Additional Information

Many people visit national parks to enjoy the soothing sounds of nature.

NPS / Jeremy M. White

Introductory Materials

• Ways to Enjoy Natural Sound [721 KB PDF]
• Acoustic Resources are Essential to Functioning Ecosystems and the Visitor Experience [243 KB PDF]
• Protecting and Enhancing Soundscapes [1,605 KB PDF]
• The Power of Sound Interpretive Handbook [3,537 KB PDF]

Air Tour Management Planning

• Commercial Air Tours Reporting Spreadsheet [Excel]
• Air Tour Reporting Guidance [1,379 KB PDF]
• Federal Aviation Administration Air Tour Management Program
• Report on Effects of Aircraft Overflights on the National Park System: Report to Congress, 1995

Military Overflights

• Western Pacific Regional Sourcebook
  (USAF/NPS Regional Overflight Sourcebook)

Acoustical Monitoring

• Bioacoustical Monitoring in Terrestrial Environments, 2012. This article appeared in Acoustics Today, Vol. 8, Issue 3 and may be found on the website of the Acoustical Society of America. This article may be downloaded for personal use only. Any other use requires prior permission from the author and Acoustical Society of America.

• NSNSD Acoustical Monitoring Training Manual [2,390 KB PDF]

Effects of Noise

• A Synthesis of Two Decades of Research Documenting the Effects of Noise on Wildlife
• Noise Pollution is Pervasive in U.S. Protected Areas
• A selection of sound-impact studies and related publications may be found on the Colorado State University Sound & Light Ecology Team website.

Noise Mitigation

• Protecting National Park Soundscapes. National Academy of Engineering, June 2013

Soundscape-related Planning Documents

• Denali National Park and Preserve Final Backcountry Management Plan, January 2006

• Winter Use Plans:
  Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks

• Zion National Park Soundscape Management Plan