R-910 - McMurdo Dry Valley Management Plan Revisions
PI: Colin Harris
Project Lead: Erika Schreiber
Funding Source: NSF-OPP Antarctic
Location: McMurdo Dry Valleys, Antarctica
Dates: 2024-11-12 to 2024-11-16
Project Summary
The McMurdo Dry Valleys are the largest ice-free area of the Antarctic continent, and are an important, unique, and relatively heavily studied area of the region. The area is protected as an internationally recognized Antarctic Specially Managed Area (ASMA), and subject to being maintained via a management plan. During the 2024-25 summer season, an independent assessment of the management plan was undertaken by Environmental Research and Assessment (ERA), a subcontractor to Antarctic Support Contract (ASC) Environmental Engineering. The assessment of the ASMA management plan included a focus on Facility Zones within Taylor and Wright Valleys. The facility zones generally include tent sites, helicopter landing zones, and varying structures including huts and science labs. The goal of these zones is to limit the impact of research and other activities on the ASMA, by concentrating most of the human activity in small areas. Review of these zones includes evaluating whether existing restrictions are being followed, if the current policies are adequate, or if they should be modified to improve stewardship of the ASMA.