For immediate release...
On 2010 August 31 the Refuge Manager at US Fish & Wildlife Service (FWS)
notified the Radio Expeditions Inc team that it will receive a permit to conduct
the next DXpedition to Jarvis Island (KH5).
The selection of a team to visit Jarvis is the most recent step in a long
procedure that began in 2009 June with a visit by Radio Expeditions management
team members to the Honolulu FWS office.
The administration of the Jarvis Island National Wildlife Refuge is
conducted according to goal set in the Comprehensive Conservation Plan, which
was finalized on 2008 Sep 24. You can read this Plan here:
<
http://www.fws.gov/pacific/planning/main/docs/HI-PI/HBJ/JARVIS_Final%20CCP.pdf>
During the first half of 2010 the FWS staff developed a draft "Compatibility
Determination for Amateur Radio Operations at the Jarvis Island National
Wildlife Refuge". This document contains the rules and constraints for
DXpeditions at Jarvis. Simultaneously Radio Expeditions Inc submitted an
initial application for a permit and, together with the owner of the "MV
Braveheart", met again with the refuge management staff in April to discuss
plans, constraints, and options.
The draft compatibility determination was made available on the FWS website
on 2010 June 21 and public comments were solicited. Radio Expeditions Inc was
among the groups commenting on the draft. The public comment period closed on
2010 July 5.
The FWS Honolulu office staff reviewed the comments, made a number of
changes, and submitted a final draft for approval at their regional office in
Portland, Oregon. On 2010 July 28 the final version was released and is
attached to this message. Among the many constraints is the limit of one
DXpedition per 5-year period.
Revised applications for a permit were accepted until a deadline of 2010
August 25. Attached are the application documents submitted by Radio
Expeditions Inc. The constraints in the Compatibility Determination required a
radical restructuring of our plans, reducing both the number of stations and the
time on the air.
Since more than one group submitted an application which met the
requirements of the compatibility determination, a lottery among the qualified
groups was held at the FWS Honolulu office by the refuge manager on 2010 August
30. Radio Expeditions Inc was fortunate to be selected.
Due to the time required to establish the rules for amateur radio operations
in the Refuge, the late selection date, and the lead time required to schedule
and prepare the MV Braveheart, the expedition has been postponed one year until
2011 November. November remains the best month to visit Jarvis Island from a
propagation standpoint, with the largest combination of openings predicted to
Europe on both 160/80 and 12/10 meter bands.
Members of the email distribution list will receive additional messages over
the next few months on the DXpedition plans, including details about how the
project will comply with the many restrictions imposed on amateur radio
operations at Jarvis.
