The Lubrecht Report: A Mid-Way Assessment of the 10 -Year Wilderness Stewardship Challenge

1. The Lubrecht Report:A Mid-Way Assessment of the 10-Year Wilderness Stewardship Challenge Developed By: The Wilderness Advisory Group April 2010

2. Presentation Overview • Background • Current Status • Looking Back – The First Five Year • Looking Ahead – The Next Five Years

3. Background • The 10-Year Wilderness Stewardship Challenge (10YWSC) has the stated goal of having all wildernesses managed to a “minimum stewardship level” by 2014 • The target date coincides with the 50th anniversary of the Wilderness Act • The “minimum stewardship level” is reached when a wilderness scores 60-points or higher of a total possible 100-points on ten elements • Elements include fire planning, recreation site inventory and baseline workforce • The 10YWSC was approved by Chief Dale Bosworth and the National Leadership Team in the fall of 2003

4. Percent of Wildernesses Meeting Standard - National

5. Average Score - National

6. Average Score by Element - National

7. Percent of Wildernesses Meeting Standard – Regional(FY 2009 data)

8. Average Score – Regional(FY 2009 data)

9. Percent of Wildernesses Meeting Standard – Regional

10. Average Score – Regional

11. Number of Wildernesses by “Progress Classes” – National(FY 2009 data)

12. Number of Wildernesses by “Progress Classes” – Regional(FY 2009 data)

13. Progress Needed to Make the Challenge

14. Looking Back – The First Five Years • What Has Worked Well: • Regional Coordination • Setting a Specific Timeframe for Making Progress • Focusing on Progressing in a Single Element • Concentrating on Lagging Wilderness Areas • Dedicating Professionals to Make Progress • Hiring detailers • Bringing in Trainers • Creating Strike Teams • Having Region/Forest resource specialists work directly with wilderness personnel • Increasing Cooperation betweenWilderness Programs

15. Looking Back – The First Five Years • What Has Worked Well: (cont.) • Functional Integration • Supporting Specialists to Work Directly with Wilderness Personnel • Line Officer Leadership and Commitment • Emphasizing the Challenge as a Priority • Leadership Accountability for Meeting the Challenge • Bold Action by Leadership

16. Looking Back – The First Five Years • What Has Worked Well: (cont.) • Creative Use of Resources • Focusing Funding on the Challenge • Creating a Challenge Grant at the Regional Level • Applying Outfitter/Guide generated funds for Element 7 (Outfitters/Guides) • Applying Inventorying & Monitoring funds for specialists to work on plans and monitoring • Using Volunteers • Training

17. Looking Back – The First Five Years • What Has Worked Well: (cont.) • Strength of Existing Programs • Relying on Dedicated & Experienced Wilderness Personnel • Revisiting and Adapting pre-10YWSC efforts

18. Looking Back – The First Five Years • What Has Not Worked Well: • Lack of Functional Integration • Inadequate Line Officer Leadership and Commitment • Insufficient Resources • Boots on the Ground • Funding • Training • Partnerships and Volunteers

19. Looking Back – The First Five Years • What Has Not Worked Well: (cont.) • Inadequate Policy • Limitations in the structure of the Challenge

20. Looking Ahead – The Next Five Years • Recommendations: • Priority Actions for the Chief • Require each Regional Forester to develop, and submit to the Chief, a Regional Strategy to meet the 10YWSC • Organize and fund strike teams • Establish internal grant funds • Provide funds to supplement NFF grant program • Conduct assistance reviews for the Regions • Develop video for the Chief

21. Looking Ahead – The Next Five Years • Recommendations: (cont.) • Innovative Strategies for National Wilderness Leadership • Increase communication between WWSR Director and the field • DesignateNational 10YWSC Lead • Conduct national leveling calls • Conduct national calls to support individual elements of the 10YWSC • Improve educational resources for implementing the 10YWSC

22. Looking Ahead – The Next Five Years • Recommendations: (cont.) • Strategies for Regional Leadership • Develop region-wide approaches to meet the 10YWSC • Charter Regional Wilderness Council to facilitate integration; • Charter Regional, Zone or Forest WAG’s composed of specialists from all resources; • Charter integrated regional teams around specific elements (Strike Teams) or to assist units in most need; • Develop integrated region-wide funding strategies around specific elements; • Hold funding aside to allow competition from individual forests to make progress on the Challenge; • Hold funding aside for “model” forests to make progress on specific elements; • Create and fill a Regional 10YWSC Coordinator;

23. Looking Ahead – The Next Five Years • Recommendations: (cont.) • Strategies for Regional Leadership • Develop region-wide approaches to meet the 10YWSC (cont.) • Identify regional Subject Matter Experts (SME) to assist other units; • Incorporate meeting 10YWSC in region-wide Business Plans, emphasis areas, and program direction; • Conduct region-wide training and meetings to share lessons learned; • Hold region-wide “leveling” calls for consistency in scoring; • Create and fill regional internship positions on units of most need; • Utilize Enterprise Teams to complete plans, coordinate with specialists, and complete evaluation and/or monitoring; • Create and fill regional detail positions that could spend time in the region assisting where most needed and/or focus on specific elements; • Develop regional forum for sharing successes/Regional support group (web based, video conferencing, conference calls);

24. Looking Ahead – The Next Five Years • Recommendations: (cont.) • Strategies for Regional Leadership • Develop region-wide approaches to meet the 10YWSC (cont.) • Identify and support staff with ability to focus on Wilderness; • Include more specific budget advice related to the Challenge from the Regions and Forests; • Require Forests and Districts to develop work plans specific to 10YWSC; • Look at other opportunities for funding for the Challenge such as Stimulus; • Include progress on the Challenge in annual line officer performance reviews; • Require training for all wilderness managers; • Encourage training for non-wilderness staff; and • Adopt models of successful staffing