HINTS TO HELP YOU OBTAIN YOUR PERMIT FOR RESEARCH IN THE NATIONAL PARK SERVICE

Many people think of National Parks when they list appealing places to base their summer field studies and graduate research. Even if you have written the grant for funding, hired that field assistant, or bought your sampling equipment, you need to take a critical step prior to entering the park. A Research Permit is required to secure the key to assure you that park resource managers and rangers will welcome you to the backcountry and park natural areas. The Research and Reporting System (http://science.nature.nps.gov/research) is a new online way to apply for a research permit, review permit conditions, and see research needs of more than 380 National Park units. This talk will provide guidelines and several helpful hints for using the Research Permit and Reporting System. Critical information for park review and decisionmaking will be emphasized. Examples from coastal research will be used to highlight ongoing research.