The objective of this proposal is to form a partnership of government and nongovernment organizations that will work together to develop a spatially-explicit model to help managers forecast infrastructure needs and potential conflicts with fish, wildlife, subsistence and cultural resources. A better understanding of future infrastructure needs and possible conflicts will result in an improved ability to avoid impacts to the social and natural environment of Alaska’s North Slope.

The tool is envisioned to be a GIS-based predictive infrastructure model that would incorporate an extensive array of georeferenced biological and geophysical data.

The first model prototype would perform the following functions:

1. Generate potential North Slope infrastructure scenarios based on the best available information on oil and gas potential;

2. Perform basic economic analyses of selected scenarios using industry standards for costs; and

3. Modify predicted infrastructure scenarios by applying constraints associated with environmental and cultural resources.

Collaborative partners:
US Fish and Wildlife Service, North Slope Borough, and other entities