1. IN NATIONAL PARK SERVICE WILDERNESS Chief of Wilderness Stewardship
U.S. Department of the Interior
Wilderness Stewardship Division
USE OF TECHNOLOGY
IN NATIONAL PARK SERVICE WILDERNESS
Roger Semler
Chief of Wilderness Stewardship
National Park Service
Glacier Wilderness
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2. National Park Service
U.S. Department of the Interior
Wilderness Stewardship Division
WILDERNESS 2020 VISION
Interagency stewardship priorities for America’s National Wilderness Preservation System
PRESERVE wilderness character…. Manage use of technologies that are likely to degrade wilderness character
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3. USE OF TECHNOLOGY Administrative Use: Law (Wilderness Act Sec. 4c)
National Park Service
U.S. Department of the Interior
Wilderness Stewardship Division
USE OF TECHNOLOGY
Administrative Use:
Law (Wilderness Act Sec. 4c)
NPS Policy
Public Use:
Regulation (36 CFR Part 2 - Resource Protection, Public Use and Recreation
Gates of the Arctic Wilderness
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4. CONSIDERATIONS Positive Impact:
National Park Service
U.S. Department of the Interior
Wilderness Stewardship Division
CONSIDERATIONS
Positive Impact:
+ May enhance employee or public safety
+ May enhance incident management
+ May enhance visitor experience
+ May support agency mission
Negative Impact:
Does the use violate Sec. 4 c of the Wilderness Act?
May adversely impact wilderness character qualities (solitude or primitive and unconfined recreation)
May adversely impact visitors wilderness experience
May create false sense of security or reduce self-reliance
May be improperly used
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5. ADMINISTRATIVE USE Policies:
National Park Service
U.S. Department of the Interior
Wilderness Stewardship Division
ADMINISTRATIVE USE
Policies:
2006 Management Policies, Wilderness Preservation and Management
Director’s Order # 41, Wilderness Stewardship
* Both require a Minimum Requirement Analysis for all actions that may impact wilderness character
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6. ADMINISTRATIVE USE Mission Support: Communications Incident Management
National Park Service
U.S. Department of the Interior
Wilderness Stewardship Division
ADMINISTRATIVE USE
Mission Support:
Communications
Incident Management
Visitor & Resource
Protection
Resource Management
Inventory & Monitoring
Scientific Research
Mapping
NPS photo
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7. ADMINISTRATIVE USE Incident Communications: Search & Rescue EMS
National Park Service
U.S. Department of the Interior
Wilderness Stewardship Division
ADMINISTRATIVE USE
Incident Communications:
Search & Rescue
EMS
Law Enforcement
Fire Management
Natural Disasters
NPS photo
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8. ADMINISTRATIVE USE Communications Examples: Hand-held radios
National Park Service
U.S. Department of the Interior
Wilderness Stewardship Division
ADMINISTRATIVE USE
Communications Examples:
Hand-held radios
Radio repeaters
Satellite phones
Cell phones
Personal location trackers
(w/ messaging or texting)
Portable solar charging panels
NPS photo
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9. ADMINISTRATIVE USE Benefits to Employee & Public Safety
National Park Service
U.S. Department of the Interior
Wilderness Stewardship Division
ADMINISTRATIVE USE
Benefits to Employee & Public Safety
May allow for a strategic, targeted response
May reduce incident response time or magnitude
May reduce placing emergency responders in hazardous conditions
May SAVE LIVES
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10. ADMINISTRATIVE USE Operations Examples: Aerial observations
National Park Service
U.S. Department of the Interior
Wilderness Stewardship Division
ADMINISTRATIVE USE
Operations Examples:
Aerial observations
Radio collars or transmitters
Monitoring cameras
Weather data stations
Monitoring installations:
Seismic, Volcanic, Glaciers, hydrology
NPS photo
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11. ADMINISTRATIVE USE Potential Benefits to Wilderness Character:
National Park Service
U.S. Department of the Interior
Wilderness Stewardship Division
ADMINISTRATIVE USE
Potential Benefits to Wilderness Character:
May reduce duration and/or magnitude of administrative activities
May reduce cumulative or overall impacts to solitude (sights & sounds of response)
* Consideration: UAS is quieter, smaller, and less obvious than a helicopter
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12. PUBLIC USE Examples: GPS navigation Cellular or satellite phones
National Park Service
U.S. Department of the Interior
Wilderness Stewardship Division
PUBLIC USE
Examples:
GPS navigation
Cellular or satellite phones
Hand-held two-way radios
AM/FM or Weather Radios
Personal tracking or locator devices
Avalanche transceivers
Portable solar chargers
New, emerging forms of mechanical transport
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13. PUBLIC USE Public Use Regulations:
National Park Service
U.S. Department of the Interior
Wilderness Stewardship Division
PUBLIC USE
Public Use Regulations:
36 CFR prohibits motorized equipment
36 CFR prohibits delivering person or object by airborne means
36 CFR prohibits bicycles in wilderness
36 CFR prohibits snowmobile use
36 CFR 5.5 – addresses commercial filming, still photography, and audio recording
36 CFR prohibits UAS
* No regulations prohibit hand-held electronic devices
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14. PUBLIC USE Public UAS Use: Unmanned Aircraft – Interim Policy
National Park Service
U.S. Department of the Interior
Wilderness Stewardship Division
PUBLIC USE
Public UAS Use:
Unmanned Aircraft – Interim Policy
* 36 CFR Superintendent’s Compendium:
Landing, launching , or operating an unmanned aircraft from or on lands and waters administered by the National Park Service within the boundaries of {park name} is prohibited except as approved by the superintendent.
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15. SOLUTIONS Administrative Use: Apply thoughtful MRAs & NEPA processes
National Park Service
U.S. Department of the Interior
Wilderness Stewardship Division
SOLUTIONS
Administrative Use:
Apply thoughtful MRAs & NEPA processes
Public Use:
Encourage visitors to practice the Leave No Trace principle of “be considerate of other visitors”
Avoid being too judgmental re: personal choices
Consider regulations as needed
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