1. Discuss your research plans with the Field Station Operations Manager or Faculty Director, especially if you are not familiar with the DSC or the central Mojave Desert. They can give you an idea of what can be done and what will be more challenging logistically. They may also be able to advise you with completing necessary permit requests to do your work.
2. Because the DSC is on the Mojave National Preserve, a permit from NPS will usually be required (applications and reporting are made online using the IRMA system). If you are working on nearby lands, you might need permits from the Bureau of Land Management or other landholders. The more lead time you allow for your request applications, the better the chance of success.
Some activities require additional permits:
- Projects involving animals, including invertebrates, likely require a Scientific Collecting Permit from CDFW and/or the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Work with vertebrate animals must have IACUC approval from your institution.
- Projects involving threatened and endangered species requires an ESA permit and compliance with the ESA's Section 7.
- Archaeological work on federal lands likely requires an ARPA permit.
- Equipment installations may need to be reviewed for NHPA Section 106 compliance.
3. Once you have your project planned and all your permits are in place, apply to use the DSC facilities using the RAMS reservation system (see Visiting - Reservations). Provide as much information as possible about your proposed research or course activities. Describe the purpose of the research and your research methods, specify the proposed project duration, dates of site use, size of your group, contract and grant information, locations of prospective research site(s), and animal and plant populations that may be affected by the proposed research. Submit one application for each research project or class-use request.
4. Your request will be reviewed by the Field Station Manager and/or the Faculty Director, who will contact you with any questions or concerns. Research cannot begin until all activities are approved by the appropriate permitting or compliance institutions.
| Research Policies |
- Researchers agree to remove all trash, stakes, flagging, and equipment and to mitigate any disturbances when their project is completed. Hazardous materials cannot be used at the DSC without prior permission and must be disposed of properly off-site by the researcher.
- Researchers also agree to acknowledge the California State University Desert Studies Center in any publications or reports that result from use of the DSC, and to send digital copies of these publications to the Faculty Director as soon as they are available. Sample acknowledgement: "This project was supported by the California Desert Studies Consortium through the CSU Desert Studies Center." Please mention by name any staff or specific resources, e.g. grant funding, provided.
- We encourage all researchers, including students, to seek out collaborations with the Mojave National Preserve to develop projects that will assist with NPS’s mission of monitoring, conservation, restoration, and interpretation of the Preserve’s natural, cultural, and social resources, and to share data, information, and applied research that can improve natural resources management.
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