Integrating cultural resources and wilderness character

Abstract

Cultural resources are an integral part of wilderness and wilderness character, and all wilderness areas have a human history. This article develops a foundation for wilderness and cultural resource staffs to continue communicating with one another in order to make better decisions for wilderness stewardship. Following a discussion of relevant legislative history, we describe how cultural resources are the fifth quality of wilderness character. Examples of how cultural resources in wilderness are being managed in a variety of parks include working with tribes to manage ethnographic resources in wilderness and using the Minimum Requirements Analysis to determine the appropriateness of historic preservation actions and activities. The article closes with three recommendations to help parks address managing cultural resources in wilderness in the future.

Citation

Cowley, Jill; Landres, Peter; Memory, Melissa; Scott, Doug; Lindholm, Adrienne. 2012. Integrating cultural resources and wilderness character. Park Science. 28(3). Online: http://www.nature.nps.gov/ParkScience/index.cfm?ArticleID=537&Page=1