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The Rocky Mountains are home to millions of acres of wilderness and other protected areas. Wilderness has a
variety of functions, including providing opportunities for solitude and primitive and unconfined forms of recreation, preservation of biological diversity, and opportunities for research in relatively undisturbed ecosystems. However, wilderness often is controversial, and study of it and its
uses and the study of conflicts surrounding it are important. Knowledgeable managers and citizens are needed to sustain wilderness and its many values.

Research and education related to wilderness ecosystems
and values occur at the interagency Aldo Leopold
Wilderness Research Institute and Arthur Carhart National Wilderness Training Center, and the wilderness centers
at the universities of Idaho and Montana. The RM-CESU
offers the expertise of these partners in providing the
science, education, and training necessary for
wilderness stewardship, both regionally and nationally.

 
RM-CESU research, technical assistance, and education activities focus
on issues necessary to sustain wilderness and wilderness values.
 

 
RM-CESU "Wilderness" Expertise  

Aldo Leopold Wilderness Research Institute
The Aldo Leopold Wilderness Research Institute is the only Federal research group in the United States dedicated to the development and dissemination of knowledge needed to improve management of wilderness, parks and similarly protected areas. Click here.

Arthur Carhart National Wilderness Training Center
 Arthur Carhart Wilderness Training Center missions is to preserve the values and benefits of wilderness for present and future generations by connecting agency employees and the public with their wilderness heritage through training, information and education. Click here.

Wilderness Research Center, University of Idaho
The mission of the Wilderness Research Center is to study the human dimensions of wilderness ecosystems. The WRC conducts research and teaches courses on the use of wilderness for personal growth, therapy, educations and leadership development. Click here.

Wilderness Institute, University of Montana
The Wilderness Institute provides students, agencies and the public with information, education and an understanding of he issues and social and ecological values of wilderness. Click here.

Wilderness Management Distance Education Program
The Wilderness Management Distance Education Program offers accredited university courses for a comprehensive study of wilderness management. WMDEP is a valuable too for understanding the wilderness resource and the issues surrounding its management. Click here.

Project "Spotlight"

Managing the Unexpected in Public
Outreach for Fire and Fuels Management

Prepared by: Katie Knotek, Social Science Analyst,
Aldo Leopold Wilderness Research Institute,
USDA Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station
What's New
 

Meetings

March 25-27, 2008 “Wilderness Stewardship in the Rockies 2008," Glacier National Park, MT. RM-CESU: The University of Montana, Arthur Carhart National Wilderness Training Center and the National Park Service, Intermountain Region provided the organization and support for the fifth annual Wilderness Workshop.  This meeting, held over three days at Glacier NP, was attended by wilderness professionals from the USDA-Forest Service, Parks Canada, the University of Montana, and park staff from Glacier, Yellowstone, Grand Canyon, Great Sand Dunes, Dinosaur, Olympic, Rocky Mountain and Saguaro.   This informal workshop covered topics from “Risk and Safety in Wilderness” to “What is Wilderness Worth?”, and focused on exchange of information among the managers from different agencies.  Agenda; Notes

Links to Past Wilderness Stewardship in the Rockies: Let's Talk 2007; 2005; 2004; 2003

April 16-20, 2007: 2007 George Wright Society Meeting: Rethinking Protected Areas in a Changing World, St. Paul, MN.

April 3-5, 2007: Beyond Naturalness: Desired Future Conditions for Protected Area Ecosystems Given Irreversible Human Impact, University of Montana’s Lubrecht Experimental Forest, MT. The Leopold Institute collaborated with the University of Montana's Wilderness Institute and the Rocky Mountains Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit in the workshop entitled, "Beyond Naturalness? Defining Desired Future Conditions for Protected Area Ecosystems." Leopold Institute scientists David Cole, Dave Parsons and Peter Landres were joined by 13 scientists from the National Park Service, U.S. Geological Survey, U.S. Forest Service, Parks Canada, The Nature Conservancy, The Wilderness Society and Universities in Alaska, California, Montana, North Carolina, British Columbia and Western Australia. Presentations and discussions dealt with challenges in using the concept of naturalness to guide park and wilderness stewardship, particularly given rapid climate change, and explored alternatives such as ecological integrity and resilience.
The consensus of the group was that, while the workshop barely scratched the surface, substantial progress was made in articulating the need for and sketching out some trajectories for a plurality of goals for parks and wilderness. The group agreed to work together to produce an edited book on the topic.

Courses

The Arthur Carhart National Wilderness Training Center is currently offering the following online training courses:

  • Wilderness Stewardship Planning Framework
  • Wilderness Act and Minimum Requirements Decisions
  • Wilderness Act

All courses are FREE for Bureau of Land Management, Fish and Wildlife Service, Forest Service and National Park Service employees.  Other federal or nonfederal employees will be charged a registration fee.  Registration is open until June 6, 2008. For more information visit:  http://carhart.wilderness.net/index.cfm?fuse=elearning

The University of Montana Wilderness Institute is now accepting applications for its Wilderness and Civilization Program and related scholarships. Wilderness and Civilization is an interdisciplinary, two-semester academic program that allows a small group of students from UM and around the country to study firsthand how the ecology, politics, history and culture of a place shape conservation efforts. Upon completion of the program, students receive a minor in wilderness studies that is designed to complement any major. Students must be accepted into the 2008-09 Wilderness and Civilization Program to be eligible for the scholarships. Scholarships range from $700 to $6,000. The program is open to sophomores, juniors and seniors, and is offered for $292 per semester in addition to UM tuition and fees. Program courses meet numerous general education requirements and count for up to four honors courses.

Following are the wilderness studies scholarship titles, amounts and deadlines. The application deadline for the Wilderness and Civilization Program is April 1.

-- Gary and Keith Worf Memorial Scholarship: up to $700, due April 16.
-- Benjamin Cohen Memorial Scholarship: up to $800, due May 9.
-- Jacques Manonian Memorial Scholarships: $2,000-$6,000, due May 9.

All applications are available at: http://www.forestry.umt.edu/research/mfces/programs/wi/wcscholarships.htm. Preference for the Jacques Manonian Memorial Scholarship goes to American Indian and Montana students.

For more information about the wilderness studies scholarships and the Wilderness and Civilization program, visit www.cfc.umt.edu/wc, e-mail wi@cfc.umt.edu or call 243-5361.

Announcements

Moose Creek Wilderness Internship, Selway-Bitterroot WildernessThe Moose Creek Ranger District, on the Nez Perce National Forest, is offering a summer internship opportunity in the 1.3 million acre Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness. Four motivated, hard-working, and outdoor-experienced students will be selected to live and work within the Moose Creek Ranger District’s 560,000 acre portion of the Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness for 6 weeks in June and July of 2008. Work will include: inventory and monitoring, public contact and education, campsite naturalization and clean-up.  The work will require self-sufficient backpacking for extended periods in remote, isolated wild lands. Click here for more information. (posted 2/22/08)

Spanish Translation of Wilderness Website Now Available; Traducción al Español del Sitio de Internet sobre Zonas Naturales Disponible Ahora
A new Spanish language website launched by the National Park Service showcases the beauty and importance of America’s wilderness areas. The interactive site, http://www.nature.nps.gov/views/index_wilderness_sp.htm, explores wild places through activities, maps, information, videos, and interviews. It was developed in partnership with the Arthur Carhart National Wilderness Training Center and the University of Montana’s Wilderness Institute.

The "Views of the National Parks" Wilderness module is available on Wilderness.net at http://www2.nature.nps.gov/views/Index_wilderness.htm#

NPS National Wilderness Steering Committee Guidance Papers
#4 Embracing the Distinction Between Wilderness and Backcountry in theNational Park System
#3 Minimum Requirements Decision Process
#2: Conservation and Restoration in Wilderness
#1: Cultural Resource Management in Wilderness

 
Wilderness Links  

Mollie Beattie Wilderness

 

Research

Aldo Leopold Wilderness Research Institute

UIdaho Wilderness Research Center

Education/Training

Arthur Carhart Wilderness Training Center

UMT Wilderness Institute

Wilderness Management Distance Education Program

Wilderness Resources

Wilderness Information Network

International Journal of Wilderness

Park Science (NPS Journal)

George Wright Society

George Wright Forum - special issue on the "The Challenge of Wilderness"

Science and Management of Protected Areas Association

 
 
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