1. Research in Wilderness: How much is enough?
Justin Preisendorfer
White Mountain National Forest

2. Threats to Wilderness
Overuse
NNIS
Fire Suppression
Pollution
Lack of Public Awareness
Climate Change

3. From Section 2(c) (Definition of Wilderness):
…and (4) may also contain ecological, geological, or other features of scientific, educational, scenic, or historical value.

4. (b) Except as otherwise provided in this Act, each agency administering any area designated as wilderness shall be responsible for preserving the wilderness character of the area and shall so administer such area for such other purposes for which it may have been established as also to preserve its wilderness character. Except as otherwise provided in this Act, wilderness areas shall be devoted to the public purposes of recreational, scenic, scientific, educational, conservation, and historical use.

5. Preserve wilderness character = Our overarching mandate

6. Proposal: Install a small stream gauge and datalogger in this wilderness stream to be monitored by local school
Purpose: Study impacts of changing precipitation patterns on mature forests
Proponent: USGS & Wilderness High School

7. Mitigation measures

8. Wilderness benefits and values

10. Value as a control

11. Large unmodified landscapes

12. The at-risk species that rely on them

18. Communication

20. A Framework to Evaluate Proposals for Scientific Activities in Wilderness

21. Wilderness is a Laboratory Observatory

23. Wilderness research should always use
the minimum tool

24. Motorized equipment

25. Mechanized transport

27. Permanent installations

29. 1. Initial Review Filter: identify any potential “red flags” or obvious problems 2. Quality of Proposal Filter: ensure the activities will achieve their intended outcome

30. 3. Legal and Policy Filter: evaluate conformance with existing legislation and applicable agency policies 4. Impacts and Benefits Filter: evaluate both impacts and benefits

31. Wilderness Dependence Benefit to Wilderness/Science
DEGREE OF ANALYSIS NEEDED
Determination Tool
Wilderness Dependence
Low
High
Not Minimum
More
Analysis
High
Use of 4c activities
Impact to Wilderness Character
Minimum
Activity
No use of 4c activities
The file is part of the Research and Scientific Activities Toolbox at:
Analysis
Less
Minimum
Low
Low
High
Benefit to Wilderness/Science