Research Activities

• Federal Regulations mandate that all commercial and non-commercial uses of Forest Lands be accounted for by special use permits. All research proposals require an assessment of whether the action is subject to the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). If the action requires NEPA, coordination with the forest will be required and a NEPA decision signed before the actions can take place.
• Many activities occur on the forest that may conflict with research projects, such as group recreational events, routine utility corridor maintenance, tree thinning, Christmas tree cutting, prescribed burns, habitat restoration, new land designations, and proposed land exchanges. Knowledge of research activities by Forest Service staff and regular communication can help minimize undesirable impacts to research projects.
• The Forest Service has a wealth of information about its land and resources. Resource specialists can direct researchers to areas most appropriate for their needs, as well as offer information on management history or historical events, such as wildfires. Research permits facilitate this communication.
• The Forest Service benefits from data that researchers provide. New information from researchers can be incorporated into Forest Service databases and used to improve forest management. Consequently, a summary of findings (e.g., copies of theses, dissertations, papers) from permitted research on the Cibola National Forests and National Grasslands SHALL be provided to the Forest Service upon completion of the study.
• It is important to promote and facilitate integration and coordination of complementary research projects. Spatial data on the location of all permitted research projects will be maintained on a forest-wide GIS map. Efforts will be made to link complementary projects and promote interdisciplinary research.

Principal Investigators (PIs) of all research projects located on lands managed by the Cibola National Forests and National Grasslands should apply for research permits. Research by graduate students must also list their major professor as a PI. Failure to obtain a special use permit for research violates Forest Service Policy and Federal environmental regulations and may jeopardize completion of the research.

There are two application dates each year to allow project proposals to be incorporated into the Forest’s program of work:

A. Proposals that do not require archaeological clearance or biological assessment/evaluation should be submitted by January 15 or July 15 in the year of planned implementation of the research, and should have an expected NEPA decision generally within four weeks after submission, depending on the complexity and volume of proposals received.

B. Proposals that require archaeological clearance or consultation with US Fish & Wildlife Service should be submitted only by July 15 in the year prior to planned implementation of the research, so the projects can be incorporated into the program of work for the following federal fiscal year, which begins in October. Moreover, large or complex, but currently unfunded research proposals should be submitted for review on this date to allow the Forest Service time to plan for additional analysis if the project receives grant funding in mid-year.

Proposals submitted at these times will receive priority by Forest Service staff over proposals submitted at other times of the year.

If your project meets the criteria below, archaeological clearance and biological assessment/evaluation are probably not needed. In this case, proposals can be submitted in either January or July of the year implementation is planned.

• Cumulative ground disturbance less than 1 m2 (may still require nepa)
• No use of noisy, mechanized equipment
• No equipment, instruments, or sampling devices stored overnight at study area
• No live trapping or destructive sampling of animals
• Measurement and sampling of vegetation will not kill individual plants directly or indirectly
• A permit to collect plants is required by the Regional Office, through the Regional Botanist

If your project meets the criteria below, archaeological clearance and biological assessment/evaluation may be needed; this need will be evaluated by Forest Service staff. In this case, proposals can be submitted only in July of the year prior to planned implementation of the research.

• Cumulative ground disturbance greater than 1 m2
• Includes prescribed fire
• Occasional or continuous use of noisy, mechanized equipment
• Equipment, instruments, or sampling devices stored overnight (or longer) at study area in temporary containers (e.g., small enclosures, boxes)
• Live trapping or destructive sampling of animals
• Vegetation sampling or measurement that kills individual plants
• Construction of new or modification of existing buildings or other permanent structures at the research area
• Research personnel live or camp at the research area for more than two weeks per year

The Forest Service must consider a variety of issues, including potential impacts to archaeological and cultural resources. If an archaeologist reviews a proposal and it includes potential impacts to archaeological and cultural resources, the Section 106 process in compliance with the National Historic Preservation Act must be completed prior to approval and implementation. The Cibola National Forests and National Grasslands funds a limited number of days each year for their archaeologists to provide surveys, consultations with potentially affected tribes, and clearances in support of research permit proposals. However, this work must be scheduled into the existing workload, and timelines to complete this process can vary from a few days to months. If the timeline for the Forest Service to prepare a clearance is too long, the research applicant has the option of paying an archaeological consultant to conduct a survey and prepare an archaeological clearance for the proposal (if no significant places of traditional cultural importance are involved). A list of consultants permitted to conduct archaeological work on the forest is available upon request. This work will need to be coordinated with the Forest Service archaeologists well in advance, as they will need to review, accept, and submit any "out service" work to the State Historic Preservation Officer.

• PI name, phone number, and email address; name and address of PI's research organization/department.
• Statement of the scope and purpose of the research: Please be concise and avoid non-essential jargon as several different resource specialists will review the proposal.
• Exact location of the project: We can't stress this requirement enough. GIS maps and topographic maps at a 1:24,000 scale are recommended. The location of your project needs to be compared with maps of archaeological sites and threatened and endangered species (TES). If you have large plots, the perimeter must be defined. If you have small plots or sites, place dots on the map.
• Methods used: Please provide specific information about how the research will be accomplished on the ground. This includes the following information:
  • The area encompassed by the research: how it will be designated, laid out on the ground, and identified.
  • Activities associated with the research: measurements, sampling methods, frequency and duration of entry into an area, equipment used, and the specific amount and nature of ground disturbance (depth, and dimensions). Providing detailed information about methods will facilitate review. Failure to provide sufficient details may result in a delay in review.
  • Time of the year and frequency of site visits, including the number of visitors: This information is critical to evaluate potential research impacts to TES and other forest resources. If research is in the proximity of a known TES, consideration of the number of people in the area and the timing and frequency of their visits is important.
  • Duration of research: Estimate the likely duration of the research activities.

PLEASE NOTE: Failure to provide this information may delay review of your proposal.