Wilderness Rangers: Keeping it Wild

Wildlife Conservation Society Calls for More Wilderness

Over the past several months there have been numerous articles written regarding the idea that we do not need more wilderness designations in the U.S. There seems to be a sentiment that we need to adequately manage what wilderness we already have, and that pushing for more is foolhardy. The notion is that if we just keep creating new wilderness without managing existing wilderness, we'll actually lose support for wilderness designation over time, i.e. why should there be more when what you have is in shambles.

However, there are still those who are actively and loudly calling for more wilderness. And not just for the scenic values either. Wilderness provides habitat protection, clean water and healthy ecosystems. Most recently, the Wildlife Conservation Society has called for more wilderness...

Read full article here: http://www.greatfallstribune.com/article/20110623/LIFESTYLE05/106230315/WCS-study-calls-more-wilderness?odyssey=nav%7Chead

Living in the wilderness

A great documentary/book. If you haven't seen or read about Dick Proenneke, and you like the idea of living in the wilderness, you'll enjoy his story.

Fire ban in full effect in New Mexico - National Forest Closed

A stage 2 fire ban has been enacted in New Mexico, providing strict restrictions on open flame. This ban encompasses several wilderness areas in New Mexico, including: the Chama River Canyon Wilderness, the Dome Wilderness, the Pecos Wilderness and San Pedro Parks Wilderness.

More from The Taos News:

Wildfires have consumed tens of thousands of acres in New Mexico so far this season, leading to structure fires, evacuations and closures of roads and forests. Local governments, as well as the Forest Service, have taken measures to prevent more fires.

Burn bans and other fire restrictions are in effect in Taos County as windy, dry conditions have increased wildfire danger. The Carson National Forest has announced Stage 1 fire restrictions, which went into effect June 10. Stage 1 restrictions prohibit using fires, campfires, and wood- or charcoal- burning stoves except at developed recreation sites in Forest Service grills and stoves.

Smoking is also prohibited except within enclosed vehicles, buildings or developed recreation sites; smoking is also allowed within a three-diameter- or-greater area that is "barren or cleared of all flammable material." Fireworks are also prohibited.

"The public can still visit, hike and camp on the Carson National Forest provided they observe all Stage I restrictions," a Forest Service release states. "As these high-fire danger levels persist, campers should ensure campfire safety by making sure your fire is cold to the touch, or dead out."

The Santa Fe National Forest, including the Chama River Canyon Wilderness, the Dome Wilderness, the Pecos Wilderness and San Pedro Parks Wilderness, as well as the Valles Caldera National Preserve near Los Alamos, were placed under Stage 2 fire restrictions June 10.

Under the more stringent Stage 2 restrictions, prohibitions include smoking except inside enclosed vehicles or buildings, possessing fireworks, operating chainsaws or other internal combustion enginepowered equipment between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m., and welding or operating torches with open flames. Under Stage 2 restrictions, forest users are not allowed to take their vehicles off Forest System roads, and fires, campfires, charcoal, coal, wood and stove fires are not permitted.

According to information from the Forest Service, violations are punishable by fines of up to $5,000 for individuals or $10,000 for organizations, as well as imprisonment up to six months. Fire danger The Track Fire in Colfax County started Sunday (June 12) and threatened more than 200 homes in Ratón and led to power outages, evacuations and road closures — including Interstate 25 between Ratón and Trinidad, Colo.

By Tuesday night (June 13), the Track Fire had burned an estimated 24,034 acres and was 5 percent contained. Nine structures had been lost or damaged, including two New Mexico homes, two hunting cabins and five outbuildings. Its cause had not been determined as of that time.

According to information from U.S. Sen. Jeff Bingaman's, D-NM, office, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) approved the state's request for assistance with the Track Fire, making New Mexico eligible for funding through the Fire Management Assistance Grant Program.

Under such a grant, the federal government pays 75 percent of the cost of firefighting activities including equipment and supplies, emergency work and operations centers, mobilization and demobilization costs and temporary repair of fire damage. In Southern New Mexico, forest closures are in effect.

All 1.1 million acres of the Lincoln National Forest were closed to visitors effective May 12 because of fire danger. Portions of the 3.3-million-acre Gila National Forest were also closed June 10 "due to the large fire activity on the Wallow Fire and the very high fire danger." Western portions of several ranger districts have been closed.

"The area closure is a precautionary measure taken to protect the public and provide for firefighter safety while working to contain the Wallow Fire," Forest Supervisor Kelly Russell said. "This closure will remain in effect until post-fire threats to public safety are eliminated."

The Miller Fire in the Gila grew to nearly 90,000 acres, leading to road and trail closures and some evacuations. It is still being monitored and mopped up. The Wallow Fire started in Arizona's Apache National Forest, in the Bear Wallow Wilderness, May 29.

According to an update published Wednesday (June 14), the fire had grown to nearly 470,000 acres, threatening 2,714 residences and destroying 32 residences, four commercial properties, several dozen outbuildings and a vehicle. Now reportedly the largest wildfire in Arizona's history, the Wallow Fire has also led to seven injuries.

As of Wednesday morning, it was 20 percent contained and had spread into New Mexico. Both the Miller Fire and Wallow Fire were humancaused. The Loop Fire, in Carlsbad Caverns National Park, had reportedly grown to 25,000 acres by Wednesday (June 15) morning and was 25 percent contained at that point. Structures including park buildings and the community of White City are reportedly threatened.

Park employees and visitors were evacuated due to fire and smoke, with the park to reopen when conditions are safe. Taos County has instituted a "burn ban." According to a statement from the county, it has also implemented Stage 1 fire restrictions on public and private lands within the county in a coordinated effort with the Forest Service.

"Contributing to this decision are prolonged climate patterns of high winds, low atmospheric moisture, warm temperatures and dry soil and vegetative conditions," the county's statement reads. The Stage 1 restrictions apply to public lands as noted above.

For private lands, no new burn permits will be issued and previously issued permits are revoked. Campfires, bonfires and the open burning of grass, weeds, brush, scrap wood and similar materials are prohibited.

"Pressurized gas grills, stoves and lanterns are permitted," the release states. Red River has also implemented Stage 1 fire restrictions, and Tuesday (June 14) the County Commission instituted a ban on the use of fireworks.

The Taos Town Council approved its own burn ban Tuesday and instructed staff to look into restricting the sale of fireworks during times of high fire danger.

The urban-wildland interface

From Seminole County Florida...

Do you want a job in wilderness?

Look no further than the Society for Wilderness Stewardship! Our comprehensive online job listings are the most complete wilderness-related jobs you'll find on the web. In addition to jobs, internships and volunteer opportunities are also listed from time to time. This constantly updated list is the place to look for your next great wilderness opportunity. This exclusive member benefit is just one of a suite of benefits that you'll have as a member of the Society for Wilderness Stewardship. Join today and find that job you've always wanted in wilderness!

To join the Society, please visit: https://www.wildernessstewardship.org/register.php

If you'd like to post a job listing, please email the job description with posting dates, contact information and any additional details to info@wildernessstewardship.org.

Forest Service launches new PSA campaign

USDA Forest Service and Ad Council Launch New PSAs to Re-connect Families and Kids with Nature – Campaign launch coincides with 4th Annual National Get Outdoors Day

Washington, D.C., June 8, 2011 /PRNewswire/ — Children in the U.S. spend 50 percent less time outdoors than they did 20 years ago. In an effort to motivate families and their children to get outside more often and re-connect with nature, the USDA Forest Service and the Ad Council today launched new public service advertisements (PSAs) to encourage families to take the time to discover the forest. The Chief of the U.S. Forest Service, Tom Tidwell, will unveil the new PSAs on June 11 at Kingman Island in coordination with National Get Outdoors Day.

Initially launched in 2009, the campaign aims to encourage children and their families to get outside and experience the many benefits of nature. Research shows that children who play outside have a reduced risk for obesity, lower stress levels, more active imaginations and they’re more likely to become environmentally conscious adults.

The new television, radio, print and outdoor PSAs, created pro bono by ad agency, Turbine, are being released to coincide with National Get Outdoors Day on June 11. The PSAs encourage children and their parents to visit www.DiscoverTheForest.org (and the new Spanish version, DescubreElBosque.org), which includes an interactive map tool, powered by Google and Nature Find™ that enables users to search for nearby forests and parks, as well as downloadable activities for them to print and take with them when they visit.

Read the full article here: http://multivu.prnewswire.com/mnr/adcouncil/50579/

Give the gift of membership!

Still not sure what to get dad forFather's Day? Why not give the gift of membership to the Society for Wilderness Stewardship! Dedicated to advancing the profession of wilderness stewardship, the Society is the national membership organization dedicated to informing, uniting, and supporting the extensive community groups and individuals actively engaged in stewardship of America’s National Wilderness Preservation System.

Our individual members include a wide range of people interested in the stewardship of wilderness: researchers, managers, educators, government and private conservation workers, volunteers, students, business owners, and American citizens. This community of professionals shares a strong passion for wilderness and a deeply-rooted sense of the intrinsic value of its benefits.

To join, please visit: https://www.wildernessstewardship.org/register.php

Member benefits include:

Existing Benefits

Expert Advice - Gain exclusive access to wilderness expertise from a diverse range of fields through our on-line, searchable Wilderness Experts database, and get the expert advice you need to address your wilderness issue.

Jobs – Post and access our growing list of internships, seasonal, temporary, full and part time permanent wilderness employment opportunities through our Jobs in Wilderness site. Access our searchable jobs library to find the job that’s right for you or to gain access to the best, brightest, and most diverse employees and volunteers to help advance your wilderness program.

Wilderness Working Groups & Standing Committees - Broaden your influence by sharing your ideas and exploring and investigating timely wilderness stewardship issues with like-minded wilderness colleagues through our on-line Wilderness Working Group forums. Influence Society for Wilderness Stewardship direction and policy through participation in one of several Committees.

Stewardship Resources - Find the Resources you need through access to wilderness publications, cutting-edge research, and state-of-the-art wilderness management practices. Whether you are a scientist or student, manager or volunteer you will find what you need to get the job done.

Leadership Access - Gain exclusive access to Society for Wilderness Stewardship Board meeting notes and the opportunity to nominate Board members.

Planned Benefits

Wilderness On-Line Store Discounts - Enjoy an exclusive 5% lifetime discount on all individual purchases from the Wilderness On-Line Store including wilderness maps, brochures, and other educational resources.

Networking Opportunities - Gain exclusive access to contact information for any Society member through our on-line, searchable Membership Directory and take advantage of networking opportunities.

Conferences & Workshops - Get discounted tuition to conferences and workshops that unite diverse wilderness professionals to explore, learn, and debate wilderness stewardship and policy issues, research, and best management practices. Gain access to the most comprehensive Wilderness Calendar of related meetings, conferences, workshops, and training opportunities.

Sign up dad today!

A real threat to wilderness: relevance

According to new data released from a USDA Forest Service survey, visitation to wilderness areas on the Shoshone National Forest has decreased from 14 percent to 3 percent since 1986. However, the majority of those who do visit wilderness (77%) were satisfied with their wilderness experience. This highlights one of the real threats to wilderness: relevance. With wilderness visitation declining in many parts of the country, this simply further highlights the need for the wilderness community to work together to ensure that the life sustaining benefits and values of wilderness are both understood and treasured by the public.

Read the full article from the Billings Gazette here: http://tinyurl.com/64nscrq

Wilderness Stewardship Challenge Grants Awarded

From the Montana Daily Inter Lake:

Two area organizations were among 21 nonprofit groups nationwide that received Wilderness Stewardship Challenge grants from the National Forest Foundation. More than $400,000 was awarded to support wilderness conservation.

The Bob Marshall Wilderness Foundation won for its “Pain in the Grass” proposal for noxious weed eradication in the Bob Marshall Wilderness Complex.

The Swan Ecosystem Center will receive a grant for its proposed Mission Mountain Wilderness Stewardship Partnership for the Mission Mountains Wilderness near Condon.

In 2004, in celebration of the 40th anniversary of the Wilderness Act, the U.S. Forest Service issued a Stewardship Challenge calling for all wilderness areas in the National Forest System to meet baseline management standards by 2014 — the 50th anniversary of the act. To meet this standard, wilderness areas are measured on 10 stewardship elements and must achieve 60 percent of the total available points.

Since 2004, the program has provided 1:1 matching grants to nonprofit partners for the implementation of on-the-ground conservation projects that directly benefit National Forest Wilderness Areas. This year, additional funding was available specifically for reduced-match grants to organizations with small operating budgets, providing the opportunity to support a greater diversity of projects and groups.

“Since the inception of the challenge, the National Forest Foundation has invested more than $2.5 million in the stewardship of National Forest Wilderness Areas,” says Bill Possiel, president of the National Forest Foundation. “Expanding the program to create opportunities for smaller organizations greatly increases the value of our investment by boosting the presence and capacity of those organizations within their communities and contributes to the advancement of the stewardship of designated wilderness areas.”

The many projects funded this year by the Wilderness Stewardship Challenge program will achieve invasive weed inventory and eradication, utilize volunteer wilderness rangers to inventory and rehabilitate impacted campsites, and reconstruct high-use trails.

For more information on the National Forest Foundation grants, visit: http://www.nationalforests.org/news/article/131/nff-announces-new-wilderness-grants

Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks Resuming Their Wilderness Stewardship Plan

Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks (SEKI) is resuming their Wilderness Stewardship Plan and Environmental Impact Statement (WSP/EIS). The parks contain approximately 807,962 acres of designated wilderness (including the Sequoia-Kings Canyon Wilderness and John Krebs Wilderness).

To get involved in the process or to view the supporting documentation, please visit: http://parkplanning.nps.gov/projectHome.cfm?projectId=33225

Howard Zahniser: Author of the Wilderness Act

Howard Zahniser was born on February 25, 1906, in Franklin, Pennsylvania. The son of a Free Methodist minister who changed churches every few years, he grew up in the Allegheny River region of northwestern Pennsylvania. He spent his teenage years in Tionesta, just west of what is now the Allegheny National Forest. It was here that he developed a life-long interest in nature and a love of literature. He attended Greenville College in Illinois where he received a degree in humanities. He taught school and worked as a newspaper reporter.

Zahniser wrote the first draft of the Act in 1956. An eloquent wordsmith, he chose the word "untrammeled" to characterize wilderness in the Act. Others questioned this choice, yet he was adament about its use as the right word to characterize wilderness.

"A wilderness...is hereby recognized as an area where the earth and its community of life are untrammeled by man..."

- The Wilderness Act.

To read more about Howard Zahniser, visit: http://www.wilderness.net/index.cfm?fuse=feature0504

The Tennessee Wilderness Act of 2011

Tennessee Wild, a broad coalition of conservation organizations, applauded Senators Lamar Alexander and Bob Corker for reintroducing legislation to designate new wilderness areas on the Cherokee National Forest. This measure could result in the first new wilderness for Tennessee in 25 years.

“We are thrilled with the Senators’ continued commitment to see our special wild places protected,” said Jeff Hunter Tennessee Wild campaign coordinator. “The Cherokee National Forest is popular with locals and tourists alike. It helps sustain local economies here in east Tennessee as well as provide clean drinking water and important wildlife habitat.”

The Tennessee Wilderness Act of 2011, introduced May 24, will protect nearly 20,000 acres of public land, expanding five existing wilderness areas and creating the new Upper Bald River Wilderness Area. All of these areas were recommended for wilderness designation in the US Forest Service’s 2004 management plan.

Widespread support for additional wilderness in the Cherokee forest includes hikers, hunters, business owners, local lawmakers, members of the faith community, and others who endorse the bill.

“Only wilderness areas provide the opportunity for a complete getaway from the noise and stress of daily life. It’s increasingly difficult to hike, fish or hunt without hearing cars or chainsaws; wilderness allows us to experience the land as our forefathers did,” said Dawson Wheeler, owner of Rock Creek Outfitters in Chattanooga. “As a business owner I see the direct benefit wilderness provides to the local economy and the positive impact it has on real estate values and quality of life in surrounding regions.”

Hiking is a top activity in the proposed wilderness areas, which contain sections of the nationally popular Appalachian and Benton MacKaye trails.

“The Appalachian Trail Conservancy continues to believe that wilderness is the best protection available for the A.T.,” said Morgan Sommerville, regional director of the organization that protects the A.T. “We endorse new wilderness designations along the A.T. as long as enough volunteers are available to help maintain the trail. Happily, regarding the Big Laurel Branch Wilderness and Extension in the Cherokee National Forest, new volunteers are rising to the challenge.”

The proposed wilderness additions are also havens for sportsmen and sportswomen. Mike Campbell, a Chattanooga-based attorney, expressed support for wilderness: “As a hunter and horseman, I believe it is imperative to go and be where there are no vehicles, no roads, just trails and the quiet forest.”

Senators Alexander and Corker first introduced the bill last year. “Time ran out last Congress for this bill,” added Hunter. “We hope the legislation moves quickly this Congress to provide the safeguards these lands to richly deserve.”

Rupert Cutler Wilderness: Yesterday and Today - Monday June 6, 2011 - 6:30pm - Golden, CO

Come hear Rupert Cutler of Roanoke, Virginia, former Assistant Executive Director of The Wilderness Society during the Lyndon Johnson Administration (1965-69) and the Assistant Secretary of Agriculture for Natural Resources during the Jimmy Carter Administration (1977–1980), speak about the protection of wilderness. He has been instrumental in wilderness stewardship issues throughout his career.

When: Monday, June 6, 2011 - 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.

Where: American Mountaineering Center, Golden CO