Monitoring Snowmobile Effects on Wildlife
Collecting information to help managers make decisions

 

What is this inquiry?

The National Park Service is sponsoring an effort to review and evaluate existing knowledge about monitoring the effects of snowmobiles on wildlife and to recommend procedures for monitoring these effects. 

Although there are many possible effects of recreation on wildlife, because of policy direction, this effort focuses exclusively on monitoring snowmobile effects on wildlife. Personnel from federal agencies (U.S. Forest Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, National Park Service), state agencies, universities, and private organizations are being sent this inquiry because all share interest in these issues.

How can you be involved?

As part of our effort, we are asking for input from many people. You have been identified as someone with interest or expertise in this topic. We are contacting a small, select group, and we hope you will take the time to assist us. Your answers will not be connected with your name.

What is the process?

Your input is needed to help plan for a workshop on monitoring snowmobile effects on wildlife to be held April 9th - 12th, 2001. The project attempts to refine monitoring priorities through a series of three inquiries. Round 1 presented below asks for general input from all participants about issues and species of concern. We will review and summarize this input and present it to you with a second inquiry in Round 2 where you will rate the importance of key elements generated earlier. 

We will summarize that information and return it to you in Round 3, so that you will see how the group as a whole responded. This process will help the National Park Service to identify the most important issues and species of concern and to help us understand the state of knowledge about monitoring methods for those species.

Please respond by submitting this form by January 26, 2001. 

To complete this inquiry, please type your answers directly in the boxes provided or check the appropriate box. When you are finished just click on the SUBMIT button at the bottom.
You can be assured of complete confidentiality. The data you submit will be summarized and your name will not be associated with any of your answers.
1.   Please enter your name:
 		 Please enter your title or position:
Please enter your zip code:  
 Please enter the email address at which you prefer to be contacted:

 

2. With what agency or organization are you affiliated?
NPS

Name of Unit:
(be specific) 
BLM
USFS 
USFWS
USGS
State Agency
University 
Interest Group or Non-Profit Organization

Name: 


3. In considering snowmobile effects on wildlife, what species (or group of species) do you think should be the top priority for monitoring? You may list as many species as you wish. You may list species about which little is known in addition to species about which more is known. For each species, please briefly describe why you suggested it.
Please enter one animal species or group per box, below.  Please tell us why this species should be a top priority for monitoring in the box below.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.

  
 

4. For the 5 most important species or groups of species you listed above, please indicate in the matrix below whether you think enough adequate scientific data currently exist to conclude that snowmobiles have or do not have adverse effects on that species. (Please write in the species name, and mark one box for each species.)
Enter Species  name (or group of species) below:
Do you believe adequate scientific data currently exist to assess the effects of snowmobiling on the species? (check one box for each species or group)
______________________________________________

Inadequate  scientific data exists to determine effects on this species 

Adequate scientific data exists to show species IS adversely affected by snowmobiles

Adequate scientific data exists to show species IS NOT adversely affected by snowmobiles  


5. Are you or people who you work with currently monitoring or studying the effects of snowmobile use on wildlife?    
             NO          YES 
If yes, what species (or group) are being monitored or studied and who is doing this work?  Please provide full names and contact information if possible.

 
6. What issues need to be addressed as managers make decisions how to manage or accommodate snowmobile use? Issues may be general or specific, biological or social, relate to any location, or pertain to any biological scale. Please list as many issues as you wish in the box below.

 
7.  Is there any other knowledgeable individual who has expertise relative to monitoring the impacts of
 snowmobiles on wildlife that you think should be sent this survey?  Please enter name, affiliation, and email address below. (Please do not forward this survey!)
Name Name
Affiliation Affiliation
Email  Email 
phone phone

If you know of more people who should be sent this inquiry, please email your recommendations to troyh@uidaho.edu 
8.

Knowing that land managers must use scientific data and advice to make decisions about snowmobiling on public lands, who do you think should help to develop monitoring protocols for snowmobile impacts on wildlife?
Your answer may include either specific individuals or organizations. 

Who should be involved in developing protocols? (Please provide names, affiliation and email address -- if you have it.)
Name Name
Affiliation Affiliation
Email  Email 

If you know of more people who should be involved in developing monitoring protocols, please email your recommendations to troyh@uidaho.edu 
9.

Is there anyone you would recommend to lead a workshop group at the conference in April dealing with monitoring the effects of snowmobiles on wildlife? (These workshops would probably be organized around guilds of species.)

Names and full contact information of those who you recommend to lead a workshop group on monitoring:

 
If you have any further comments or questions, please type them in the space below.

 
 

May we contact you if we need clarification about any of your responses?
YES, by email YES, by phone                 NO
 

When you have finished entering your answers, please click below on the SUBMIT button.
You may be assured of complete confidentiality of your responses.

 

 

 




For more information please feel free to contact:

Dr. Troy Hall
Department of Resource Recreation and Tourism
College of Natural Resources
University of Idaho
Moscow, ID  83844-1139

Email:  troyh@uidaho.edu    Phone:  208-885-9455