Ocean Wilderness In Theory And Practice Item Type Thesis Authors Barr, Bradley W. Download date 11/10/2021 04:03:43 Link to Item http://hdl.handle.net/11122/9168 OCEAN WILDERNESS IN THEORY AND PRACTICE A DISSERTATION Presented to the Faculty of the University of Alaska Fairbanks in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY By Bradley W. Barr, M.S. Fairbanks, Alaska December 2012 UMI Number: 3537848 All rights reserved INFORMATION TO ALL USERS The quality of this reproduction is dependent upon the quality of the copy submitted. In the unlikely event that the author did not send a complete manuscript and there are missing pages, these will be noted. Also, if material had to be removed, a note will indicate the deletion. UMI 3537848 Published by ProQuest LLC 2013. Copyright in the Dissertation held by the Author. Microform Edition © ProQuest LLC. All rights reserved. This work is protected against unauthorized copying under Title 17, United States Code. ProQuest LLC 789 East Eisenhower Parkway P.O. Box 1346 Ann Arbor, Ml 48106-1346 OCEAN WILDERNESS IN THEORY AND PRACTICE By Bradley W. Barr RECOMMENDED: Dr. David Koester Dr. Andrew Kliskey, Advisory Committee Co-Chair Dr. Gordon Kruse, Advisory Committee Co-Chair Dr. Milo Adkison, Chair, Graduate Program in Fisheries Division APPROVED: Dr. I^ichael Castellini Dead, Sc Dr. John Eichelberger Dean of the Graduatp School / ^ ' / 2 Abstract Wilderness preservation has been an important focus of resource conservation since the dwindling number of wild places was perceived by some as losing a valued part of our collective natural and cultural heritage. While wilderness preservation efforts have been almost entirely focused on the land, recently there has been growing interest in “ocean wilderness.” However, implementation has been constrained by the lack of a common vision of how “wilderness” is applied to the ocean, and how such areas should be managed and preserved. The purpose of this work was to identify and evaluate potential definitions of ocean wilderness and the values and qualities such areas possess, and to determine how they might be effectively identified and managed to preserve their wilderness character. This research focused on articulating a robust definition for “wilderness waters,” within the context of how wilderness is currently conceived and articulated in law and policy, as well as evaluating how such areas might be most appropriately identified and managed. Extensive inventories were conducted of existing ocean wilderness areas, focused on North America, to determine what currently exists, how these areas are managed, and how future ocean wilderness designations should be prioritized. A survey was conducted, targeting resource managers and scientists, to identify preferences and perceptions of ocean wilderness and its potential stewardship. The survey results suggested that coastal waters possessed considerable values and qualities of wilderness, particularly areas adjacent to existing designated wilderness, that certain human uses might be appropriately permitted, and that there was much support for expanding the area of coastal waters designated as wilderness. The research also suggested that the North American Arctic might offer many opportunities for preserving ocean wilderness, in close collaboration with the Indigenous communities in this region. A number of recommendations were offered including that priority should be given to evaluating and designating areas adjacent to designated coastal wilderness areas, that the existing legal and policy framework in North America can be effectively used to expand the IV “wilderness waters” system, and that more work needs to be done to build the constituencies of support essential to accomplish this task. Table of Contents Page Signature Page ............................................................................................................................ i Title Page...................................................................................................................................... ii Abstract ......................................................................................................................................... iii Table of Contents ......................................................................................................................... v List of Figures .............................................................................................................................. x List of Tables .................................................................................................................................xii List of Appendices ........................................................................................................................xiv Acknowledgements .......................................................................................................................xv Chapter 1 Ocean Wilderness - Introduction ........................................................................... 1 1.1 The Challenges Surrounding Ocean Wilderness ...................................................... 1 1.2 Study Objectives and Structure of the Dissertation.................................................. 9 1.3 Theoretical Foundation.................................................................................................. 13 1.4 Addressing the “Punctuated” History of Ocean Wilderness .................................. 20 Chapter 2 What’s in a Name? - Terrestrial Wilderness Definitions and their Implications for Defining Ocean Wilderness ............................................................................................. 22 2.1 Introduction ..................................................................................................................... 22 2.2 Learning from Terrestrial Wilderness Definitions .................................................... 23 2.3 Definitions in the North American Context ............................................................... 44 2.4 Making the Leap to Defining Ocean Wilderness ...................................................... 49 2.5 First Attempt at a Consensus Definition ..................................................................... 52 2.6 Conclusion ...................................................................................................................... 56 Chapter 3 “What We Think it Is” - Perceptions of Wilderness and their Application to Ocean and Coastal Waters ...................................................................................................... 61 3.1 Introduction: “What have we said it is?” .................................................................. 61 3.2 Context: Potential Insights from Existing Surveys and Research ........................ 62 3.2.1 The National Survey of Recreation and the Environment ......................... 62 3.2.2 Specific Studies of Wilderness Perceptions ....................................................67 3.2.3 Wilderness Values, Demographics, and User Communities ..................... 70 3.2.4 Surveys of Wilderness in MPAs. ................................................................... 72 3.3 The Ocean Wilderness Survey .................................................................................... 74 3.3.1 Sample ....................................................................................................................75 3.3.2 Content of the Survey Instrument ................................................................... 77 3.3.3 Analysis .............................................................................................................. 81 3.3.4 Results....................................................................................................................85 3.3.4.1 Does Ocean Wilderness Exist? ........................................................ 85 3.3.4.2 Elements of Ocean Wilderness ........................................................ 85 3.3.4.3 Attributes of Ocean Wilderness ....................................................... 86 3.3.4.4 Compatible Human Use of Ocean Wilderness .............................. 94 3.3.4.5 Non-Use Values of Ocean Wilderness ...........................................101 3.3.4.6 Perceptions of Ocean Wilderness Quality from Photographs.... 102 3.3.4.7 Attitudes Regarding Ocean Wilderness .................................. 110 3.3.4.8 Respondent Demographics ...............................................................112 3.3.5 Discussion .............................................................................................................118 3.4 “Ocean Wilderness Attachment” ................................................................................. 127 3.5 Conclusion ....................................................................................................................... 130 Chapter 4 “What It Is Now” - Existing Wilderness Waters ............................................... 133 4.1 Introduction ......................................................................................................................133 4.2 Legislative and Policy Review of Wilderness Waters ............................................. 134 4.3 Jurisdiction over Submerged Lands and Wilderness Designations .................... 138 4.4 Wilderness Waters Inventory ....................................................................................