1

INTEGRATING WILDERNESS CHARACTER INTO PLANNING

Arthur Carhart National Wilderness Training Center, March 2012

Wilderness Character Webinar #3

KEY REVIEW POINTS

• Wilderness character is composed of five qualities that are comprehensive, nationally consistent, and locally applied

2

• This framework of wilderness character is a tool to improve discussion among staff, leading to informed recommendations and decisions

• These ideas are relatively new, so HOW they are implemented will likely improve over time

BUILDING BLOCKS FOR INTEGRATING WILDERNESS CHARACTER INTO PLANNING

BASIC WILDERNESS INFORMATION• What is the basic

information that every wilderness manager needs?

WILDERNESS CHARACTER NARRATIVE• What is unique

and special about the wilderness?

FUTURE PLANNING ISSUES• What are the

short and long term issues and concerns?

3

• Relationship to other specific plans (visitor use, fire management, commercial services, education, exotic species, climbing, climate change)

4

• Wilderness legislation, special provisions, legislative history

• Accurate GIS map of the wilderness

• Existing plan direction Resource Management Plan (BLM) Land Management Plan (FS) Comprehensive Conservation Plan (FWS) General Management Plan, Foundation (NPS)

BASIC WILDERNESS INFORMATION

Special provisionsLegislation Legislative history

Definition:• Qualitative description of

what is unique and special about the wilderness

• Organized by each quality of wilderness character

• Describes what is valued and threats to these values

• Provides depth and nuance in 5 to 20 pages based on a workshop, interviews

Uses:• Complements and informs

planning direction

• Fosters integration and shared understanding between different staffs and programs

• Provides a solid basis for identifying measures

• Frames decisions and consequences

5

WILDERNESS CHARACTER NARRATIVE

Examples at: http://www.wilderness.net/index.cfm?fuse=toolboxes&sec=WC

FUTURE PLANNING ISSUES• Short and long term threats to wilderness

character

• Standards or thresholds that trigger action, including cumulative impacts from permitted uses (How much is too much administrative, commercial, scientific use?)

• Zoning to preserve wilderness character across the entire wilderness

6

NEW PLANNING TOOLS:Mapping wilderness character

Remoteness in the Racetrack area, Death Valley Wilderness

Existing Road Improved Road

The darker the green the better the remotenessThe darker the brown the bigger the adverse impact on remoteness

7

NEW PLANNING TOOLS:NPS Wilderness Stewardship Plan Handbook

Review draft available at:

http://www.wilderness.net/index.cfm?fuse=toolboxes&sec=WC

Provides direction for creating wilderness stewardship plans driven by the concept of preserving wilderness character

8