Mapping Wilderness Character in Gates of the Arctic National Park & Preserve

Pace, Kristin; Tricker, James; Baltensperger, Andrew; Landres, Peter

The recent development of an interagency strategy to monitor wilderness character, Keeping It Wild 2: An Updated Interagency Strategy for Monitoring Wilderness Character Across the National Wilderness Preservation System (Landres et al. 2015), allows on-the-ground managers and decision makers to assess whether stewardship actions for an individual wilderness are fulfilling the legislative mandate to “preserve wilderness character.” By using credible data that are consistently collected, one can assess how wilderness character changes over time and evaluate how stewardship actions affect wilderness character. As most of these data depict spatial or geographic features in wilderness, a Geographic Information System (GIS)-based approach was developed to depict impacts to wilderness character in the Gates of the Arctic National Park and Preserve (GAAR) wilderness. A set of measures was identified by the project team to capture impacts to the five qualities of wilderness character (untrammeled, natural, undeveloped, solitude or primitive and unconfined recreation, and other features of value). These measures were depicted using a variety of spatial datasets, which were normalized using a common relative scale such that disparate metrics could be analyzed together. Each measure was “weighted” by the project team to reflect its relative impact to wilderness character. Maps generated for each of the weighted measures were then added together to produce a composite map of impacts to wilderness character. Additionally, maps were generated to depict positive features of value within GAAR and impacts posed by the potential development of an industrial road corridor through the southern portion of GAAR. The map products presented in this report delineate the spatial pattern and variation of impacts to wilderness character across the GAAR wilderness. These maps will be used by GAAR staff to inform and support park planning documents, Wilderness Stewardship Performance planning, Wilderness Character Monitoring and management decision-making. The maps, and this approach, do not represent a determination of significant effects, nor do they endorse specific management decisions or trigger management action. Instead, this project provides managers with a tool to better understand the extent and magnitude of impacts to wilderness character across GAAR, holistically evaluate tradeoffs associated with decisions and actions in wilderness, and ultimately improve wilderness stewardship.

Mapping Wilderness Character in Gates of the Arctic National Park & Preserve

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