Here's what USDA Forest Service Chief Tidwell shared in a missive dated October 31, 2012 that can be accessed here via wilderness.net:
I [Chief Tidwell] am pleased to announce the recipients of the 2012 National Wilderness Awards. These awards honor individuals and groups for excellence in wilderness stewardship and recognize outstanding endeavors toward meeting the 10-Year Wilderness Stewardship Challenge. This National Award encompasses education, traditional skills and minimum tools leadership, and overall wilderness stewardship. The National Wilderness Award recipients are:
Bob Marshall Award External Champion of Wilderness Stewardship
Dave Cantrell of the National Wilderness Stewardship Alliance (NWSA) – Dave Cantrell was the key architect of the NWSA, the first ever national non-profit organization developed solely for the purpose of creating and supporting wilderness volunteer groups across America. He has worked tirelessly as both a member and a leader to promote stewardship issues. Dave became the Chairperson of NWSA in 2010, and quickly set in motion the Alliance’s mission to make NWSA the preeminent wilderness stewardship organization it is today. His vision and goals are to have a wilderness or friends group for each of the 700 plus wildernesses in the National Wilderness Preservation System.
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| NWSA |
Adam Barnett, former Chair of the Chief’s Wilderness Advisory Group – Adam Barnett has served on the Wilderness Advisory Group since 2008, and served as Chair from 2010-2011. Adam was able to secure $1.5 million in additional funds for fiscal year (FY) 2011 to support the 10-Year Wilderness Stewardship Challenge. His successes and advocacy also resulted in $2.9 million in additional funding for the 10-Year Wilderness Stewardship Challenge for FY 2012. His work on the Stanislaus National Forest as the wilderness manager has been exemplary. His work was vital in the resurrection of the
Pacific Southwest Regional Wilderness Ranger Academy.
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| Adam Barnett |
Santa Fe/Carson Wilderness Stewardship Task Force – In the spring of 2011, the Santa Fe and Carson National Forests jointly applied for and received funding grant to work on the 10-Year Wilderness Stewardship Challenge. This task force worked across both forests to manage the combined seven wildernesses to minimum stewardship levels or above. The primary focus was campsite inventory, invasive plants, and encounter monitoring. The strike teams collected data on campsites, damaged trees, disturbed areas, administrative structures, distance to water, latitude and longitude, and other specific location descriptors. They also implemented a Wilderness Education Plan that included weed flyers, Leave No Trace trainings, and other activities as a part of their public education and outreach. The task force’s passion and hard work was important to the success of the project and has elevated wilderness stewardship in the region.
Bob Marshall Award for Partnership Champion in Wilderness Stewardship
Rob Mason and Selway-Bitterroot and Frank Church Foundation – In 2006, the Selway-Bitterroot Foundation (SBF) was established to assist the Nez Perce, Clearwater, and Bitterroot National Forests in completing critical trail work. In 2009 Rob Mason was hired as the Executive Director. The SBF has worked with three National Forests and five ranger districts to develop and implement work plans. SBF has logged more than 28,000 volunteer hours, worth over $570,000. During field season they removed over 40,150 pounds of trash from the Seminole Ranch Homestead. They have worked collaboratively with a wide variety of organizations such as Back Country Horsemen, National Smoke Jumpers, Sierra Club, Montana Wilderness Association, The Wilderness Society, Montana Conservation Corps, and AmeriCorps to accomplish projects. Thanks to Rob Mason, SBF has grown from a fledgling group of volunteers to a major force in wilderness stewardship in the region.
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| Selway-Bitterroot Frank Church Foundation |
Wayne Chevalier, Willamette National Forest, McKenzie River Ranger District – Wayne has demonstrated an unparalleled commitment to using traditional tools in wilderness for over 22 years. He has helped to maintain and preserve the wilderness character of over 260 miles of trail in the Three Sisters and Mount Washington Wilderness areas by strictly using traditional skills and tools. He has been the crew leader for numerous projects including complex bridge building and structure development. Under his leadership his trail crew has never used a motorized tool in the wilderness areas of the McKenzie River District.
Wilderness Education Leadership Award
Pack Creek Rangers, Admiralty National Monument, Tongass National Forest – Harry Tullis, Don MacDougal, Dori Brogliano, Deven Hafey, John Neary, Chad Rice, Carl Koch, and Jane Pascoeare are being recognized for educating visitors about Admiralty’s brown bears and the unique wilderness settings in which they are found. It is the only brown bear viewing area found in a congressionally-designated wilderness. The Pack Creek Rangers ability to blend the missions of the Forest Service and the Alaska Department of Fish and Game has been outstanding. The Pack Creek Rangers have used many innovations to instruct visitors, commercial operators, teachers, students, and researchers. They have instituted student intern programs, headed teachers’ expeditions, collaborated eagerly amongst divergent agencies, developed educational outfitter and guide manuals, completed extensive trail repairs, monitored special permit usage, and facilitated the selection of new outfitters and guides. Their efforts comprise a significant contribution to wilderness education.
Excellence in Wilderness Stewardship Research Award
Ann Schwaller, Robert G. Dvorak, Alan Watson, Neal Christensen, William T.Borrie, U.S. Forest Service, Superior National Forest, Rocky Mountain Research Station, and the University of Montana – “The Boundary Waters Canoe Areas Wilderness(BWCAW): Examining changes in use, users, and management challenges.” This collaborative research paper was completed to determine trends in use and user characteristics in the BWCAW. The research is focused on trends for visitor demographics, age, education, gender, previous wilderness experience, frequency of wilderness trips, trip characteristics, group size and composition, length of trips, and number of groups seen. This important research will help the Forest Service be more effective in addressing wilderness stewardship and meeting the intent of the Wilderness Act, the 10-Year Wilderness Stewardship Challenge, and forest plan standards.
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| Dvorak et al. 2012 |
Excellence in Research Application Award
Trent Procter, Mike McCorison, Suraj Ahuja, Ricardo Cisneros, Don Schweizer, Andrea Nick, and Glen Shaw-Pacific Southwest Region Air Quality Program – This team is being recognized for their hard work in bringing 61 wilderness areas up to passing Element 3 of the 10-Year Wilderness Stewardship Challenge regarding air quality monitoring. In the beginning of 2011, only 12 of the 61 wildernesses in the region were passing Element 3. Due to the team’s hard work and efficiently creative approaches, all 61 are now being managed to a 6 or 10. Not only were their plans a product of applied research that will guide the region’s wilderness areas for years to come but, in performance, they helped to make an incredible jump in accomplishing the region’s goals. Their research will continue to support the region. The team’s ability to work as an interdisciplinary unit has proven to be very successful as a wilderness resource and is highly valued in applying science and technology to field operations.
Excellence in Line Officer Wilderness Leadership
Lee Benson, Yakutat Ranger District, Tongass National Forest – Lee Benson is being recognized for the leadership he exhibited in working with the district and the forest wilderness managers to accomplish a rise in score for the 10-Year Wilderness Stewardship Challenge in the Russell Fiord Wilderness. He worked closely with staff and managers to determine the highest priority work needed to meet the challenge. His personal engagement and leadership was a major factor in raising the score for the Russell Fiord Wilderness from 56 in 2010 to 74 in 2011. Lee’s strong and effective leadership has been shared with other district rangers and wilderness managers as a model for how line officers can work with wilderness managers to meet the 10-Year Wilderness Stewardship Challenge.
The National Park Service announced its awards in an online announcement that was last updated April 8, 2013 which can be accessed here via the NPS.
The Wes Henry National Wilderness Stewardship Award recognizes outstanding contributions to wilderness stewardship by an individual or group. The National Park Service is honored to recognize the 2012 recipients:
Individual Award
Suzy Stutzman
Intermountain Region wilderness coordinator
Stutzman inspired National Park Service staff throughout the country to realize that wilderness stewardship is a part of everyone's job.
For nearly a decade, Stutzman championed the inclusion of wilderness stewardship into superintendents' performance plans throughout the region and helped integrate wilderness stewardship into park operations. She promoted wilderness awareness and assisted parks with the implementation of strategic tools like the minimum requirements analysis. She chaired the region's Wilderness Executive Committee and, as a key member of the national Wilderness Character Integration Team, she co-authored the newly revised NPS Wilderness Stewardship Plan Handbook.
Recognizing the importance of communicating wilderness benefits to the public, Stutzman helped develop the Ambassadors for Wilderness program at Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve. Her work to develop the Wilderness Junior Ranger program and booklet, which was adopted and implemented by several parks and more recently by interagency partners, has helped cultivate a new generation of wilderness stewards.
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| Suzy Stutzman |
Wilderness Character Integration Team
This national interdisciplinary team provided leadership for incorporating wilderness character in park planning, management, and monitoring processes. Led by Peter Landres, of the Aldo Leopold Wilderness Research Institute, and Suzy Stutzman, Intermountain regional wilderness coordinator, the team devoted extensive energy and time toward inspiring a new direction for national park wilderness preservation. Their work has led to a greater understanding of, and a deeper commitment to, preserving wilderness character throughout the national park system.
The Wilderness Character Integration Team developed two key products: the document Keeping it Wild in the National Park Service: A user guide to integrating wilderness character into park planning, management, and monitoring, and the newly revised NPS Wilderness Stewardship Plan Handbook.
Wilderness parks pilot tested these products and provided critical input that informed further refinement for the final versions. The accomplishments embodied within these documents and other work of the WCIT provide invaluable resources and direction for years ahead in ensuring the preservation of wilderness character.
The Wilderness Character Integration Team:
Mike Bilecki, chief of resource management, Fire Island National Seashore
Carol Cook, program analyst, park planning and special studies, Washington office
Sarah Craighead, superintendent, Mammoth Cave National Park
Jeremy Curtis, chief of maintenance, Chiricahua National Monument / Ft. Bowie National Historic Site
Tim Devine, wilderness stewardship division, Washington office, Arthur Carhart National Wilderness Training Center
Sandee Dingman, biologist, Lake Mead National Recreation Area
Michael Haynie, ranger, Guadalupe Mountains National Park
Chris Holbeck, natural resource program manager, Midwest regional office
Chip Jenkins, deputy regional director, resource stewardship and planning, Pacific West regional office
Peter Landres, ecologist, Aldo Leopold Wilderness Research Institute, Rocky Mountain Research Station, USDA Forest Service
Adrienne Lindholm, regional wilderness coordinator, Alaska regional office
Melissa Memory, chief of cultural resources, Everglades and Dry Tortugas national parks
Christina Mills, wilderness fellow, wilderness stewardship division, Washington office
Ray O'Neil, ranger, Zion National Park
Ruth Scott, wilderness specialist, Olympic National Park
Miki Stuebe, environmental protection specialist, environmental quality division, natural resource stewardship and science
Suzy Stutzman, regional wilderness coordinator, Intermountain regional office
Karen Trevino, director, natural sounds and night skies program, natural resource stewardship and science
Frank Turina, planner, natural resource stewardship and science
Wade Vagias, management assistant, Yellowstone National Park
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| Wilderness Character Integration Team |
