Minimum Requirement/Minimum Tool determination)

The following criteria are among those used to evaluate research proposals:

• Will the proposed activity result in degradation of the values and purposes of the park?
• Could the proposed research be performed outside of the park?
• Does the proposed research require collection of specimens or artifacts? What will be the disposition of any collected specimens?
• Does the project involve digging or other ground disturbing activities?
• Is the proposed project in a designated Wilderness area?
• Does the application clearly describe mode(s) of transportation to be used within park boundaries (float plane, helicopter, etc.), camp and study site locations, use of motorized equipment (e.g., outboard motors), and a plan for human waste and burnable trash?
• If fuel is to be stored onsite, are appropriate fuel handling, containment and disposal procedures in place?
• Has the proposed research been peer-reviewed by recognized experts and recommended as scientifically valid?
• Does the proposed research require additional state, federal, or local permits? Have those permits been obtained?

Specimen Collection and Other Permits

All specimens collected within the park are the property of the National Park Service. Regardless of where the collections are stored, they must be properly accessioned and cataloged into the National Park Service’s cataloging system. Collection of specimens not specifically authorized on the permit or for private purposes is not allowed.

The collection of certain specimens may require additional federal or state permits. For example, to collect migratory birds, a Migratory Bird Permit must be obtained from the appropriate state natural resource agency or from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. It is the responsibility of the researcher to apply for and obtain all necessary non-NPS permits.

 Inholdings/ Native Allotments

Numerous Native allotments exist throughout Western Arctic Parklands. Be aware that allotments are private land and an NPS permit does not authorize access to or use of these lands. Researchers are directed to the Alaska Department of Natural Resources website to obtain title plats by township (allotments are designated as "Allotments" or "US Surveys").  

 Wilderness

Portions of Noatak National Preserve and Kobuk Valley National Park are managed as Wilderness. Management restrictions apply and affect approval of transportation methods, field work timing and frequency, group size and the use of mechanized or motorized tools. When planning for research in Wilderness areas, it is important that researchers limit their activities to the minimum necessary to meet the study objectives.  

Researcher Responsibilities

Researchers are required to report all results of their investigations to the park annually. This is accomplished using the ‘Investigators Annual Report (IAR)’ portion of the Scientific Research and Collection Permit website. Additionally, upon completion of a project, Western Arctic National Parklands requires copies of field notes, data, reports, publications and/or other materials resulting from studies conducted in NPS areas.  All specimens collected under permit that are not destroyed in analysis require cataloging into the NPS Automated National Catalog Program.

Coordinates
Please use ESRI ArcGIS compatible coordinates or shapefiles whenever possible when describing proposed field camps and collection locations.