alaska state parks special park use...

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ALASKA STATE PARKS

SPECIAL PARK USE PERMIT FOR EXPLORATION, SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH, OR INFORMATION COLLECTION

11 AAC 18.010(a)(6) and (a)(11)

Charles Ringer 53560 Hull ST Applicant (Person’s Name) Address

San Diego CA, 92152-5001 City, Zip

Representing: SPAWARSYSCEN PACIFIC United States Navy Phone:(619)553.0013 / (951)775.0517 Name of Organization

is granted permission to organize, sponsor, conduct, or engage in the following research activities:

Utilize the sights listed below to conduct Aerostat (14’x 40’ blimp)

flights to test Aerostat based communication system. Activities include:

Aerostat flights including take off and landing, parking of highway

vehicles on suitable surfaces, self contained camping in class B RV,

setting up and using support equipment (canopies, tables, chairs, etc.),

equipment maintenance/repairs, and running portable generators between the

hours of 06:00 and 23:00. See appendix “A” for full proposal. ____

FROM: 6/6/2015 at 08:00 TO: ___6/28/2015______ at 18:00 Date Time AM/PM Date Time AM/PM

AT: Winter trailhead parking lot (26.7mi) and 33 Mile maintenance facility Facility & Area

Special provisions: Area Ranger (Ranger Happ) to be notified if any deviation

from proposal (appendix A) is anticipated. Any unanticipated deviation

shall be reported to Area Ranger within 6 hours of occurrence.

I have read the attached stipulations and permit provisions. The information on this permit is true and complete to the best of my knowledge, and I understand that any false statement or omission may result in suspension or revocation of any permit and forfeiture of the permit fee. I understand that this permit will not grant any reservation rights or rights of exclusive use; and that facilities are available on a first-come, first-served basis, unless otherwise allowed by special stipulation. I agree to abide by State Park regulations and by the terms and conditions of this permit, and will confine my activities to those described.

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Applicant's signature Date

Park Representative's signature Date

This office will notify the local Ranger of your permit. If you have any questions, please call 451-2695. 3/01 pup-research.doc

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SPECIAL PARK USE PERMIT

GENERAL STIPULATIONS

TO THE APPLICANT/PERMITTEE: Please familiarize yourself with these stipulations and understand how they apply to your

operations. Failure to comply with any provision or requirement may result in a citation being issued to you, possible

suspension or revocation of the permit, and possible payments due the State for any cleanup, repair, and/or legal costs.

ACTIVITY AREA CLEANLINESS. The permittee agrees to keep all activity areas clean and maintained in an orderly condition so

as to not create or exaggerate an unsanitary situation; an unsafe environment; or an attractant for animals, insects, or pests.

AMENDMENTS. Unforeseen conditions or circumstances may arise during the operations under this permit. The grantor may

revise, amend, or revoke this permit at any time to protect the resources, environment, or public; or to alleviate any conflict with

recreational uses.

ASSIGNMENT. This permit may not be transferred or assigned without the prior written approval and acceptance of the assignee by

the grantor. Further, the permittee agrees to not sublet or enter into any third party agreements involving the privileges authorized by

this permit without prior written approval by the grantor.

BURNING. The permittee and his/her agents and employees agree to abide by all State and local regulations pertaining to fires and

campfires. No refuse may be disposed of by open burning without a prior written permit from the State.

COMMERCIAL ACTIVITIES PROHIBITED. This permit does not authorize the permittee to solicit or conduct any business,

advertise, collect any fee, or provide or sell any good or service on State park lands or waters.

DEFINITIONS. Unless the context clearly indicates otherwise, the following definitions apply in this permit and any attachment:

1) “AAC” means Alaska Administrative Code.

2) “AS” means Alaska Statutes.

3) “Division” means the Division of Parks and Outdoor Recreation in the Alaska Department of Natural Resources.

4) “Grantor” or “authorizing officer” means the Northern Area Superintendent of the Division, or his/her designee.

5) “Non-resident” means one who does not qualify as a resident.

6) “Park”, “State park”, “State park land”, or “State park water” means any land, water, facility, or improvement managed by

the Division.

7) “Permittee” means the applicant, company, business, employee, operator, contractor, or representative of the person and

business named on the permit face authorized to conduct activities under the permit.

8) “Resident”, in the case of a person, means one who for 12 consecutive months has maintained a permanent place of abode in

the State and who has continually maintained a voting residence in the State; and in the case of a partnership, association,

company, or corporation, “resident” means one that has its main office or headquarters in the State.

9) “State” means the State of Alaska.

FEES, PERMIT. These fees are waived for federal, state, and municipal agencies.

FIRE SUPPRESSION. The permittee and his/her agents and employees agree to take all reasonable precautions to prevent, make

diligent efforts to suppress, and to promptly report to the proper authorities, all fires on or endangering State park lands.

GEOGRAPHIC LIMIT. This permit is applicable only for the use of the area or areas designated and under the conditions

indicated. This permit does not apply to lands or waters which are not owned or managed by the Division. Authority to use private

lands must be obtained in advance from the appropriate owner. Violation of property rights may be grounds for suspension or

revocation of this permit.

HAZARDS. The permittee recognizes and understands that natural hazards are likely to exist within the area of these operations.

The permittee agrees to take all reasonable precautions to be aware of these hazards and to not jeopardize the safety of persons or

property. The permittee agrees to instruct all employees, operators, guests, and clients about all perceived hazards which may be

encountered during permitted operations.

The permittee agrees to immediately notify the grantor of any perceived hazards in the area which could jeopardize the life, safety, or

property of any person, and to mark as soon as practical with flags, signs, ropes, or barricades, any pits or dangerous hazards which

are not readily apparent to other users.

HIKING, EQUINE, AND VEHICLE OPERATIONS. This permit does not authorize or condone any activity or operation contrary

to, in violation of, or in addition to existing regulations or management determinations for the area regarding the use of hiking trails,

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motorized or non-motorized vehicles, or animals, unless specifically stipulated. The permittee agrees to conduct all activities

involving on- and off-road operations of wheeled or tracked vehicles in such a manner as to minimize surface damage to park lands

and resources. No construction of new trails or widening of existing trails may be conducted under this permit. No motorized access

south of the Chena River between the East and South Forks.

INSPECTIONS. The State reserves the right to inspect the area of activity and equipment at any reasonable time.

INTERFERENCE WITH PUBLIC USE. The permittee, employees, participants, or clients may not restrict or interfere with free

public use of or access to any land, water, road, trail, or facility in the area of their activities. The permittee and participants must be

cautious and respectful of other users who may be present.

LAWFUL OPERATIONS. The permittee agrees to conduct all operations in accordance with the laws and regulations of all other

local, state, and federal agencies, including the Alaska Department of Natural Resources, the Alaska Department of Fish and Game,

and the U.S. Coast Guard.

LITTER REMOVAL. The permittee agrees to remove from the park all refuse and litter generated by these operations and agrees to

make a reasonable effort to pick up and remove any other litter found in the vicinity of these activities. No trash or garbage may be

burned, buried, or otherwise disposed of on State park lands or waters.

NO PREFERENTIAL RIGHT OF RENEWAL. No right of renewal or preferential right of renewal is attached to this permit.

NON-DISCRIMINATION. During all operations under this permit, the permittee and his/her employees, operators, and contractors

agree:

1) To not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment because of race, color, religion, sex or national origin; and

2) To not discriminate by segregation or otherwise against any person on the basis of race, color, religion, sex or national origin by

curtailing, refusing to furnish accommodations, facilities, services or use privileges offered to the public generally.

NON-EXCLUSIVE ISSUE. The grantor may issue similar permits for the same or similar activities in the area covered by this

permit, and will make an effort to notify all permittees of such. Generally, a permit will not be issued for an event or use which might

conflict with an existing permit.

NON-WAIVER PROVISION. The failure by the grantor to enforce a provision of this permit, or act against any default by the

permittee in observance or performance of any of the conditions or requirements of this permit, is not a waiver of the revocation

stipulation or any other provision of this permit.

OPERATIONS SITES AND PARKING. All activity areas, including sites for: the parking or mooring of authorized vehicles,

vessels or aircraft; the parking of support or client vehicles or trailers; and the location of camp or storage facilities, must be approved

in advance by the grantor or local Ranger.

PERMANENT STRUCTURES. No permanent structure may be erected or placed on, in, or under any State park lands or waters,

unless specifically authorized in writing by the Division.

PERMIT IN POSSESSION. A copy of this permit must be in possession at the site of the permitted activities, and must be shown

upon request of a peace officer or representative of Alaska State Parks.

PERMIT REVOCATION, SUSPENSION, & FORFEITURE. The grantor may immediately revoke this permit, or order

suspension of any operation at any time, without compensation or refund to the permittee or liability to the State. The permit may be

suspended or revoked if the permittee defaults in the performance or observance of any of the permit terms or stipulations, or if the

permittee or other person involved in the activity violates a statute or regulation. The permittee agrees to forfeit this permit upon

request by the grantor.

PERSONAL PROPERTY. If a stipulation of this permit allows any personal property or temporary facility to be placed or located

on State park lands or waters, all such personal property and temporary facilities must be removed prior to the expiration of the permit

or by a time specified by the grantor, or they may be impounded and disposed of by the State at the expense of the permittee.

PREFERENTIAL AND PROPRIETARY RIGHTS. No preferential right to additional services is granted by this permit. No

proprietary interest right to any land, water, or facility is granted by this permit.

PROTECTION OF PARK LAND OR PROPERTY FROM DAMAGE. The permittee agrees to conduct all activities in a

manner that will avoid any disturbance to park resources and facilities. The permittee agrees to protect from damage the lands, waters,

facilities, and resources of the State in the areas of operation. No disturbance or alteration of natural materials or State Park facilities

may occur without prior written approval of the grantor.

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REPAIR OF DAMAGE. The permittee agrees to fully repair to the satisfaction of the grantor all damage, other than ordinary wear

and tear, to State park roads, trails, or facilities which occurs during operations authorized by this permit. If not satisfactorily repaired,

the damages are subject to repair by the State at the expense of the permittee. The permittee further agrees to pay the State for any

damage resulting from negligence, or from the violation of the terms of this permit or any law or regulation applicable to the use of

State parks by the permittee or by the permittee's agents, employees, contractors, subcontractors, and guests.

SAFETY. The permittee agrees to conduct all operations in a safe and professional manner, with due regard for the safety of

employees and park users.

SIGNS. No sign or advertising device may be placed or maintained on State park land or water, or on a highway leading thereto,

without prior approval by the grantor as to the location, design, size, color, and message. All authorized signs must be maintained and

renewed as necessary to be neat and presentable. All signs and devices must be removed prior to the expiration of this permit or by a

time specified by the grantor or they may be impounded and removed by the State at the expense of the permittee.

SPECIAL STIPULATIONS. Any special provision, stipulation or requirement included on or attached to this permit is a part of this

permit.

STATE HELD HARMLESS. The permittee agrees to indemnify, defend, and save harmless the State of Alaska and its employees

from any and all claims, demands, suits, contract disputes, or other liability actions for injury or damage arising from the actions or

inactions of the permittee or his/her agents, employees, or clients while conducting activities under this permit.

SURETY. The permittee agrees to be responsible for and to serve as surety for the full compliance with the terms and conditions of

this permit by any employee, operator, agent, contractor (including any employee or subcontractor), or guest. Failure or refusal of any

such party to comply with the terms and conditions of this permit constitutes failure or refusal by the permittee.

TERM. This permit expires as indicated on the face of the permit.

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SPECIAL STIPULATIONS for RESEARCH PERMIT

TO THE PERMITTEE: The following stipulations have been developed specifically for your proposed operation and are

incorporated into your permit. All permittees do not necessarily have all of the same Special Stipulations. Please familiarize yourself

with these stipulations and understand how they will apply to your operations.

Failure to comply with any provision or requirement may result in a citation being issued to you, possible suspension or

revocation of the permit, and possible payments due the State for any cleanup, repair, and/or legal costs.

IMPORTANT PARK RULES. The permittee and participants agree to be familiar with and to abide by State Park regulations and

permit stipulations. This is not a complete listing of Park regulations.

1) Quiet hours are between 11:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m. No disturbing noises or sounds may be made, nor may motorized

generators or saws, or sound-producing equipment or instruments be operated between those hours. [11 AAC 12.230(f)]

2) All required facility fees (camping, boat launch, dumping, parking) must be paid in advance. [11 AAC 12.250]

3) It is illegal to disturb, damage, deface, or remove natural objects, such as trees, plants, rocks, or minerals, without an

additional permit. [11 AAC 12.170]

4) Speed limit and parking control signs must be obeyed. Vehicles may not be operated beyond posted or constructed

boundaries. Vehicles may not be parked or operated in such a manner as to interfere with the free movement of traffic. [11

AAC 12.020, 11 AAC 20.460-492]

5) Fires must be confined to portable grills, stoves, or to a fireplace structures provided by the Division . [11 AAC 12.180]

6) Firearms, other guns, bows and arrows, crossbows, or slingshots may not be used in most parks.

AGENT PRESENT IN FIELD. The permittee or an agent authorized to act on their behalf must be available in the field during all

periods of operation for the purpose of monitoring and carrying out the provisions of this permit. The permittee agrees to keep the

grantor notified of who will be the responsible person in the field to assure prompt contact in case of emergency, or delivery of

necessary instructions or notices.

AUTHORIZED COLLECTORS. The excavation or collection of materials or resources may only be conducted under the direct

personal supervision of one of the listed permittees. A person may excavate, collect, and possess materials or resources if they have in

their immediate possession a signed and dated statement from a permittee authorizing unsupervised collection on the permittees'

behalf. This statement must include a date of expiration of assigned collecting activities.

CAMPS, CLEAN. The permittee agrees to take adequate precautions around camps to prevent and guard against human-animal

encounters. The camp areas must be kept clean; no food may be stored in sleeping tents, but must be cached away from the camp or

stored in air-tight, animal-proof containers. The permittee agrees to insure that no employee, operator, or client will knowingly feed

any wild animal or bird, or allow edible food or waste to be left in a manner that would constitute feeding. The permittee agrees to

report to the grantor the taking of any animal or bird in defense of life or property within THIRTY-SIX (36) hours, and, if so

required, to the Department of Fish and Game, and salvaged as required by that agency.

CAMPS, BASE. No base camp may be established without prior written approval by the grantor as to location, facilities, term, and

operations plan.

CAMPS, TEMPORARY. The permittee agrees to not set up a temporary camp or establish any temporary operations base for use

longer than FIVE (5) day(s) without prior written approval by the grantor. The permittee agrees to locate campsites on river gravel

bars whenever practical. No camp may remain in one place longer than FIVE (5) nights without prior written approval by the

grantor.

CHEMICAL MATERIALS. No chemical material or agent may be used to control or kill any vegetation, animal, insect, amphibian,

or fish without the prior written approval by the grantor. Insect repellents and any product normally used for personal sanitary

purposes may be used by individuals in appropriate quantities.

DISCOVERIES AND TREASURE TROVE. The permittee agrees that if valuable minerals, treasures, or items of archaeological-

paleontological value are found:

1) The archaeological specimens collected are the property of the state and will be turned over to the Division of Parks when no

longer used for instructional purposes.

2) This permit confers no ownership rights to the permittee.

FIREARMS USE. The permittee agrees to assume all responsibility and liability for the possession and use of any firearm by the

permittee, employees, operators, or clients. Any misuse of a firearm, in violation of state or federal law or regulation, may result in

suspension or revocation of this permit and prosecution.

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INFORMATION AND SPECIMENS TO BE PROVIDED. The permittee agrees to provide the grantor: a complete list of

artifacts and/or species collected, and any suitable specimens which may be used for educational or interpretive displays by the

grantor.

INFORMATION SHARING AND REPORTING. The permittee agrees to provide the grantor with annual:

a.) List of items collected as mentioned in the letter of agreement.

b.) Any analysis of reports or research generated from the fossil collecting which would prove helpful to the Division in its resource

management and interpretation.

IN-STREAM WORK. All in-stream excavations and operations must comply with U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Alaska

Department of Environmental Conservation, Alaska Department of Fish and Game, and other state and federal laws and regulations

applicable to such activities.

PERMIT RENEWAL. This permit is renewable. No preferential right of renewal is attached to this permit.

PERMITS, ARCHAEOLOGICAL. This permit is not valid or effective until a valid Archaeological Field Collection Permit (11

AAC 16.) is obtained from the Anchorage office of the Division of Parks & Outdoor Recreation, Office of History & Archaeology.

All stipulations and provisions of that permit are incorporated into this permit.

PERMITS, OTHER AGENCIES. This permit is not valid until all other agencies which require a license, permit or approval of

operations have granted their approval to operate. All permit stipulations issued by these other agencies are incorporated into and

adopted as part of this permit. If a stipulation of another agency is less stringent than or diminishes any of this permit's stipulations,

this Division's stipulations will apply. Permits may include those issued by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers or the AK Department

of Fish & Game for in-stream work or stream crossings; or the AK Department of Transportation & Public Facilities for work within

their rights-of-way. It is the permittee's responsibility to determine which permits are necessary, and to secure all such permits.

SAFETY. The permittee agrees to conduct all operations in a professional manner, with due regard for the safety of clients,

employees, and park users. The permittee agrees to equip, maintain, and operate all vessels and vehicles in accordance with all

applicable state and federal laws and regulations.

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Appendix A

Executive Summary SPAWAR Systems Center Pacific is proposing to use two sites within the Chena River State Recreation Area to

support the test of an Aerostat borne communications system. The scope of this document is limited to land use

only, the FAA will provide permits and guidance for airspace authorization and issuing a NOTAMS. Frequency

allocation will also be coordinated with the FAA and the Pacific Air Forces to prevent radio frequency (RF)

interference. During the exercise, from June 6th to June 28th, public access to the 3 sites would be restricted for

24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Access by DNR personnel or contractors would not be impeded. Teams of 4-5

people would be present at each site for 8-10 hours a day. During the non-working hours, 2 personnel would

remain at each site in a class B recreational vehicle in order to monitor the equipment. Generators would not be

run between the hours of 2300 and 0600.

While the bulk of our testing would occur during typical working hours, some testing would occur after hours

and in the evening. While we do not expect to conduct flight operations during the weekend which will reduce

the visual nuisance during peak park hours, we will still wish to restrict access to the 3 ground sites in order to

monitor our equipment.

Typical Aerostat flight durations will be on the order of 3-4 hours long and will occur 3-4 times during the week

of June 8th

, and 1-2 times during the two week period from June 15th

to June 26th

. The total time that Aerostats

will be visible, creating a visible nuisance will be approximately 24 hours. At all other times the Aerostat will

be tied up on top of a flatbed truck and will not be readily visible due to the foliage.

During flight, the Aerostats will be visible from tree-less clearings within the Chena River valley from a

distance of approximately 5 miles and visible from mountain top clearings 5-10 miles away. The brightly

colored flags on the tether will be visible from a distance of at least one mile to comply with FAA regulations.

We have identified the following impacts to recreation: a temporary and intermittent aesthetic nuisance,

degradation of the three test sites due to personnel and equipment and restricting public access to the areas that

are specifically designated as the test sites. We will describe our mitigation strategy in the Impact to recreation

section.

Test Schedule • June 6‐June 9: Mobilization and setup of equipment

• June 10‐June 14: Daily flight testing

• June 15‐June 26: Intermittent flight testing during the day, potential to test during the evenings

• June 26‐June 28: Packing up equipment, cleaning up the test sites

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Test description and purpose of site usage We are requesting the exclusive use of three sites along Chena hot springs road to use as Aerostat, commonly

referred to as a blimp, ground stations in order to support a test of an aerostat based communications system

intended for use in mountainous terrain. This proposal covers two of the three sites that are located on Alaska

DNR land. The third site, Site A is located on a privately controlled gravel pit and is outside the scope of this

document. Site A is included to provide a complete overview of our test proposal, however, SPAWAR will

directly coordinate with its owners for use.

Site A is a gravel pit located at the 25.6 mile marker, Site B is a parking lot near flat creek on the north side of

Chena Hot Springs road at the 26.7 mile marker and Site C is a clearing in the back of the 33 mile maintenance

facility.

The requested sites will be used as follows: 1) Restrict public access to the site for the duration of the exercise from June 6

th to June 28

th.We would ensure that

a spokesperson was available at each site in order to field questions from the public.

2) Park a flat‐bed truck in the center of the clearing. This truck will remain on site for the duration of the test. The

flatbed truck will carry equipment to the test site and will additionally be used to tie down the aerostat.

3) Park a class B RV that will remain on site for the duration of the test. The RV will be used to provide housing for

the two test personnel that remain on site 24 hours a day and will additionally provide restroom and kitchen

facilities for the other test personnel that use the site during the day.

4) Land a 14’ diameter x 40’ long Aerostat, shown in Figure 2. No modifications to the site will be required to

support this activity. The Aerostat will be moored to the flatbed truck with ropes.

5) Set up portable shades with netting to provide protection from the sun for test personnel working on hardware.

6) Place two to four tables portable tables inside of the shades, as well as chairs.

7) Run a portable generator to power electronic equipment and laptops. We will not run generators between the

hours of 2300 and 0600, instead using batteries to power equipment in order to minimize the acoustic impact

during the evenings.

8) Sites will be used during a working day by 4‐5 personnel. At night, 2 personnel will remain on site in the RV to

monitor equipment.

9) Aerostats will be periodically flown from the sites. During their flight they will be tied to the flatbed truck with a

tether. They will likely be in the air for 3‐4 hours at a time. Most flight activity will occur midweek during typical

8am‐5pm working hours. Additionally, the majority of our flights will occur during the first week of testing. The

flight activity during the second and third week will be significantly less frequent and will typically occur in the

afternoon or evenings.

10) A section of the parking lot located at flat creek, sufficient to park at least 3 cars, will be kept free of equipment

and accessible in order to allow DNR personnel unfettered access to the area around the flat creek parking lot.

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Overview of proposed site locations • Site A: A gravel pit at the 26.5 mile marker

• 7996 Chena hot springs road

• Lat/Lon: 64.877403, -146.812707

• Site B: Parking lot on the north side of Chena Hot Springs road, near 26.7 mile marker

• 8173 Chena hot springs road

• Lat/Lon: 64.8762, -146.7772

• Site C: Clearing at the back of the DNR 33 mile facility

• 9222 Chena Hot springs road

• Lat/Lon: 64.9079, -146.5754

Figure 1: Topographic map showing sites A‐D. Sites A‐C are the primary sites and site D is there as a backup

Desired characteristics of a site • A durable surface to set up equipment and park on: gravel, paved, dirt, etc. • Has a clearing of trees sufficiently large to operate an aerostat from (75’ x 75’) • Sufficient room to park a flatbed truck and an RV either in the clearing, or on the road leading up to the clearing. • Enough space to set up a couple of pair of 10’x10’ canopies.

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Impact to Recreation and Mitigation There are three primary impacts to recreation created by our proposal: restricting access to three sections of

public land, periodically creating a visual nuisance and degrading the sites that are used as ground stations. The

following section describes our approach to mitigate these impacts to the Chena River State Recreation Area.

Restricted access During the course of our test event, we wish to restrict public access to the parking lot at site B where our

equipment is located. While we understand that this parking lot is not frequently used during the summer

months, In the event that members of the public approached our test sites, we would have a public affairs person

available to discuss our test activities.

Access to the site B parking lot and the 33 mile facility site by DNR personnel and contractors would not be

restricted. Additionally a section of the parking lot adjacent to one of the entrances will be kept free of

equipment for use as a 3+ car parking lot for DNR personnel. It is unlikely that flight operations or the tether

will obstruct access to the dumpsters, however, if that occurs due to unforeseen circumstances such as a

significant and abrupt change in wind direction, we would work to accommodate DNR needs as quickly as

possible, however, a delay of up to 20 or 30 minutes may be required for personnel safety reasons while we

bring the aerostat back to ground.

Visual Nuisance and Aesthetic Impact The aerostat and tether will impact the Aesthetic of the recreation area when they are deployed because they

will be visible from many miles away. Due to the forest, our test sites will only be visible to observers that are

within several hundred yards of the site. The aesthetic impact presented by the aerostat is partially mitigated by

the fact that we will not be leaving it up in the air for long periods of time and that some operations will occur

after hours. In total, the Aerostats will be in the air for less than 24 hours over the 3 week period. When the

aerostats are not flying, they will be tied down to the flatbed truck in the clearing.

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Degradation of the ground sites and Impact to wildlife We will be setting up temporary equipment and parking vehicles on each of the three test sites. All of the

equipment that we intend to use is portable and will not require that any modifications be made to the

landscape. While we will seek to minimize the amount of noise that we generate, we do expect to operate a

portable generator for multiple hours a day which will have an impact on the acoustic environment.

In general, our team will strive to follow the leave no trace principals in order to minimize our degradation of

the ground sites. All test personnel will be given a brief in San Diego prior to heading to Fairbanks. The

principals that are relevant to our testing include:

• We will set up equipment on durable surfaces and minimize the size of our test footprint.

• Dispose of waste properly. Trash will be packed out and human waste will be disposed of via the RV septic

system or a portable restroom trailer at each site.

• Personnel staying on site in the RV shall not create camp fires unless there is an established fire pit at the site

and it is permitted by the forest rules and regulations.

• We will not dig trenches, build structures, cut down trees or otherwise modify the natural environment.

• We will minimize the impact to wildlife by keeping a safe distance, storing trash and food securely and by not

feeding them.

• We will stay at least 200 feet from lakes and streams in order to minimize our impact on riparian vegetation. The

only site where this could potentially be an issue is site C.

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Appendix

Figure 2: Image of an Aerostat in flight. In order to be compliant with FAA regulation part 101.17, the aerostat will have colored pennants or flags

attached to the mooring line at 50' intervals that are visible from at least 1 mile away. The aerostat itself is approximately 38.9’ long, and 14.2’ in

diameter with a weight of 100 lbs.

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