Download full PDF - International Journal of Wilderness
Download full PDF - International Journal of Wilderness
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SINCE PASSAGE OF THE WILDERNESS ACT in 1964,<br />
the NWPS in the United States has grown from approximately<br />
9 million acres to over 103 million acres. With<br />
this growth has come a corresponding increase in the challenges<br />
involved in managing these irreplaceable wildlands. In<br />
order to assist wilderness managers in meeting these challenges<br />
the IACNWTC conducted a <strong>Wilderness</strong> Education and Training<br />
Needs Assessment Survey.<br />
Two Goals<br />
First, identify the issues that confront wilderness managers in<br />
the four federal wilderness managing agencies—Forest Service<br />
(FS), Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), Bureau <strong>of</strong> Land Management<br />
(BLM), and National Park Service (NPS). Second, identify<br />
the education and training needed to prepare managers<br />
and staffs to success<strong>full</strong>y respond to these wilderness issues.<br />
Needs Assessment Survey<br />
Early in 1996 a total <strong>of</strong> 1,704 <strong>Wilderness</strong> Education and Training<br />
Needs Assessment surveys were sent to the 893 <strong>of</strong>fices <strong>of</strong> the four<br />
agencies that manage wilderness or wilderness study areas. Two<br />
surveys were mailed to each <strong>of</strong>fice—one to the manager and one<br />
to the staff person most responsible for wilderness management.<br />
Response: Eight hundred forty surveys were returned, from 575<br />
(64%) <strong>of</strong> the 893 <strong>of</strong>fices surveyed (see Figure 1). The survey<br />
results included more responses from the FS than from the<br />
three other agencies combined. This is simply due to the fact<br />
that there are more wilderness units and personnel in the FS<br />
than in the other agencies.<br />
Current Issues: Each response was first categorized into a broad<br />
general category and then into a more specific category. Recreation<br />
(including specific issues such as overuse, trails, outfitters,<br />
STEWARDSHIP<br />
NATIONAL SURVEY HIGHLIGHTS<br />
AGENCY TRAINING NEEDS<br />
IN THE UNITED STATES<br />
BY RICHARD CONRAD<br />
Abstract: What education and training do wilderness managers need to meet current and future challenges? This is<br />
the question the Interagency Arthur Carhart National <strong>Wilderness</strong> Training Center (IACNWTC) examined by surveying<br />
the four federal agencies that manage the National <strong>Wilderness</strong> Preservation System (NWPS) in the United States. The<br />
major finding was that while there are many similarities in management issues, internal training needs, and external<br />
educational outreach, there are also some differences. These differences will require specialized training targeted to<br />
satisfy unique situations.<br />
THE INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF WILDERNESS Volume 3, Number 4 9