Because the Beaver Creek Watershed is a USFS Experimental Watershed and designated as a UNESCO Man and the Biosphere Reserve, there is a very good match between the desired use of the area and NEON requirements. Hence, NEON infrastructure and experiments are compatible with land use planning for the area. The land area available is comprised of diverse habitats and landforms that would be able to accommodate the addition of many experiments. Power is available and heavy equipment will have access to areas for building experimental infrastructure and monitoring networks. Water addition experiments would be possible, either by building a water line from the administrative site, establishing a well at the site, or by trucking water to the site. Support facilities, staff, vehicles and other equipment required to access field sites year-round, could be located at the Happy Jack Ranger Station, which is10 km from the Advanced BioMesoNet Tower.

Figure 2. Proposed sites for the five BioMesoNet Towers and the NEON Administrative Site (Happy Jack RS). In selecting sites we have accounted for distance from administrative site, paved roads, power lines, past management, proposed management (see Figure 3), vegetation, creeks, and slope (for Flux towers).