Balancing the benefits and impacts of science in Alaska's wilderness

Abstract

The large parks and preserves in Alaska, the wildest places that keep our nation’s legacy of wilderness character for future generations, are not immune from onslaughts such as trans-oceanic air pollutants, non-native species, and global climate change. No manager today doubts or questions the need for reliable and accurate information as a basis for preserving the natural heritage and character of Alaska’s wilderness. Science is the principal means for deriving such information and has indisputably improved both park and wilderness stewardship (e.g., Peterson 1996, Graber 2002). However, do some types of scientific activities compromise wilderness? Could science threaten wilderness, making it something less and not quite wilderness? Is it possible to have too much science in wilderness? Proposed use of drilling, use of helicopters, and installation of structures for volcanic research in the Katmai Wilderness, for example, caused significant conflict over the benefits and impacts of this research in wilderness (Eichelberger and Sattler 1994).

Citation

Landres, Peter. 2005. Balancing the benefits and impacts of science in Alaska's wilderness. Alaska Park Science. 4(2):44-46.