Alternatives To Wilderness Can Broaden Land Protection

Proposed by the International Mountain Bicycling Association
October, 2001

Gary Sprung

The Wilderness Act of 1964 was a noble, visionary action. As of January, 2001, Congress had designated 644 Wilderness areas, protecting more than 100 million acres of land. Today, many more places warrant Wilderness protection. But we also need intermediate protection options that prescribe levels of protection that are greater than BLM and Forest Service general management, but less than those of designated Wilderness. Wilderness designation significantly limits management flexibility, and for some places this is undesirable. Middle options may also broaden public support for protection, allow more diverse recreation, and protect lands that do not meet Wilderness criteria.

Several Wilderness alternatives -- or supplements -- already exist. America's national parks offer significant protections. Various presidents and Congress have declared national monuments. The USDA Forest Service Roadless Area Conservation rule would protect more than 50 million acres of national forest land as Roadless Areas.

Since bicycling is prohibited in Wilderness areas, and because we support increased protection for public lands, the International Mountain Bicycling Association encourages both new Wilderness areas and congressional designation of alternatives to Wilderness. We endorse two approaches to alternatives. The first, National Conservation Areas, has been utilized about a dozen times by the U.S. Congress. However, the NCA designations have been weak compared to Wilderness. IMBA endorses the creation of NCAs that have strong protections.

IMBA also endorses the idea of Protection Areas. The term "Protection Area" was utilized by Congress to designate the Bowen Gulch portion of the Never Summer Mountains in Colorado in 1993, and the House of Representatives in 2001 passed a bill to establish the James Peak Protection Area in Colorado. The Congress has protected several other places with similar, special, ad hoc designations (see: 16USC539). IMBA's Protection Area proposal includes more specific provisions than were included in those legislative actions.

NCAs and Protection Areas may be designated in conjunction with, and may adjoin or surround, areas of designated Wilderness.

The following descriptions explain IMBA's vision for these two types of land protection designations. We submit these ideas for consideration and debate, and for use in political decision-making.

NATIONAL CONSERVATION AREAS

The purpose of National Conservation Area (NCA) designation is to protect natural landscapes from inappropriate development, promote ecological restoration, and allow recreation opportunities that are compatible with ecological integrity.

Many natural areas on our public lands are not roadless - and thus do not qualify for Wilderness designation - but nonetheless deserve protection to maintain critical ecological values. Under this proposal, National Conservation Areas need not be roadless. Rather, they should be "substantially natural." Therefore, they may encompass larger landscapes than would be eligible for Wilderness protection.

NCA designations should direct land managers to restore natural ecosystems. In contrast, in Wilderness areas the principle is to not take action. So an NCA inherently implies a greater degree of management. The NCA proposal would also allow managers to promote stewardship by livestock operators, whereas Wilderness designation is legally required to not affect livestock management.

NCAs, if properly legislated, can protect the land while calling for different management emphasis. They will diversify our legal system for protecting landscapes, giving us better tools for different circumstances. By allowing more diverse recreation, they will significantly expand the constituency for protecting lands from excessive development.

National Conservation Area Management Principles

NCA designation will:

direct the land management agency to make conservation and restoration the top management priority, allowing recreation to the extent it is compatible with ecological integrity
promote wildlife conservation and recovery
encourage restoration of natural ecosystems
promote environmental education
allow all non-motorized recreation, including bicycling and horse riding
allow motorized recreation on existing, designated routes
allow livestock grazing, with extra emphasis on good stewardship
prohibit mining
prohibit logging
prohibit dams
prohibit building of new roads
encourage elimination of existing roads
prohibit fully enclosed buildings - except allow designated visitors centers; picnic tables, lean-to's, outhouses acceptable
require creation by the responsible land agency of a management plan within three years of designation

PROTECTION AREAS

The purpose of the Protection Area designation is to maintain backcountry landscapes where road-building is prohibited, where managers can engage in stewardship activities, and where non-motorized recreation opportunities are abundant and well managed.

Contemporary science has strongly indicated that roads often cause significant harm to wildlife habitat and water resources. Roads are also costly to build. The maintenance of the extensive system of roads on America's national forest and BLM public lands has become a financial burden. Many roads are decaying, thus increasing aquatic impacts. Protection Area designation prevents road expansion, thereby limiting degradation of habitat and water.

Many ecosystems nonetheless need some management activity to restore or improve ecological conditions. Forest thinning is sometimes desirable to reduce fire hazards. Whereas such land manipulation is prohibited --- or extremely discouraged -- in Wilderness areas, in Protection Areas it is allowed.

The quality of outdoor recreation is diminished by most development. Few people seek logging clearcuts as a place to hike or ride. Recreationists prefer more natural settings. Many recreationists prefer to travel on narrow trails, as opposed to roads. Many also desire places that are quiet. Protection Areas therefore prohibit motorized recreation. Managers retain the option of opening or closing trails to specific uses.

Protection Area Management Principles

Protection Area designation will:

prohibit building of roads
allow all forms of non-motorized recreation, including bicycling and horse riding
prohibit motorized travel
prohibit mining
allow stewardship logging
prohibit commercial logging
prohibit dams
prohibit buildings
encourage environmental conservation
promote environmental education
promote human health through outdoor recreation
direct land managers to employ methods to avoid or mitigate conflict between recreation and ecosystems
require creation by the responsible land agency of a management plan within three years of designation
encourage management of well planned trail and road systems that are physically stable and environmentally sound