Monitoring Changes in Wilderness Character Why, What, and How 1.

Monitoring Changes inWilderness Character

Why, What, and How

• 1


Peter LandresEcologist, USDA Forest

ServiceAldo Leopold Wilderness

Research Institute

Chris BarnsWilderness Specialist, BLM

National Landscape Conservation System

Arthur Carhart National Wilderness Training Center

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The Interagency Wilderness Policy Council has said that the 4 wilderness managing agencies will have baseline

monitoring for EVERY wilderness completed by 2014

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Review legal and policy mandates

Outline practical stewardship rationale

Define “wilderness character”

Describe monitoring indicators


Interagency Wilderness Character Monitoring

Team


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2 from BLM2 from FWS

2 from FS2 from NPS

1 from USGS

“…provide for…the preservation of their wilderness character…”

The Wilderness Act, Sec 2(a)

“…each agency administering any…wilderness shall be responsible for preserving the wilderness character…”

The Wilderness Act, Sec 4(b)

“…administer…to preserve its wilderness character…”

The Wilderness Act, Sec 4(b)

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Wilderness Character inLaw

BLM: 43 CFR 6300. Background8560.02 and .06

FWS: 610 FW 1-5

FS: FSM 2320.2 and .14

NPS: NPS 6.1 and .3

Wilderness Character inAgency Policy

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Fulfill purpose of the Wilderness Act & improve accountability

Understand consequences of decisions and actionsIntegrate stewardship across all staff areasProvide enduring legacy informationGuard against legal vulnerability

Wilderness CharacterWhy Monitor?

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“…an improper evaluation of the wilderness character of the area….”

Barnes v. Babbitt (D. Ariz.) (2004)

“‘Natural conditions’…are part of the ‘wilderness character’ to be preserved.”

Wilderness Soc. v. USFWS (9th Cir. En banc) (2003)

“…that action degrades the wilderness character….”

Izaak Walton League v. Kimbell (D. Minn.) (2007)

“[The decision] is in direct contradiction of the mandate to preserve the wilderness character.”

OLYM Park Assoc. v. Mainella (West. D. WA) (2005)

Wilderness Character inCourt

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Wilderness “X” at time of designation

Modern Human Influence

moreless

Wild

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Ch

ara

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imp

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deg

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Wilderness Character in Stewardship

stable

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moreless

Wild

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deg

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stable

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moreless

Wild

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deg

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stable

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moreless

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stable

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“The purpose of the Wilderness Act is to preserve the wilderness character of the areas to be included in the wilderness system, not to establish any particular use.”

Howard Zahniser


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Wilderness “characteristics”

ARE NOT THE SAME AS

Wilderness Character

Wilderness Character is more than the sum of its

parts

Wilderness CharacterWhat Is It?

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“an enduring resource of wilderness”

NOT

“resources”

Wilderness CharacterWhat Is It?

Wilderness Act of 1964

“wilderness character”

Section 2(c) Definition of Wilderness

Qualities ofWilderness Character

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“…affected primarily by the forces of nature…”

Untrammeled

Wilderness Character: Qualities

“…an area where the earth and its community of life are untrammeled by man…”

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Unmanipulated

Free

Uncontrolled

Wild

Wilderness Character: QualitiesUntrammeled

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UntrammeledDegraded by actions that manipulate, control, or hinder “the community of life”


Spraying weeds

Killing predators

Collaring

Suppressing / lighting fires

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Wilderness Character: QualitiesUntrammeled

Wilderness is essentially unhindered and free from modern human control or

manipulation• 19

“...protected and managed so as to preserve its natural conditions….”

Wilderness Character: QualitiesNaturalUntrammeled

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Untrammeled: decisions or actions

Natural: effects



• 21

Untrammeled: management decision

Natural: condition of the land

NaturalUntrammeled



Vegetation

Wildlife

Air, Water, Soil

Ecological Processes • 22

NaturalUntrammeled

Degraded by effects (intended or unintended) of modern civilization


Non-native species

Extirpation

Pollution

Interference with ecological

processes• 23

Wilderness ecological systems are substantially free from the effects of

modern civilization


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Undeveloped“…undeveloped…land retaining…primeval character and influence, without permanent improvements…”

“...where man himself is a visitor who does not remain.”

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“We stand without our mechanisms that make us immediate masters over our environment.”Howard Zahniser


Undeveloped

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“In order to assure that…growing mechanization does not occupy and modify all areas within the United States…”

TheWilderness Act, § 2(a)

Degraded by structures and tools that facilitate our ability to occupy or modify the environment


Structures

Installations

Aircraft

Motors

Mechanical transport

NaturalUntrammeled

Undeveloped

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Undeveloped

Wilderness retains its primeval character and influence, and is essentially without permanent improvement or modern human

occupation

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UndevelopedSolitude or Primitive and Unconfined Recreation“…outstanding opportunities for solitude or a primitive and unconfined type of recreation…”

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UndevelopedSolitude or Primitive and Unconfined Recreation

Traditional / Primitive Skills

Challenge & Self-discovery

Connection & Freedom

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Encounters

Facilities

Restrictions

Degraded by settings that reduce these opportunities

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Wilderness provides outstanding opportunities for solitude or primitive

and unconfined recreation • 32


UndevelopedSolitude or Primitive and Unconfined RecreationUnique“may also contain ecological, geological, … scientific, educational, scenic, or historical value.”

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UndevelopedSolitude or Primitive and Unconfined RecreationUnique

May also be part of Natural

quality

Cultural

Paleontological• 34



May also be part of Natural

quality

Cultural

Paleontological• 35



Loss of scientific knowledge

Loss of existence / bequest / spiritual

Degraded by

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Wilderness may have unique qualities which must be protected consistent with a

wilderness context

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Five distinct and equally important qualities that are inter-related

Each wilderness may have unique aspects of all five qualities

Wilderness character is affected by stewardship decisions to take action or not to take action

There are additional implications:


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Example: eradicating non-native invasive species

Control of exotic plants may improve the Natural quality

Control of exotic plants degrades the Untrammeled quality

Wilderness Character: QualitiesImplications for ManagementA single action may

improve one Quality while degrading another

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Wilderness Character: QualitiesImplications for Management

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Change Relativ

e to 2010

Baseline 2015 2020 2025

Untrammeled

Natural

Spraying herbicides to eradicate nonnative

plants

? ?

Example: artificial water sources for desert wildlife

Decision to manipulate degrades the Untrammeled quality

Altered water use patterns may degrade the Natural quality

Presence of the structure degrades the Undeveloped quality

Bighorn survival may improve the Natural quality

Wilderness Character: QualitiesImplications for ManagementA single decision or

action may degrade more than one Quality

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Primary purpose is to improve on-the-ground wilderness stewardship

Applies to every wildernessProvides a national assessment

of trendsUses 13 indicators that were

selected to be relevant, credible, cost-efficient

Uses at least one measure per indicator

Uses data that already are (or should be) collected, or are available nationally

Wilderness Character: QualitiesHow to Monitor

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Quality Question Indicator Measures

UntrammeledWilderness is essentiallyunhindered and free frommodern human control or manipulation

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What are the trends in actions thatcontrol or manipulate the “earth and itscommunity of life” inside wilderness?

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Actions authorized by the Federal land manager that manipulate the biophysical environment


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Actions not authorized by the Federal land manager that manipulate the biophysical environment


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Actions not authorized by the Federal land manager that manipulate the biophysical environment


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Determined by agency


NaturalWilderness ecologicalsystems are substantiallyfree from the effects ofmodern civilization


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Dete

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What are the trends in terrestrial, aquatic, and atmospheric natural resources inside wilderness?


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Dete

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What are the trends in terrestrial, aquatic, and atmospheric natural processes inside wilderness?


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Dete

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Plant and animal species and communities



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Dete

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Physical resources


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Physical resources


Biophysical processes


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UndevelopedWilderness retains its primeval character and influence, and is essentially withoutpermanent improvementor modern humanoccupation


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Dete

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What are the trends in non-recreationaldevelopment inside wilderness?


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Dete

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What are the trends in mechanizationinside wilderness?


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Dete

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Non-recreational structures, installations, and developments


Dete

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Inholdings



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Dete

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Inholdings


Use of motor vehicles, motorized equipment, or mechanical transport

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Inholdings


Use of motor vehicles, motorized equipment, or mechanical transport

What are the trends in cultural resources inside wilderness?

Loss of statutorily protected culturalresources

Dete

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Solitude or Primitiveand UnconfinedRecreation

Wilderness providesoutstanding opportunities for solitude or primitive and unconfinedrecreation


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Dete

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What are the trends in outstandingopportunities for solitude insidewilderness?


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Dete

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What are the trends in outstandingopportunities for primitive andunconfined recreation insidewilderness?


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Dete

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Remoteness from sights and sounds of people inside the wilderness


Dete

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Remoteness from occupied and modified areas outside the wilderness


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Death Valley night sky

Las VegasLos Angeles








Facilities that decrease self-reliant recreation D

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Facilities that decrease self-reliant recreation

Management restrictions on visitor behavior

Dete

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Facilities that decrease self-reliant recreation

Management restrictions on visitor behavior


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Dete

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Some measures are counted once every 5-years, some every year

Significance of change defined by agency

Baseline for evaluating change is the time of wilderness designation (if data exist) or the first time this monitoring is conducted

Trend for each indicator is assessed as “improving,” “stable,” or “degrading”

Consistent rules used to roll up indicator trends to assess trend for the entire wilderness once every 5 years

Wilderness Character:Applying the Strategy

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DOES NOT monitor the full range of conditions and meanings of wilderness character

DOES NOT monitor the full range of resources needed to manage a wilderness

DOES NOT replace specific site, resource, or project monitoring

DOES NOT provide a numerical value or absolute rating of wilderness character

DOES NOT compare one wilderness to another


• 71

Monitoring Trends

in Wildernes

s Character

Agency-specific Data

Management

Agency-specific

Technical Guide


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“We must then do two things: we must see that an adequate system of wilderness areas is designated for preservation; and then we must allow nothing to alter the wilderness character of the preserves.”

H. Zahniser, “Wilderness Forever,” 1961


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FOR MORE INFORMATION

go to

Wilderness Character Toolbox

onwww.wilderness.n

et• 74


Why, What, and How

• 75

Monitoring Changes in Wilderness Character Why, What, and How 1.

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Transcript of Monitoring Changes in Wilderness Character Why, What, and How 1.