The ATC Policy Development Process

Transcription

1 Fall 2016 MA-RPC Meeting Appalachian Trail Conservancy Attach # The ATC Policy Development Process Clubs RPCs Agencies ATC staff Stewardship Council ATC Board Identify issue that may require development of new or revised policy Stewardship Council Discusses issue and decides to develop or revise policy ATC Staff Develops issue paper and initial draft policy Stewardship Council Discusses/revises draft policy and determines if it is ready for wider review ATC Staff Makes further revisions Clubs RPCs Agencies Review and comment on draft policy ATC Staff Compiles comments and revises issue paper and draft policy. Stewardship Council Discusses comments, revises policy and decides whether to recommend adoption by the Board of Directors or initiate another round of review and comment. ATC Board Adopts final policy

2 Visitor Use Management Background August 2016, Sept 2016 Overview There is no question that the Appalachian Trail is a recreational resource for continuously increasing numbers of visitors of all interests. Locations recording actual numbers of hikers spending at least one night on the Trail are noting 20%-30% annual increases each of the past 3 to 4 years. Less formal voluntary registrations are reporting similar growth. The impacts of more A.T. visitors are most notable at overnight sites and other areas of congregation such as viewpoints and trailheads, but increased use also affects the treadway between these points. Impacts are both physical (as at overnight sites that seem to grow another tentsite every few weeks), and experiential--locations where human voices drown out natural sounds and the view from your tent is...other tents. Historic/Regulatory Context Visitor Use Management has been described as the Next Big Thing for A.T. protection, after successfully securing the land base and formalizing the Cooperative Management System. In the first Comprehensive Plan in 1981, managers were warned that the Trail s reputation for providing a primitive and solitary communion with nature maybe be easily lost or overwhelmed by a substantial increase in visitor use. And, in the same document were instructed to...foster an unregulated atmosphere and otherwise encourage self-reliance and respect for Trail values by users. A variety of ATC policies provide more detail such as the 1995 Managing the Trail for a Primitive Experience which in part states: facilities should be constructed only to protect the resources or provide a minimum level of public safety. or the 1997 Policy on the AT Experience and non- Hiking Recreational Uses of Trail Lands which includes: The Trail experience is...intended to represent the sum of opportunities for those walking the Appalachian Trail to interact with the wild, scenic, pastoral, cultural and natural elements of the Appalachian Trail environment, unfettered and unimpeded by competing sights and sounds, and in as direct and intimate a manner as possible. [Including]...opportunities to experience solitude; freedom; personal accomplishment; self reliance; and self discovery Other existing ATC Policies that related to the visitor experience are: Special Use Permits 1983 Minimum Impact Backcountry Use 1998 Sanitation 1989 Special Events and Large Group Use 1993 Locating and Designing Shelter and Formal Campsites 2007

3 Trail Magic Suggestions 2007 Recreational User Fees 2014 Organized Group Use Policy 2015 The full text of the above policies can be found here: Most recently, the 2015 NPS Appalachian Trail Foundation Document uses familiar language as it describes the Purpose of the Trail...as a means of sojourning amongst these lands such that visitors may experience them by their own unaided efforts. The Foundation Document also lists a Fundamental Value of the Trail [to] offer visitors the opportunity to connect with nature and others, relax and reflect and to challenge themselves through self-reliant backcountry recreation. Finally, our most primary documents also provide some key (and again, somewhat contradictory) guidance [italics added for emphasis]: "The Appalachian Trail Conservancy s mission is to preserve and manage the Appalachian Trail ensuring that its vast natural beauty and priceless cultural heritage can be shared and enjoyed today, tomorrow, and for centuries to come". The National Park Service preserves unimpaired the natural and cultural resources and values of the National Park System for the enjoyment, education, and inspiration of this and future generations. Welcoming and Protecting These statements and others reflect the dichotomy that A.T. managers face on nearly a daily basis. How do we invite, welcome and support a broad and growing constituency of Trail visitors--often seeking diverse levels of experience--while preserving the Trail s core values of freedom, self reliance, and opportunity to connect intimately with the natural environment? This dual mandate is by no means unique to the A.T. Public land managers across the U.S. have developed effective techniques and programs for striking this balance with largely successful visitor acceptance and compliance. In fact, some of these solutions are currently in place on parts of the A.T., and span across our partnerships. As far back as the 1970 s, NPS, USFS and state agencies have implemented permit and fee systems, zoning, group size limits, no fire policies, designated site camping restrictions, parking areas, permits and fees, etc. Great Smoky Mountains NP, Shenandoah NP, the Green and White Mountain National Forests, several state managing agencies, and Baxter State Park have all implemented rules and regulations to protect resources and visitor experiences as necessary. While a formal ATC Visitor Use Management policy may now be warranted, it is important to realize that Visitor Use Management as a management directive is not new to the Appalachian Trail.

4 A simple carrying capacity determination cannot encompass this range of desired conditions. In the decades since the Comprehensive Plan, Federal recreational sites at several non-a.t. locations did attempt to develop numeric carrying capacities to preserve the natural and experiential resources of specific areas. However, time, research and some legal decisions have proven that simply placing a numeric limit on recreational visitors is not a successful approach in protecting either of these resources--unless the number of simultaneous visitors is set (and enforced) at an extremely low value. It also contradicts the free and unfettered experience we treasure as A.T. stewards. Visitor Use Management Strategy Concurrent with the Trail and Camping Committee s policy drafting process, the Interagency Visitor Use Management Council (IVUMC) has been independently developing a Framework for managing visitors that can be used at all Federal recreation sites. Developed by experts in recreational management and Federal recreational land managing partners, the steps of this Framework include integrated data collection, building desired condition statements, creating a range of education/management actions and a continual reassessment of outcomes. The Trail and Camping Committee has recommended that ATC adopt a policy that supports this method of managing visitor use. It is broad, flexible, not prescriptive, and can be deployed flexibly on areas as contained as a single overnight site, or a trail segment long enough to support several days worth of hiking. Information on the IVUMC Framework can be found at this site: Managing visitor use will have potentially significant impacts to visitors and touches on many deeply held Trail values. It is imperative we work closely with our key management partners: trail clubs, local communities and Federal and State agencies. Primary land managers will likely bear the most responsibility for any implementation of visitor management actions, and Trail clubs will provide key local information and reactions. Our visitor use management policy will be flexible, transparent, and able to respond fluidly to changing circumstances. Cosmo Catalano, Stewardship Council Trail and Camping Committee Chair Hawk Metheny, ATC Regional Director (NERO)

5 VUM Draft B.4.2 9/4/16 Section 1: Need for an A.T. Visitor Use Management Policy Visitor use on the Appalachian National Scenic Trail (A.T.) is steadily increasing. In some locations, increasingly heavy use has significantly degraded the desired A.T. condition i.e., the sum of the physical and experiential resources of the Trail. In addition, vigorous visitor education and promotion of Leave No Trace TM practices is needed to bridge the apparent disconnect between visitor expectations and management objectives. Section 2: Principles / Underlying Values Regarding Visitor Use Management The Appalachian Trail is an iconic public recreational resource open to visitors for travel on foot. The intent of an A.T. Visitor Use Management policy is to preserve the desired A.T. condition, maintaining high quality visitor experiences and protecting natural, cultural, and infrastructure resources within the corridor of A.T.- managed lands, on the Trail, and at overnight and day-use recreation sites. Key management considerations drawn from a variety of legislative, agency and Conservancy documents and policies 1 include: The A.T. is to be managed as a footpath in as simple a condition as possible, providing an opportunity for primitive recreation utilizing a minimum level of development to protect Trail resources; The A.T. links a wide variety of habitats, and provides a natural and cultural setting to allow visitors an opportunity to connect directly with the natural world as part of a journey on foot, experiencing the Trail by their own unaided efforts; Management of visitor use will reflect a sympathetic concern for the unique needs of long-distance hikers, while maintaining the Trail for hikers of all distances; Hiker regulations should be restricted to the extent reasonably necessary to protect the physical Trail and associated amenities, natural and cultural resources, the experience and enjoyment of Trail users, and the legally mandated interests of land managing partners; Management actions should not unnecessarily limit opportunities for challenging recreation and self-reliance; 1 Appalachian National Scenic Trail Comprehensive Plan (1981), Appalachian Trail Conservancy 5-year Strategic Plan (2014), Appalachian National Scenic Trail Resource Management Plan (2008), An Appalachian Trail: A Project in Regional Planning (B. MacKaye, 1921), National Trails Systems Act (1968, 1978, 1983), Appalachian Trail Management Principles (1977), NPS DO #45 National Trails System, Foundation Document- Appalachian National Scenic Trail (2015) 1

6 Management actions will discourage activities that would degrade the A.T. s physical, natural and cultural resources or social values, including use by groups or organizations involved in promotion, sponsorship, or participation in spectator events or competitive activities, or by organized groups which by their size or commercial interest generate use which is inconsistent with the concept of a simple footpath; and Management actions should take into consideration the interests of local communities, the diverse cultural and historic heritage of regions surrounding the trail, and the wide variety of ways visitors experience the Trail. Public engagement through methods described in the Interagency Visitor Use Management Framework (IVUMC) summarized in Section 4 below will be integral to any visitor use decisions that impact public access and/or use of the Trail and its facilities. Responses to visitor use challenges will vary with each location and each specific issue. Tools and strategies to address these challenges will be evaluated through the lens of the principles and underlying values noted above. The outcome is intended to achieve a desired A.T. condition at locations where there may be undesirable impacts due to visitor use. Through the adaptive management process outlined below, specific management actions can be considered and implemented to attain these desired conditions. Section 3: Primary strategies to manage visitor use include the following general principles: Distribute use across time and space o Concentrate use on sustainable expansion-resistant trails and campsites to limit the total size of impacted areas. o Disperse use in areas where there are sustainable durable surfaces to reduce lasting impact. o Close and rehabilitate locations that permit unsustainable impacts or are no longer required. o Redistribute or reduce use during peak hiker season, in high use locations, or when impact potential is high. o Redistribute use, provide viable alternatives, or limit use (e.g., set access point or travel zone quotas). Improve resource resistance - increase the durability of trails and campsites 2

7 o Construct, reconstruct, or maintain impact-resistant trails and campsites; e.g., construct side-hill trails and campsites, install anchored campfire rings. o Implement a campsite impact containment system in compliance with desired condition metrics. Modify Visitor Behavior o Teach, and encourage visitors to use Leave No Trace skills and ethics for hiking and camping. Educate hikers before they arrive and while they are on the Trail. Develop planning resources and educational materials that can be accessed online and on the Trail. o Encourage visitors to camp out-of-sight or a minimum distance from trails and campsites in areas managed for dispersed camping. o Prohibit visitors to participate in certain practices and/or require (or discourage) them to utilize certain equipment when traveling and camping (e.g., safe food/trash storage, woods tools). Management Action Spectrum: Managing visitor use relies on a spectrum of actions developed specifically for each situation. Actions occur on a gradient intended to achieve the desired balance of protecting the resource and maintaining the desired visitor experience, while placing the least constraints on the individual hiker. Here are examples of several possible strategies from least to most restrictive: Increase camping capacity Redesign existing campsites, construct new campsites that protect natural resources and minimize resource impacts. Increase treadway durability Locate Trail route on sustainable grade and surfaces. Install structures as necessary to reduce loss of treadway surface through water erosion and foot traffic. Education Provide guidance such as Leave No Trace ethics and practices to visitors on the Trail via methods including Ridgerunner/Caretaker presence, Trailhead/Parking Area ambassador, visitor use information on trailhead kiosks boards; and at off-trail locations such as ATC Headquarters, Monson Visitor s Center, Regional Offices, trail club publications and A.T. backpacking courses as well as consistent and broadly distributed on-line information. Redistribute use through persuasion Encourage alternative hiking strategies (such as flip-flop itineraries for long-distance hikers, off-season hikes, weekday vs. weekend hikes, off-peak start times, etc.), and 3

8 communicate these alternatives to the public. Promote voluntary registration and other communications strategies that can provide awareness of crowded conditions on certain dates and locations. Encourage voluntary adherence to VUM-determined limits of the number of hikers at key locations and times (Katahdin in September, Springer in March, etc.) Implement use restrictions by regulation or policy e.g. Camping at designated sites only. Prohibit camping at specific locations (distances from shelter and treadway, above treeline, etc). Require use of approved bear resistant canisters for food storage. Non-quota registration/permit. Limit group size. [Note that all of the above are currently in use on various portions of the A.T.] Implement access limits by regulation or policy e.g. Mandatory user registration. Trailhead quotas. Travel zone quotas. Mandatory campsite registration. Closure of access points. [Note that all of these options are in place in various western National Parks or Federally managed recreation areas] Section 4: Process For Implementation of Visitor Use Management Tools and Techniques ATC recognizes the long-standing effectiveness of the Appalachian Trail Cooperative Management System and wishes to coordinate and facilitate visitor use management activities with all stakeholder agencies, A.T. clubs and local jurisdictions along the A.T. Due to the nature of A.T. communication and cooperation, the Interagency Visitor Use Management Council (IVUMC) Framework 2 is the preferred adaptive management method to define, develop, implement, and review actions intended to address visitor use challenges while respecting the principles and values noted in Section 2 above. The IVUMC represents best management practices developed by partner agencies across widely varying resources and facilities. The IVUMC Framework includes public comment where necessary, is based on research and field studies, and requires post-implementation reassessment to determine effectiveness. 2 IVUMC is a cooperative effort involving six Federal agencies (Bureau of Land Management, National Forest Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, National Park Service, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service) to develop a shared framework for managing visitor use. Details of the Framework can be found here: 4

9 The IVUMC Framework consists of 4 core elements: Build the Foundation - Understand what needs to be done and how to organize the planning effort. Partners define the desired conditions of trail segment and/or location. Define Direction - Describe the conditions to be achieved or maintained and how conditions will be tracked over time with quantifiable metrics that will be revisited in subsequent steps. Identify Strategies - Decide on strategies to manage visitor use to achieve or maintain desired conditions. Implement, Monitor Evaluate and Adjust - Implement management actions and adjust based on lessons learned. Framework actions can address visitor management on a variety of scales: a single shelter or camping area, a segment of trail, or an entire management region (i.e., National Forest or management zone). 5

10 Section 5: Appalachian Trail Conservancy Visitor Use Management Policy It is the policy of the Appalachian Trail Conservancy (ATC) to collaborate with land managing partners and A.T. clubs to manage visitor use on the Appalachian Trail in a way that will balance resource protection with reasonable access consistent with promoting and ensuring the desired A.T. experience for Trail visitors while protecting and preserving natural and heritage resources. ATC is the primary organization for addressing the balance described above. It has a responsibility to take a leadership role in managing visitor use Trailwide. Land managers have a measure of legal responsibility for lands under their jurisdictions, and ATC intends to collaborate with Trail management partners on A.T. visitor use management actions using the IVUMC Framework. Strategies to respond to specific visitor use management challenges will be developed by ATC and Trail managing partners through the IVUMC process, and will consider the principles and values of A.T. management (including, but not limited to State and Federal Legislation, Foundation Documents, Local Management Plans, Forest Plan standards and guides, state MOU s and other management strategies and tactics). Visitor use management strategies should protect and restore the natural, cultural, and developed resources that have been damaged from overuse, to achieve or maintain the desired A.T. condition described by existing partnership documents and policies, and developed through the IVUMC Framework. 6