1 MAKING DECISIONS: EVALUATING IMPACTS AND TRADEOFFS ON WILDERNESS CHARACTER Arthur Carhart National Wilderness Training Center, March 2012 Wilderness Character Webinar #2: Arthur Carhart National Wilderness Training Center, March 2012 Wilderness Character Webinar #2:

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

WILDERNESS STEWARDSHIP COMMONLY REQUIRES EVALUATING TRADEOFFS 3

THERE IS NO SINGLE PATH TO EVALUATE TRADEOFFS, BUT THERE ARE TOOLS AND TIPS 1.Minimum Requirements Analysis 2.Wilderness character baseline assessment 3.Account for all qualities, benefits and adverse impacts, in the short and long term 4.Identify “wicked” problems to ensure transparent and thorough evaluation 5.Both art and science may be needed because there is little agency guidance and no case law 1.Minimum Requirements Analysis 2.Wilderness character baseline assessment 3.Account for all qualities, benefits and adverse impacts, in the short and long term 4.Identify “wicked” problems to ensure transparent and thorough evaluation 5.Both art and science may be needed because there is little agency guidance and no case law 4

TOOLS AND TIPS #1 Minimum Requirements Analysis 5

Step 1: Is action necessary? Step 2: What is the minimum activity? MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS ANALYSIS 6

7 TOOLS AND TIPS #2 Wilderness character baseline assessment Baseline assessments in the National Wildlife Refuge System

8 Undeveloped Natural Solitude Untrammeled Can evaluate effects of all qualities together or any one quality, and the entire area or any one area TOOLS AND TIPS #2 Wilderness character baseline assessment

TOOLS AND TIPS #3 Account for all qualities, benefits and adverse impacts, in the short and long term 9

TOOLS AND TIPS #4 Identify “wicked” problems to ensure transparent and thorough evaluation Right versus Right Dilemma 10

TOOLS AND TIPS #5 Both art and science are needed because there is little agency guidance and no case law TOOLS AND TIPS #5 Both art and science are needed because there is little agency guidance and no case law “Preserving wilderness character” is law and policy, but there is little guidance on HOW to do this and keep wilderness “in contrast” to all other areas There is no case law on the qualities of wilderness character or evaluating tradeoffs; the courts have only said “preserve wilderness character” Be comprehensive, thorough, and transparent to disclose effects and tradeoffs; explain in the decision document why the agency made the decision to preserve wilderness character as a whole “Preserving wilderness character” is law and policy, but there is little guidance on HOW to do this and keep wilderness “in contrast” to all other areas There is no case law on the qualities of wilderness character or evaluating tradeoffs; the courts have only said “preserve wilderness character” Be comprehensive, thorough, and transparent to disclose effects and tradeoffs; explain in the decision document why the agency made the decision to preserve wilderness character as a whole 11

Please enter into the Q & A pane any questions you have about evaluating the impacts and tradeoffs of management decisions on wilderness character 12

KEY POINTS Wilderness character does not drive decisions; it’s a tool to make informed recommendations and decisions There may be complex tradeoffs among the qualities of wilderness character and other laws and agency guidance There is no perfect knowledge; evaluating tradeoffs may (most likely will) require professional judgment so transparency is key for defensibility in preserving wilderness character as whole Wilderness character does not drive decisions; it’s a tool to make informed recommendations and decisions There may be complex tradeoffs among the qualities of wilderness character and other laws and agency guidance There is no perfect knowledge; evaluating tradeoffs may (most likely will) require professional judgment so transparency is key for defensibility in preserving wilderness character as whole FOR MORE INFORMATION: Wilderness.net > Management Tools > Toolboxes > Wilderness Character 13

YOUR QUESTIONS AND ISSUES 3