North Slope Science Initiative northslope

1. North Slope Science Oversight Group The mission of the Oversight Group is to enhance the quality and quantity of the scientific information available for aquatic, terrestrial and marine environments on the North Slope and to make this information available to decision-makers, governmental agencies, industry and the public. This mission will be accomplished through a coordinated and integrated approach to conducting inventory, monitoring and research activities on the North Slope. Members of the Oversight Group include: Bureau of Land Management; U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service; National Park Service; National Marine Fisheries Service; Minerals Management Service; Alaska Department of Natural Resources; Alaska Department of Fish and Game; the Arctic Slope Regional Corporation; the North Slope Borough; U.S. Geological Survey; and the U.S. Department of Energy. These agencies represent the principal government agencies at the regional, state, and federal level with management responsibilities for public lands, fish, and wildlife on the North Slope. North Slope Science Initiative www.northslope.org The Altarum Institute is a nonprofit research and innovation institution with more than 55 years of success in researching, developing, and deploying advanced information technology and decision support systems solutions that promote the sustainable well-being of society. Altarum serves government and commercial customers in the national security, healthcare, and environment sectors. Abstract The North Slope of Alaska is well known for its oil fields, which are among the largest in the United States. Efforts are currently underway to develop a science strategy that will be comprehensive across the North Slope, and provide a consistent approach to high caliber science (inventory, monitoring, and research). This strategy is called the North Slope Science Initiative (NSSI). The NSSI will be steered by an executive group whose membership is drawn from federal, state, and local government agencies that have land trust responsibilities across the North Slope. It is expected that remote sensing will play a vital role in providing much of the information needs of the NSSI. GIS Altarum and BLM collaborated in the North Slope Science Initiative (NSSI) to gather all data relevant to the North Slope of Alaska and compile it into a comprehensive database. This database will supplement a Geographic Information System (GIS) that will be used by managers, planners, scientists, and anyone with an interest in the North Slope. Prior to the NSSI, the GIS data was scattered amongst various agencies, organizations, and companies. Altarum has searched exhaustively for publicly and privately available data and compiled it into one database. This database is organized into categories where the data is filed to facilitate easier retrieval. Altarum developed a vehicle routing tool as an example of a customized GIS utility. The tool's purpose is to create a path for land vehicles, such as rollagons, and air vehicles, such as helicopters, that will keep them away from sensitive areas. These "stipulations" can be modified so that they are avoided by a greater distance or they can be ignored completely. Example areas to avoid included in the tool are native villages where noise generated by machinery is prohibited, sensitive vegetation that cannot be crossed, and animal habitats which must be avoided. Example of a map created by Altarum using remote sensing and GIS data. NSSI Portal Altarum, in collaboration with BLM, has created a web portal to support the NSSI. The NSSI portal is a dedicated, focused website for federal, state, local, academic, and industry stakeholders. Additionally, the portal will serve the research and education/outreach community. Specific consumers include all agencies in the region with land trust responsibilities. The portal includes relevant background, traditional knowledge, historical, research, and policy information as well as dynamic environmental data. The portal is linked to other websites that address North Slope and relevant Arctic issues. The portal also includes a Maps & GIS section with useful links for GIS and remote sensing data. The portal can be visited at www.northslope.org. Example of the Vehicle Routing Tool.