Research Contact Information
|
Anna Tegarden
|
|
|
74485 National Park Dr
Twentynine Palms, CA 92277 |
|
|
760-367-5563
|
|
|
|
|
|
anna_tegarden@nps.gov
|
|
|
Superintendent
|
|
|
Jane Rodgers
|
|
|
Melanie_Spoo@nps.gov |
|
|
jotr_superintendent@nps.gov
|
|
|
Jane Rodgers, Michael Vamstad, Anna Tegarden, Jay Goodwin, Melanie Spoo
|
|
|
www.nps.gov/jotr
|
Park Specific Research Conditions
(General Conditions which apply to all NPS Scientific Research and Collecting Permits are available from the HELP page. General Conditions are automatically appended to the permit conditions on the PDF printable permit)
General Research Conditions & Restrictions
1. Permits must be carried at all times by all individuals covered under the permit while conducting research in the park.
2. This permit, issued by the National Park Service (hereafter referred to as NPS), allows the named principal investigator to collect certain animal, plant, or mineral resources in the locations and quantities specified. Archeological and paleontological materials may not be collected or disturbed under this permit unless accompanied by a current Antiquities Permit.
3. Field assistants may collect only under the direct supervision of the principal investigator or co-investigator(s) named on the permit. The permit holder is responsible for seeing that each assistant understands the permit stipulations. Field assistants collecting independently must be issued separate collecting permits.
4. This permit does not give the bearer license to violate any NPS regulations.
5. A pre-field work meeting may be required between the principal investigator(s) and NPS staff to clarify and reinforce permit conditions, access, research/collecting methods, reporting, communications and other items related to this permit and the research proposal.
6. Place a copy of the enclosed Research and/or Collecting Permit in the dash of your vehicle. If designated parking areas are not convenient, park in a safe place with plenty of sight distance for other traffic that does not cause any damage to the resources.
7. If access is required inside administratively closed areas, the researcher must make advance arrangements with park staff through the Research Permit coordinator, Anna Tegarden 760-367-5563 or anna_tegarden@nps.gov.
8. All collecting (if permitted) should be done away from roads, trails, and developments, unless otherwise specified in the permit. Collection methods shall not attract attention or cause unauthorized impact to the environment. If visitors inquire about your collecting, please explain your project in a courteous and informative manner. This information should reflect “that collecting without a permit carries stiff penalties and that collection permits are available only for a reputable scientific or educational institution or a State or Federal agency”.
9. Collected specimens will remain Federal property unless and until ownership is conveyed. These specimens may be used for scientific or educational purposes only, shall be dedicated to public benefit, and shall not be used for commercial profit.
10. This Research Permit requires GPS locations (UTMs) for all plots, survey areas, research vicinities, excavations, transects or any other georeferenceable aspects of activities noted in this permit. The Research Permit may also require an inventory and locality record (UTMs) for any or all specimens before they are removed and, after the collection has been assembled, to submit it for examination. An electronic metadata form to be used for this purpose is available through the Research Coordinator. Applicability of this requirement to your research activity should be discussed with the park Research Coordinator prior to any activities.
11. The NPS reserves the right to designate the repository of all specimens removed from the park and to approve or restrict transfers of specimens between repositories. The NPS also reserves the right to designate the U.S. National Museum or the park museum as the repository of any specimen removed from the park (after the collector has made necessary studies and published the results of those studies).
12. Each specimen (or groups of specimens labeled as a group) that is stored, exhibited, conserved, etc. must bear labels stating that they are the property of the NPS and must be accessed and cataloged in the NPS National Catalog.
13. One copy (or more if specified) of all scientific and other publications resulting entirely or in part from research and/or collecting through the issuance of this permit will be furnished to the Research Coordinator of the park. Field notes should be copied and furnished in either electronic format (portable document file – pdf) or as a hard copy. For information regarding cataloging, identification or deposition of field notes and reports, contact Museum Curator Melanie Spoo at (760) 367-5571.
14. This permit expires on the date shown, but usually no later than December 31 of the year issued. A new collecting permit may be issued for each subsequent calendar year of study only after the Investigator's Annual Report for the completed year is received by the park. Nothing in this permit shall be construed as granting any exclusive research privileges or automatic right to continue, extend, or renew this or any other line of research under new permit(s).
15. Research permits allow for a waiver of park entrance fees when presented at the entrance booths. However, they do not automatically cover the costs of camping in any of the park campgrounds. Waivers for camping costs are evaluated on a case by case basis.
16. Violation of these terms and conditions may result in the suspension or revocation of the permit. Failure on the part of the collector(s) to adhere to the policies outlined by the park and those policies as stipulated in the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), Title 36, Section 2.5, and National Park Service (NPS) Management Policies may result in the withdrawal of this collecting permit.
17. Authority - The permittee is granted privileges covered under this permit subject to the supervision of the superintendent or a designee, and shall comply with all applicable laws and regulations of the National Park System area and other federal and state laws. A National Park Service (NPS) representative may accompany the permittee in the field to ensure compliance with regulations. 36 CFR, Chapter 1, Section 2.5 -- Research Specimens: further defines and clarifies the basic conditions under which this permit is issued.
18. Responsibility - The permittee is responsible for ensuring that all persons working on the project adhere to permit conditions and applicable NPS regulations. Violations of the conditions of this permit may be punishable by a fine as provided by law, or by imprisonment not exceeding 6 months, or both, and shall be adjudged to pay all costs of the proceedings. 36 CFR, Chapter 1, Section 1.3(a).
19. False information - The permittee is prohibited from giving false information that is used to issue this permit. To do so will be considered a breach of conditions and be grounds for revocation of this permit and other applicable penalties.
20. Assignment - This permit may not be transferred or assigned. The principal investigator shall notify the park's Research Permit coordinator when there are desired changes in the approved study protocols or methods, changes in the affiliation or status of the principal investigator, or modification of the name of any project member. Changes must be approved and noted on the permit before implemented. Attaching email correspondence confirming changes is an acceptable method of noting changed activities.
21. Revocation - This permit may be terminated for breach of any condition. The permittee may consult with the appropriate NPS Regional Science Advisor to clarify issues resulting in a revoked permit and the potential for reinstatement by the park superintendent or a designee.
22. Confidentiality - The permittee agrees to keep the specific location of sensitive park resources confidential. Sensitive resources include threatened species, endangered species, and rare species, archeological sites, caves, fossil sites, minerals, commercially valuable resources, and sacred ceremonial sites.
23. Methods of travel - Travel within the park is restricted to those methods that are available to the general public unless otherwise specified in additional stipulations associated with this permit.
24. Other permits - The permittee must obtain all other required permit(s) to conduct the specified project (e.g. USFWS recovery permit, Antiquities Permit).
25. Insurance - If liability insurance is required by the NPS for this project, then documentation must be provided that it has been obtained and is current in all respects before this permit is considered valid.
26. Mechanized equipment - No use of mechanized equipment in designated, proposed, or potential wilderness areas is allowed unless authorized by the NPS. The use of artificial lighting for the purposes of viewing wildlife, unless expressly stated in this permit, is prohibited. [CFR 36, Part 1, Ch 2.2 (b)(4)(e)]
27. NPS participation - The permittee should not anticipate assistance from the NPS unless specific arrangements are made and documented in either an additional stipulation attached to this permit or in other separate written agreements.
28. Permanent markers and field equipment - The principal investigator is generally required to remove all markers or equipment from the field after the completion of the study or prior to the expiration date of this permit. The superintendent or a designee may modify this requirement through additional park specific conditions that may be attached to this permit.
1. Permits must be carried at all times by all individuals covered under the permit while conducting research in the park.
2. This permit, issued by the National Park Service (hereafter referred to as NPS), allows the named principal investigator to collect certain animal, plant, or mineral resources in the locations and quantities specified. Archeological and paleontological materials may not be collected or disturbed under this permit unless accompanied by a current Antiquities Permit.
3. Field assistants may collect only under the direct supervision of the principal investigator or co-investigator(s) named on the permit. The permit holder is responsible for seeing that each assistant understands the permit stipulations. Field assistants collecting independently must be issued separate collecting permits.
4. This permit does not give the bearer license to violate any NPS regulations.
5. A pre-field work meeting may be required between the principal investigator(s) and NPS staff to clarify and reinforce permit conditions, access, research/collecting methods, reporting, communications and other items related to this permit and the research proposal.
6. Place a copy of the enclosed Research and/or Collecting Permit in the dash of your vehicle. If designated parking areas are not convenient, park in a safe place with plenty of sight distance for other traffic that does not cause any damage to the resources.
7. If access is required inside administratively closed areas, the researcher must make advance arrangements with park staff through the Research Permit coordinator, Anna Tegarden 760-367-5563 or anna_tegarden@nps.gov.
8. All collecting (if permitted) should be done away from roads, trails, and developments, unless otherwise specified in the permit. Collection methods shall not attract attention or cause unauthorized impact to the environment. If visitors inquire about your collecting, please explain your project in a courteous and informative manner. This information should reflect “that collecting without a permit carries stiff penalties and that collection permits are available only for a reputable scientific or educational institution or a State or Federal agency”.
9. Collected specimens will remain Federal property unless and until ownership is conveyed. These specimens may be used for scientific or educational purposes only, shall be dedicated to public benefit, and shall not be used for commercial profit.
10. This Research Permit requires GPS locations (UTMs) for all plots, survey areas, research vicinities, excavations, transects or any other georeferenceable aspects of activities noted in this permit. The Research Permit may also require an inventory and locality record (UTMs) for any or all specimens before they are removed and, after the collection has been assembled, to submit it for examination. An electronic metadata form to be used for this purpose is available through the Research Coordinator. Applicability of this requirement to your research activity should be discussed with the park Research Coordinator prior to any activities.
11. The NPS reserves the right to designate the repository of all specimens removed from the park and to approve or restrict transfers of specimens between repositories. The NPS also reserves the right to designate the U.S. National Museum or the park museum as the repository of any specimen removed from the park (after the collector has made necessary studies and published the results of those studies).
12. Each specimen (or groups of specimens labeled as a group) that is stored, exhibited, conserved, etc. must bear labels stating that they are the property of the NPS and must be accessed and cataloged in the NPS National Catalog.
13. One copy (or more if specified) of all scientific and other publications resulting entirely or in part from research and/or collecting through the issuance of this permit will be furnished to the Research Coordinator of the park. Field notes should be copied and furnished in either electronic format (portable document file – pdf) or as a hard copy. For information regarding cataloging, identification or deposition of field notes and reports, contact Museum Curator Melanie Spoo at (760) 367-5571.
14. This permit expires on the date shown, but usually no later than December 31 of the year issued. A new collecting permit may be issued for each subsequent calendar year of study only after the Investigator's Annual Report for the completed year is received by the park. Nothing in this permit shall be construed as granting any exclusive research privileges or automatic right to continue, extend, or renew this or any other line of research under new permit(s).
15. Research permits allow for a waiver of park entrance fees when presented at the entrance booths. However, they do not automatically cover the costs of camping in any of the park campgrounds. Waivers for camping costs are evaluated on a case by case basis.
16. Violation of these terms and conditions may result in the suspension or revocation of the permit. Failure on the part of the collector(s) to adhere to the policies outlined by the park and those policies as stipulated in the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), Title 36, Section 2.5, and National Park Service (NPS) Management Policies may result in the withdrawal of this collecting permit.
17. Authority - The permittee is granted privileges covered under this permit subject to the supervision of the superintendent or a designee, and shall comply with all applicable laws and regulations of the National Park System area and other federal and state laws. A National Park Service (NPS) representative may accompany the permittee in the field to ensure compliance with regulations. 36 CFR, Chapter 1, Section 2.5 -- Research Specimens: further defines and clarifies the basic conditions under which this permit is issued.
18. Responsibility - The permittee is responsible for ensuring that all persons working on the project adhere to permit conditions and applicable NPS regulations. Violations of the conditions of this permit may be punishable by a fine as provided by law, or by imprisonment not exceeding 6 months, or both, and shall be adjudged to pay all costs of the proceedings. 36 CFR, Chapter 1, Section 1.3(a).
19. False information - The permittee is prohibited from giving false information that is used to issue this permit. To do so will be considered a breach of conditions and be grounds for revocation of this permit and other applicable penalties.
20. Assignment - This permit may not be transferred or assigned. The principal investigator shall notify the park's Research Permit coordinator when there are desired changes in the approved study protocols or methods, changes in the affiliation or status of the principal investigator, or modification of the name of any project member. Changes must be approved and noted on the permit before implemented. Attaching email correspondence confirming changes is an acceptable method of noting changed activities.
21. Revocation - This permit may be terminated for breach of any condition. The permittee may consult with the appropriate NPS Regional Science Advisor to clarify issues resulting in a revoked permit and the potential for reinstatement by the park superintendent or a designee.
22. Confidentiality - The permittee agrees to keep the specific location of sensitive park resources confidential. Sensitive resources include threatened species, endangered species, and rare species, archeological sites, caves, fossil sites, minerals, commercially valuable resources, and sacred ceremonial sites.
23. Methods of travel - Travel within the park is restricted to those methods that are available to the general public unless otherwise specified in additional stipulations associated with this permit.
24. Other permits - The permittee must obtain all other required permit(s) to conduct the specified project (e.g. USFWS recovery permit, Antiquities Permit).
25. Insurance - If liability insurance is required by the NPS for this project, then documentation must be provided that it has been obtained and is current in all respects before this permit is considered valid.
26. Mechanized equipment - No use of mechanized equipment in designated, proposed, or potential wilderness areas is allowed unless authorized by the NPS. The use of artificial lighting for the purposes of viewing wildlife, unless expressly stated in this permit, is prohibited. [CFR 36, Part 1, Ch 2.2 (b)(4)(e)]
27. NPS participation - The permittee should not anticipate assistance from the NPS unless specific arrangements are made and documented in either an additional stipulation attached to this permit or in other separate written agreements.
28. Permanent markers and field equipment - The principal investigator is generally required to remove all markers or equipment from the field after the completion of the study or prior to the expiration date of this permit. The superintendent or a designee may modify this requirement through additional park specific conditions that may be attached to this permit.
Park Collection Permit Conditions
Park Data Submission Permit Conditions
Science Communications
Research Preferences
Desert Ecology
Effectiveness of fire suppression and fuel reduction on survivability of Joshua Tree vegetation community after fire
Spring and oasis ecology
Characterizing ecoregion boundaries - defining the transition zone between Mojave and Colorado deserts based on biota and climate
Impacts of global climate change on natural processes
Paleontology
Paleontological investigations - basic understanding, inventory design, and predictive modeling
Improved understanding of paleontological deposits in the context of climate change
Develop detailed chronology of Pleistocene and/or Neogene deposits that contain paleontological resources
Park Management
Effectiveness of Park messaging to reduce visitor behaviors which damage resources
Effects of increased visitation on park’s cultural resources
Assessing trends, use levels, preferences, and impacts of recreational activities associated with rocks (climbing, bouldering, highlining, etc.)
Plant gathering methods, limits, and monitoring for collecting plant materials for ethnographic use by Traditionally Associated Tribes
Novel Communication Technologies: how can smartphones be used to communicate park information, emergencies, and regulations
Physical Science
Ecological effects of air pollution, including nitrogen deposition
Study the juxtaposition of basalts and lake sediments in Pinto Basin
Understanding groundwater levels and trends
Geoarcheology: locating buried Holocene surfaces in JOTR
Geoarcheology: locating buried late Pleistocene surfaces in JOTR
Compilation of all weather data from stations within the park, analysis of trends by site
Vegetation
Demographics of Joshua tree (Yucca brevifolia), including abundance, recruitment, sprouting, flower and fruit production
Track trends in phenology of key desert plant species and how this is changing over time
Ecological effects of invasive, non-native plants
Restoration of disturbed arid lands - analysis of effectiveness of past desert restoration efforts
Analysis of effectiveness of invasive plant control treatments including; clipping vs. hand pulling of annuals, herbicide effectiveness on fountain grass, and techniques to reduce invasive annual grass fuel loads
Understanding the impacts of hand pulling invasive annual plants on soil erosion and subsurface resources
Search for effective and safe biocontrols for invasive annual grasses including smut fungi and bacteria
Desert fan palm demographics and health at park oasis
Timing, abundance, composition and distribution of spring wildflower blooms
Karyotypic analysis of Larrea tridentata in Sonoran and Mojave deserts
Understanding the dynamics of oasis and riparian invasive species
Trends in abundance and distribution of ocotillo
Drought related effects to pinyon pine and California juniper
Demographics of rare and threatened plant populations
Wilderness
Understanding use Levels, expectations, and access
Public perceptions of wilderness value of public lands in the California Desert.
Wildlife
Interactions between exotic and native animals to understand competition effects
Wildlife Human Interactions: effects of increased food availability from trash and feeding
Wildlife Human Interactions: Impacts to wildlife movement (bighorn sheep, large mammals, roadkill, fragmentation, etc.) in visitor use areas
Impact of domestic animals on wildlife
Understand distribution and abundance of yucca moths
Bighorn sheep ecology, distribution, forage, demographics and water requirements
Impacts of fire on vertebrate populations in three plant communities (Joshua tree, blackbrush, piñon and juniper)
Avian habitat preferences in the park plant communities
Mammalian habitat preferences in the park plant communities
Baseline data on insect populations
Park quail populations, specifically the Mountain Quail, need study to determine the relationship between the Mountain and the Gambel's and the effects of the non-native Chukar
California tree frogs abundance and reliance on park springs and oases
"Please note: research applications involving ground disturbance (such as digging or scrapping of surface materials) may require an extended period of time for review. Ground disturbing activities often have the potential to impact archeological resources both on and below the ground surface. As such, applications that propose ground disturbance warrant a more thorough review under section 106 of National Historic Preservation Act. This may require additional park staff time to evaluate applications and to survey the locations of the proposed disturbance. Depending on staff availability, this may considerably delay the issuing of the research permit. Please consider using alternative methods that do not require ground disturbance (e.g. Sherman traps versus pitfall traps). If not possible, be prepared to provide precise GPS locations of the study/sample sites when submitting the application. Altering locations or adding supplemental locations after the park reviews the application will further delay the issuance of the permit."
Effectiveness of fire suppression and fuel reduction on survivability of Joshua Tree vegetation community after fire
Spring and oasis ecology
Characterizing ecoregion boundaries - defining the transition zone between Mojave and Colorado deserts based on biota and climate
Impacts of global climate change on natural processes
Paleontology
Paleontological investigations - basic understanding, inventory design, and predictive modeling
Improved understanding of paleontological deposits in the context of climate change
Develop detailed chronology of Pleistocene and/or Neogene deposits that contain paleontological resources
Park Management
Effectiveness of Park messaging to reduce visitor behaviors which damage resources
Effects of increased visitation on park’s cultural resources
Assessing trends, use levels, preferences, and impacts of recreational activities associated with rocks (climbing, bouldering, highlining, etc.)
Plant gathering methods, limits, and monitoring for collecting plant materials for ethnographic use by Traditionally Associated Tribes
Novel Communication Technologies: how can smartphones be used to communicate park information, emergencies, and regulations
Physical Science
Ecological effects of air pollution, including nitrogen deposition
Study the juxtaposition of basalts and lake sediments in Pinto Basin
Understanding groundwater levels and trends
Geoarcheology: locating buried Holocene surfaces in JOTR
Geoarcheology: locating buried late Pleistocene surfaces in JOTR
Compilation of all weather data from stations within the park, analysis of trends by site
Vegetation
Demographics of Joshua tree (Yucca brevifolia), including abundance, recruitment, sprouting, flower and fruit production
Track trends in phenology of key desert plant species and how this is changing over time
Ecological effects of invasive, non-native plants
Restoration of disturbed arid lands - analysis of effectiveness of past desert restoration efforts
Analysis of effectiveness of invasive plant control treatments including; clipping vs. hand pulling of annuals, herbicide effectiveness on fountain grass, and techniques to reduce invasive annual grass fuel loads
Understanding the impacts of hand pulling invasive annual plants on soil erosion and subsurface resources
Search for effective and safe biocontrols for invasive annual grasses including smut fungi and bacteria
Desert fan palm demographics and health at park oasis
Timing, abundance, composition and distribution of spring wildflower blooms
Karyotypic analysis of Larrea tridentata in Sonoran and Mojave deserts
Understanding the dynamics of oasis and riparian invasive species
Trends in abundance and distribution of ocotillo
Drought related effects to pinyon pine and California juniper
Demographics of rare and threatened plant populations
Wilderness
Understanding use Levels, expectations, and access
Public perceptions of wilderness value of public lands in the California Desert.
Wildlife
Interactions between exotic and native animals to understand competition effects
Wildlife Human Interactions: effects of increased food availability from trash and feeding
Wildlife Human Interactions: Impacts to wildlife movement (bighorn sheep, large mammals, roadkill, fragmentation, etc.) in visitor use areas
Impact of domestic animals on wildlife
Understand distribution and abundance of yucca moths
Bighorn sheep ecology, distribution, forage, demographics and water requirements
Impacts of fire on vertebrate populations in three plant communities (Joshua tree, blackbrush, piñon and juniper)
Avian habitat preferences in the park plant communities
Mammalian habitat preferences in the park plant communities
Baseline data on insect populations
Park quail populations, specifically the Mountain Quail, need study to determine the relationship between the Mountain and the Gambel's and the effects of the non-native Chukar
California tree frogs abundance and reliance on park springs and oases
"Please note: research applications involving ground disturbance (such as digging or scrapping of surface materials) may require an extended period of time for review. Ground disturbing activities often have the potential to impact archeological resources both on and below the ground surface. As such, applications that propose ground disturbance warrant a more thorough review under section 106 of National Historic Preservation Act. This may require additional park staff time to evaluate applications and to survey the locations of the proposed disturbance. Depending on staff availability, this may considerably delay the issuing of the research permit. Please consider using alternative methods that do not require ground disturbance (e.g. Sherman traps versus pitfall traps). If not possible, be prepared to provide precise GPS locations of the study/sample sites when submitting the application. Altering locations or adding supplemental locations after the park reviews the application will further delay the issuance of the permit."
Bulletins
The park is seeking proposals from qualified scientists, researchers, and investigators for research projects to be carried out at Joshua Tree National Park. The project would need to start in the grant year and field or investigative work can be carried out over two years.
Proposals can address research questions and problems in a wide range of fields: natural and physical sciences, cultural resource disciplines, and social sciences that address how people interact with parks and park resources.
Proposals should carefully address the grant criteria identified in the application guidelines available on Joshua Tree National Park's website at www.nps.gov/jotr/resources/research/grant.pdf.
Feel free to contact the parks research coordinator, Anna Tegarden (760-367-5563) or Chief of Interpretation (760-367-5520) for further information.
Proposals can address research questions and problems in a wide range of fields: natural and physical sciences, cultural resource disciplines, and social sciences that address how people interact with parks and park resources.
Proposals should carefully address the grant criteria identified in the application guidelines available on Joshua Tree National Park's website at www.nps.gov/jotr/resources/research/grant.pdf.
Feel free to contact the parks research coordinator, Anna Tegarden (760-367-5563) or Chief of Interpretation (760-367-5520) for further information.
