Wilderness Character Baseline Assessment
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National Park Service U.S. Department of the Interior Natural Resource Stewardship and Science The Stephen Mather Wilderness Wilderness Character Baseline Assessment Natural Resource Report NPS/NOCA/NRR—2020/2164 ON THE COVER Pelton Basin, North Cascades National Park Service Complex Photo: Ben Riegel The Stephen Mather Wilderness Wilderness Character Baseline Assessment Natural Resource Report NPS/NOCA/NRR—2020/2164 Ben Riegel,1 Jack Oelfke2 1 Interagency Wilderness Fellow National Park Service Pacifica, CA 2 Chief, Natural and Cultural Resources North Cascades National Park Service Complex 810 S.R. 20, Sedro-Woolley, WA, 98284 August 2020 U.S. Department of the Interior National Park Service Natural Resource Stewardship and Science Fort Collins, Colorado The National Park Service, Natural Resource Stewardship and Science office in Fort Collins, Colorado, publishes a range of reports that address natural resource topics. These reports are of interest and applicability to a broad audience in the National Park Service and others in natural resource management, including scientists, conservation and environmental constituencies, and the public. The Natural Resource Report Series is used to disseminate comprehensive information and analysis about natural resources and related topics concerning lands managed by the National Park Service. The series supports the advancement of science, informed decision-making, and the achievement of the National Park Service mission. The series also provides a forum for presenting more lengthy results that may not be accepted by publications with page limitations. All manuscripts in the series receive the appropriate level of peer review to ensure that the information is scientifically credible, technically accurate, appropriately written for the intended audience, and designed and published in a professional manner. This report received formal peer review by subject-matter experts who were not directly involved in the collection, analysis, or reporting of the data, and whose background and expertise put them on par technically and scientifically with the authors of the information. Views, statements, findings, conclusions, recommendations, and data in this report do not necessarily reflect views and policies of the National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior. Mention of trade names or commercial products does not constitute endorsement or recommendation for use by the U.S. Government. This report is available in digital format from the Natural Resource Publications Management website. If you have difficulty accessing information in this publication, particularly if using assistive technology, please email [email protected]. Please cite this publication as: Riegel, B., and J. Oelfke. 2020. The Stephen Mather Wilderness: Wilderness character baseline assessment. Natural Resource Report NPS/NOCA/NRR—2020/2164. National Park Service, Fort Collins, Colorado. NPS 168/171517, August 2020 ii This report is part of a national initiative to establish Wilderness Character Baseline Assessments for all national park units with wilderness. The measures within this report were developed by park staff and reviewed at the national level. iii Contents Page Figures.................................................................................................................................................. vii Tables ................................................................................................................................................... vii Appendices ............................................................................................................................................. x Abstract ................................................................................................................................................. xi Acknowledgments ................................................................................................................................ xii Introduction ............................................................................................................................................ 1 Background..................................................................................................................................... 1 Qualities of Wilderness .................................................................................................................. 1 Monitoring Strategy........................................................................................................................ 2 Wilderness Character Baseline Assessments ................................................................................. 3 Wilderness Character Trend Assessment ....................................................................................... 4 Wilderness Character Monitoring Database ................................................................................... 4 Wilderness Character Assessments and Park Planning .................................................................. 5 Wilderness Character Monitoring Key Terms and Definitions ............................................................. 7 Background on the Stephen Mather Wilderness .................................................................................... 9 Administrative History ................................................................................................................... 9 Geographic Setting ......................................................................................................................... 9 Ecological Setting ......................................................................................................................... 10 Wilderness Recreation Setting...................................................................................................... 10 Process Used to Select Measures ......................................................................................................... 11 Details of Selected Measures ............................................................................................................... 12 Untrammeled Quality ................................................................................................................... 14 Measure 1-1: Five-year average of the annual number of authorized actions that intentionally manipulate vegetation, fish and wildlife, and naturally occurring fires. ......................................................................................................................................... 15 Measure 1-2: Five-year average of the annual number of unauthorized actions that intentionally manipulate the biophysical environment ..................................................... 24 iv Contents (continued) Page Natural Quality ............................................................................................................................. 26 Measure 2-1: Index of non-native plant species in wilderness ................................................ 27 Measure 2-2: Index of non-native aquatic species (non-native fish, amphibians) .................. 31 Measure 2-3: Index of non-native terrestrial animal species detected .................................... 36 Measure 2-4: Ozone exposure to vegetation ........................................................................... 39 Measure 2-5: Wet nitrogen deposition .................................................................................... 41 Measure 2-6: Wet sulfur deposition ........................................................................................ 43 Measure 2-7: Visibility ............................................................................................................ 45 Measure 2-8: Departure from the natural fire regime in the frequent fire interval region since 1960 ..................................................................................................................... 47 Undeveloped Quality .................................................................................................................... 49 Measure 3-1: Number of scientific structures, installations, or developments........................ 50 Measure 3-2: Number of administrative structures, installations, or developments ............... 52 Measure 3-3: Acres of inholdings ........................................................................................... 55 Measure 3-4: Five-year average of the annual number of helicopter landings and deliveries.................................................................................................................................. 57 Solitude or Primitive and Unconfined Recreation Quality ........................................................... 59 Measure 4-1: Percent of campsites that meet wilderness management privacy standards .................................................................................................................................. 61 Measure 4-2: Percent time externally derived noise is audible in the Wilderness .................. 63 Measure 4-3: Five-year average of the annual number of hours of NPS use of aircraft...................................................................................................................................... 65 Measure 4-4: Number of all recreational structures associated with wilderness camps ......................................................................................................................................