In 1993, a management program was initiated in the Seven Lakes Basin in the Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness to bring high levels of campsite impact into compliance with management standards. The core of the strategy involved confining use, particularly by stock groups, and restoring certain campsites and portions of campsites. In just five years, campsite impacts were reduced substantially. Disturbed and bare area decreased on campsites, as did tree scarring and mineral soil exposure. Vegetation cover increased. The only impact parameter that continued to get worse was tree root exposure. Continuation of this program would likely reduce the extent of disturbance to less than one-third of the disturbance that existed before implementation. Fiscal costs were substantial, but experiential costs were judged to be minimal. This program should provide a good model for other wildernesses with campsite problems in certain destination areas.
Geographic Information Systems (GIS) are increasingly being used in all areas of natural resource management. This paper first presents a brief primer on GIS, and then discusses potential applications of GIS to wilderness management in the areas of inventorying, monitoring, analysis, planning, and communication. Outlined are the limitations and pitfalls that could compromise the effectiveness of a wilderness GIS, and several suggestions are included for improving the chances of successfully using GIS in wilderness management.
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