USDA Forest Service, SDTDC, Inventory & Monitoring

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San Dimas Technology
& Development Center
444 E Bonita Ave
San Dimas, CA 91773
(909) 599-1267

Sound Level Meters for Assessment and Monitoring of Noise Impacts to Forest Wildlife
REY FARVE, Project Leader

Introduction

Meter Basics

Requirements & Desirable Qualities

Test and Observations

Available Meters

References

Appendix

Robin T. Harrison, P.E.
Murphy & Harrison, Inc.

Rey Farve
Wildlife Biologist, SDTDC

Introduction

The Forest Service is often required by Resource Agencies (e.g., US Fish & Wildlife Service, State Fish & Game) to monitor the noise generated by its activities (e.g., logging operations, Off Highway Vehicle activities) in an attempt to reduce the adverse impact of noise on forest wildlife (especially Threatened or Endangered species). Natural resource specialists (especially forest biologists) are often the individuals responsible for taking these sound measurements (as opposed to someone with specialized training in taking sound measurements) to document compliance with maintaining sound levels below a specific sound level threshold.

This report is intended to provide resource specialists with general information on sound level meters and their use for monitoring impacts to forest wildlife.

The report covers three topic areas. First, guidance is provided to natural resource specialists on sound level meters and their use in monitoring impacts of sound to forest wildlife (section 2 & section 3). The items covered are:

Sound level meters used to measure sound levels (i.e., loudness of sounds)
Standards used in sound measurements
Requirements and desirable qualities of the sound level meters
Suggestions for standards to be followed.

Secondly, an analysis of a sound level meters currently being used by some National Forest in the Pacific Northwest Region and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's Western Washington Office is provided (section 4).

Lastly, the report provides a list of currently available sound level meters of two levels of precision with suggestions for the most suitable for the purposes of monitoring noise impacts on wildlife (section 5).

The study was conducted by Murphy & Harrison, Inc. under a contract administered by the San Dimas Technology and Development Center (SDTDC).