Draft Wilderness Management Plan
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,H=BJ Wilderness Management Plan April 1998 Grand Canyon National Park Grand Canyon National Park Wilderness Management Plan Wilderness Management Plan April 1998 Prepared by The Wilderness Planning Team Linda Jalbert, Team Leader Kim Crumbo, Wilderness Coordinator Greer Chesher, Resource Planner Kevin Cochary, North Rim District Ranger Nick Herring, Wilderness Dirtrict Ranger Dan Blackwell, Trails Foreman With Contributions From Dan Oltrogge, Fire Management Officer Jan Balsom, Cultural Resources Program Manager Helen Fairley, Archaeologist Steve Sullivan, Backcountry Office Supervisor Robert Winfree, Senior Scientist Ken Phillips, Search and Rescue Coordinator Allen Keske, Concessions Management Specialist Susan Lakes, Concessions Assistant Grand Canyon National Park Wilderness Management Plan Table Wilderness Management Plan of Grand Canyon National Park Contents Section One Introduction CHAPTER ONE Goals And Objectives 1.1 Purpose and Need. .1 - 1 1.2 Wilderness Responsibilities. .1 - 1 1.3 Scope of the Plan . 1 - 1 1.4 Goals of the Wilderness Management Plan. 1 - 2 1.5 Objectives of the Wilderness Management Plan. 1 - 2 1.6 Wilderness Management Plan Review and Update . 1 - 5 CHAPTER TWO Wilderness Management At Grand Canyon National Park 2.1 Grand Canyon National Park Wilderness Recommendation. 2 - 7 2.2 Natural and Cultural Aspects of the Wilderness Resource. 2 - 8 2.3 Description of Wilderness Visitor Use . 2 -11 2.4 Mandates Guiding Park Actions . 2 -13 2.5 National Park Service Policies . 2 -17 2.6 Grand Canyon National Park Policies . 2 -19 2.7 Grand Canyon Wilderness Management Staff . 2 - 21 2.8 Summary of Changes and Actions. 2 - 23 CHAPTER THREE Wilderness Management Planning Framework 3.1 Background of Backcountry and Wilderness Planning at Grand Canyon. 3 - 25 3.2 National Park Service Planning Guidance. 3 - 26 3.3 The Limits of Acceptable Change. 3 - 28 3.4 Management Zoning. 3 - 29 3.5 Summary of Changes and Actions . .3 - 31 i Grand Canyon National Park Wilderness Management Plan Section Two Visitor Use Management CHAPTER FOUR Recreational Use Of The Wilderness 4.1 Issues and Public Concerns. 4 - 35 4.2 The Regional Recreation Opportunity Spectrum . 4 - 35 4.3 Accessibility . 4 - 35 4.4 Day Use. 4 - 36 4.5 Overnight Use. 4 - 36 4.6 Private Stock Use . 4 - 36 4.7 Fishing. 4 - 37 4.8 Rock Climbing . 4 - 37 4.9 Nordic Skiing and Snowshoeing . 4 - 37 4.10 Bicycling . 4 - 38 4.11 Commercial Use of the Wilderness. 4 - 38 4.12 Cave Entry. 4 - 38 4.13 Semi-Primitive Access in Nonwilderness Corridors . 4 - 38 4.14 Area Limitations and Closures. 4 - 39 4.15 Applicable Regulations. 4 - 40 4.16 Summary of Changes and Actions . 4 - 42 CHAPTER FIVE Backcountry Permit System 5.1 Issues and Public Concerns. 5 - 43 5.2 System and Administration. 5 - 44 5.3 Recreation Fee Demonstration Program. .. 5 - 44 5.4 Access Through Adjacent Lands. 5 - 45 5.5 Administrative Use. 5 - 46 5.6 Summary of Changes and Actions. 5 - 46 ii Grand Canyon National Park Wilderness Management Plan CHAPTER SIX Wilderness Campsite Management 6.1 Issues and Public Concerns. 6 - 54 6.2 Use-Area Allocation . 6 - 54 6.3 Campsite Classification. 6 - 55 6.4 Group Size and Use Limits . 6 - 56 6.5 Special Management of Use Areas . 6 - 57 6.6 Nonwilderness Use Areas with Semi-Primitive Mechanized Access. 6 - 60 6.7 Resource Protection and Stewardship. 6 - 61 6.8 Summary of Use Area Changes . 6 - 62 CHAPTER SEVEN Trails Management 7.1 Criteria for Establishing Trail Standards and Specifications. 7 - 64 7.2 Trail Classification. 7 - 65 7.3 Trail Standards . 7 - 65 7.4 Monitoring . 7 - 67 7.5 Arizona Trail . 7 - 67 7.6 Restoration and Implementation Priorities . 7 - 67 7.7 Other Considerations. 7 - 69 7.8 Summary of Changes and Actions. 7 - 69 CHAPTER EIGHT Semi-Primitive Access And Facilities 8.1 Issues and Public Concerns. 8 - 74 8.2 Primitive Roads Management. 8 - 75 8.3 Primitive Roads To Be Restored or Converted To Trails . 8 - 76 8.4 Facilities. 8 - 78 8.5 Summary of Changes and Actions . 8 - 74 CHAPTER NINE Safety And Emergency Operations 9.1 Issues and Public Concerns . 9 - 84 9.2 Grand Canyon National Park Emergency Operations . 9 - 85 9.3 Preventative Search and Rescue (PSAR). 9 - 87 9.4 Summary of Changes and Actions. 9 - 87 iii Grand Canyon National Park Wilderness Management Plan CHAPTER TEN Interpretation, Education and Information 10.1 Issues and Public Concerns . .10- 88 10.2 Wilderness Education . .10- 89 10.3 What Needs to be Communicated. .10- 90 10.4 Communicating Information Successfully . 10- 92 10.5 Wilderness Education for Staff . .10- 94 10.6 Summary of Changes and Actions. 10- 94 Section Three Resources Management CHAPTER ELEVEN Ecosystem Management 11.1 Wilderness and Ecosystem Management. .11- 96 11.2 Fundamental Scientific Principles for Ecosystem Management. .11- 97 11.3 Legal Basis for Ecosystem Management . .11- 98 11.4 Implementing Ecosystem Management. .11- 98 11.5 Summary of Changes and Actions. .11-107 CHAPTER TWELVE Monitoring And Research 12.1 Campsite Monitoring Program. 12-110 12.2 Monitoring Visitor Experience . 12-111 12.3 Archeological Site Monitoring . 12-113 12.4 Monitoring Water Resources . 12-115 12.5 Monitoring Trail Condition. 12-115 12.1 Research in Wilderness. .. 12-123 12.2 Summary of Changes and Actions. .12-128 CHAPTER THIRTEEN Rehabilitation and Restoration of Recreational Impacts 13.1 Revegetation and Site Rehabilitation. .13-130 13.2 Site Restoration Recommendations . .13-132 13.3 Summary of Changes and Actions. .13-138 iv Grand Canyon National Park Wilderness Management Plan CHAPTER FOURTEEN Cultural Resource Management 14.1 Issues and Public Concerns. ..