Wilderness Information
Management Newsletter
2010 Winter Edition
Volume 4 Issue 1
accomplishment and average scores in all regions. This uniformly positive trend is also displayed for each of the elements. The most troubling issue is not the direction of the trend but the relatively slow rate of progress, particularly with the end of the Challenge looming in five years. For the first time, reporting this past year required supplemental documentation to demonstrate accomplishments. Feedback from the field reports that this process helps ensure that legacy data will not be lost in the event of personnel turnover in the future, and having this documentation in hand will greatly facilitate upward reporting in subsequent years. In This Issue:
10 Year Wilderness Stewardship
Challenge Update ................................. 1
Infra-WILD Updates ........................... 2
Infra Corner........................................ 3
Wilderness.net Update........................ 4
Brief Updates ...................................... 5
Spotlight on Stewardship .................... 5
WIMST: Who We Are .......................... 6
10 Year Wilderness
Stewardship Challenge
Update
Halfway through the 10 Year Challenge, the data give a complicated picture related to accomplishments. At the end of FY 2009, as a snapshot in time, only 30% of wildernesses are managed to standard, while the average score is 50.7 points (please refer to the graphs on page 2). Remember, the target is to have all wildernesses that were in existence in 2003 reach the 60‐point mark by 2014. The variation across regions is substantial, with between 2% and 80% of wildernesses meeting standard, and average scores ranging from 30 to 67 pts. The most positive aspect of the reporting is the steady and continual progress in percent [Type text]
Guess this wilderness… (answer on p. 6) Photo: Marc Smith 1
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Percent of Wildernesses Meeting Standard
100.0%
80.0%
FY 05
60.0%
FY 06
40.0%
FY 07
FY 08
20.0%
FY 09
0.0%
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R2
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Average Score Per Wilderness
80.0
70.0
60.0
50.0
40.0
30.0
20.0
10.0
0.0
FY 05
FY 06
FY 07
FY 08
FY 09
R1
R2
R3
R4
R5
R6
.Infra-WILD
Looking ahead to FY 2010 upward reporting, there will be very few changes to Infra‐WILD. Yes, we know, stability is a good thing. There will be no new reporting requirements and the only modifications will be those that either reduce the data entry workload or improve the quality of the data that are reported. For example, almost half of all wildernesses reported they completed all aspects of the reporting, yet they did not have data entered into one or more of the reporting components. In some cases that is probably because they didn’t have any data to report, such as 2
R8
R9
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Updates motorized equipment/mechanical transport use authorizations, or they were unclear on the summarization and approval process. To address this, for FY 2010 reporting, data stewards will either need to ensure that data are entered before they summarize their data, or they will need to explicitly confirm that they have no data to report. This may sound like we’re making too fine of a point here, but for the data to be usable at the regional and national level, we need to have confidence in the accuracy and completeness of that data. [Type text]
done through the User Management Application (UMA). A UMA Manager is designated for each role and organization combination and is responsible for periodically reviewing the roles in each user’s profile and reaffirming whether to renew those roles to allow the user continued access to I‐Web data. Review of the roles is normally done annually but UMA managers can set the expiration date to any length of time less than a year. On the “discretionary” side of Infra‐WILD, a host of improvements will be coming your way this winter or spring focused on improving the utility of Infra‐WILD to collect and manage campsite monitoring data. Of greatest note: Changes have been made to the Recreation Site Impact Monitoring module to make it easier to enter your campsite data the way you track it. The previous process for inputting your monitoring protocol was complicated and difficult to tailor to local procedures. Now you can define the specific monitoring attributes used in by your local protocols and enter them directly into Infra WILD. This is something field people have been clamoring for – now you’ll be able to get the data out of the shoebox and into Infra. The long delayed Wilderness Mobile application is due out before field season. This module will allow you do download your customized monitoring forms, as well as any pre‐existing data, onto your PDR (Personal Data Recorder) for data collection in the field. Upon return to the office, you can then upload your data directly into the Infra‐WILD database. We’re also planning a release of the legacy data migration utility that will facilitate the migration of your existing campsite data into Infra‐WILD through the use of MS Excel as an intermediary format. If you receive an email notifying you your role is about to expire, you should contact your UMA manager and work with them to be sure your role is extended. The role required for edit access to Infra Wilderness data is WILDERNESS MANAGER. Wilderness data are maintained at the Forest level, so the Organization identified in conjunction with the role will need to be the Forest that is identified as the lead Forest for your specific Wilderness. If you do not know who your UMA Manager is, the Regional Wildness Program manager or the Forest or Regional Infra Coordinator can tell you. A list of Regional Infra Coordinators can be found at http://basenet.fs.fed.us/about/ric/index.shtml If you have roles for more than one business area and just one of your roles expires, you will need to request that role again through UMA and then notify your UMA Manager of the request. If all of your roles expire, your entire profile will be archived and you will need to submit a ticket to BASE to have your profile reactivated. Once your profile is reactivated, request the roles again. Infra Corner
What do I do about that email from I‐Web that says: “Your I‐Web Profile is about to Expire”? I‐Web security policy requires that all roles in a user’s profile expire at some point unless they are renewed. The administration of roles is 3
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Wilderness.net Update
Wilderness Preservation System boundary dataset from the now defunct USGS National Atlas program. This dataset is an interagency effort that aggregates together official wilderness boundaries from the four wilderness management agencies. Through partnerships with Google and MyTopo, Wilderness.net now offers visitors the ability to view the official wilderness boundaries overlaid on top of satellite imagery or topographic maps. In addition to toggling, zooming, and panning, visitors can download wilderness boundaries in a variety of formats including KML for viewing in Google Earth. Social networking for wilderness: On December 1, 2009, Wilderness.net announced the premiere of its first social networking website for wilderness professionals. Connect.wilderness.net is designed to facilitate conversations about pressing wilderness issues among federal wilderness managers and their partners through the use of new social media and Web 2.0 technologies. This social network is open to individuals having a professional wilderness connection, including, but not limited to: federal, state and local government agency employees, academics, K‐12 educators, and other wilderness professionals. Currently, it is the only social network specifically connecting wilderness professionals. Visit http://www.wilderness.net/NWPS/ to access these new maps. Connect.wilderness.net at a Glance 305 members 28 active groups, including: • Forest Service Chief’s 10‐Year Wilderness Stewardship Challenge • Non‐Native Invasive Species • Outfitter Guide Needs Assessment • Climbing in Wilderness • Fire and Wilderness • Wilderness Education and Interpretation Features including: • Discussion forums • Private and open groups • Trainings/conferences calendar • Document and picture upload • Status updating • Robust, searchable member profiles Satellite map for California’s recently‐designated Pleasant View Ridge Wilderness Visit http://connect.wilderness.net to log in or request an invitation. Topographic map information: In May 2009, Wilderness.net added dynamic GIS maps of wilderness areas by taking over maintenance of the official National Topographic map for California’s recently‐designated Pleasant View Ridge Wilderness 4
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and to improve data quality at the same time. For example, the form could be handed off to an incident management team to track motorized equipment use during a fire suppression effort. These forms will be made available prior to field season. Brief Updates
Wilderness Character Monitoring: The interagency team developing a national approach to monitoring wilderness character has recommended implementation, and the Wilderness Policy Council has committed to assessing baseline conditions by 2014, the 50th anniversary of the Wilderness Act. As part of this effort, USFS wilderness leadership is exploring options for funding and implementing a nationwide approach for monitoring wilderness character. Service‐wide Agreement with FIA: The Wilderness and Forest Inventory & Analysis (FIA) Staffs have had a formalized agreement for the past decade to document the agreed procedures for conducting inventory activities inside designated Wilderness. The most recent agreement expired this fall, providing an opportunity to revisit the conditions of the agreement and address concerns related to communication and monumentation. This recently signed agreement, supported by actions to be taken by the respective staffs, will help make sure that FIA can conduct its activities as mandated by Congress in a manner that is consistent with wilderness values. Spotlight on Stewardship: Poudre Wilderness Volunteers The Poudre Wilderness Volunteers began in 1995 as the brain child of dedicated wilderness volunteer ranger Charles Bell. Today, with nearly 250 members, the organization plays a vital role in stewardship for the Rawah, Comanche Peak, Neota and Cache la Poudre Wildernesses. In 2009, in recognition of more than 22,000 volunteer hours spent patrolling, educating the public about Leave No Trace, clearing trails, and treating weeds over the past year, PWV received the Environmental Stewardship Award from Larimer County Commissioners and the Environmental Advisory Board.
http://www.poudrewildernessvolunteers.com/ Featured Website
Campaign for America’s Wilderness The Campaign for America’s Wilderness, a cornerstone of the Pew Environment Group’s commitment to protect public lands in the United States, works to protect the nation’s remaining wild lands to ensure an enduring legacy for wilderness for future generations. The Campaign joins with state and local partners to raise public awareness of our special wild lands and to secure dependable, permanent protection for wild lands administered by the Forest Service and the other federal wilderness agencies. http://www.leaveitwild.org/ Motorized Equipment/Mechanical Transport Tracking Forms: The WIMST is currently developing two forms (one for emergency authorizations; the other for administrative) to document motorized equipment and mechanical transport use authorizations during the season when they occur. This will make it easier to enter the data into Infra‐WILD at season’s end 5
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WIMST: Who We Are
The WIMST consists of one wilderness management representative from each region and the Washington Office, along with a wilderness social scientist from academia and a representative from Infra. We are here to represent you. If you have thoughts you would like to share, please give your representative a call or an email. Background information, team meeting notes, and WIMST products are found on the FSWeb at : WIMST – December, 2009
Comments
Questions, comments, or information requests regarding specific topics are welcome! Please direct your feedback to Steve Boutcher: sboutcher@fs.fed.us http://fsweb.wo.fs.fed.us/rhwr/wilderness/wimst/in
dex_wimst.html Current WIMST Members
Kimberly Schlenker R1, Gallatin NF
Kevin Cannon
R2, Arapaho-Roosevelt NF,
Canyon Lakes RD
Diane Taliaferro
R3, Santa Fe NF
Nick Glidden
R4, Dixie NF
Togan Capozza
R5, Klamath NF
Sweyn Wall
R6, Wallowa-Whitman NF,
Eagle Cap RD
Tim Eling
R8, Daniel Boone NF
Les Russell
R9 Huron-Manistee NF
Baldwin/White Cloud RD
Brad Hunter
R10, Tongass NF, Petersburg
RD
Troy Hall
University of Idaho
Steve Boutcher
WO, Wilderness & Wild and
Scenic Rivers Staff
Vicky Duvall
R2, San Juan NF (I-Web)
Guess this wilderness… Cloud Peak
Wilderness, Region 2 (Photo: Marc Smith)
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