Modeling the Effects of Heavy Metals on Vegetation in Cape Krusenstern National Monument and Noatak National Preserve
Project ID: P15AC00958
Federal Agency: National Park Service
Partner Institution: Oregon State University
Fiscal Year: 2015
Initial Funding: $20,000
Total Funding: $20,000
Project Type: Research
Project Disciplines: Biological
National Park: Cape Krusenstern National Monument
Principal Investigator: Shiel, Alyssa
Agreement Technical Representative: Neitlich, Peter
Abstract: The Red Dog Mine haul road runs through the northern section of Cape Krusenstern National Monument and is used by trucks hauling lead and zinc concentrates to the Red Dog Port. As part of this transportation, fugitive dusts contaminated with lead, cadmium and zinc have been dispersed onto the surrounding tundra landscape for several decades. This tundra landscape is owned and used by a variety of stakeholders including local communities, village and regional Native corporations, NPS, State of Alaska and private. Concern is high in the local subsistence communities about the safety of wild foods that have had exposure to heavy metals (e.g., caribou, moose, berries, sourdock) and the
public frequently requests more information and updates on the status of contaminants in
this area.’ In 2006, the Western Arctic National Parklands (WEAR) collected. an intensive data set of lichens and contaminants along the Red Dog haul road. As NPS prepared to publish several papers in 2010, it decided to step back and conduct a re-analysis of the data. During the middle of the re-analysis, the extremely specialized spatial statistician we had worked with throughout the project became unavailable.NPS seeks the cooperation of Oregon State University for assistance completing three related manuscripts.
Deliverables: