At least one wilderness area requiring permits has shifted from hand-processing applications to a more streamlined and efficient online application process. The Enchantments Lakes Basin area of the Alpine Lakes Wilderness in Washington's Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest will shift to the new system in February.
For more than 20 years the ranger district has processed annual applications, now numbering in the thousands annually. The online reservation system is operated by the National Recreation Reservation Service at www.recreation.gov and is faster and offers more security, according to the news release. Details are still being worked out, but there should still be a "walk-in" lottery for day-of-entry permits for backpackers at the ranger station in Leavenworth. (Day hikers can get free permits at trailheads.) The on-line system will provide area information and alerts to notify people as their trips draw near about special conditions such as wildfires.
Because so many wilderness enthusiasts, and recreationists in general, use the internet these days for everything from information gathering to trip planning to obtaining maps, this is a logical extension of this existing use. Not only is the system far more efficient, it's timely in that wilderness managers are more stretched than ever in terms of staffing resources.
This is the kind of "new school" wilderness management tool that could prove useful across the agency spectrum in the future.
No comments:
Post a Comment