Federal Agencies Sign Wilderness Agreement "2020 Vision: Interagency Stewardship Priorities for America’s National Wilderness Preservation System"

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Last Updated: Monday, 20 October 2014 04:11

Published: Monday, 20 October 2014 04:09

October 20, 2014 - On Friday afternoon, the federal land management agencies that make up the National Wilderness Preservation System signed an agreement that will guide interagency collaboration and vision to ensure the continued preservation of nearly 110 million acres of designated wilderness. 

The agreement, entitled "2020 Vision: Interagency stewardship priorities for America’s National Wilderness Preservation System," will guide the National Park Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Bureau of Land Management and U.S. Geological Survey, all under the U.S. Department of Interior, and the U.S. Forest Service, an agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

The document outlines interagency work and partnerships with non-government organizations for the management of wilderness. The plan emphasizes three broad themes:

• Protect wilderness resources,
• Connect people to their wilderness heritage, and
• Foster excellence in wilderness leadership and coordination.

The 2020 Vision also commemorates the 50th anniversary of the Wilderness Act of 1964, which was passed by Congress and led to creation of the National Wilderness Preservation System.

“The character of wilderness is unique because of its combination of biophysical, experiential, and symbolic ideals that distinguish it from other protected places,” said Jon Jarvis, director of the National Park Service. “Wilderness can be a life-changing experience, and it’s part of our mission to preserve wilderness for future generations. Our challenge is to offer this experience to an ever-diversifying public while remaining true to our stewardship mission.” 

By working together, the NPS, BLM, USFWS and USFS and non-government partners have built a model of effectiveness and efficiency that will continue as they meet the goals of wilderness stewardship in the 21st century. During the next five years, the agencies will focus on four priorities:

• Completing wilderness character inventories across the National Wilderness Preservation System using standardized interagency protocols and institutionalizing ongoing monitoring.
• Fostering relevancy of wilderness to contemporary society by inspiring and nurturing life-long connections between people of diverse cultures and wilderness.
• Strengthening commitment to and support of the interagency Arthur Carhart National Wilderness Training Center and the Aldo Leopold Wilderness Research Institute to foster excellence in interagency leadership and coordination.
• Conducting climate vulnerability and adaptation assessments across the National Wilderness Preservation System to improved ecological resiliency across broad landscapes. 

These interagency priorities will guide stewardship activities, projects, and events for all agency wilderness programs, the interagency Aldo Leopold Wilderness Research Institute, and the Arthur Carhart National Wilderness Training Center. The 2020 Vision updates a previous version and incorporates interagency research and management priorities.

Submitted by Erin Drake