WILDERNESS CHARACTER National Park Service U.S. Department of the Interior

Resource Brief Wilderness Stewardship Division Background The National Park Service (NPS) is responsible for the stewardship of 61 designated wilderness areas. Per agency policy, the NPS also manages eligible, proposed, recommended, and potential wilderness. In total, over 80 percent of all NPS lands are managed as wilderness, from Alaska to Florida.

Preserving Wilderness Character The 1964 Wilderness Act’s Statement of Policy, Section 2(a) states that wilderness areas “shall be administered... so as to provide for the protection of these areas, the preservation of their wilderness character.” This affrmative legal mandate to preserve wilderness character, and related NPS policy, applies to all NPS wilderness. Wilderness character is a holistic concept based on the interaction of biophysical environments, personal experiences, and symbolic meanings. This includes intangible qualities like a sense of adventure and challenge or refuge and inspiration. Wilderness character also includes fve tangible qualities associated with the biophysical environment:

• Natural - Wilderness ecological systems are Monitoring Wilderness Character substantially free from the effects of modern civilization How do NPS managers preserve wilderness character? Wilderness character monitoring helps address this • Untrammeled - Wilderness is essentially free from question by 1) assessing how management decisions the intentional actions of modern human control and actions may affect individual wilderness character and manipulation qualities and overall wilderness character in a park, and • Undeveloped - Wilderness retains its primeval 2) improving communication among staff and with the character and infuence, and is essentially without public about wilderness stewardship. permanent improvement or modern human The framework for wilderness character monitoring occupation is outlined in Keeping It Wild 2: An updated • Solitude or Primitive and Unconfned interagency strategy to monitor trends in

Recreation - Wilderness provides outstanding wilderness character across the National opportunities for solitude or primitive and Wilderness Preservation System. unconfned recreation Contacts • Other Features of Value - Wilderness preserves

other features that are of scientifc, educational, Roger Semler scenic, or historical value National Wilderness Stewardship Program Manager [email protected] These qualities are interrelated and wilderness character preservation often requires thoughtful tradeoffs To learn more about NPS Wilderness visit: between qualities. NPS.gov/wilderness

Updated: June 7, 2021 SUMMARY OF QUALITIES, INDICATORS, AND IMPACT EXAMPLES FOR WILDERNESS CHARACTER

UNTRAMMELED NATURAL UNDEVELOPED SOLITUDE OR OTHER FEATURES OF PRIMITIVE AND VALUE Wilderness is essentially Wilderness ecological Wilderness retains its UNCONFINED free from the intentional systems are substantially primeval character and RECREATION Wilderness preserves actions of modern human free from the effects of influence and is essentially other features that are of control or manipulation. modern civilization. without permanent Wilderness provides scientific, educational, improvement or modern outstanding scenic, or historical value. “...an area where the earth “...is protected and managed human occupation. opportunities for and its community of life are so as to preserve its natural solitude or primitive and “…may also contain untrammeled by man...” and conditions.” Wilderness Act, “...an area of undeveloped unconfined recreation. ecological, geological, or “...generally appears to have Section 2(c) Federal land...without other features of scientific, been affected primarily by permanent improvement or “…has outstanding educational, scenic, or the forces of nature.” Preserved when… indigenous human habitation” and opportunities for solitude or a historical value.” Wilderness Wilderness Act, Section 2(c) species and ecological “...where man himself is a primitive and unconfined Act, Section 2(c) processes are intact and visitor who does not type of recreation.” Preserved when… actions are functional. remain.” Wilderness Act, Wilderness Act, Section 2(c) Preserved when… each not taken to manipulate or Section 2(c) identified feature unique to the Preserved when… visitors control ecological systems Degraded by… effects wilderness area is protected. experience minimal and its components. (intended or unintended) of Preserved when… human- modern civilization on the made features are not encounters, observe landscapes without modern Degraded by… partial or total Degraded by… actions that biophysical environment. located in, and motors or loss of the feature. intentionally control or mechanical transport are human effects, are not encumbered by regulatory manipulate the flora, fauna, or Examples: not used in, the wilderness Examples: • area. restrictions, etc. natural processes. Presence of non- • Vandalism of cultural

native species Degraded by… encounters, resources Degraded by… structures or Examples: • Extirpation of native indications of civilization, or • Destruction of installations, or the use of • Suppressing or lighting species restrictions on visitor paleontological motors or mechanical fire • Degradation of air behavior. resources transport. • Spraying weeds quality • Scenic quality lost to • Predator control • Degradation of water Examples: air pollution Examples: • Translocating wildlife quality and quantity • Sights and sounds • Loss of unique habitats • Presence of buildings • Damming streams indicating other visitors • Presence of radio Effects may be the result of • Infrastructure for Features may be degraded repeaters Actions may be agency actions outside the wilderness visitor support from activities within or • Presence of wildlife • authorized actions or boundary, and/or occurred Access restricted by outside the wilderness area, unauthorized public actions radio collars and tags permits or when they are not prior to wilderness • and are trammeling while Use of chainsaws • Designated campsites protected consistent with a designation and still persist • the actions are ongoing. Use of wheelbarrows wilderness context. today. Degradations include Development-related developments used for degradations focus on recreational purposes - not those used for administrative. administrative purposes - not recreation.