Permit Requirements & TimelineWestern Arctic National Parklands (WEAR) welcomes research projects designed to enhance the understanding of resources for park management and the advancement of broader scientific understanding. A Scientific Research and Collecting Permit is required to conduct research on all National Park Service lands, including the collection of novel data, the deployment of research equipment, and/or the collection of research samples.
Permit Application ProcessSubmit your permit application or renewal in the NPS Research and Permit Reporting System. Include a full research proposal uploaded with the application. Be aware of the Curatorial Responsibilities of Researchers. After you submit your application and proposal in RPRS, you will receive a compliance questionnaire from us. Application FAQs:
Key Points to Include in Your Application
Additional Useful Information for Putting Together Your Permit1. Guide to Conducting Wilderness Research in Alaska’s National ParksPortions of WEAR lands are designated Wilderness. In addition, most of the remaining lands are eligible for Wilderness designation. Management restrictions apply to all Wilderness and Wilderness-eligible lands and affect approval of transportation methods, field work timing and frequency, group size, and the use of mechanized or motorized tools. 2. NPS GIS Data and Information ClearinghouseThis site has all of the publicly available NPS GIS data which can be searched for by park. Most of our information will be found under the Alaska Region and under the park code "WEAR". Some information can be found under the "Alaska-wide themes". You can find airstrips, roads, conservation boundaries (Wilderness, Park, Preserve, etc.), and much more. 3. NPS Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC)If your permit request includes handling of vertebrates, your project must be reviewed by the above committee. 4. Bureau of Land Management mapNumerous Native allotments exist throughout WEAR lands. Be aware that allotments are private land. An NPS permit does not authorize access to or use of these lands. This BLM website provides a useful tool for gathering provisional land status information. Researchers are responsible for obtaining permission to access or use inholdings outside of NPS jurisdiction from respective owners. Furthermore, researchers are responsible for obtaining permission to access or use privately-owned Native Allotments through a 'revocable use permit' which is a consultation process mediated through the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA). Allow 30-90 days to complete the process. Application Review ProcessProposed projects will undergo compliance review by an interdisciplinary team to assess the scientific integrity and appropriateness of research activities. The primary compliance requirements that must be addressed prior to project approval are:
The Research Coordinator at the park will contact you to clarify any details or alert you to problems that might arise. The coordinator will meet with the park compliance interdisciplinary team and shepherd your proposal through the evaluation process. The coordinator will provide you with updates periodically and is the person ultimately responsible for issuing your permit. In general, you can expect this process to take up to 3 months. SafetySafety is our first concern at Western Arctic National Parklands. Fieldwork in these remote parklands involves inherent risk, especially with regard to aviation, inclement weather, and brown bears. Personal safety and protection of park resources always take priority over research goals and objectives. All researchers are required to review and follow safety guidelines. Share Your Research with UsIf you are conducting research in the park, we want to hear the results of the work, stories from the field, and see pictures of fieldwork. The only way park managers can apply research results towards science-based management of the park is if those results are available. There is a multitude of ways to share your information (reports, posters, brown bag talks, seminars, guest lectures, brochures).As a condition of the research permit, you are required to complete an Investigator’s Annual Report and send us final reports and publications. |
Last updated: October 3, 2023