Permits and Environmental Consultation
Securing permits for fieldwork can be challenging with long lead times. Although researchers are responsible for all permitting related to their fieldwork, the Battelle ARO team is available to assist and provide guidance throughout the permitting process. Battelle ARO can help identify required permits and provide expertise in specific areas that require local knowledge or other key agency contacts.
For more information on permitting and environmental compliance in the most frequently proposed Arctic locations, visit the links below. Please note that these are merely provided as a starting point, and it remains your responsibility to ensure you are meeting your permit and environmental obligations.
Alaska
Permits - Alaska
Toolik Field Station
- Projects may be subject to various permitting requirements; therefore, Battelle ARO suggests that researchers plan 6 months of lead time for any activities, including construction support such as boardwalks, remote power systems, support buildings, etc.
- Researchers should budget for Bureau of Land Management (BLM) land use permit fees in their proposal budgets. Those planning any research activity on BLM lands must submit a permit application. On average, fees for the BLM are roughly $1,000 per year. If your project includes potential disturbance to the tundra from the construction of a building or a large tower, or if fieldwork includes numerous ground impacts from research activities (e.g., digging long trenches), the initial cost of the permit could be up to $5,000. See BLM section for more information.
- For additional information on permitting, see Permits and Policies | Toolik Field Station (uaf.edu)
Utqiaġvik
- All projects are subject to permitting. Battelle ARO assists with applications and fees for UICS staff who will plan and prepare applications for North Slope Borough (NSB) and UIC Land Use permits.
- Additional permitting may be required for researchers accessing sites on BLM-administered lands or waters in the National Petroleum Reserve Alaska, which includes Elson Lagoon. Please contact Donna Wixon for further information. Researchers should include costs for all BLM permitting direct-to-grant; the estimated BLM land use permit fee is $1000 per year.
Land Ownership
Utilize the following maps to determine land ownership
- General Land Ownership Map: Lands, Minerals and Realty (arcgis.com)
- Forest Service Land Ownership Map: Forest Service Land Status and Encumbrance
- State Lands: Alaska Mapper - New Map
- National Wildlife Refuge (USFWS) Land Ownership Map: National Wildlife Refuges & National Fish Hatcheries (arcgis.com)
Regional Land Ownership Maps - Ahtna Region: Land Maps – An Alaska Native Regional Corporation (ahtna.com)
- Barrow: BAID Community Planning Tool (utep.edu)
- Sitka: Web GIS at MainStreetMaps - City & Borough of Sitka, AK | Public by MainStreetGIS, LLC
- Kodiak: Kodiak Island Borough Boundary
Bureau of Land Management
Local BLM managers can help researchers find the best opportunities, based on the needs of the study. For more information and to determine if any special permissions may be required, contact the nearest BLM Field Office to discuss your proposed research. A directory of BLM offices is available.
Timeline & Form: The required BLM form is 2920-1, and processing can take 60-90 days. The BLM requests that the 2920-1 form be submitted as soon as possible once the NSF has recommended a project for funding.
Fees: The fees associated with the BLM permit will vary from project to project, but some general guidelines are below. Note that research projects based out of the University of Alaska system do not pay the processing fee or monitoring fee.
- Processing Fee:
- ~$400 for a Category 2 classification
- This fee is contingent on the number of processing hours estimated by the BLM for the permit. In general, most research projects at Toolik fall under ‘category 2’ for processing permits.
- Monitoring Fee:
- ~$100/year for a Category 1 classification
- This fee is contingent on the number of monitoring hours estimated by the BLM for the project. In general, most research projects at Toolik fall under ‘category 1’ for monitoring.
- Site Rental Fee:
- ~$200.00/site/year
- This fee is contingent on how many sites a research project has. This is determined by the BLM on a case-by-case basis. If sampling locations are relatively close together and have the same general activities at each location the BLM will likely classify this as one site. The BLM will likely classify sampling locations as separate sites if they are separated by a relatively large distance geographically or if there are different activities/land-use impacts at each location.
Completing the 2920-1 Form: Filling out the 2920-1 form in a way that emphasizes the potential impacts and hazard mitigation of activities being proposed will facilitate the BLM permitting process. When completing the 2920-1 form, keep the details regarding potential land-use impacts to technical specifications of the activities being performed; specifically, attention should be given to:
- Ground disturbances – this is anything that disturbs the vegetation or the soil (e.g., digging holes, trail formation)
- Digging: If any digging is required, provide estimates of:
- Number of sites
- Area (m2) of disturbance
- Depth into soil
- Location of digging
- Boardwalks: The BLM may require boardwalks as part of the permit in order to mitigate trail formation or damage to vegetation. The researcher may identify/request the need for boardwalks in the permit application, but the BLM will make the final decision as to whether boardwalks are required.
- Boardwalks may be required if:
- There is frequent (e.g., daily) travel by multiple individuals.
- Travel is over the same path (e.g., walking transects).
- Travel to access field sites is for an extended period of time (e.g., months/years).
- Heavy field equipment will be transported to the field site.
- Boardwalks may be unnecessary if:
- Travel to a field site is infrequent (e.g., biweekly, monthly).
- Few individuals are walking to a given site.
- Walking route to the field site can be varied each trip.
- Boardwalks may be required if:
- Digging: If any digging is required, provide estimates of:
- Equipment specifications – If gear or equipment will be left on the tundra, the following information should be provided:
- Amount of gear/equipment, including size, this should include both size (area of footprint) and weight.
- Any equipment that uses hazardous materials (e.g. gasoline for a generator, caustic or corrosive chemicals for sample preservation, lead-acid batteries to supply power, etc.).
- How long equipment will be deployed.
- How equipment will be staged and retrieved.
- How potential impacts of equipment will be mitigated (e.g. secondary containment for batteries, platforms for heavy equipment, bear fence to prevent harm by or to wildlife, etc.).
- Location – The BLM requires researchers to identify the locations of their sampling sites in order to determine the cumulative land-use impacts or potential impacts to archeological/historically sensitive locations from a given activity. This can be problematic because often plot-level locations are difficult or impossible to ascertain without on-the-ground surveying of the suitability of different locations. Due to the remoteness of Arctic research sites, pre-field season site surveying trips are generally cost-and-time prohibitive. The following are some tips for providing locations in the 2920-1 form.
- Go big:
- If the proposed activity needs to be in a general area (~100-500 m2), then designate the potential area instead of specific sites. Caution: Great care should be exercised when designating an area for sampling if this is the method used. The larger the proposed area the greater the chance of this area overlapping an archeological site or other research projects.
- The more the merrier:
- List more potential sites than necessary; therefore, if a site is evaluated as unsuitable by the researcher in the field, there are other permitted sampling locations from which to choose. For example, if a researcher wants to collect 10 soil cores based on a broad classification (e.g., landscape age, aspect, elevation), they may wish to indicate 30 potential sites to the BLM. Caution: Listing more potential sites increases the probability of encountering archeological sites. In addition, the number of sites listed should be reasonable. For example, listing 100+ sites will add time to the permitting process, as the BLM will have to evaluate each site.
- For projects based out of Toolik Field Station, work with the Toolik GIS office to find potential field sites that will not impact other research or sensitive vegetation.
- Go big:
If a project is classified as ‘casual use’ then a BLM permit is not required. However, only the BLM can make the determination that a project is casual use. There are no specific groups of activities that fall under a ‘casual use’ classification. The BLM looks at the cumulative impact of projects in a certain area, so even if a given activity is classified as ‘casual use’ in one area, the exact same activity may require permitting in a separate location due to the proximity/history of other research projects and/or historically/archeologically sensitive sites.
- BLM lands Statewide
- BLM issues Cultural Resource Use Permits (CRUPs) to individuals or organization that would like to perform research, studies, or fieldwork on BLM-managed public lands.
- Additional activities fall under three categories:
- Casual Use: Depending on the proposed sampling plan, activities might be considered 'Casual Use' (defined as activities resulting in no or negligible disturbance of public lands).
- The time needed for Casual Use Authorization is approximately 1 month, depending on the season and obligations.
- Examples of Casual Use include plot observations, active layer sampling, hydrological sampling, and minimal destructive sampling.
- The BLM ultimately makes the final decision on whether activities are considered Casual Use or need to be further reviewed for an Authorization Permit
- There is no fee association with Casual Use Authorization.
- Authorization Permit: These permits are short-term authorizations (up to 3 years) in scope. Most permits require an NEPA review, which includes a BLM interdisciplinary team to review and process the proposal.
- Authorization Permits take longer to process than Casual Use Authorizations due to the NEPA review.
- Most proposals are categorical exclusion (CX) level NEPA. A CX is a form of NEPA compliance, without the analysis that occurs in an Environmental Assessment (EA). Occasionally, a proposal will require an EA level analysis.
- Examples of Authorization Permit activities include the installation of infrastructure, extensive destructive sampling, and temporary boardwalks.
- A small fee is associated with Authorizaton Permits.
- Right-of-way Authorization: These authorizations are for periods of time greater than 3 years (e.g., construction of boardwalks).
- These authorizations will undergo similar review as the Authorization Permits but with a more comprehensive NEPA review.
- Examples of Right-of-Way Authorizations are construction of permanent meteorological stations, greenhouses, snow fences, and other kinds of long lasting infrastructure.
- A large fee is associated with Right-of-Way Authorizations.
- Casual Use: Depending on the proposed sampling plan, activities might be considered 'Casual Use' (defined as activities resulting in no or negligible disturbance of public lands).
* Note: Boardwalks are required by the BLM in some situations, depending on how often the site will be accessed, the type of landscape, and how many people will be accessing the site. There will be additional costs involved if boardwalks are deemed necessary, in addition to the cost of installing the boardwalks.
National Park Service Lands
When doing research in a national park, a researcher must obtain an NPS Scientific Research and Collecting Permit. The NPS uses the web served Research Permit and Reporting System (RPRS) to administer scientific studies and collecting activities within units of the National Park System.
For more information on permitting in national parks:
National Park Service
Fairbanks Administrative Center
4175 Geist Road, Fairbanks, Alaska 99709-3420
907-457-5752
Contact Form
State Lands
Permits from the Alaska Department of Natural Resources (AK DNR) are needed if you are going to (1) place monitoring equipment on the landscape for more than 2 weeks; (2) stage a camp in one or more locations for more than 2 weeks; or (3) conduct off-road travel to reach a study site.
Land use permits are authorizations issued to use state land, on a temporary basis, for a variety of purposes. The permits range in duration from 1 to 5 years. They are intended for temporary, non-permanent uses such as floating lodges, log storage, scientific research, guide camps, equipment storage, and commercial recreation uses.
Archaeology on State Lands needs a State Cultural Resource Investigation Permit (SCRIP) application.
For more information on State permitting, check out the land use permitting page AK DNR Land Use Permit.
Applications typically take 4-6 weeks to process and have a public notice period for review.
Wildlife Refuges (Fish and Wildlife Service)
A Special Use Permit is required for all scientific studies or research activities occurring on National Wildlife Refuges where the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is not an active participant in the activity.
More information can be found at Scientific Research Permits - Arctic - U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (fws.gov).
Tribal Consultation
In accordance with the Constitution of the United States, treaties, statutes, Executive Orders, and court decisions, the National Science Foundation (NSF) is committed to respecting the sovereignty and self-governance of federally recognized American Indian and Alaska Native Tribal Nations (Tribal Nations). The NSF expects researchers to adhere to the Principles for the Conduct of Research in the Arctic, a set of research principles from the Interagency Arctic Research Policy Committee (IARPC) that emphasizes appropriate behavior, communication, and stewardship practices when working on or near Tribal lands, in communities, and/or with Indigenous Peoples.
Fieldwork in Alaska is especially susceptible to tribal consultation as Alaska is home to 40% of federally-recognized Tribal Nations. The NSF encourages community engagement and communication with local communities prior to an/or during fieldwork, this consultation may result in an agreement to share results or project outcomes. Indigenous partners are integral to co-production of new knowledge, community-based participatory research, community-based observing or other approaches to engagement between researchers and Indigenous communities. The Arctic Sciences Section developed a special call for proposals to support engagement through the Dear Colleague Letter: Potential Support for Community Hubs for Collaborations Between NSF-funded Arctic Researchers and Arctic Residents.
Resources to help identify indigenous communities and tribes.
- To check the land owner: Lands, Minerals and Realty (arcgis.com)
- To identify federally recognized tribes, native village corporations, and municipalities by community: Alaska Entity Contacts Directory (arcgis.com)
- To search for tribes by county: TDAT (hud.gov)
- Contacts for Tribal Leaders: Tribal Leaders Directory | Indian Affairs (bia.gov)
- To search for native lands: Native-Land.ca | Our home on native land
- To determine regional corporations: Statewide Regional Corporations Alaska Native Regional Corporation Boundary PDF (alaska.gov)
Forest Service Land
To apply for a special use permit on Forest Service land, you’ll need to contact the specific forest service office where research will take place.
National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA) Section 106, State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) Consultation for Projects with Ground Disturbance/Archaeology Work
Any proposed work with ground disturbance or archeology work is subject to consultation with the SHPO and other interested parties under Section 106 of the NHPA.
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Battelle ARO will assist the NSF with Section 106 consultation, and the PI will be required to provide the NSF all applicable information, including but not limited to:
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A map of locations where you plan to do fieldwork (coordinates in excel, kmz, or shapefile are acceptable)
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How will the ground be disturbed
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What size area and to what depth
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How will sites be accessed? By vehicle on existing roads, pullouts, by foot on existing trails and boardwalks?
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When will your work be taking place
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How many people will be in the field
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- Any Archaeological investigation taking place on federal lands requires an Archaeological Resources Protection Act (ARPA) Permit.
- In the event that an archaeology project leads to the discovery of Native American human remains, funerary objects, sacred objects and objects of cultural property intentionally excavated or inadvertently discovered on Federal or Tribal lands, researchers need to comply with the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act of 1990. Those processes are detailed in regulations available here.
Endangered Species Act – Section 7
Endangered species are protected under Section 7 of the Endangered Species Act.
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Based on the location and type of work of the proposed project, review by USFWS could be required to determine whether the proposed project could impact endangered species
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Battelle ARO will complete USFWS Section 7 consultation on behalf of the NSF and the researcher.
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Section 7 of the Endangered Species Act states that each Federal agency shall, in consultation with the Secretary, insure that any action they authorize, fund, or carry out is not likely to jeopardize the continued existence of a listed species or result in the destruction or adverse modification of designated critical habitat.
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Threatened and Endangered Species in Alaska are listed in the following table. All species subject to impact by a research project will need Section 7 consultation from the respective managing agency.
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To determine if your work will impact any endangered species or their critical habitat, use the USFWS's Information for Planning and Consultation website, or NOAA's species distribution mapper
Marine Mammal Protection Act - The Marine Mammal Protection Act prohibits any person who is subject to the jurisdiction of the United States or any vessel or other conveyance subject to the jurisdiction of the United States to take any marine mammal on the high seas.
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MMPA consultation will end with a no effects determination, a Letter of Authorization, or an Incidental Harassment Authorization.
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USFWS is responsible for the conservation of polar bears and northern sea otters that inhabit Alaskan waters. Any action that could impact these species will be subject to review by USFWS.
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NMFS is responsible for all other marine mammals.
Threatened and Endangered Species List
MMPA consultation will end with a no effects determination, a Letter of Authorization, or an Incidental Harassment Authorization.
USFWS is responsible for the conservation of polar bears and northern sea otters that inhabit Alaskan waters. Any action that could impact these species will be subject to review by USFWS.
NMFS is responsible for all other marine mammals.
Species | Status
| Managing Agency |
Short-tailed Albatross | Endangered
| USFWS (Anchorage)
|
Eskimo Curlew
| Endangered | USFWS (Fairbanks)
|
Spectacled Eider
| Threatened
| USFWS (Fairbanks)
|
Steller's Eider
| Threatened
| USFWS (Fairbanks)
|
Northern Sea Otter
| Threatened
| USFWS (Anchorage)
|
Polar Bear
| Threatened
| USFWS (Fairbanks)
|
Aleutian shield Fern
| USFWS (Anchorage)
| |
Leatherback Sea Turtle
| Endangered
| NOAA
|
Steller Sea-lion, eastern population
| Threatened
| NOAA |
Bowhead Whale | Endangered | NOAA |
Finback Whale (Fin Whale) | Endangered | NOAA |
Humpback Whale | Endangered | |
Blue Whale | Endangered | |
Cook Inlet Beluga Whale | ||
North Pacific Right Whale | Endangered
| NOAA |
Sei Whale | Endangered | NOAA
|
Sperm Whale | Endangered | NOAA |
Green Sea Turtle
| Threatened
| NOAA |
Loggerhead Sea Turtle
| Threatened
| NOAA
|
Olive Ridley Sea Turtle | Threatened
| NOAA |
Wood Bison
| Threatened
| USFWS |
Unmanned Aerial Vehicles
- In general, UAV use is restricted in national parks except as approved in writing by the superintendent but could vary from park to park. Special use permits can be obtained by checking in with the park superintendent.
- The use of unmanned aircraft systems (UAS/drones) is no longer allowed for any US Fish and Wildlife Service supported or permitted use. This prohibition applies to the use of drones for commercial filming and scientific research, even if the use of drones was previously authorized via special use permit.
- For more information on UAS permitting, check out these links:
- If you plan to use UAS for your research, visit ArcGIS - Alaska DOT&PF Statewide Aviation UAS to search for your research location, and determine if there are any restrictions or additional permits you may need.
Land Disturbance and Vegetation Clearing
Projects that include Land Disturbance and Vegetation Clearing should be aware of nesting birds in the area.
Times To Avoid Land Disturbance & Vegetation Clearing | Forest / Woodland | Shrub / Open | Seabird Colonies Incl. Cliff & Burrow Colonies | Eagles *e |
---|---|---|---|---|
Southeast | 15 April - 15 July *a | 1 May - 15 July *a,b | 1 May - 5 Sept | 1 Mar - 31 Aug |
Kodiak Archipelago | 15 April - 7 Sept | |||
Southcentral Lake Illiamna to Copper River Delta; north to Talkeetna | 1 May - 15 July *a,b | |||
Bristol Bay/AK Peninsula north to Lake Illiamna | 1 May - 15 July *a,b,c | 10 May - 15 Sept | ||
Interior north of Talkeetna to south slope Brooks Range; west to treeline | 1 May - 15 July *a,b | 1 May - 20 July *d | ||
Aleutian Islands | N/A | 25 April - 15 July *a | 1 May - 15 Sept | |
Yukon - Kuskokwim Delta | 1 May - 15 July | 5 May - 25 July *a,b,c | 20 May - 15 Sept | |
Seward Peninsula | 10 May - 20 July *a,c | |||
Northern including northern foothills of Brooks Range | N/A | 1 June - 31 July *a,c | ||
Pribilof/Bering Sea Islands | 15 May - 15 July *a | 15 May - 15 Sept | ||
Table: Nesting seasons by habitat type and region and times to avoid land disturbance and vegetation clearing.
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Arctic Ocean
Vessel projects may be subject to review by NOAA/NMFS and USFWS under the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) and under Section 7 of the Endangered Species Act (ESA). MMPA and ESA apply to waters under the jurisdiction of the United states (200 nautical miles from the coast). Under the MMPA, “take” (harassing, hunting, killing or capturing) of any marine mammal is unlawful, 80% of marine mammals are listed as threatened and endangered and additionally protected by the ESA. Depending on the species that could be impacted, USFWS and/or NOAA/NMFS will need to be consulted. In Alaska, USFWS is responsible for sea otters and marine otters, walruses and polar bears while NOAA/NMFS is responsible for pinnipeds (including seals and sea lions) and cetaceans (i.e., whales and dolphins).
Battelle ARO can assist researchers in determining if their project will be doing work in areas that could impact marine mammals, threatened and endangers species, essential fish habitat or a species critical habitat. For projects likely to have adverse effects, the consultation process could take between 6 to 7 months.
For more information on consultation with NOAA and USFWS on Section 7 of the Endangered Species Act and the Marine Mammal Protection act:
Section 7 Consultations in Alaska | NOAA Fisheries
Marine Mammals Management | Alaska Region (fws.gov)
Marine Mammal Protection | NOAA Fisheries
Consultation on an Endangered Species | Alaska Region (fws.gov)
Additionally, all vessel projects need to consider any subsistence hunting conflicts. Researchers should plan to engage with local Arctic communities to ensure the vessel track is not infringing on subsistence hunting.
Subsistence information:
- Alaska natives have been hunting bowhead whales (Balaena mysticetus) for thousands of years. This traditional subsistence hunt is protected under the MMPA and hunting is allowed for registered members of the Alaska Eskimo Whaling Commission (AEWC). The map below shows the Bowhead Range and Seasonality (Source: ADFG, 2011).
- Click on the following link for more information on Bowhead Whale Subsistence Harvest

Bowhead Range and Seasonality (Source: ADFG, 2011)
Canada
Permitting requirements are dependent on where you are conducting fieldwork in Canada. For assistance with permitting, please contact [email protected].
Resources:
- Permit Applications
- Nunavut - Science Research License Application
- Yukon - Scientists and Explorers Act Licence
- Northwest Territories - Scientists and Explorers Act License
- Canada National Parks - Research and Collection Permit System
Greenland
- Science teams planning to work in Greenland must comply with all permitting requirements of the Government of Greenland. Permits required by the Government of Greenland may include:
- Any overnighting expedition in the National Park, which covers most of the Greenland Ice Sheet (see map)
- Access to protected areas such as the Ilulissat Fjord or the newly established UNESCO site outside of Kangerlussuaq
- Studies involving wildlife
- Studies involving cultural heritage
- When leaving instruments in the field for more than 2 months
- When carrying a firearm for bear protection (which is also required if working within the National Park)
- The PI should include Greenland Home Rule permitting fee costs in the grant. We recommend ~$800/year (based on 4000DKK fee).
- Projects working at Summit Station (or within Summit area allotment boundaries) are included under the Summit group permit, acquired annually by Battelle ARO. However, Summit area projects are required to independently submit a sub-permit application.
- If installing equipment within the Thule Air Base defense area, you must secure permission from the USAF command. Please coordinate with your Battelle ARO PM for more information as USAF command POCs change every season.
Resources:
Norway
Research Permits in Norway
General information on the Norwegian Environment Agency
Archaeological research or research that could impact historic properties.
- Any research that could disturb protected monuments and sites and their security zone (ie. Uncovering objects, small or large excavations, removal of objects and materials, undertakings within the security zone) require permission from the Directorate.
- The Directorate for Cultural Heritage is responsible for the management of all archaeological and architectural monuments and sites and cultural environments in accordance with relevant legislation.
Marine research
- Any research that is doing marine work in waters under Norwegian jurisdiction must send an application to the Directorate of Fisheries.
- Application forms and instructions
Animal research
- Any experimentation on animals in Norway needs to comply with the Animal Welfare Act.
- Most guidance on this legislation is only available in Norwegian, but the Act itself is available in English
- The Food Safety Authority has launched a webpage(in Norwegian) that outlines research activities that require review and approval.
Vessel/maritime research
- Any research that could affect maritime safety and navigation require a permit from the Norwegian Coastal Administration this applies to all work whether great or small, permanent or temporary, at sea, on land or in the air. For instance, Norwegian authorities would have to authorize the deployment of research buoys anstrong other installations at sea.
- Foreign state-owned or operated vessels, used for government non-commercial purposes, have admission to Norwegian territory only if they in advance have obtained permission through diplomatic channels. Applications for admission must be presented to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs or a Norwegian embassy
UAV
- The use of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), requires an operation license from the Civil Aviation Authority
- Instruction to Register as a UAS operator
Helicopters, fixed-wing flights
- Helicopter and fixed-wing flights can only be conducted by CAA-licensed operators.
- Civil Aviation Authority
Svaldbard Specific
For more information on permits specific to Svaldbard.