Wilderness protected areas : management guidelines for IUCN category 1b protected areas

Where wilderness is found: Evidence from 70,000 trip reports

“…Interagency strategies have since outlined how to promote values of self-reliance, physical and mental challenge, inspiration, solitude, timelessness and scenic appreciation (among others) in areas that are undeveloped (Engebretson & Hall, 2019;Landres et al, 2015). 2 Following a similar ethos, the Recreation Opportunity Spectrum, a planning tool developed in the 1970s and 1 Federally designated wilderness in the United States aligns generally with the International Union for Conservation of Nature category 1b (wilderness) (Casson et al, 2016). used in US national forests and protected areas worldwide, delineates a system of zoning to inform recreation development, with a unidimensional spectrum ranging from 'primitive' recreation settings (similar to federally designated wilderness) to 'urban' recreation settings characterized by highly developed facilities and a high human density of use (Blahna et al, 2020;Driver et al, 1987).…”

“…Outdoor recreation experiences yield diverse social and health benefits to people and are an essential way many people engage with nature worldwide (Lackey et al, 2021;Thomsen et al, 2018;White et al, 2021;Wolf et al, 2020). To provide opportunities for those experiences, public land managers commonly rely on frameworks and tools for recreation and wilderness management that define the types of settings where activities should be allowed and offer guidance on where to provide supporting services, facilities and maintenance (Casson et al, 2016;Cole & Williams, 2012;Landres et al, 2015;Manning, 2012). Management frameworks and tools are intended to facilitate certain qualities of experiences for people.…”

“…Management frameworks and tools are intended to facilitate certain qualities of experiences for people. For example, strict protection practices that are associated with the concept of ‘wilderness’ promote specific landscape values and influence people's uses of such areas (Casson et al., 2016; Engebretson & Hall, 2019; Saarinen, 2016). In the United States, ‘wilderness character’ is promoted in federally designated wilderness areas, to provide visitors with opportunities to experience challenge, self‐reliance and self‐discovery (Landres et al., 2015).…”

“…Federal wilderness designations and Recreation Opportunity Spectrum zoning offer examples of two influential management paradigms for public lands in the United States, both built on the explicit premise that managers can manipulate (or abstain from manipulating) setting characteristics to influence the qualities of visitors' experiences. Recreation is a main human use of wilderness areas and is managed to limit types and amounts of activities and impacts (Casson et al., 2016; Manning, 2012). The Wilderness Act (1964) outlines a specific type of recreation experience to be allowed in federally designated wilderness, which led to subsequent agency directives and guidance prescribing allowances for only human‐powered, non‐extractive activities that (in theory) facilitate specific experiential qualities for visitors (Landres et al., 2015; Manning, 2012).…”

The Northern Sea Route: New Opportunities, New Challenges

“…CDB and UNDP, "Harmonizing Investment and Financing Standards towards Sustainable Development along the Belt and Road. "40 The World Bank, "The World Bank Environmental and Social Framework. "41 IFC, "Performance Standard 6: Biodiversity Conservation and Sustainable Management of Living Natural Resources. "…”