United States Department of Agriculture Wilderness Science in a Forest Service Time of Change Conference Rocky Mountain Research Station Proceedings Volume 1: Changing Perspectives and RMRS-P-15-VOL-1 Future Directions September 2000 Missoula, Montana May 23–27, 1999 Abstract Cole, David N.; McCool, Stephen F.; Freimund, Wayne A.; O’Loughlin, Jennifer, comps. 2000. Wilderness science in a time of change conference—Volume 1: Changing perspectives and future directions; 1999 May 23–27; Missoula, MT. Proceedings RMRS-P-15-VOL-1. Ogden, UT: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station. 63 p. Ten papers presented as plenary talks at the conference, “Wilderness Science in a Time of Change,” are included. Topics include: the influence of global change on wilderness and its management; contemporary criticisms and celebrations of the wilderness idea; the capacity of science to meet the challenges and opportunities wilderness presents; wilderness in relation to biological conservation and the human experience of wilderness; and fundamen- tal dilemmas of wilderness management. Keywords: conservation biology, global change, societal change, technology, trends, wilderness management RMRS-P-15-VOL-1. Wilderness science in a time of change conference—Volume 1: Changing perspectives and future directions RMRS-P-15-VOL-2. Wilderness science in a time of change conference—Volume 2: Wilderness within the context of larger systems. RMRS-P-15-VOL-3. Wilderness science in a time of change conference—Volume 3: Wilderness as a place for scientific inquiry. RMRS-P-15-VOL-4. Wilderness science in a time of change conference—Volume 4: Wilderness visitors, experiences, and visitor management. RMRS-P-15-VOL-5. Wilderness science in a time of change conference—Volume 5: Wilderness ecosystems, threats, and management. You may order additional copies of this publication by sending your mailing information in label form through one of the following media. Please specify the publication title and number. Telephone (970) 498-1392 FAX (970) 498-1396 E-mail [email protected] Mailing Address Publications Distribution Rocky Mountain Research Station 240 West Prospect Road Fort Collins, CO 80526 Cover art by Joyce VanDeWater, Rocky Mountain Research Station Conference symbol designed by Neal Wiegert, University of Montana Wilderness Science in a Time of Change Conference Volume 1: Changing Perspectives and Future Directions Missoula, Montana May 23-27, 1999 Compilers David N. Cole Stephen F. McCool Wayne Freimund Jennifer O’Loughlin i Compilers David N. Cole is Research Biologist with the Aldo Leopold Wilderness Research Institute, Rocky Mountain Research Station, located on The University of Montana campus in Missoula, MT. Dr. Cole has A.B. and Ph.D. degrees in geography from the University of California, Berkeley, and the University of Oregon. He has been conducting research on wilderness and its management since the mid-1970’s. Stephen F. McCool is Professor, Wildland Recreation Management at the School of Forestry, The University of Montana in Missoula, MT. He holds a B.S. degree in Forestry from the University of Idaho and M.S. and Ph.D. degrees from the University of Minnesota. His research and applications projects concern wilderness and protected area management and planning, focusing on management systems, applications of social science to management, public participation, and sustainability questions. Wayne Freimund is Arkwright Associate Professor of Wilderness Studies and Director of the Wilderness Institute at The University of Montana. He holds a B.S. degree in outdoor recreation from the University of Minnesota, a Masters degree in wildland management from West Virginia University, and a Ph.D. in recreation resource management from the University of Minnesota. His research interests are in the management of visitor use, the role of technology on wilderness values, and the application of planning frameworks in wilderness and park management. Jennifer O’Loughlin holds a B.A. in journalism and history and an M.S. in environmental studies from The University of Montana. After serving for 10 years as editor of the natural resource journal Western Wildlands, she turned to a life of free-lance writing and editing. Pesticide Precautionary Statement This publication reports research involving pesticides. It does not contain recommendations for their use, nor does it imply that the uses discussed here have been registered. All uses of pesticides must be registered by appropriate State and/or Federal agencies before they can be recommended. CAUTION: Pesticides can be injurious to humans, domestic animals, desirable plants, and fish or other wildlife—if they are not handled or applied properly. Use all pesticides selectively and carefully. Follow recommended practices for the disposal of surplus pesticides and pesticide containers. CAUTION: PESTICIDES The use of trade or firm names in this publication is for reader information and does not imply endorsement by the U.S. Department of Agriculture of any product or service. The USDA Forest Service is not responsible for statements and opinions advanced in this publication. Authors are responsible for the content and quality of their papers. ii Contents Page David N. Cole Wilderness Science in a Time of Change: A Conference ....................................1 Stephen F. McCool David J. Parsons Perry J. Brown Peter M. Vitousek Global Change and Wilderness Science .............................................................5 John D. Aber Christine L. Goodale Gregory H. Aplet George H. Stankey Future Trends in Society and Technology: Implications for Wilderness Research and Management ......................................................10 J. Baird Callicott Contemporary Criticisms of the Received Wilderness Idea ...............................24 Dave Foreman The Real Wilderness Idea .................................................................................32 Jill M. Belsky Changing Human Relationships With Nature: Making and Remaking Wilderness Science ....................................................................39 Daniel B. Botkin Wilderness Science: An Oxymoron? .................................................................48 Reed F. Noss Wilderness Biology and Conservation: Future Directions ..................................52 Daniel L. Dustin Mapping the Geography of Hope ......................................................................55 David N. Cole Wilderness Management Dilemmas: Fertile Ground for Wilderness William E. Hammitt Management Research ................................................................................58 iii Wilderness Science in a Time of Change: A Conference David N. Cole Stephen F. McCool David J. Parsons Perry J. Brown At the dawn of the twenty-first century, environmental, management of wilderness and resulted in literature re- social, and technological change continues to accelerate, views and compilations of research that remain critical creating new challenges and opportunities for humans and references today (Lucas 1986, 1987). Our intent was to bring the world they inhabit. In the latter half of the last century, scientists together again, along with wilderness managers, one of the important responses to these rapid changes has to produce an updated compendium of the current state-of- been the preservation of wilderness lands. In the Wilderness knowledge and research. In addition, we sought to increase Act of 1964, which codified wilderness preservation in the the array of scientific disciplines represented at the confer- United States, there is tension between challenge and op- ence and to expand the range of topics beyond the challenges portunity, and between wilderness as reaction and wilder- of managing wilderness. Finally, we hoped to use plenary ness as proaction. That wilderness designation was reactive talks to highlight controversy, divergent viewpoints, and in nature is clear in the Act’s purpose statement, “to assure management dilemmas—to challenge participants’ belief that an increasing population, accompanied by expanding systems—in the hopes that this would stimulate interaction settlement and growing mechanization, does not occupy and and personal growth. modify all lands.” Wilderness was viewed as a refuge from human-caused change, and managers must meet the chal- lenge of protecting wilderness from the changes going on Conference Organization _________ around it. But the Act also speaks proactively—to the use The conference consisted of plenary talks presented before and enjoyment of wilderness and to opportunities for wilder- the entire conference, as well as more narrowly focused ness lands to provide important and unprecedented values presentations organized around three conference themes and to our ever-changing society. presented in concurrent sessions. The conference’s plenary Science is critical to meeting the challenge of preserving talks were organized into four sessions. The first session was wilderness resources for future generations. It is equally devoted to global trends and their influence on wilderness. In critical to realizing the opportunities that wilderness pro- separate talks, Peter Vitousek and George Stankey discussed vides for unique human-nature relationships, for the acqui- important environmental and social and technological trends, sition of certain types of information and understanding, respectively. Both papers explored the influence of global and for enriching