Interagency Wilderness Steering Committee

Overview

Background (from 16-IA-11132455-211): 

The 1964 Wilderness Act (Pub, L. 88-577) established the National Wilderness Preservation System (NWPS) and a national policy " ... to secure for the American people of present and future generations the benefits of an enduring resource of wilderness," that are to be administered, "for the use and enjoyment of the American people in such manner as will leave them unimpaired for future use and enjoyment as wilderness, and so as to provide for the protection of these areas, the preservation of their wilderness character, and for the gathering and dissemination of information regarding their use and enjoyment as wilderness."

There are four agencies that are responsible for managing wilderness: Bureau of Land Management, U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service, National Park Service, and the U.S. Forest Service. The U.S. Geological Survey is responsible for providing reliable scientific information from the Department of Interior. Each agency provides varying types and levels of wilderness management, training, information, research, and public education experience and expertise, which should be shared to the mutual benefit of the agencies, the NWPS, and the American people.

The parties cooperate in numerous land and resource management activities and recognize the need to work together to identify wilderness research, training, information, and education needs; and, to develop and deliver mutually beneficial products to meet those needs. Collaboration across agencies will result:

  • improved responsiveness to the field and the public with one-stop-shopping for wilderness research, training, information, and education;
  • equal and ready access to accurate and timely wilderness information;
  • improved networking and sharing of lessons learned among mangers at all levels;
  • improved consistency in management within and between parties;
  • significant economies of scale and cost savings;
  • minimal duplication of effort;
  • movement toward managing wilderness as one system of land rather than four separate wilderness systems;
  • tools needed to help the parties meet the legal mandate to ensure an enduring resource of wilderness for this and future generations.

Purpose:

The purpose of this agreement [16-IA-11132455-211] is to document the intent of the parties to collaborate on issues related to stewardship of the NWPS, including but not limited to:
A. Identification of wilderness research, training, information and education needs;
B. Development and delivery of mutually beneficial tools to meet wilderness research, training, information and education needs;
C. Operation of the Arthur Carhart National Wilderness Training Center, hereinafter referred to as the Carhart Center, and the Aldo Leopold Wilderness Research Institute, hereinafter referred to as the Leopold Institute.

Committee Members

Chair: Peter Keller
National Wilderness Program Lead
National Conservation Lands Division
Bureau of Land Management, DOI
1340 Financial Blvd (HQRN)
Reno, NV  89502
(202) 853-0480 (cell)
pkeller@blm.gov

Vice Chair: Nancy Roeper
National Wilderness Coordinator
Division of Natural Resources
National Wildlife Refuge System
US Fish and Wildlife Service, DOI
5275 Leesburg Pike
Falls Church, VA 22041
703-358-2389 (voice); 571-451-5411 (cell);
nancy_roeper@fws.gov

Peter Mali
National Wilderness Program Leader
US Forest Service, USDA
Yates Federal Building, MS 112
201 14th Street, SW
Washington, DC 20250
202-823-0773 (cell)
peter.mali@usda.gov

Roger Semler
Chief, Wilderness Stewardship Division
Visitor & Resource Protection Directorate
National Park Service, DOI
U.S. Department of Interior Bldg. Room 2548
1849 C Street
Washington DC 20240
202-513-7220 (voice); 202-430-7615 (cell)
roger_semler@nps.gov

Rudy Schuster
Branch Chief, Social & Economic Analysis
Fort Collins Science Center
U.S. Geological Survey
2150 Center Ave., Building C
Fort Collins, CO 80526
970-226-9165 (voice); 970-218-2698 (cell)
schusterr@usgs.gov

Tim Fisher, acting
Director, Arthur Carhart
National Wilderness Training Center
James Todd Building, 32 Campus Drive #3168
Missoula, MT 59812
406-243-4654 (voice)
Timothy.Fisher@usda.gov

Jason Taylor
Director, Aldo Leopold Wilderness Research Institute
Rocky Mountain Research Station
790 East Beckwith Avenue
Missoula, MT 59801
406-542-4193 (voice); 406-550-1079 (cell)
jason.taylor2@usda.gov