Apache Sitgreaves National Forests

Wilderness Education Plan

January 2006

Last updated 01/11/06 Page 2 of 7

Apache Sitgreaves National Forests

Wilderness Education Plan

Goal 3

Purpose 3

Priority Issues, Strategies, and Monitoring Approaches 4

Implementation 6

References 6

Contributors 7

Photo Credits 7


Apache Sitgreaves National Forests

Wilderness Education Plan

Goal

To provide an increased awareness of Wilderness values, leave-no-trace (LNT) outdoor ethics and associated opportunities that will allow our internals and externals to better appreciate, understand and protect the wilderness resource so that they will be able to enjoy and act responsibly in a wilderness environment.

Purpose

The purpose of this plan is to provide an organized method and structure to teach others about Wilderness. The plan will serve three main purposes. The plan will :

1) Provide an effective tool to manage wilderness related issues.

2)   Create stewards and champions of wilderness.

3) Fulfill one of the components of the R3 “Wilderness Management is AFIRE” Strategy and the Chief's 10-Year Wilderness Stewardship Challenge.

Priority Issues, Strategies, and Monitoring Approaches

This plan is intended to be an adaptive approach to address current issues. The three main Wilderness-related issues, the Forest currently faces are: hunting season impacts, day-use impacts, and Internal FS employee awareness.

Hunting Season Impacts / Day Use Impacts / Internal FS Awareness
Affected Wilderness / Bear Wallow Wilderness & Blue Range Primitive Area / Mount Baldy & Escudilla Wilderness / All
Issue Description / These areas experience highly concentrated visitor use during certain times of the year. The timing generally coincides with hunting seasons. In general, visitors are not highly educated in Wilderness values and tend to lack the Leave No Trace (LNT) ethic. / Visitors tend to use these areas as day use. Impacts include litter (especially micro trash), and crowding. Because there is a high concentration of people, it is an efficient opportunity to educate folks. / There is a general lack of awareness of wilderness policies among various resource staffs. There is the need to continue to educate our employees regarding Wilderness, especially during planning processes within or adjacent to wilderness.
Action Items [Responsible Party] / Share messages from LNT Hunter Card with visitors and organizations (NRA, Backcountry Horsemen of AZ, Ghostriders, etc [Wilderness Ranger] / *Share general Wilderness awareness and basic LNT messages with visitors. [Wilderness Ranger, FPTs] / *Host an Arthur Carhart Wilderness Course on the Forest [Rec. Program Manager]
* indicates priority action items / During outfitter/guide (O/G) inspections, share Wilderness education messages. [Permit Administrator, Wilderness Ranger] / *Post LNT posters on bulletin boards. [Wilderness Ranger, Rec. Tech] / Utilize other resource managers to implement education plan.
*Update O/G operating plan to include wilderness education (may be as simple as handing out LNT card). [Permit Administrator, Wilderness Ranger] / Utilize Forest Visitor Centers to communicate wilderness awareness and LNT messages. [Wilderness Ranger] / Develop a Forest specific tutorial that highlights the interrelationship of forest resources and wilderness. Sources: 4 Cornerstones Video, Powerpoints from Forest Arthur Carhart course. [Wilderness Ranger]
Hunting Season Impacts / Day Use Impacts / Internal FS Awareness
Affected Wilderness / Bear Wallow Wilderness & Blue Range Primitive Area / Mount Baldy & Escudilla Wilderness / All
Action Items
continued / Educate instructors that teach local Hunter Safety Program about LNT. They will in turn educate school kids during the program. Work the AZGFD commission to update curriculum. [LNT lead and Springerville Rec. Staff] Ask AZG&F to add LNT information in the Game Hunting and Fishing Pamphlets / Educate and empower Frontliners/Info Specialists – involve them in implementation of education plan. [Wilderness Ranger] / Develop and present an LNT trainers course. Target audience: FPTs, recreation employees, others that have public contact [Burnett & Gilmore]
Educate internal employees (permit administrators, frontliners, etc.) one-on-one or at family meetings. [LNT lead] / Include LNT trace message when responding to requests for information and wood permits. [Frontliner] / Add a section to the annual Fire Management Officers Meeting on the A-SNF on Minimum Suppression and Tool Tactics, Fire Use in Wilderness and approval process for use of helicopters and chainsaws in wilderness.
Post key messages on bulletin boards. [Wilderness Ranger, Rec. Tech] / Include link to wilderness.net when responding to e-mail. [Frontliner, Recreation Staffs] / Send reminders to all employees about approval process for using equipment and motorized tools (helicopters, chainsaws, power tools etc) in Wilderness and Primitive Areas.
Assemble a wilderness/LNT information packet that can be provided to visitors. [Frontliner]
Hunting Season Impacts / Day Use Impacts / Internal FS Awareness
Monitoring / Number of LNT hunter cards distributed. Record annual total. [Frontliner] / Number of contacts or information packets distributed. Record annual total. [Frontliner] / Ascertain employee awareness based on professional judgment on an annual basis. [Recreation Staff, Wilderness Ranger]
Utilize an acceptable protocol to monitor impacts to high use campsites to determine use trends. Monitor number of fixtures and condition of site on a regular basis. [Wilderness Ranger]

Implementation

This plan will be utilized on a regular basis to set wilderness program of work. It will be reviewed on a regular basis and updated as issues evolve and as new strategies are identified.

References

Wilderness Manager’s Home Page http://fsweb.wo.fs.fed.us/rhwr/wilderness/

Leave No Trace

http://www.lnt.org/

Wilderness.net

http://www.wilderness.net/

Arthur Carhart National Wilderness Training Center

http://carhart.wilderness.net/index.cfm

Contributors

Mt. Baldy Wilderness

Barbara Romero, Recreation Staff, Springerville Ranger District

Blue Range Primitive Area, Escudilla, and Bear Wallow Wildernesses

Myron Burnett, Wilderness Ranger, Alpine Ranger District

Chris Hill, Recreation Staff, Alpine Ranger District

Blue Range Primitive Area

Jeff Gilmore, Recreation Tech, Clifton Ranger District

Michelle Davalos, Forest Recreation Program Manager

Photo Credits

Mt. Baldy – Vincente Ordonez

Blue Range Primitive Area – Jeff Gilmore

Escudilla Wilderness – Robert Whitten

Last updated 01/11/06 Page 2 of 7