PROJECT ABSTRACT
Colorado Plateau Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit
(Cooperative Agreement # H1200-004-0002)
Park: Yosemite National Park
Project Title: Developing Standards to Protect Natural Soundscapes in YOSE and SEKI
Funding Amount: $68,025
CPCESU Partner Institution: Colorado State University
Principal Investigator: Peter Newman, Assistant Professor, Warner College of Natural
Resources, Natural Resources Building, 232 Forestry Building, Fort Collins, CO 80523-1480,
TEL: 970-491-2839, FAX: 970-491-2255, pnewman@warnercnr.colostate.edu
NPS Key Official: Bret Meldrum, Branch Chief, Visitor Use and Social Sciences Branch,
Resources Management and Science Division, 5083 Foresta Road, El Portal, CA 95318,
TEL: 209-379-1216, FAX: 209-379-1131, Bret_Meldrum@nps.gov
Start Date: September 1, 2008
End Date: November 1, 2010
Abstract: Protecting natural sounds is an important goal set by the National Park Service (NPS)
in management policy 4.9: “The National Park Service will preserve, to the greatest extent
possible, the natural soundscapes of parks. Both Yosemite National Park (YOSE) and Sequoia
and Kings Canyon National Parks (SEKI) face increasing air traffic due to initiation of
commercial air service at Mammoth Yosemite Airport (MMH). The Federal Aviation
Administration projects that commercial flights from MMH will increase 400% over the next
three years. Expansion of commercial activity includes the potential for additional air tour
operations over both parks. Since both management units are vastly designated Wilderness
(YOSE 95% and SEKI 96%), maintaining an acceptable natural soundscape is furthermore
critical. This project will develop soundscape protection standards at YOSE and SEKI using a
listening exercise and visitor survey to inform soundscape management and air tour management
planning. Additionally, the proximity of Devils Postpile National Monument (DEPO) to MMH,
YOSE and SEKI will benefit the monument’s soundscape management policy as a result of this
network-wide initiative. The resulting empirically derived standards can protect natural
soundscapes at these park units from further degradation.
Keywords:
Air, weather, noise, surveys, soundscapes, standards of quality, and normative research.
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