RESULTS FROM SMALL-GROUP DISCUSSIONS
Global Wilderness Government Managers’ Seminar - 8th WWC
September 29, 2005, Anchorage, Alaska
Following are the complete notes recorded during each of the Breakout Sessions.
The deepest thanks to all the facilitators and recorders for their time and expertise in
making these small-group discussions work: Judy Alderson, Tom Carlson, Tim Devine,
Eileen Devinney, Frances Gertsch, Sherry Hazelhurst, Peter Landres, Sue Lakomski, Marti
Marshall, Connie Myers, Bud Rice, Dave Sanders, Maeve Taylor, and Laurie Thorpe.
THEME 1: Improving Global Communication for Wilderness Stewardship
Facilitator: Marti Marshall, US Forest Service
Recorder: Sherry Hazelhust, US Forest Service
Group Understanding And Definition Of This Theme:
 Mixture of using internet, traveling to meetings overseas, using email
 Meet people and continuing/expanding relationships (networking)
 Knowing whom to contact for an exchange of information
 Ability to find out who’s been in a similar situation and how they dealt with it
 One on one opportunities to interact (Sister Park Programs, etc)
 Journals
 Exchanges
Stewardship Issues:
 Research results
 Access issues
 Learning from others
 Looking for creativity and innovation in dealing with user conflicts and expanding
public involvement
 Incorporating indigenous values
 Connect better with others (subgroups) that have themes in common, e.g. those with
wilderness greater than 60 degrees, bioregions
 Aircraft overflights
 Cross boundary collaboration (between adjacent countries)
 External threats (air quality, climate change)
 Degree to which buffers areas are used around wilderness
 Funding sources
Top 3-4 Priority Stewardship Issues:
1. Websites
2. Exchanges
3. Seminars/Meetings/Conferences/Workshops
Page 1 of 27
4. Journals/Publications
Information and Resources Needed to Resolve These Priority Issues:
Objectives:
 Improve communication – why? 1) enriching knowledge base, 2) communication
venues, 3) learn from each other, 4) become better stewards, 5) relationship
building…see issues
 In sharing info, you can avoid pitfalls others have experienced
 Spiritual need to know others are experiencing similar issues
 Saving money and time
 Concept of world-wide conservation – we’re all in this together, won’t get there
alone
 Desire to connect with one another
Top 3-4 Priority Information, Resources, and Tools Needed:
Issue #1: Websites
1. Needs analysis from audience
2. Platform to use
3. Funding for creation, maintenance
4. Approach – phased with regional info or metadata for all areas
Discussion Notes
 wilderness.net – good idea to make global. Need to look at need and have that
drive development (what groups/what needs). National champions (wildland
network in UK) to make it searchable, need to have international standard for
storing information. Logistical concerns, staffing, funding would need to be
addressed. Huge undertaking to take it internationally. Part of the issue would be
funding, roles, jurisdiction, and responsibility—look at current charter. Wild
Foundation would like to take it internationally, but doesn’t have the money. May
need to look at other possibilities for making this work.
 Wilderness Task Force (WTF) has a website, as a place to post information –
people not using more than signing in. Question of audience: at national level
doing different things to address the questions. May be an appropriate venue for
linking to national databases to bridge gap between Congresses every 4 years.
Register of people part of task force. No funding. It does take money to make
these tools be useful and drive the project, including developing information.
Beyond scope of 4 agencies in this country to expand wilderness.net. Could we
make a chat room space functional on the WTF site? It has some features like a
calendar and chat room.
 Recognize need of money/staff/time to establishing an infrastructure for developing
an internet info tool. Could be a Congress resolution.
 IUCN would be an appropriate way to develop this resource.
 Difference between protection of areas around arctic circle.
 Global networking solution, maybe start small with circumpolar areas and expand.
Lots of common issues around there, indigenous people management, ecotourism
Page 2 of 27











Ask the Northern Forum to take on the project. Always seemed to be eager to take
on this assistance. Could put this idea forward to the group.
There’s also a need for a greater solution—are there tools other than websites?
International ranger organization with a website
Will be important to list partners e.g. PALnet by IUCN on info dissemination,
(parksnet.org), Arctic Council/Northern Forum, World Conservation Monitoring
Center (UNEP), Wildland-network (UK), wilderness.net,
Keep the large focus on an international tool, but also encourage the local/regional
groups to develop their tools.
Tool to search multiple databases across net
Analysis of websites out there, common standards, needs to develop a basis for an
overall website. Where’s the focus? Managers, users? (see Finland’s website for
user based www.outdoors.fi)
Need more information for exchange – what are people looking for?
Not just a sum of information on protected areas everywhere; it is important to have
access to information from others’ experience and adapt to individuals’ needs. At
first, maybe not a huge database on everything, but a meta data site that houses the
best information, e.g. collection and use of aboriginal knowledge, GIS applications.
With the best information included, we can have contacts for meaningful exchange
at parks or between parks.
When considering financing, maybe we can approach World Wilderness Congress
or IUCN for money to support such a website.
Sounds like two potential tracks: a pilot or smaller region and a meta-data site
Top 3-4 Priority Information, Resources, and Tools Needed:
Issue #2: Exchange programs
1. Develop umbrella, comprehensive approach to facilitate exchanges
2. Generate sponsorship/funding options
3. Include all levels of staffing: professionals, academics, students, retirees,
volunteers
4. Work with agency international affairs or programs offices as venue to coordinate
more immediately
Discussion Notes
 Exchange programs: could do more to make it more comprehensive approach (park
service); maybe we’re missing opportunities. In Colorado, have had 8 people from
South Africa attend training or work in CO sites, also have temporary staff go to
South Africa in US winter to volunteer to work there. Cost of plane tickets is
biggest cost. Extensive fire seasons have allowed exchange with Finland exchanges
with EuroParks, also exchanges with Russia, and Hunan region in China. Various
kinds of programs not under a wilderness umbrella. Registration for Park Service
that catalogs people interested and available in International Program Assignments.
IP Protected Area Seminars: are there US and other country managers. Add
opportunity for science exchange.
o Needs: sponsorship (USAID, corporate, grants); be opportunistic and
approach others for gaining sponsorship.
Page 3 of 27








May be institutional barriers to reach out when trying to include global participation
in meetings/conferences
Use the International Programs staff in the US agencies to help facilitate exchanges
with other countries. Maybe make contact list and review applicants for a
competitive process
Line officer training (e.g. Carhart and how they choose int’l participants)
Use legislative mandates to incorporate requirement for working internationally to
achieve protected area management – encourage to think beyond boundaries.
Don’t limit exchanges to professionals, also academics, students at all levels,
perhaps retirees/volunteers
To find the correct contacts, we will need a database of individuals available
Perhaps use the agency’s international programs offices, retiree organizations, or
NGOs to facilitate volunteer programs
Be creative and think about ways to find others for funding some programs, e.g.
corporate donation of frequent flyer miles, messages to expatriate communities who
could sponsor people to come.
Top 3-4 Priority Information, Resources, and Tools Needed:
Issue #3: Seminars, Meetings, Conferences
1. Continue government seminars as part of World Wilderness Congress (every 4
years)
2. Add an additional government seminar between Congresses (every 2 years)
3. Consider topical workshops or small group discussion
4. Consider other ways to meet: list serves, web casts with synthesized information
Discussion Notes
 Topical workshops: create more opportunities and allow for international
participation.
 Conferences: Was this two-day government seminar worth doing at all congresses?
And are there any other forums for this group to meet?
o If not for this seminar, there would not be a place for people to meet one
another from multiple governments.
o Yes, repeat
o Difference in NGO community, so valuable to keep at governmental level,
or consider inviting those NGOs who function as land managers
o Could meet in smaller groups, e.g. those in Europe focused on specific
topics
o Law and policy roundtable: e.g. focused session that allows gov’t
employees to attend, hosted by Wild Foundation; World Parks Congress,
every 10 years hosted by IUCN; World Conservation Congress, every 4
years (need to make sure that there are reasonable # of days; keep to one
week if merged with another meeting)
o How frequently? Every 2 years? One tied to Congress, one a stand alone.
Could be a way to get continuity and encourage others to participate
o Recommend that the gov’t seminar be included with the World Wilderness
Congress
Page 4 of 27
o Look for sponsorship for the alternate 2 years by another group
Top 3-4 Priority Information, Resources, and Tools Needed:
Issue #4: Journals/Publications
1. International Wilderness Journal: read it, subscribe to it, contribute to it
2. Perhaps make certain articles available in other languages (partner with
universities)
3. Use needs assessment to target information
Discussion Notes
 Journals – Int’l Wilderness journal; subscription level is disappointing, and getting
people to contribute articles; only available in English (perhaps a partnership with
universities to translate)
o Read it
o Subscribe to it
o Contribute to it
o Perhaps make available in different languages
 Needs assessment: what are the issues? Ask managers globally about needs for
communications. List serves may be useful if group is focused. Web casts with
real time Q/A discussions. People need more synthesis, rather than just
information. Need more time to strategize.
Ways To Improve International Communication, Networking, and Sharing on These
Issues and on the Information, Resources, and Tools Needed to Resolve Them:
 Post presentations on internet
 Synthesis of this workshop
 Exchanging business cards
 Attend discussion of Wilderness Task Force next week
Page 5 of 27
THEME 2a: Managing for Ecological Values
Facilitator: Peter Landres, US Forest Service
Recorder: Bud Rice, US National Park Service
Problems with Understanding and Defining This Theme:
 Can we use the term stewardship to describe this theme? Stewardship is more gentle
term than management. Can we use care-taker? Having dominion means to be a
good steward. Peter proposes we use management and stewardship interchangeably.
 There is a difference between ecological values and resources, which are extractive
resources. Resources do not equal values. Values exist and are not used by humans.
Group Understanding and Definition of This Theme:
 Values are: existence values, philosophical. Wildlife trees and rocks have right to
exist. Food and habitat for wildlife.
 Values are ecological integrity.
 Unfettered evolution.
 Gene bank.
 Clean air and water.
 Connection to social values; humans can be part of the ecological values.
 Benchmark
 Refugia
 Large protected areas
 Protected for long periods
 Resilience
Stewardship Issues:
 Natural role of fire E
 Non-native invasive species E
 Conservation of biological diversity providing representative ecosystem elements.
I/E
 External threats: work with surrounding land managers. E
 Limits on research impacts E
 Restoration of previously used and abused areas; removing elements that don’t
belong. E
 Internal threats like recreational use. E
 Lack of socio-political understanding and commitment. I/C
 Better information on values for protecting areas, including economic values (e.g.
clean water) I
 Management based science directed to inform management decisions. I
 Lack of appropriate information for stewardship decisions. I
 Underestimating significance of changes or impacts; elasticity and resilience of
resources. I
 Understanding audience and packaging information. I
Page 6 of 27








Purposes of areas differ, and compatibility with those purposes may differ. What is
appropriate for area purpose? Need to have and understand the purposes for
protected wilderness areas so actions and activities are appropriate. C/I
Reconcile wilderness objectives with biodiversity objectives. C/I
Use of other knowledge systems (traditional versus scientific approaches) to
understand ecological systems. I
Lack of resources/money. C
Distribution of management resources, choices. C
Ecological processes. E
Effectiveness of management to achieve objectives; adaptive management. C
Stop the threats; the will to act. C/E
Discussion Notes: All the above issues were combined into the three below using the
abbreviations as follows:
E = Ecological
--Maintain natural ecosystem functioning or ecological integrity
--Control threats and impacts to natural ecological integrity
--Managing for ecological integrity
I = Information and understanding
--Need for these
--Lack of these
C = Capacity and capability
--to act (human and financial resources, politics, education, policies)
--Management Capability: science and information, policy, $, politics.
Top 3-4 Priority Stewardship Issues:
1. Ecological integrity
2. Information and understanding of ecological values
3. Management capacity and capability
Information and Resources Needed to Resolve These Priority Issues:
 Internet
 Academics – pubs, research, knowledge and information
 Protocols – inventory and monitoring, guidance, criteria and indicators
 Technology: remote sensing, models, genetic research
 Use of mass media
 Global I&M
 Long term monitoring for management effectiveness, ecological values, threat and
impacts
 Education – internal and external (training)
 Quarantine, fences,
 Indigenous people’s presence and knowledge
 Legacy information – people on the land, management experience (long term),
ways to engage
 Conferences and other ways to network for information sharing.
Page 7 of 27

Management plans and strategies
o Legislation and regulations
o Reporting – states of parks reports. Accountability and transparency.
o Identify gaps
Top 3-4 Priority Information, Resources, and Tools Needed:
1. Knowledge (documented and undocumented)
2. Planning and decision-making tools
3. Networking, sharing, training
Ways To Improve International Communication, Networking, and Sharing on These
Issues and on the Information, Resources, and Tools Needed to Resolve Them:
 Translation into multiple languages
 Internet forum, tool boxes, documentation (among and external to governments)
 International Journal of Wilderness
 Standing committee of subject matter experts
 Coordinate NGOs, Governments, and Foundations
 Conferences (e.g. 9th WWC)
 Cross fertilization with diverse groups about ecological wilderness values
Top 3-4 Ways to Improve International Communication, Networking, And Sharing:
1. Coordination
2. Clearing House for information
3. Respect and building relationships.
Page 8 of 27
THEME 2b: Managing for Ecological Values
Facilitator: Judy Alderson, US National Park Service
Recorder: Sue Lakomski, US Fish and Wildlife Service
Stewardship Issues:
 Vegetative/Ecological Process change due to human use or influence
o Fire exclusion, grazing & invasives.
 Identification and protection of biological “hotspots” (Areas that have a large
concentration of species that migrate out to other parts of the world; biologically
diverse; biological refugia.
 Accessing/measuring system health
 Role of wilderness in perpetuating native or threatened or endangered species, fish
and wildlife and plants.
 Spatial identification of ecological processes and threats to those processes.
 Identify which ecological elements are wilderness dependent.
 Thresholds for measurement actions within wilderness areas, in relation to size.
o How do we allow for natural processes in areas that are really too small for
that?
o Invasives
o Climate Change
o Fire (inclusion/exclusion)
o Harvest
o Quality of habitat
o Keystone species management
o Grazing
o Human/indigenous intervention/activity (How do we describe “desired
state” especially when we say indigenous people are involved.)
o Social or societal values of wilderness
 Air Quality Monitoring and Management
 Understanding of ecosystem services provided by wilderness, e.g. air quality, water
quality, including economic values.
 Preservation of wilderness character while collecting scientific data, e.g. ? between
wilderness value.
 Use of traditional knowledge and science. How do we do this?
 Representation of ecological systems in wilderness areas (i.e. not just what is left).
o Systematic conservation planning.
o Value of buffer zones.
Top 3-4 Priority Stewardship Issues:
1. Understanding ecological values & ecosystems services provided by wilderness.
2. Representation of ecological or systematic conservation planning, including
hotspots.
3. Thresholds for management action within wilderness areas.
o Size
o Invasives
o Climate change,
Page 9 of 27
o Fire (inclusion & exclusion)
o Harvest
o Quality of habitat
o Keystone species management
o Grazing
4. Vegetative/ecological process change due to human use or influence.
Top 3-4 Priority Information, Resources, and Tools Needed:
Issue #1: Thresholds for measurement actions within wilderness areas.
1. Set of specific ecological management objectives.
2. Biocontrol/agents (after testing).
3. Active management external to wilderness; especially fire.
4. Partnerships with adjacent land owners.
5. Use of a planning model such as Limits of Acceptable Change that includes
biological & social values.
Top 3-4 Priority Information, Resources, and Tools Needed:
Issue #2: Understanding ecological values & ecosystems services provided by
wilderness.
1. Utilize cultural values expressed by elders in Native communities to help
establish value.
2. Develop use of resource economics, research on a systems level:
o Implications of use of economic justification need to be carefully evaluated.
o Qualitative research to identify values.
o Increase emphasis on water quality as a wilderness value.
Top 3-4 Priority Information, Resources, and Tools Needed:
Issue #3: Representation of ecological systems (systematic conservation planning,
including hotspots)
1. Spatial identification of ecological processes and threats to those processes.
2. Improve public education on why a diverse ecological representation has value.
Educate ourselves (within agencies about the same)
3. Identify gaps in protected systems; develop plan to acquire or otherwise include
them in the wildlife system.
4. Any system must be flexible enough to take advantage of opportunities.
Top 3-4 Priority Information, Resources, and Tools Needed:
Issue #4: Vegetative/Ecological Process change due to human use or influence
1. Fire exclusion, grazing and invasives.
2. Define biological integrity an ecological change of a system.
3. Development of baseline data.
4. Monitoring protocols.
5. Develop historic data base that includes/uses by traditional ecological knowledge
and use by indigenous people.
6. Develop well informed management strategy.
7. Model to integrate the existing data & test against known actions.
Page 10 of 27
Ways To Improve International Communication, Networking, and Sharing on These
Issues and on the Information, Resources, and Tools Needed to Resolve Them:
 Expand wilderness network to an international system (or at least to include global
information)
 Hold smaller or regional international seminars between WWC.
 Identify and cultivate global wilderness champions.
 Maintain accessibility of WWC to international community, especially developing
nations.
 Ditto this government agencies seminar.
 Remember other agencies and countries for our own seminars.
Page 11 of 27
THEME 3: Managing for Social Values
Facilitator: Tom Carlson, US Forest Service
Recorder: Eileen Devinney, US National Park Service
Stewardship Issues:
 Wildland is homeland
 Spiritual value
 Global universal values – what are some examples
 Needs/well-being of indigenous people
 Measures for defining and measuring values within country/world
 Determine economic values of wilderness
 Support from urban populations
 Recognize necessity to chose between values
 Measure values against preservation of wilderness character
 Conflicts within a value
 Connecting a value with something physical in wilderness
 Commercial services for economics and education value
 Loss of allies for wilderness (ex, needs for economic development outweighing
interest in wilderness values)
 Determining which allowed uses are appropriate
 Need to assess what wilderness means to society
 Conflict between subsistence need and legal, societal definition of wilderness
 Research to define subsistence links to wilderness
 Better articulation of wilderness re: indigenous peoples
 Wilderness and overlay of public lands management
 Management of all protected lands
 Lack of awareness about research and resources available
 Participation of indigenous populations in decision-making processes
 Preserving/Documenting historical use patterns
 Separation of wilderness from other protected areas for social values
 Use of wilderness designation to prevent consumptive uses; also precludes other
recreation uses
 Need to define wilderness character on global basis; actions to manage those can
occur on local level
 Determining capacity and capability
 Need for capability to revise legislation to address changes in values and
stakeholders
 Connecting science to subsistence
 Management view of solitude/crowding versus visitors/societal view
 Concern for elitism
 Technology and uses – views of managers versus visitors (ex, GPS vs. maps,
dogsleds vs. snowmachines)
Broad issues
Page 12 of 27
Indigenous concerns
Policy
Use
Conflicting values
Research/Science
Top 3-4 Priority Stewardship Issues:
 Need to assess what wilderness means to society
 Measure social values against wilderness character
 Spiritual value
 Participation of local and indigenous populations in decision-making processes
 Defining and measuring value with country/world
Consolidation of top five issues:
1. Describe universal characteristics of wilderness that are shared across cultures and
over time.
2. Identify common and changing social values that people associate with wilderness
characteristics
3. Participation of local and indigenous populations in decision-making processes
Top 3-4 Priority Information, Resources, and Tools Needed:
Issue #1: Describe universal characteristics of wilderness that are shared across
cultures and over time.
1. Video – Wilderness Values (cross-cultural views on wilderness)
2. Raise awareness of available resources and those under development (existing
studies, wilderness.net, etc)
3. Draw from information available in broader social science research
4. IUCN Wilderness Task Force
Top 3-4 Priority Information, Resources, and Tools Needed:
Issue #2: Identify common and changing social values that people associate with
wilderness characteristics
1. Establish information clearing house for social research and management topics
2. NSRE – focus information for use
3. World Wilderness Congress products
4. Draw from information available in broader psychological and social research
5. Build opportunities for international partnerships
Top 3-4 Priority Information, Resources, and Tools Needed:
Issue #3: Participation of local and indigenous populations in decision-making
processes
1. Examples or models of successful partnerships
2. Management commitment to visit communities and work with and learn from local
people
3. Adapt resources to reflect and incorporate local issues – make it relevant and local
4. Establish an open process
Page 13 of 27
Ways To Improve International Communication, Networking, and Sharing on These
Issues and on the Information, Resources, and Tools Needed to Resolve Them:
 Web sites
 Personal contacts – go to your constituents
 Media
 Newsletters to local constituents and broader public
Page 14 of 27
THEME 4: Meeting the Challenge of Human Use Management
Facilitator: Frances Gertsch, Parks Canada
Recorder: Laurie Thorpe, US Fish and Wildlife Service
Stewardship Issues:
(the numbers next to these bullets correspond with the 4 themes identified below)
 Overcrowding 1 2 3
 Habitat impacts 1
 Human waste disposal 1 2
 Illegal or inappropriate activities 1 2 3
 Encroachment 1
 Lack of enforcement 2 3
 Education 1
 Ignorance 2 3
 Bush fire 1
 Poaching 1
 User group conflicts – Incompatible uses 2
 Uncontrolled access 1 2
 Role of commercial activities 2
 Invasive species 1
 Advancing technology 1 2 3
 Displacement of people 1 2
 Landscape fragmentation 1
 Impacts from outside the boundaries 1 2
 Lack of understanding – laws and policies, wilderness vs front country, review
process, minimum impact techniques. 3
 Disconnect with our natural surroundings 2
 Jurisdictional issues
 Pressure to build structures 1 2
 Political pressure 2
 Maintaining political support 2
 Accommodating traditional uses and cultural / indigenous uses 1 2
 Lack of adequate mgt. standards
 Lack of manpower
 Inadequate public involvement, locally and nationally, confrontational. 2 3
 Lack of equipment / facilities 2 3
 Lack of consistency – among agencies, within agencies
 Lack of knowledge and research, including indigenous knowledge 3
 Impacts of research – “monumentization” 1 2
 Application of research – use in management
 Prioritizing research needs
 Unclear boundaries 1 2
 Local “think” 1 2 3
 Grazing 1 2 3
Page 15 of 27









Logging 1 2 3
Erosion of pristine character 1 2
Drought 1 2 - human/wildlife conflict caused by drought
Special events 1 2 3
Wildlife Issues – displacement 1
Displacement of people 1
Security and visitor/public safety 2 3
Impacts of public safety 1 2
Administrative impacts 1 2
We started to group things in themes. But this was too difficult, you can see we have no
“4” so then: Group broken up into 4 groups to define the following 4 themes:
Themes:
1. Environmental impact (effects)
Definition: A measurable change in the soil, wildlife, air, vegegation.
>Impacts of access
>Everything we do has an effect - What are acceptable effects? Thresholds?
2. Social impacts
Managing conflict – values, overcrowding, multi- cultures, purposes
3. Influencing human behavior
Tools to influence human behavior:
o Raising awareness
o Technology –
o Special events – often the way people find out about uses, wilderness
opportunities
o Guidebooks – provide info on crowding
Summarized:
>Tools – special events, guidebooks, education, laws, etc.
>Influence of technology
4. Management / Administration
The thought process was: Inadequate/inconsistent policies =
inadequate/inconsistent management/administration.
> Inadequate/Inconsistent Policies
> Application of Policies
Top seven were narrowed down by 3 votes from each participant.
 Managing Conflict 12 votes
 Inadequate/inconsistent policy 7 votes
 Application of policies 7 votes
 Tools to influence human behavior (includes site design…) some tools are not
being used, some can be applied more, 14 votes
Page 16 of 27



Influence of technology on human behavior 4 votes
Impacts of access 13 votes
Standards for acceptability of effects 12 votes
Top 3-4 Priority Stewardship Issues:
1. Managing Conflict
2. Tools & Policies to influence human behavior
3. Impacts of access (including technology)
4. Standards for acceptability of environmental effects
Information and Resources Needed to Resolve These Priority Issues:
brainstorm list **
 Inform facility design
 Gathering & Information sharing – Global, National, Local
 Quotas – how? How to set carrying capacity
 Wilderness Plans
 Stakeholder identification, involvement
 Education & awareness raising & training
 Legislation & Policy
 Funding! Resources! >> Accountability
 Accountability systems (for managers)
 Partnering – doing more with less
 Marketing research – what do the users want?
 Develop and implement monitoring program – are we within our standards?
Ecological and Social conditions.
 Core Curriculum *education and awareness
 “Professionalization” of Recreation and Wilderness Management – core curriculum.
 Training of staff
 Monitorability
 Enforcement
 Consistent Policy Development
 Permit system to educate and influence
** this is a menu that groups used to develop their top 3-4 tools
Top 3-4 Priority Information, Resources, and Tools Needed:
Issue #1: Managing Conflict
1. Understanding public needs, identifying and engaging stakeholders
2. Education (external) awareness and training (internal).
3. Creative and proactive with problem solving
4. Information gathering and sharing (with stakeholders)
Top 3-4 Priority Information, Resources, and Tools Needed:
Issue #2: Tools & Policies to Influence Human Behavior
Page 17 of 27
1. Education, awareness and training. – core curriculum in gradeschool, certification
or required training for guides and or visitors
2. Design: physical social
3. Permit system to educate and influence
Top 3-4 Priority Information, Resources, and Tools Needed:
Issue #3: Impacts of Access (including technology)
1. Existing conditions – baseline information
2. Education, awareness and training, getting stakeholder and local buy in
3. Legislation, Policy and planning tools
Top 3-4 Priority Information, Resources, and Tools Needed:
Issue #4: Standards for Acceptability of Environmental Effects
1. Aquireing new knowledge and research
2. Sharing knowledge and experience – get it, share it, use it
3. Apply knowledge to planning
Top 3-4 Ways to Improve International Communication, Networking, And Sharing:
1. Internet forum via wilderness.net for international accessibility, i.e. RecTalk.
2. Use existing networks of international groups, i.e. IUCN/WWF, with partners, like:
International Travel and Tourism and Trade Associations, groups.
3. Participation in Periodic events (i.e. this WWC)
4. Exchange Program
Page 18 of 27
THEME 5: Protecting the Wilderness Resource
Facilitator: Tim Devine, US National Park Service
Recorder: Dave Sanders, US Forest Service
Problems With Understanding And Defining This Theme:
 What is it that we are tying to protect? What are the attributes of Wilderness that
must be protected and require stewardship?
 How does this vary by country and culture?
 Are there overriding values that connect all countries and cultures?
 How do we scale down this discussion into a workable range? What is the scope of
this question?
 There is a wide range of interpretation due to the range of experience of each
participant.
Stewardship Issues:
 Law enforcement
 Education and Information
 Emergency Services
 Tourism development- inside or outside of the protected area?
 Recreation Management
 Fire management- arson from outside and inside the wilderness
 Fish and Wildlife management
 Air quality
 Policy- how do certain policies counteract each other?
 Invasive species
 Special uses- permitting issues, range of uses, what are appropriate?
 Governance- line officer support? Chain of command, political issues
 Workforce- training, more than just numbers, experience
 Partnerships
 Pre-existing rights- grandfather rights, mining claims, grazing rights
 Economic
 Encroachment by Development
 Boundary Issues- How do other countries affect wilderness in an area?
Top 3-4 Priority Stewardship Issues:
1. Education and Information- preventative, proactive management. This is a
preliminary step to reduce the need for enforcement and compliance
2. Law Enforcement- the application of rules and regulations. Tied very closely to
education, information and outreach.
3. Boundary Issues- How do the activities of outside political entities (government
authorized or otherwise) affect local wilderness management?
4. Economics- includes policies and governance
Top 3-4 Priority Information, Resources, and Tools Needed:
Issue #1: Education and Information
Page 19 of 27
1. Reaching the Public- Identify the audience, how do we tailor the message for
maximum effectiveness? What is the message? What is the philosophy/ethics of
Wilderness? Is the message clear and does it reach people on a philosophical level?
What are the policies and regulations and how does this connect with wilderness
philosophy? Onsite versus off site methods of contact. How do we utilize the
media? How do we sell or market wilderness?
2. Relevance- How are the management rules and regulations relevant to visitors?
3. Improving wilderness education within management agencies- Are staff (internal
audience) on the same page regarding wilderness management? Is Human
Resources aware of the goals and needs of wilderness programs? How well
educated are line officers about wilderness issues?
4. Clearing house location for all wilderness programs (wilderness.net). How can we
link international programs together? Clearinghouse of inspirational or formative
writings for wilderness staff
5. Utilization of volunteer services- cooperative and creative agreements with public
groups to increase effectiveness
Top 3-4 Priority Information, Resources, and Tools Needed:
Issue #2: Law enforcement
1. Staffing (field presence) - Strategic planning requires much more work and logistics
in wilderness areas. Local conditions and cultural climate may impede ability to
catch and prosecute criminals. Training needs, is there an international network in
place? What training methods are appropriate for each management situation? How
we utilize FPO (forest protection officers) to relieve burden on LEO’s (law
enforcement officers)? How do we use networking (outside groups, public and
organizations) to improve effectiveness?
2. Define what is being protected- what is the emphasis or priority?
3. Enforceable policies and regulations- Must be appropriate and clear. Jurisdiction
boundaries (agency) within the country and from neighboring countries may
impede catching and prosecuting criminals. Interagency agreements. New
technologies improve interagency communication. This may not be the case for
countries outside the USA. How are the sentences enforced? Court systems within
the country or in neighboring countries. Is there an understanding between these
entities?
4. Lack of equipment and technologies- Where can wilderness management agencies
go to find available technologies and newer technologies?
Top 3-4 Priority Information, Resources, and Tools Needed:
Issue #3: Boundary Issues
1. Did not have time to address this subject. The group selected economics to
complete within the allotted time frame.
Top 3-4 Priority Information, Resources, and Tools Needed:
Issue #4: Economics
1. How is the conflict between economics and wilderness values resolved? (Economic
opportunities versus preserving the wilderness resource and experience).
Page 20 of 27
2. What alternatives can be provided to those who illegally harvest or damage
wilderness resources? What life skills can be developed within the community?
3. Funding for wilderness management agencies and getting this funding to the
wilderness manager and ground level ranger. How are partnerships effective?
4. How do policies that encourage non-consumptive economic use of wilderness
create new challenges? How do these policies come back to bite wilderness
preservation?
5. Economic impacts VS law- big political issues such as ANWR. What is the
foundation of wilderness preservation? Religion/beliefs VS economics.
Ways To Improve International Communication, Networking, and Sharing on These
Issues and on the Information, Resources, and Tools Needed to Resolve Them:
 Built upon Wilderness.net- improve access to this system to wilderness managers
throughout the world
 More emphasis on exchange programs
 Volunteer programs
 Regional workshops preceding the WWC
 Influencing heads of governments/political leaders, a “leader summit”
 Involvement of NGO’s (non-government organizations)
 Scholarships to get non-government or non-funded agency personnel to
international conferences
Top 3-4 Ways to Improve International Communication, Networking, And Sharing:
1. Exchange programs
2. Web based information exchange
3. Regional and thematic workshops
Page 21 of 27
THEME 6: Partnerships
Facilitator: Connie Myers, US Forest Service
Recorder: Maeve Taylor, US Fish and Wildlife Service
Problems With Understanding And Defining This Theme:
 Authority for building partnerships – legal boundaries (ex. corporate support)
Group Understanding And Definition Of This Theme:
 Funding for Wilderness work through partnerships
 Reaching beyond borders – borderless conservation (countries, agencies, states,
private vs public land)
 Sharing resources beyond those boundaries
 Planning energy development (and other issues) along corridors
 Sharing commitment to conservation between governments
 Improving relations with adversaries – build common ground
 Sharing models of partnership types
Stewardship Issues:
 Developing non-profits to work with government agencies. (Gov provides supplies,
headquarters facility, training and communication. They serve as stewards,
volunteers, and advocates. Have to be able to share power!)
 Sharing Power (economics, biology, and diplomacy). Must use economics to build
your audience’s support. “You don’t accomplish things through leaps and bounds,
you have to sit with the people and work through things slowly.”
 Working with native people who use the public land as their homes – sharing values
and reaching common goals. Human spirit of Wilderness found in indigenous
people.
 Must be willing to compromise – will accomplish more. Engage, don’t antagonize
(pick battles carefully.) Make realistic assessment of what can be accomplished.
 Partnering with groups that market our resources to send the right message and
wisely use areas (tourism, chamber of commerce, etc.)
 Make a better case for why you need the resources you want.
 Need organizations dedicated to stewardship.
 Conservation has to be presented as a type of development.
 Governments must demonstrate commitment to a goal through funding, support, etc
to gain the power to form partnerships.
 Expand our constituency.
 Why should partners fund things that the agency should be funding itself? We need
to demonstrate accountability and also articulate consequences of lack of resources.
Explain why the work is important.
 Address our unwillingness to approach Congress.
 Engage local communities and help them to value their public land. People protect
what they use. Connect people to the resources we protect.
 Work with unemployment programs to provide employment while helping our
natural resource projects.
Page 22 of 27
Top 3-4 Priority Stewardship Issues:
1. Agencies don’t recognize the need to bring funding to the table to generate
partnerships.
2. Agencies unwillingness to share power.
3. Not successfully telling the story.
4. Bias against non traditional partners (children, corporations, etc.)
Information and Resources Needed to Resolve These Priority Issues:
 Change in agency culture (ie – takes money to make money, willingness to share
power, embrace indigenous knowledge)
 Connect the message of conservation to social agendas (ie – clean water and air,
public health, natural heritage)
 Demonstrate how resources are connected to people’s values (clean water and air,
natural heritage, quality of life, etc.)
 Give partners the power to make the case (to the public and also to elected
officials.)
 People want to hear what the agency employees have to say – use our
communication channels. We are responsible for demonstrating our needs and also
admitting what we are NOT going to do and what consequences go with those
losses.
 Connect people to Wilderness through urban green areas.
 Demonstrating obvious and hidden links from Wilderness to people’s lives (water
for agriculture)
 Assumptions about certain development companies are barriers to partnerships.
Embrace the commonalities.
 If you don’t invest in education your accomplishments will be short lived.
 Listen to children and their values and hopes for the future.
 Use children who have learned about Wilderness as ambassadors.
 Formal education focuses on curriculum standards. Can work to match resource
lessons to these needs – but also work with alternative education to send our
messages (after school programs, youth groups, etc.)
 Teach the very young (pre-school age) as well.
 Organize local youth clubs to support the environment.
 Encourage agencies to put money towards education programs. Partnerships are
easily formed based on valuing the education of children. Even tourism looks at the
needs of their youngest audience.
 Involve full families in organizations – will strengthen your organization and the
families.
 Engage don’t antagonize.
 We need to demonstrate accountability and also articulate consequences of lack of
resources. Explain why the work is important.
 Conservation is sustainable development.
 Don’t let our egos be a barrier!
 Share power (economics, biology, and diplomacy)
Page 23 of 27






Engage don’t antagonize.
We need to demonstrate accountability and also articulate consequences of lack of
resources. Explain why the work is important.
Conservation is sustainable development.
Don’t let our egos be a barrier!
Share power (economics, biology, and diplomacy)
Share case studies between agencies. Use Wildernet partnership page as a sharing
space.
Top 3-4 Priority Information, Resources, and Tools Needed:
Issue #1: Agencies don’t recognize the need to bring funding to the table to generate
partnerships.
1. Change in agency culture (ie – takes money to make money, willingness to share
power, embrace indigenous knowledge)
Top 3-4 Priority Information, Resources, and Tools Needed:
Issue #2: Agencies unwillingness to share power.
1. Don’t let our egos be a barrier! Share power (economics, biology, and diplomacy.)
2. Assumptions about certain development companies are barriers to partnerships.
Embrace the commonalities.
Top 3-4 Priority Information, Resources, and Tools Needed:
Issue #3: Not successfully telling the story.
1. Engage don’t antagonize.
2. We need to demonstrate accountability and also articulate consequences of lack of
resources. Explain why the work is important.
3. Conservation is sustainable development.
4. Connect the message of conservation to social agendas (ie – clean water and air,
public health, natural heritage)
5. Give partners the power to make the case (to the public and also to elected
officials.)
6. Connect people to Wilderness through urban green areas.
Top 3-4 Priority Information, Resources, and Tools Needed:
Issue #4: Bias against non traditional partners (children, corporations, etc.)
1. Listen to children and their values and hopes for the future.
2. Use children who have learned about Wilderness as ambassadors. Organize local
youth clubs to support the environment.
3. Formal education focuses on curriculum standards. Can work to match resource
lessons to these needs – but also work with alternative education to send our
messages (after school programs, youth groups, etc.)
4. Involve full families in organizations – will strengthen your organization and the
families.
5. Working with native people who use the public land as their homes – sharing values
and reaching common goals. Human spirit of Wilderness found in indigenous
people.
Page 24 of 27
6. Engage don’t antagonize – find common goals.
Ways To Improve International Communication, Networking, and Sharing on These
Issues and on the Information, Resources, and Tools Needed to Resolve Them:
 Share case studies of partnerships between agencies. Use Wilderness.net
partnership page as a sharing space.
Page 25 of 27
CROSS THEME COMPARISONS OF PRIORITY STEWARDSHIP ISSUES
Priority Stewardship Issues
Websites
Exchanges
Seminars/Meetings/Conferences/Workshops
Journals/Publications
Ecological integrity
Understanding ecological values & ecosystems services
Management capacity and capability
Representation of ecological or systematic conservation
Thresholds for management action
Vegetative/ecological process change due to human use or
influence
Describe universal characteristics of wilderness that are
shared across cultures and over time
Identify common and changing social values that people
associate with wilderness characteristics
Participation of local and indigenous populations in
decision-making processes
Managing conflict
Tools & Policies to influence human behavior
Impacts of access (including technology)
Standards for acceptability of environmental effects
Education and Information
Law Enforcement
Outside activities affecting the local wilderness
Economics- includes policies and governance
Agencies don’t recognize the need to bring funding to the
table to generate partnerships
Agencies unwilling to share power
Not successfully telling the story
Bias against non-traditional partners (children, corporations)
Theme
1
X
X
X
X
Theme
2a
Theme
2b
X
X
X
X
Theme
3
Theme Theme Theme
4
5
6
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
Page 26 of 27
CROSS THEME COMPARISONS OF
WAYS TO IMPROVE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNICATION, NETWORKING AND SHARING
Priority
Provide clearinghouse for information on the web and other
places such as International Journal of Wilderness
Synthesis of this Global Government workshop
Exchange business cards
Attend discussion of Wilderness Task Force next week
Coordinate among all organizations (govt and NGO)
Respect and build relationships
Hold smaller or regional international seminars between
WWC.
Identify and cultivate global wilderness champions.
Maintain accessibility of WWC to international community,
especially developing nations.
Repeat this government agencies seminar.
Remember other agencies and countries for our own
seminars
Personal contacts – go to your constituents
Use a variety of media
Newsletters to local constituents and broader public
Use existing networks of international groups, i.e.
IUCN/WWF, with partners, like: International Travel and
Tourism and Trade Associations, groups.
Exchange Program
Theme
1
Theme
2a
Theme
2b
Theme
3
X
X
X
X
Theme Theme Theme
4
5
6
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
Page 27 of 27
X
X