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David Cole - Aldo Leopold Wilderness Research Institute
BACKGROUND
 A half-century ago, when the Wilderness Act was being formulated, it was widely assumed that wilderness could serve many purposes without conflict. It could be both wild and natural, both uncrowded and free. It could preserve species, be a refuge for natural processes, provide relief for stressed urban populations and provide a symbol of human restraint and humility. Since that time, however, as populations have expanded, as wild lands outside wilderness have dwindled and as the pervasiveness of human impact even in remote places has become clear, we have learned that this is not possible. We cannot maximize all these different values in the same place and at the same time. These values are often in conflict.
With values in conflict and legitimate wilderness stakeholders having diverse opinions about the relative importance of these values, wilderness managers are confronted with serious dilemmas. Should they pick one set of values over another or should they compromise? If they compromise, won't this simply create a wilderness system that is mediocre and non-diverse? Do we need to clarify wilderness values and develop policy that more clearly defines how these dilemmas should be resolved?
These are questions that have been raised and explored in the following series of papers:
- Cole, David N. 1996. Ecological manipulation in wilderness: an emerging management dilemma. International Journal of Wilderness 1(3): 15-19. Click here to view abstract and order Leopold Institute publication #283.
- Cole, David N. 2000. Paradox of the primeval: ecological restoration in wilderness. Ecological Restoration 18:77-86. Click here to view abstract and order Leopold Institute publication #374.
- Cole, David N. 2000. Natural, wild, uncrowded or free: which of these should wilderness be? International Journal of Wilderness 6(2): 5-8. Click here to view abstract and order Leopold Institute publication #411.
- Cole, David N. 2001. Management dilemmas that will shape wilderness in the 21st century. Journal of Forestry 99(1): 4-8. Click here to view abstract and download Leopold Institute publication #419.
- Cole, David N. 2003. Agency policy and the resolution of wilderness stewardship dilemmas. George Wright Forum 20: 26-33. Click here to view abstract and download Leopold Institute publication #485.
- Cole, David N. 2005. Symbolic values of wilderness: the overlooked values that make wilderness unique. International Journal of Wilderness 11(2): 23-27, 10. Click here to view abstract and download Leopold Institute publication #559.
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