Noatak wilderness character baseline assessment: Building blocks for wilderness stewardship
Landres N. 2015. Noatak wilderness character baseline assessment: Building blocks for wilderness stewardship. Natural Resource Report. NPS/NOAT/NRR—2015/979. National Park Service. Fort Collins, Colorado
This report is the baseline assessment of wilderness character for the Noatak Wilderness. The intent of the assessment is to facilitate a comprehensive understanding of a) the key features of the Noatak’s wilderness character, and b) how the wilderness character of the Noatak is changing over time. Together, this information provides a holistic understanding of the Noatak Wilderness and what sets it apart from other public lands, and other wilderness areas, nationwide. This baseline assessment defines 20 measures of wilderness character that will be used to monitor change in the wilderness character of the Noatak into the future. For each of these 20 measures, the measures’ relevance to the wilderness character of the Noatak is described, as are specific monitoring protocols to assure consistent monitoring methods over time. The measures were identified based on national guidance, and selected at the local level through a collaborative and iterative process with preserve staff. The legislative mandate of the Wilderness Act of 1964 is to preserve the wilderness character of the area, a mandate affirmed in National Park Service policy. To inform how wilderness character is changing over time, this report specifies the current status of the measure, as well as the trend in each measure since the designation of the Noatak Wilderness in 1980. Overall, wilderness character across the Noatak Wilderness has had a downward trend since 1980. An in-depth summary and discussion of the trends in wilderness character since designation for each quality of wilderness character is described in the Conclusions section of this report. This report is intended to serve as a standalone document to assist in ongoing wilderness character monitoring for the Noatak Wilderness. Ultimately, the purpose of this baseline assessment is to help improve wilderness stewardship and preserve the area’s wilderness character.
- Type
- Published Report
- Authors
- Landres, Nyssa
- Date of Issue
- 2015-06
- Publisher
- National Park Service
- Units
- NOAT , NRSS
- Keywords
- Alaska region, baseline assessment, National Park Service, NOAT, Noatak National Preserve, Noatak Wilderness, Stewardship, Wilderness, wilderness character
- Subjects
- Ecological Framework: Human Use | Point-Source Human Effects | Point-Source Human Effects , Ecological Framework: Human Use | Non-point Source Human Effects | Non-point Source Human Effects , Ecological Framework: Human Use | Visitor and Recreation Use | Visitor Use , Ecological Framework: Landscapes | Soundscape | Soundscape , Ecological Framework: Landscapes | Viewscape | Viewscape/Dark Night Sky