Links

• Alaska Links

  • Alaska Center for the Environment’s mission is to protect Alaska’s natural ecosystems and unique quality of life.
  • Alaska Conservation Foundation is dedicated to protecting the integrity of Alaska’s intact ecosystems and promoting sustainable livelihoods among Alaska’s communities and peoples.
  • Alaska Mountain and Wilderness Huts Association is creating a hut to hut system for hikers and skiers and promoting wilderness education and stewardship.
  • Alaska Office of the National Wildlife Federation is committed to the preservation of Alaska’s extraordinary wetlands and wildlife.
  • Alaska Trails Alaska Trails is a trails advocacy group working for Alaskan trail users throughout Alaska.
  • Alaska Wilderness Recreation and Tourism Association is a trade association for wilderness-dependent businesses.
  • Chugach Park Access Coalition works to preserve access into Chugach State Park
  • Denali Citizens’ Council works to promote the natural integrity of Denali National Park and Preserve by supporting its ecological and wilderness values.
  • Lynn Canal Conservation Council is a grassroots conservation organization based in Haines, AK. Among the many environmental issues it deals with, LCC has sought to protect wildlife from the noise impacts of heli-skiing.
  • Northern Alaska Environmental Center promotes conservation of the environment in Interior and Arctic Alaska.
  • Southeast Alaska Conservation Council (SEACC) is dedicated to safeguarding the prime old growth forests of the Tongass National Forest and Southeast Alaska’s.
  • The Alaska State Office of the National Audubon Society works to conserve the state’s natural ecosystems.
  • The Knik River Watershed Group’s mission is to sustain the Knik River watershed to ensure use and enjoyment for current and future generations.
  • The Sitka Conservation Society works to conserve the natural environment of the Tongass and to protect Sitka’s quality of life.
  • Trail Mix, Inc.’s mission is to be the steward of a safe ad enjoyable Juneau trail system.

• National Links

  • Friends of the Earth is a national, non-profit advocacy organization dedicated to protecting the planet from environmental degradation; preserving biological, cultural, and ethnic diversity; and empowering citizens to have an influential voice in environmental decisions.
  • Marine Noise Pollution Various studies showing the adverse effects of marine noise on marine mammals and fish.
  • National Parks Conservation Association is the nation’s only membership organization dedicated solely to protecting the entire park system from damage from motorized recreation.
  • National Wildlife Federation (NWF) has been working to protect America’s wildlife since 1936.
  • NOAA Fisheries Marine mammals and Noise NOAA Fisheries website has extensive information on marine mammals and noise
  • Noise Pollution Clearinghouse works to create more civil cities and more natural rural and wilderness areas by reducing noise pollution at the source.
  • One Square Inch is the web site set up by Gordon Hempton, one of the authors of “One Square Inch of Silence†and describes his attempts to seek natural quiet in a noisy world.
  • Outdoor Alliance Promoted human-powered outdoor activities and resource conservation.
  • Outdoor Foundation is a nonprofit organization established to inspire and grow future generations of outdoor enthusiasts and publishes studies of the trends in outdoor recreation.
  • Right to Quiet Society for Soundscape Awareness and Protection An organization that promotes awareness of noise pollution, works for noise reduction and fosters the recognition of the right to quiet.
  • Snowlands Network promotes opportunities for quality human-powered winter recreation, protects winter wildlands, and educates the public and government agencies about winter recreation and environmental issues.
  • The Acoustic Ecology Institute An organization that provides access to news, research, public policy advocates and articles and essays about sound and listening.
  • The Discovery of Sound in the Sea The Discovery of Sound in the Sea website focuses on acoustics in the ocean. It is an   extensive, science-based, comprehensive collection of studies, resources, facts, etc. on ocean sounds and effects.
  • The Lands Council’s work is centered in the inland Columbia River watershed: Eastern Washington, Northeastern Oregon, Northern Idaho and Western Montana. Highlights include addressing the threats posed by ORVs to native biological diversity, water quality, and more.
  • The Quiet Use Coalition is a local Colorado nonprofit working to create, preserve and promote quiet use areas and opportunities on public lands and waters.
  • The Sierra Club works to protect the wild places of the earth, practicing and promoting the responsible use of the earth’s ecosystems and resources. Sierra Club is working to protect public lands from damaging off-road vehicle use.
  • The Wilderness Society works to protect America’s wilderness and to develop a nation-wide network of wild lands through public education, scientific analysis and advocacy.
  • The Wildlands Center for Preventing Roads is a national clearinghouse and network, providing citizens with tools and strategies to fight road construction, deter motorized recreation, and promote road removal and revegetation.
  • Whisper of the wild Is silence going extinct? Read this article from NY Times magazine about quiet in Denali National Park.
  • Wild Earth Guardians Wild Earth Guardians protects and restores the wildlife, wild places, wild rivers and health of the American West. Wildlands CPR extensive database is now part of this website
  • Wild Wilderness advocates for the protection and enhancement of those recreational activities most dependent upon wilderness values: naturalness, solitude, challenge and inspiration.
  • Wildlands CPR revives and protects wild places by promoting watershed restoration. Check out their Resources Database for current and comprehensive studies on motorized effects on wildlife and habitat.
  • Winter Wildlands Alliance is the first and only national organization working to promote and preserve winter wildlands and a quality human-powered snow sports experience on public lands.

• Research

  • “Shredded Wildlands All-Terrain Vehicle Management in Alaska” by G. Ray Bane discussing OHV impacts on Alaska’s federal and state lands and agencies efforts (or lack thereof) to deal with the motorized usage.
  • Acoustic monitoring report Acoustic Monitoring Report for Denali National Park and Preserve for 2012 
  • AQRC’s “Helicopter-Supported Commercial Recreational Activites in Alaska” shows that helicopter activities are increasing, that we lack important tools for managing them, and that the tools we do have are applied unevenly by different agencies and in different locations.
  • Backcountry Hunters and Anglers released “Cumulative and Universal: ATV Impacts on the Landscape and Wildlife”, a review of the scientific literature on the subject, summer of 2011.
  • Behavioral Responses of Wildlife to Snowmobiles and Coaches Research on responses of wildlife to snowmachines and coaches in Yellowstone.
  • GAO Report 9-509 Federal Lands: Enhanced Planning Could Assist Agencies in Managing Increased Use of Off-Highway Vehicles Critical study of how US Forest Service and BLM fail to manage OHV uses on federal lands
  • Helicopter noise Study: Haines Borough Final draft of the Haines Borough Noise Study
  • Marine mammals and noise Marine Mammals and Noise-A Report to Congress from the Marine Mammal Commission March 2007
  • Marine Noise Pollution Various studies showing the adverse effects of marine noise on marine mammals and fish.
  • NRDC, in its 2004 Spring Journal Issue, released a report by Jack Hope, “Hell on Wheels” describing how bigger, faster OHVs are driving Americans from the wilderness.
  • Responsive Management specializes in opinion and attitude research on natural resource and outdoor recreation issues. In January 2005 it released new research, based on more than 40 surveys, which can be accessed at their website.
  • Swan View Coalition’s Snowmobiling’s Endless Winter: Facilitating Physical Access Extends the Snowmobile Season, Resulting in Harm to Wildlife Security, Vegetation, Soils, and Water, released in August of 2002, documenting the impacts of snowmobile use the extends into summer and resumes in the fall.
  • The Izaak Walton League recently released “Collision Course? Off-road Vehicle Impacts on Hunting and Fishing” which provides a literature survey, personal stories and recommendations concerning the increasing adverse impacts of OHV use on hunting and fishing.
  • The National Park Service released a report, “ORV use in Alaska National Park System Units”, in February of 2003.
  • The Sierra Club and Native Forest Network One of the first reports on resource damage by ATVs in a national forest.
  • The Wildlife Conservation Society released a working paper prepared by Leslie N. Karasin “All-Terrain Vehicles in the Adirondacks: Issues and Options” in April 2003.
  • Tread Lightly! Inc. has developed a series of guides to educate the outdoor enthusiast to be responsible in their use of recreational vehicles on public and private lands. The guides address responsible ATV riding, four wheeling, mountain biking, trail biking and snowmobilin
  • Winter 2009/2010 Park Science Issue on soundscapes in National parks The Winter 2009/2010 Park Science issue on soundscapes in National Parks has some interesting articles.

Miscellaneous