Ensuring Outstanding Opportunities for Quality Wilderness Visitor Experiences: Problems and Recommendations Developed By: The Wilderness Advisory Group Members (Tom Carlson, David Cole, David Finnan, Kevin Hood, Jeff Weise) Version Date: May 1st, 2010
Executive Summary One of the fundamental purposes and values of wilderness is to provide outstanding opportunities for solitude or a primitive and unconfined type of recreation. Wilderness is a place for people to enjoy a wilderness experience, not just any type of recreational experience, but one that features a wild quality that differs from what is expected in other national forest settings. But opportunities for wilderness experiences are being degraded by a lack of attention by management. Many wildernesses have at least some places that are now heavily-used, but few wilderness managers have taken action to ensure that outstanding opportunities for quality visitor experiences will endure. There is much at stake. The Forest Service is responsible for managing wilderness to the legal standards established by the Wilderness Act. We are losing part of our natural heritage when we lose opportunities to experience solitude in an increasingly crowded world, to escape the stress and hectic pace of modern society, to connect with the natural world, to challenge ourselves mentally and physically and to find inspiration and spiritual renewal. The Forest Service can serve as a leader in wilderness stewardship but only if it recognizes the problems that result from ignoring this situation and develops appropriate solutions. The Chief s Wilderness Advisory Group examined several key questions to help clarify the situation: 1) Are current efforts to protect opportunities for wilderness experiences sufficient or are they resulting in degradation of wilderness character? We conclude that current efforts are insufficient, especially in more heavily used areas in close proximity to urban centers and in the most popular zones of other areas. 2) What does Forest Service policy say about managing to provide opportunities for wilderness experiences? Does existing policy provide adequate direction? Regulations and policy require the Forest Service to provide outstanding opportunities but provide no further direction. There are no definitions of key terms and no guidance regarding indicators or desired conditions. There is little or no policy that identifies when management action is needed, and no guidance on how to achieve the management objectives. 3) Are current tools, training, staff, funding, and leadership support adequate to make necessary decisions to ensure opportunities for quality experiences? Some tools (e.g. Limits of Acceptable Change) exist but have not been sanctioned as policy. Skills training is inadequate and there is insufficient staff and funding to address the problems. Leadership has yet to act on this issue by making it a priority or to hold line officers accountable for addressing this issue. There are adverse consequences of continuing to not give this issue the attention it requires, including: Wilderness experience opportunities, and with them wilderness character, will degrade Policy and programs will be poorly-defined and hard to explain or defend Management will continue to be inconsistent and reactive Public support for wilderness, as defined in the Wilderness Act, will decline 2
Status and trends in experience quality will remain uncertain Lawsuits will increase in number and will prove successful. There are a number of barriers to dealing effectively with the issue, including: Managing to provide outstanding opportunities for visitor experiences is complex and unconventional. Varied, changeable and sometimes hostile public opinion adds to the stewardship challenge Agency commitment to wilderness stewardship is inadequate Resources for wilderness stewardship are inadequate There is a lack of awareness of problems and incorrect perceptions about stewardship needs Policy and guidance to support, interpret, and implement national Forest Service wilderness direction is inadequate. But none of the reasons for ignoring this issue are legitimate. These barriers can all be overcome by: Developing tools Providing adequate training Conducting and applying research Increasing public engagement and education Developing adequate policy and guidance Exerting leadership to increase agency commitment and capacity. Although feasible and necessary, overcoming these barriers will require effort, change and strategic thinking. Consequently, our primary recommendation is to charter a Wilderness Experience Opportunities Task Force to explore this issue, listen to and compile diverse perspectives, develop options for moving forward and make specific strategic recommendations. 3
Introduction One of the important purposes and values of wilderness is to provide outstanding opportunities for solitude or a primitive and unconfined type of recreation. The Wilderness Act states that wilderness is to be used and enjoyed, but with two important qualifications. Wilderness areas are to be used in such manner as will leave them unimpaired and they are to be enjoyed as wilderness. That is, they are intended as places to have wilderness experiences, not just any type of recreational experience that is enjoyable. There should also be a difference between the kind of experience that can be expected in wilderness and what can be expected in other backcountry settings on national forest system lands. As long as there was little demand for recreational use of wilderness, these qualifications were relatively unimportant. However, as demand for wilderness recreation has increased, these qualifications have increasingly been ignored. Despite increasing use and increasing departure from the mandates of the Wilderness Act, visitor use in wilderness remains largely unmanaged, even in extremely popular locations adjacent to large metropolitan areas. This raises a number of critically important questions. Are current efforts to protect opportunities for wilderness experiences sufficient or not? Is insufficient attention resulting in degradation and loss of wilderness character? What does Forest Service policy and guidance say about managing to provide opportunities for wilderness experiences? Are current policy and guidance, tools and training, institutional capacity and resources adequate to make appropriate decisions and successfully ensure opportunities for quality experiences? If not, why not and what can be done about it? We address these questions in this white paper, arguing that experiences are being degraded. We articulate consequences of continuing with vague policy and guidance and allowing experiential opportunities to degrade further. We explore prominent reasons for the current situation, barriers to dealing effectively with the issue, and offer solutions for improving this critically-important aspect of wilderness stewardship. The Problem The Wilderness Act states that wildernesses need to be managed to provide opportunities for particular types of experience. The Act uses the specific words solitude, primitive and unconfined but language in subsequent Acts and in the legislative history of the Act includes other experiences such as physical and mental challenge, inspiration, escape from urban existence and enjoyment of natural beauty. Opportunities for these experiences are the desired outcomes of management, equivalent to outcomes like board feet of timber or number of grazing animals. However, in contrast to outcomes such as board feet of timber, experiential outcomes are relatively intangible, subjective and difficult to define. Therefore, it is extremely important to have policy that clearly defines these concepts and clarifies desired outcomes. Current policy is not clear about what management actions or conditions are necessary to provide outstanding opportunities for these experiences. The law says there must be 4
outstanding opportunities for solitude or a primitive and unconfined type of recreation (emphasis added). But, what does outstanding mean and what does the word or suggest? Given the vagueness of the law, one might think agency policy and guidance would have been developed in order to resolve ambiguity and conflicting interpretations. But it never has. The Forest Service Manual simply repeats the Wilderness Act language, directing wilderness managers to ensure that each wilderness offers outstanding opportunities for solitude or a primitive and unconfined type of recreation. Regulations at 36CFR 293.2 apply to all national forest wilderness areas but there is no definition in policy for terms such as solitude, physical and mental challenge, inspiration, or even primitive recreation and no guidance is provided on how to achieve these requirements. National Forest Wilderness shall be so administered as to meet the public purposes of recreational, scenic, scientific, educational, conservation, and historical uses...in carrying out such purposes, National Forest Wilderness resources shall be managed to promote, perpetuate, and, where necessary, restore the wilderness character of the land and its specific values of solitude, physical and mental challenge, scientific study, inspiration, and primitive recreation. To that end:. (b) Wilderness will be made available for human use to the optimum extent consistent with the maintenance of primitive conditions. Nowhere in policy, guidance or any Forest Service manual are there definitions for terms, an interpretation of the meaning of or, or any help regarding how to assess whether the opportunities being provided are outstanding. Consequently, there is no consensus on what or how to monitor to ensure opportunities for quality wilderness experiences or on thresholds beyond which what people are experiencing is not what was intended by wilderness legislation. As we approach the 50 th anniversary of the Wilderness Act, there is still no meaningful agency guidance regarding why, when, where or how to manage opportunities for appropriate wilderness visitor experiences. Problems resulting from vague legal direction, and inadequate policy and guidance are exacerbated by the low priority the agency gives to wilderness management generally and to managing visitor experience opportunities specifically. Wrestling with vague definitions and conflicting opinions about appropriate wilderness experiences is complex and challenging. It requires value judgments and courageous decision-making. Line officers are seldom held accountable for ignoring this issue. Consequently, inaction is the most common response to problems with changing conditions and visitor experiences in wilderness. The current situation regarding protection of outstanding opportunities for quality visitor experiences can be characterized as follows. Policy, guidance, commitment and accountability are insufficient. Only a few of the many places in wilderness where experiences are degrading are even being reactively managed. There is no recommended best practices approach to wilderness planning or working to reach decisions about management. There is no accepted monitoring protocol. And there are no agreedto thresholds for the tipping point between acceptable and unacceptable experience opportunities. Without thresholds, management response will be inconsistent at best and more likely nonexistent. 5
Consequences of Maintaining the Status Quo There are reasons for continuing to manage opportunities for wilderness experiences as we have in the past. It does not require resources that are limited. Difficult, potentially controversial decisions are avoided. As experiences degrade, the public increasingly comes to expect less and they seldom complain. Their definition of wilderness changes as they rationalize why wilderness is more crowded than it was decades ago. But none of these reasons are legitimate! It is time to reject the status quo and finally get serious and develop commitment to ensuring opportunities for quality wilderness experiences. It is crucial to recognize what is at stake. We are losing opportunities to experience solitude in an increasingly crowded world, to escape the stress and hectic pace of modern society, to connect with the natural world, to challenge ourselves mentally and physically and to find inspiration and spiritual renewal. The natural heritage that nourished our national character and contributed to Americans being rugged, independent and innovative people is unraveling. At a legal level, the question is whether the agency is managing wilderness to the lawful standards/congressional intent established by the Wilderness Act. Also in question is whether the Forest Service will be a leader in wilderness stewardship. We see are at least six adverse consequences of not dealing with this problem effectively. Wilderness experience opportunities, and with them wilderness character, will degrade. This will be the inevitable result of increasing use, in many places, combined with inaction. In some places degradation will be slow and hard to perceive; in other places, crowding will make it impossible to have any semblance of a wilderness experience. Experience degradation is not confined to the highly popular and crowded places. The relatively lightly used places that are experiencing increased use will also offer fewer and fewer opportunities for outstanding experiences. Policy and programs will be poorly-defined and hard to explain or defend. Without definitions for the experience opportunities wilderness is supposed to provide and without thresholds defining when we are no longer providing those opportunities, programs will be incoherent. It will not be clear when management programs need to be changed or how. Managers will not be in a position to provide the public with sound explanations for concepts and programs, particularly those that involve regulation. Controversial actions that either are or are not taken cannot be readily defended. Managers will find it difficult to define outstanding opportunities across the range of environmental and social settings contained in the wilderness system. Defining key components of a wilderness experience, developing policy and providing planning and management tools are critical to agency implementation of the Wilderness Act. Management will continue to be inconsistent and reactive. Without definitions and specificity in policy, managers will either ignore the problem or react to it individually. Few are likely to take proactive action, which is the approach most likely to build public support if regulatory action becomes necessary. In areas where crowding is an issue, many managers will be reluctant to take action for any of a number 6
of reasons they lack monitoring data, public support is lacking, line officers are not interested in making a controversial decision, they perceive they do not have the resources to take effective action, etc. There will be an inconsistent management response to degrading wilderness experiences across the wilderness system, leading to confusion with the public and among ourselves. Public support for wilderness, as defined in the Wilderness Act, will decline. Inaction in the face of increasing use and changing experiential conditions as well as inconsistent action will confuse the public. The public will grow increasingly accustomed to crowded conditions; their tolerance for such conditions will increase; and the public s support for managing wilderness, as wilderness, will decline. Inability to articulate the type of experience visitors can expect in wilderness threatens the relationship between the agency and the public. Status and trends in experience quality will remain uncertain. Vague and inconsistent definitions related to appropriate wilderness opportunities mean that there is no accepted protocol for assessment and monitoring. This is reflected in the ambiguity of the solitude monitoring requirements of the 10 Year Wilderness Stewardship Challenge (Elements #5 and #8). Given this void, most managers do nothing. Some local wilderness managers attempt experiential monitoring, based on their own definitions or approaches they are familiar with. They usually monitor trail encounters or campsite occupancy, assuming these are proxies for solitude or reflect conditions that provide opportunities for appropriate experiences. With a monitoring effort that is both sparse and inconsistent, status and trend will remain uncertain, further hindering management action. Lawsuits will increase in number and will prove successful. Not everyone will accept ineffectual management of this issue. Some will sue the Forest Service for not meeting legal mandates and some of these suits will be successful. Indeed, this has already happened and is happening with increasing frequency. This could force the agency to develop policy, be accountable and commit resources to this issue. But it is always better to implement policy and direction without being under the direct supervision of a federal judge. By the time litigation occurs, managers will have lost management discretion and the ability to seek consensus and be proactive. Barriers to More Effective Management The Forest Service is populated by dedicated employees interested in effectively stewarding the land and serving people, including wilderness and wilderness visitors. So why are programs for ensuring outstanding opportunities for wilderness experiences less than successful? We have identified five barriers to success. Each of these barriers can be removed leading to more effective wilderness stewardship if the Forest Service chooses to do so. Managing to provide outstanding opportunities for visitor experiences is complex and unconventional. As noted before, the whole topic of experience is intangible and subjective. Opinions differ as to what solitude means and what experiences are appropriate. Consequently, meaningful decisions will be controversial. They must be supported by law, public outreach, research and a sound 7
process. In addition, the wilderness system is diverse. It is challenging to simultaneously bring more consistency to managing to provide opportunities for wilderness experiences, while also recognizing and valuing the diversity of wilderness situations out there. Given this complexity and difficulty, we should expect effective stewardship to require significant investment and a high degree of professionalism. Varied, changeable and sometimes hostile public opinion adds to the stewardship challenge. One of the major barriers is that, almost 50 years after the Wilderness Act, the Forest Service has not developed meaningful, consistent policy or programs for ensuring outstanding opportunities for quality wilderness experiences. Consequently, the public has widely divergent views on what is appropriate running the gamut from those seeking high degrees of solitude to those with little interest in solitude, simply looking for a good place to run or walk the dog. Increasingly wilderness users seek comfort and convenience, wanting better cell phone coverage, trail signs with more information, smoother trails and more bridges. Many wilderness visitors experience erosion of wilderness character, including increased crowding, and respond by becoming increasingly tolerant of or resigned to degrading conditions. Visitors who place little value on such attributes as solitude or who prefer more comfort and convenience can be hostile to wilderness stewardship, particularly where the solution to problems involves increased regulation or making access more difficult (e.g. by limiting use). A varied and sometimes hostile public makes it easy for officials with limited resources and little accountability to avoid making the difficult decisions that will be needed to ensure opportunities for quality wilderness experiences in perpetuity. Inadequate agency commitment to wilderness stewardship. The most fundamental barrier is the relative lack of attention the Forest Service gives to wilderness stewardship. One-fifth of national forest system lands have already been designated as wilderness and more will likely be designated in the future. Wilderness designation is always of tremendous public interest and polls consistently reveal great support for as well as interest in wilderness. Despite this, wilderness is given little priority and attention compared to other Forest Service lands and issues. Among other things, this is reflected in little accountability regarding whether a line office manages wilderness well or poorly. Since line officers are accountable for other programs, it is not surprising that they allocate few resources to wilderness, spend little time on wilderness issues and shy away from making the courageous and controversial decisions that are sometimes needed to ensure opportunities for quality wilderness experiences. Inadequate resources for wilderness stewardship. Following from inadequate commitment, the resources available for wilderness stewardship (personnel, time and money) are not commensurate with the problems that must be addressed or the importance of wilderness to the Forest Service mission. Funds allocated specifically to wilderness are meager and other resource groups (wildlife, range, etc.) seldom are willing to contribute much to wilderness stewardship. Consequently, there are insufficient resources for monitoring. There is a perception that we should not identify problems with too much use because we have insufficient resources to implement use limitation programs that might be the best way to deal with such problems. There is a lack of a professional career ladder in wilderness, as well as no requirement that wilderness stewards have professional training related to their job. Finally, wilderness is often a collateral duty in contrast to many other professional positions. 8
Lack of awareness of problems and incorrect perceptions about stewardship needs. Among the reasons for inadequate agency commitment is that wilderness stewardship problems largely go unrecognized. It is common to believe that wilderness can just take care of itself, that there is little need for management and resources. In fact, wilderness resources are highly sensitive and threatened and their protection is complex and challenging. Forest Service officials are even less aware of problems with degrading experiences than with problems such as eroding trails or beat-up campsites. The public seldom complains and complaints are seldom registered, although unresolved conflicts, some leading to litigation, are on the rise. Lack of monitoring further obscures problems. Officials who are aware of problems often perceive the solutions as being too costly given available resources and, consequently, ignore the problems. Lack of policy and guidance to support, interpret, and implement national Forest Service wilderness direction. Regulations at 36CFR 293.2 apply to all national forest wilderness areas but there is no definition in agency policy for terms such as solitude, physical and mental challenge, inspiration, or even primitive recreation and no guidance is provided in policy or a handbook on how to achieve these requirements. Overcoming Barriers to Reach Desired Outcomes As the preceding section attests, ensuring outstanding opportunities for quality experiences in wilderness is a complex mandate under any circumstances. But it is made more challenging when agency commitment, resources and awareness are inadequate. It is further aggravated by public opinion that is diverse, sometimes hostile and not effectively incorporated into agency policy. Although daunting, these barriers can be overcome. The difficult and complex nature of ensuring outstanding opportunities for quality experiences can be overcome by (1) developing appropriate tools for the task, (2) providing adequate training, (3) conducting and applying research, (4) engaging the public in the process and (5) providing adequate policy and guidance. Inadequate commitment, resources and lack of awareness can be dealt with through training and leadership. Public support and input can be developed through more effective public engagement. Develop Tools. Wilderness managers need tools for deciding where and when actions are needed to protect outstanding opportunities, as well as what those actions should be. Tools include planning/management frameworks and processes, monitoring protocols and effective management techniques. Related to this, they need an effective and consistent means of managing commercial services appropriately, including determining need and extent necessary. Although much tool development work has already been done, further work would be helpful, as would further attempts to organize information so it is readily available to managers. Provide Adequate Training. Tools are of little value if managers do not know how to use them. Training in how to use tools that help ensure outstanding opportunities for quality experiences is needed. Ideally, appropriate training in best practices would be a requirement not just an option for all wilderness professionals. Equally important is training of all Forest Service personnel, particularly line officers, to 9
increase awareness and commitment and to overcome misperceptions regarding wilderness stewardship generally and wilderness experiences specifically. Forest Service personnel need to understand that managing wilderness is everyone s responsibility just as caring for all Forest Service lands is everyone s responsibility. They need to understand that wilderness management is complex and that wilderness values, including quality wilderness experiences, are threatened and in decline. They need to gain an appreciation for the uniqueness of many wilderness values and the efforts needed to protect them, including outstanding experiential opportunities. Conduct and Apply Research. Research related to visitor experiences and factors that influence visitor experiences can contribute to tool development. It can also be useful in policy development, particularly in better defining quality wilderness experiences and in setting appropriate thresholds. Although extensive research on these topics has been conducted, more would be useful and prior research could be better organized and made available to managers and policy makers. Increase Public Engagement and Education. Managers face difficult decisions about where, when and how to manage opportunities for wilderness experiences, some of which imply regulating visitor behavior and decreasing access. Public input is needed both to make wise decisions regarding policy and to gain the public support needed to effectively implement management programs. Beyond this, programs are needed to educate outfitters and guides and the public regarding wilderness experiences and the importance of protecting outstanding opportunities for those experiences. Develop Adequate Policy and Guidance. Wilderness managers could better protect experience opportunities in wilderness if policy and guidance was more extensive and specific. Much of this direction is needed at the national level (e.g. in the Forest Service Manual 2320 or a new Wilderness Management Handbook), but some more local direction is needed as well. Policy and guidance should better define appropriate experiences for wilderness, how outstanding opportunities for those experiences are to be ensured and affirm the importance of doing so. Guidance should clarify contentious issues, address issues of appropriate levels of diversity across the system, establish thresholds for acceptable experience opportunities in wilderness and advocate the use of best management practice tools and frameworks. Exert Leadership to Increase Agency Commitment and Capacity. Good tools and training are of little value without the capacity to employ them. Programs to protect outstanding opportunities for wilderness experiences can only be effective and professional if wilderness stewardship is given a higher priority than it currently has. It will require more commitment, accountability and increased institutional capacity. This will require leadership from high levels in the Forest Service. At its most fundamental, this will require creating an agency culture that values and supports wilderness stewardship as central to the agency s mission, on equal footing with the agency s other resource management programs. 10
Recommendation and Conclusion Outstanding opportunities for quality wilderness experiences are important, fragile and being degraded. Almost 50 years after passage of the Wilderness Act, there is still no consistent, effective effort to ensure the protection of outstanding opportunities. Agency policy provides little guidance, makes little attempt to implement management actions and holds nobody accountable for degradation of wilderness character. It is time to remedy this situation. In this paper we have articulated a number of barriers to improvement, some ways barriers might be overcome, and desired outcomes of such an effort. This will require concerted effort from a number of people. Therefore, our primary recommendation is to charter a Wilderness Experience Opportunities Task Force to explore this issue, listen to and compile diverse perspectives, develop options for moving forward and make specific strategic recommendations. The Wilderness Advisory Group could assist with initiating the work of the Task Force. Appendix I offers some further details regarding this and other recommendations. Appendix II provides some initial ideas about some of the things the Task Force might work on. Other near-term actions that would be helpful include: Engaging Forest Service leadership in this effort Engaging other agencies and the public in this effort Engaging the help of Forest Service Research, particularly the Aldo Leopold Wilderness Research Institute, in assembling relevant research materials Engaging the help of the Arthur Carhart Wilderness Training Center in elevating this issue in training sessions and working to get tools and research information to managers. The preservation of a few samples of undeveloped territory is one of the most clamant issues before us today. Just a few more years of hesitation and the only trace of that wilderness which has exerted such a fundamental influence in molding American character will lie in the musty pages of pioneer books... To avoid this catastrophe demands immediate action. ~ Bob Marshall 11
Appendix I: Recommendations The following recommendations reflect the means to accomplish the Desired Outcomes (or ends) as described in detail in Appendix II. Near Term Action Items: WO WWSR Staff Brief FS leadership (WO and RO) on responsibilities and needs for action Contact BLM, FWS, NPS and determine interest in collaboration Engage key partners to solicit support Aldo Leopold Wilderness Research Institute Assemble research library of relevant materials Arthur Carhart National Wilderness Training Center Insert and highlight Opportunities topic in line officer and on-line training courses Task Force The Task Force will address all Desired Outcomes, except for the items listed under the category Near Term Action above or Implementation below. The primary focus areas are: Tools and Training needs and requirements for managers and decision makers Research - needs Public Engagement and Education external involvement Policy and Guidance Leadership, Accountability and Commitment Membership representative(s) from the following organizational groups: WO Wilderness Program Staff Regional Recreation Directors Regional Wilderness Program Managers Forest and District level Wilderness Managers Aldo Leopold Wilderness Research Institute (ad hoc) Arthur Carhart National Wilderness Training Center (ad hoc) 12
Tasks and products Timeline Identify the specific issues and consequences through public engagement and sensing of wilderness managers. Select the specific action items needed to achieve the desired outcomes Develop the products needed for each action item (i.e. policy, implementation guidelines, process tools, etc.) Prioritize needs and requirements for training, research, and accountability Begin work: November 1, 2010 End work: initially propose a sunset date of March 31, 2011 to be revisited as work proceeds Funding Implementation All members: WO - WWSR: Travel for meetings, video conference expenses Forest and district level members: WO WWSR: Salary up to 50% of time spent Public Engagement Task Team Involve the public by soliciting input on the existing situation, desired condition, and possible solutions Policy - WO WWSR Implement policy through the directives system process Education ACNWTC Develop information and education resources and support delivery Tools and Training ACNWTC Develop and implement information resources, tools, and training Research ALWRI Conduct research and report results Leadership WO WWSR Secure priority, accountability, and funding support from leadership 13
Appendix II: Desired Outcomes for the Task Force The work needed to define and then implement a vision for quality visitor experiences in wilderness will be detailed and complicated. This appendix attempts to outline the steps needed, as well as specific tasks. It is our strong suggestion that leadership create a small task force, chartered to develop definitions, and then create tools and products for implementation. This task force should have broad representation, from within the agency, and from academia, advocacy groups, and the public at large. We suggest that the task force work toward the following outcomes: (1) more definitive policy and guidance, (2) increasing public engagement and education, (3) improved tools and training, (4) making research findings available and (5) leadership within the agency that increases commitment and capacity regarding wilderness stewardship. Some of this work can be done by the task force, but in many cases the task force can only identify what needs to be done and then develop strategies for making that happen. Tools and Training Develop trainings that extol the experiential values of wilderness, the professional and legal obligations of federal land management agencies and the current state of affairs in wilderness. Train: Agency leaders: - Identify and highlight the needs and stewardship obligations across all FS managed wilderness areas and the status of monitoring, planning, management actions - Expand the view beyond just recreation management using law and policy to describe the wilderness resource - Explain the consequences of the loss of this wilderness opportunity and benefit in both social and legal terms Legal non-compliance with law, potential litigation - Promote wilderness, legally, as one of the multiple uses and purposes of the national forests (TWA Section 4(a) and (a)(1)) - Articulate our unique and vital charge of upholding a rare and treasured opportunity/experience which is an essential part of our national heritage - Debunk misconceptions: about Outstanding Opportunities: o the or opt-out o that solitude is too intangible to manage o that primitiveness creates liability o that Outstanding Opportunities are preserved with no effort about wilderness management in general: o wildernesses are being adequately stewarded (untrue) o few resources are need to steward wilderness (untrue) 14
o professional management of wilderness recreation is not necessary (untrue) Agency Personnel: - Explain our unique and vital charge of upholding a rare and treasured experience - Apply a best practices approach - Debunk wilderness misconceptions Wilderness Commercial Users: - Provide tools for commercial users to educate their clients about the value of outstanding opportunities for solitude or a primitive and unconfined type of recreation. - Explain our unique and vital charge of upholding a rare and treasured opportunity/experience which is an essential part of our national heritage. - Provide training and accountability so that commercial users are active partners in managing for quality visitor experiences. - Debunk misconceptions. Research Synthesize research on wilderness visitor experiences, particularly solitude and opportunities for solitude. Compile an online library of research. Merge with educational materials library. Create a manual or training tool that synthesizes and summarizes the state of knowledge on Develop a plan for future research needs. Identify existing gaps in knowledge, explore opportunities for research as policy is developed. Public Engagement and Education Engage the public in the process of defining the policy. Engage wilderness advocacy groups and the public at large in this critically important effort to protect wilderness character. These efforts will be useful in several ways. As the agency approaches and passes the 50 th anniversary of the Wilderness Act, working with the public will assure them that the agency is serious about wilderness stewardship. Engaging with wilderness advocacy groups will be helpful in moving beyond the designation wars and toward partnerships for wilderness stewardship. Develop educational materials/lesson plans that extol the experiential values of wilderness: include stories and elicit stories from the audience May need targeted materials explaining how regulations benefit opportunities for solitude. 15
Compile an online library of literature and other media (movie clips?) touting the benefits of the wilderness experience. Use references and resources historic and contemporary. Educate the public, emphasizing: Our unique and vital charge of upholding a rare and treasured experience (wilderness only place with solitude and primitive experiences mandated by law) Wilderness and our stewardship obligation for present and future generations Wilderness & national character Debunking misconceptions How regulations may be necessary to preserve quality wilderness experiences (solitude) School children and university students as audiences Definitive Policy and Guidance Reaffirm the need and priority for management to preserve outstanding opportunities for solitude or a primitive and unconfined type of recreation in wilderness (legal mandate; stewardship obligation; national heritage; personal growth). Note: Current FSM 2320.2 Objectives state: 4. Protect and perpetuate wilderness character and public values including, but not limited to, opportunities for scientific study, education, solitude, physical and mental challenge and stimulation, inspiration, and primitive recreation experiences. Set additional objectives to: Train all agency leaders and Forest Service officers who oversee wilderness management in preserving outstanding opportunities for solitude or a primitive and unconfined type of recreation. Educate the public, emphasizing the role of wilderness experience in nurturing the well-being of individuals, families and the nation. Assign responsibility/accountability to specific line officers for upholding outstanding opportunities for solitude or a primitive and unconfined type of recreation. In particular, assign responsibility: for overall upholding of quality visitor experiences. for planning, implementing and monitoring. for taking management action when thresholds are crossed. for developing training sessions and training agency personnel. for creating/compiling materials and ensuring public education occurs. For ensuring essential research is accomplished and distributed. 16
Note: Current FSM 2323.04 assigns the following responsibilities pertinent to the visitor experience: 2323.04c - Regional Forester 1. Requiring visitor registration and/or permits to measure visitor use. 2323.04d - Forest Supervisor The Forest Supervisor is responsible for approving: 2. Removal of nonconforming uses, developments, or facilities not under permit. 3. Limiting the number of visitors, parties, party size, or duration of visitor stays in a specific area when the wilderness resource is threatened or damaged because of use by an excessive number of people. 2323.04e - District Ranger 2. Maintenance or replacement of existing signs, instruments, and other minor improvements. Define important phrases and terms (add to 2320.5 Definitions), including but not limited to the following: outstanding opportunities for solitude or a primitive and unconfined type of recreation solitude a primitive type of recreation an unconfined type of recreation mental and physical challenge inspiration Write definitions flexible enough to allow for local refinement, but substantive enough to provide direction. Clarify: 1. How the Eastern Wilderness Areas Act language ( physical and mental challenge, inspiration ) applies (to all wildernesses or Eastern only) 2. The or conjunction in the clause outstanding opportunities for solitude or a primitive and unconfined type of recreation 1 3. What it means to manage for outstanding opportunities (versus visitor experiences and versus pedestrian opportunities). 1 The or does NOT indicate part of this provision is optional. The or functions as a conjunction suggesting the inclusive combination of alternatives, similar to the or in this common statement: Consumption of alcoholic beverages impairs your ability to drive a car or operate machinery, and may cause health problems. 17
4. The diversity of outstanding opportunities for solitude or a primitive and unconfined type of recreation that may occur within a wilderness area and across the NWPS within the legal framework of the Wilderness Act. a. What discretion do wilderness managers have? b. Can wildernesses near large population centers or with significant impacts originating from outside the wilderness boundary manage to different standards than wildernesses without these concerns? c. How should areas with outstanding opportunities for solitude preserve those opportunities? 5. Which opportunities (and experiences) are and which are not appropriate in wilderness generally or particular types of wilderness. Ensure that policy and guidance: Advocates a standards-based planning process for ensuring outstanding opportunities for solitude or a primitive and unconfined type of recreation in wilderness. Describes criteria for selecting measures that indicate outstanding opportunities and plans on how to monitor them. Management goals and objectives including: criteria for standards for ensuring outstanding opportunities are prevalent. criteria for establishing NWPS-wide thresholds for minimum acceptable standards. criteria for thresholds at various standard levels that warrant/trigger management responses to preserve outstanding opportunities for solitude and to prevent further degradation of this aspect of wilderness character. - Detail appropriate management responses for preserving outstanding opportunities for solitude, including when it is appropriate to have: No regulations preserving solitude/confining visitors Visitor registration and/or quotas (at trailheads and by area) Group-size limits (heartbeats and/or numbers) Designated/assigned camping sites (to prevent crowding at popular places) No commercial use - Detail what should be considered when weighing preserving outstanding opportunities for solitude versus preserving unconfined recreation. criteria for thresholds at various standard levels that warrant/trigger management action to preserve outstanding opportunities for a primitive and unconfined type of recreation and to prevent further degradation of this aspect of wilderness character. - Detail appropriate management action for preserving outstanding opportunities for a primitive and unconfined type of recreation, including: Reduction of signs/sign information Reduction of trails Reduction of improvements (bridges, fire rings, tables) Reduction of regulations 18
Reduction of site-specific information Describe how to determine the need and extent necessary of commercial services (outfitters and guides) and, if necessary, how to allocate capacity for commercial services. This can build on work already initiated on this topic. Base criteria in Wilderness Act language, including 4(d)6 terms. Incorporate High Sierra Hikers Association v. Blackwell (9 th Circuit Court: to the extent necessary = minimum number of permits to achieve goals of the Wilderness Act) Develop forest plan template Standards & Guidelines for the following aspects that must be upheld in wilderness in order to protect its character: Outstanding Opportunities for Solitude Outstanding Opportunities for Primitive and Unconfined Recreation Make policy development a high priority Leadership, Accountability and Commitment Develop a strategy for increasing the priority given to policy development Create an agency culture at all levels that supports wilderness stewardship being as important as any other resource management target or requirement Prioritize and increase resources (including personnel and funding) available for wilderness stewardship - Meet and exceed minimum 10YWSC level by 2014 for all wilderness areas Create professional wilderness positions - Use Wilderness Core Competencies to establish KSAs and required qualifications (including training ) for wilderness positions Promote the wilderness program as equal in importance to other resource management programs from the top down: - The Director of Wilderness is at a grade and position equal to other directors (currently one step below) - The budget available to the wilderness program is multidisciplinary and distinct. - Wilderness tasks are prioritized equally along with other tasks such as fire, travel management, developed recreation, etc. Wilderness training for line officers, staff officers, and wilderness managers. - Encourage wilderness training for all resource managers. - Require general wilderness stewardship training for all USFS personnel. Require line officer accountability at national, regional, forest, and district level - Performance standards for wilderness are adopted for all line officers 19
- Make preserving wilderness character a performance appraisal measure Increase awareness of the need to manage for outstanding opportunities among agency leaders and managers through information sharing and training. Encourage courageous decision-making to protect quality experiences in wilderness Fund the Arthur Carhart Wilderness Training Center and the Aldo Leopold Wilderness Research Institute to develop and compile materials to support management/education for outstanding opportunities. Encourage use of information sharing resources (i.e. Wilderness.net Toolboxes, Connect Social Network, Aldo Leopold Wilderness Research Institute, etc.) Work with outside groups to work through contentious issues and controversy to provide input to policy development and to educate the public to gain support for maintaining outstanding opportunities Streamline the agreement process and reduce the costs for NGO funding opportunities and other support mechanisms 20