Webinars

Each year the Arthur Carhart National Wilderness Training Center, and Aldo Leopold Wilderness Research Institute and other partners offer free webinars on contemporary topics in wilderness stewardship. Webinars are generally recorded for later viewing.

Upcoming Webinars

National Wilderness Stewardship Alliance webinars

  • December 10, 1pm mountain time - Recruiting - With Katie Currier, Southern Appalachian Wilderness Society

Past Webinars

Sustainable Camping on the Pacific Crest Trail (2018)

During this webinar, recreation ecologist Jeff Marion discussed the challenges of camping impacts and "Best Management Practice" options for increasing campsite sustainability. Unregulated camping with visitor-selected sites frequently result in unacceptable resource and social conditions. New research findings reveal the advantages of three alternative options: Designated and Established Site Camping, and Dispersed Pristine Site Camping. Innovations such as shifting camping to naturally-occurring or constructed "side-hill" campsites and using printed and digital maps to shift campers to the most sustainable campsites will also be described. Dr. Lisa Machnik, a Forest Service wilderness manager, discussed wilderness character implications.

Wilderness Stewardship Performance (2017/2018/2019)

Non-Compliant Infrastructure Element

Eric Sandeno (Forest Service) and Colter Pence (Forest Service) provided a short introduction to the Forest Service wilderness performance measure, Wilderness Stewardship Performance and presented detailed information on scoring for the Non-Compliant Infrastructure Element along with examples of required deliverables associated with the element. The webinar concluded with information on where to find support resources related to the Non-Compliant Infrastructure Element.

Non-Compliant Infrastructure Element webinar recording from March 14, 2019

Cultural Resources Element

Molly Westby (Forest Service) and Stacy Duke (Forest Service) provided a short introduction to the Forest Service wilderness performance measure, Wilderness Stewardship Performance and presented detailed information on scoring for the Cultural Resources Element along with examples of required deliverables associated with the element. The webinar concluded with information on where to find support resources related to the Cultural Resources Element.

Cultural Resources Element webinar recording from March 14, 2019

Agency Management Actions Element

Bjorn Fredrickson (Forest Service) and Colter Pence (Forest Service) provided a short introduction to the Forest Service wilderness performance measure, Wilderness Stewardship Performance and presented detailed information on scoring for the Agency Management Actions Element along with examples of required deliverables associated with the element. The webinar concluded with information on where to find support resources related to the Agency Management Actions Element.

Agency Management Actions Element webinar recording from February 19, 2019

Motorized Equipment/Mechanical Transport Use Authorization Elements

Eric Sandeno (Forest Service) and Colter Pence (Forest Service) provided a short introduction to the Forest Service wilderness performance measure, Wilderness Stewardship Performance and present detailed information on scoring for the Motorized Equipment/Mechanical Transport Use Authorization Element along with examples of required deliverables associated with the element. The webinar concluded with information on where to find support resources related to the Motorized Equipment/Mechanical Transport Use Authorization Element.

Motorized Equipment/Mechanical Transport Use Authorization Element webinar recording from February 19, 2019

Education Element

Nancy Taylor (Forest Service) and Stacy Duke (Forest Service) provided a short introduction to the Forest Service wilderness performance measure, Wilderness Stewardship Performance and presented detailed information on scoring for the Education Element along with examples of required deliverables associated with the element.  The webinar concluded with information on where to find support resources related to the Education Element.

Opportunities for Primitive and Unconfined Recreation Element

Dr. Troy Hall (Oregon State University) and Stacy Duke (Forest Service) provided a short introduction to the Forest Service wilderness performance measure, Wilderness Stewardship Performance and presented detailed information on scoring for the Opportunities for Primitive and Unconfined Recreation Element along with examples of required deliverables associated with the element.  The webinar concluded with information on where to find support resources related to the Opportunities for Primitive and Unconfined Recreation Element.

Wilderness Character Baseline Element

Adam Barnett (Forest Service) and Stacy Duke (Forest Service) provided a short introduction to the Forest Service wilderness performance measure, Wilderness Stewardship Performance and presented detailed information on scoring for the Wilderness Character Baseline Element along with examples of required deliverables associated with the element. The webinar concluded with information on where to find support resources related to the Wilderness Character Baseline Element.

Trails Element

Jaime Schmidt (USDA Forest Service National Trail Program Manager) and Stacy Duke (USDA Forest Service, Hoosier National Forest) provided a short introduction to the Forest Service wilderness performance measure, Wilderness Stewardship Performance and presented detailed information on scoring for the Trails Element including examples of required deliverables associated with the element. The webinar concluded with information on where to find support resources related to the Trails Element.

Trails Element webinar recording from September 26, 2017

Solitude Element

Troy Hall (Oregon State University) and Stacy Duke (Forest Service) provided a short introduction to the Forest Service wilderness performance measure, Wilderness Stewardship Performance, presented detailed information on scoring for the Solitude element, and provided examples of required deliverables associated with the element. The webinar concluded with information on where to find support resources related to the Solitude element.

Wilderness and Accessibility (2018)

Congressional designated wilderness areas offer unique opportunities for remote area experiences with solitude and self-reliance. How do people who have disabilities fit into those areas? Is a wheelchair mechanical transport? During this webinar, accessibility expert Janet Zeller (Forest Service) gives an overview of what is required and what is not required in relation to people who have disabilities and access to wilderness areas.

Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) and Wilderness (2017)

Bob Wick (Bureau of Land Management), Parker Martyn (National Park Service), Jeff Lucas (Fish and Wildlife Service), and Sandy Skrien (Forest Service) talked about how each agency handles UAS use from an administrative, outside request (e.g. research, SAR, commercial etc.), and public/recreational standpoint.

Unmanned Aircraft Systems and Wilderness webinar recording and presentations from Bob Wick, Parker Martyn, Jeff Lucas, and Sandy Skrien for this webinar from June 7, 2017

Evaluating Proposals for Ecological Intervention in Wilderness (2017)

Beth Hahn and Peter Landres, ecologists from the Aldo Leopold Wilderness Research Institute, presented the final version of their supplementary tool intended to provide support to agency staff in completing an MRA or MRDG for proposals that involve ecological intervention in wilderness, including projects motivated by the preservation of cultural resources. This supplement is needed because ecological intervention proposals commonly entail complex legal, scientific, and ethical questions that may be beyond the realm of a typical MRA or MRDG. By asking questions early in the proposal evaluation process, this supplement is intended to help agency staff identify issues that need to be resolved before moving forward with the MRA or MRDG and other required analyses.