Wilderness workshop for USDA Forest Service by University of Idaho

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Wilderness Workshop for USDA Forest Service held by University of Idaho

Friday, May 20, 2005, 6 to 10PM, at COCC, Wilderness Workshop for the USDA Forest Service
This invitation only workshop is being held under contract by the University of Idaho. Traditional Mountaineering is one of about 20 stakeholders who will participate in this scientific study.

Memo to Workshop Participants
Subject: Wilderness Workshop Information
Friday May 20, 2005 – Central Oregon Community College in Bend, OR

More specific information about the purpose of these wilderness workshops:

University of Idaho social scientists have been hired to conduct wilderness workshops in four Oregon communities for the USDA Forest Service. Forest Service wilderness managers are concerned about how to balance public use of wilderness and natural resource protection given recent increases in visitation to some wilderness destinations in Oregon and Washington. Specifically, managers are concerned about the impacts of increased use on visitors’ experiences and would like to know stakeholder sentiments about possible actions the Forest Service might take to reduce the impact of increased visitation on wilderness experiences. This is why we are asking for your participation in this workshop.

To facilitate discussion, the workshop will focus on the Three Sisters Wilderness, where in fact there is increasing recreation use, particularly at places like the Green Lakes/South Sister area.

The workshop will provide an opportunity for you to discuss and explain your wilderness values and management preferences with other wilderness stakeholders. Although this information will help wilderness managers understand current wilderness values and management preferences, this workshop is not connected to any Forest Service planning or decision-making processes.

This workshop is part of a regional Forest Service wilderness study that is:

1)      assessing current wilderness values and management preferences; and,

2)      assessing the effectiveness of group meeting strategies that attempt to empower stakeholders to make informed
         decisions about management actions and strategies.

The information that is collected during this citizen involvement meeting will:

1)      help wilderness managers better understand the values and preferences of their stakeholders; and,

2)      help public agencies better understand the effectiveness of current public involvement processes.

******************
Erin Seekamp, Research Assistant
Department of Conservation Social Sciences
College of Natural Resources
University of Idaho

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