The World Forum for Acoustic Ecology - This organically organized consortium of independent regional organizations is the place to start for getting up to speed on the current state of the acoustic ecology movement. They publish a great journal and sponsor a listserve discussion group. [WEBSITE]
Conference Report, 3/03 [WEBSITE]
Affiliated Organizations:
Australian Forum for Acoustic Ecology [WEBSITE]
Canadian Association for Sound Ecology/Association Canadienne pour l'écologie sonore [WEBSITE]
Suomen Akustisen Ekologian Seura (Finnish Society for Acoustic Ecology)
Forum Klanglandschaft: Serving the German speaking nations of Europe. [WEBSITE]
Soundscape: United Kingdom and Ireland [WEBSITE]

Landscape Observatory of Catalonia - Dossier on Soundscapes, including extensive bibliography and web links. [WEBSITE]

League for the Hard of Hearing - Advocates for learning more about the health effects of excess noise. Sponsors of the annual Noise Awareness Day, held each April. [WEBSITE]
Related:
Hearing Conservtion - Web site with info on hearing protection [WEBSITE]
HearNet - Supports hearing education and protection for rock musicians and fans [WEBSITE]

The Nature Sounds Society - America's leading nonprofit organization in the realm of soundscapes. The NSS hosts annual field weekends for amateur recordists and media producers who want to learn more about both the technical and biological sides of field recording. [WEBSITE]

Noise Free America - A new national organization focusing on urban noise pollution issues. Sponsors monthly "awards" to cities with specific noise problems. Local chapters are springing up around the country. [WEBSITE]
Affiliated Organizations:
Rochester, NY chapter [WEBSITE]

Noise Network - A UK initiative promoting peace and quiet; has produced a booklet and run several campaigns in England. [WEBSITE]

Noise Pollution Clearinghouse - Comprehensive collection of articles and references; online resources and advice targeted to individuals and groups dealing with local noise pollution issues. [WEBSITE]

Pipedown - UK-based organization centered on reducing "canned music" in stores and restaurants. [WEBSITE]

Right to Quiet Society - Canadian based quietude advocates; special focus on urban and suburban noise issues. Sponsors listserv. [WEBSITE]
Maintains a comprehensive list of quiet-advocacy organizations; URLs checked monthly! [WEB PAGE]

UK Noise Association - [WEBSITE]

The World Soundscape Project - The granddaddy of the acoustic ecology world, founded in the 1970's at Simon Fraser University, in British Columbia. R. Murray Schafer, author of several seminal books, started the ball rolling, along the way spawning a generation of composers, teachers, radio producers, and writers. [WEBSITE]

Campaign to Protect Rural England Tranquility Program
The CPRE Tranquility program has pulled together an impressive array of data and public input into a series of "tranquility maps" and publications aimed at promoting the value of tranquility and the need to protect it before it's over run. They cite surveys that suggest that "tranquility" is valued by more people than scenery or open space; they've created a model for their tranquility maps that carefully weights and factors in both the positive features of tranquility that people seek, and the negative factors that impinge on tranquility (the relative number of other people is more important than the proximity of roads, for instance). Among the factors being tracked are the maximum noise in a particular area, and the time-weighted noise (averaged over the course of the day). The work being done by these folks deserves extended study by anyone working with public responses to noise. [WEBSITE] [MAPPING TRANQUILITY REPORT(60p. PDF)] [SAVING TRANQUIL PLACES (12p PDF)]

American Cetacean Society - [WEBSITE]

Antarctic and Southern Ocean Coalition (ASOC) - A consortium of environmental groups from around the world, which participates in major international organizations (IMO, IWC, Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meetings, etc.) [WEBSITE] [ACOUSTICS SECTION OF SITE]

Bluewater Network - Environmental group focusing on wildlands issues. [WEBSITE]

BlueRibbon Coalition - Nationwide advocacy group supporting the right to motorized recreation on public lands; leaders in litigation to overturn recreation limitations and resist additional wilderness desinations. [WEBSITE]

Cetacean Habitat.org - Website focusing on marine protected areas, including a global directory of protected habitat, and key sections of a recent book by Erich Hoyt on cetaceans and MPAs. [WEBSITE] [MPA BOOK]

Cetacean Society International - A well-established cetacean advocacy organization. [WEBSITE]

Green Skies - A UK-based trade organization focusing on the environmental effects of air traffic, including a section on noise. [WEBSITE]

International Association of Geophysical Contractors - Trade organization for the seismic survey industry, both terrestrial and oceanic. [WEBSITE]

International Association of Oil and Gas Producers - Trade organization of the oil and gas industry. [WEBSITE]

International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) - Active in ocean noise issues; IFAW'S research vessel, Song of the Whale, conducts non-invasive population and acoustics studies worldwide. [RESEARCH VESSEL WEBSITE] [NEWS ARTICLE ON RESEARCH VESSEL] [IFAW MARINE MAMMAL ADVOCACY] [IFAW OCEAN NOISE PAGES]

The Marine Connection - UK-based group active in ocean sound pollution issues, including sonar and sonic research; has extensive resource collection of reports and tracks ongoing ocean noise news. [WEBSITE]

National Resources Defense Council - [WEBSITE] Sponsored an in-depth report on underwater sound issues: [REPORT]

Natural Trails and Waters Coalition - Detailed web site that supports reductions or elimination of motorized vehicle use on public lands. [WEBSITE]

Ocean Mammal Institute - A leading voice in the fight against the Navy's LFA sonar system. [WEBSITE]

Ocean Noise Coalition - A collaborative project of the EarthIsland Institute, SeaFlow, and Ocean Mammal Institute. Good collection of basic info. [WEBSITE]

Ocean Wilderness Network - A consortium of groups working to encourage the establishment of marine protected areas; very informative website. [WEBSITE]

Seaflow - Active in ocean acoustics issues. [WEBSITE]

Silent Oceans - A consortium of European environmental organizations working to limit loud human sounds in the sea [WEBSITE]

UK Offshore Operators Association - Oil and gas industry trade group. [WEBSITE]

US Air Tour Association - Flight operator trade group [WEBSITE]

Utah Shared Access Alliance - Lead plaintiffs in suit to overturn BLM "closed unless posted open" policy, which limits ATV use and camping on BLM lands. [WEBSITE]

Vessel Watch Project - A new project from Seaflow aims to gather better information about shipping patterns through several Marine Protected Areas off the central California coast. They also compile press coverage of ocean noise news related to shipping. [WEBSITE]

Western Resource Advocates - Works on western energy issues, especially oil and gas development; tends toward collaborative approaches. [WEBSITE]

Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society - Maintains an extensive web site on noise pollution issues. [WEBSITE]

The Wilderness Society - [WEBSITE]

Wildlands Center for Preventing Roads - Wide-ranging information and quarterly newsletter on efforts to close roads, limit ORV use, and support roadless area initiatives. [WEBSITE]

Wind Powering America - DOE-funded coordinating organziation sponsoring education and outreach supporting the expansion of wind power in the US. [WEBSITE] WindTurbines.net, a Wind Powering America social networking site for WPA members [WEBSITE]