An Assessment of Research Needs to Develop Legal Bases for Challenging External Threats to Glacier National Park

Abstract

The research objectives are threefold. First, the research will identify specific external threats faced by Glacier National Park (GNP) and prioritize the threats in terms of the potential impact they pose to the GNP environment. Second, the study will identify and explain federal and state environmental laws which apply or might apply to regulate identified high priority external threats and ameliorate the impact of such threats on the park. Third, the study will identify and assess available scientific information and research data which is relevant to the legal standards established by the statutes. This should enable GNP officials to assess their legal position regarding identified external threats, and it should assist them in planning additional research to document existing potential violations and to determine whether other violations have occurred as a result of activity external to the park.