The Arthur Carhart National Wilderness Training Center
The Arthur Carhart National Wilderness Training Center was established in August 1993 to preserve the values and benefits of wilderness for present and future generations by connecting agency employees and the public with their wilderness heritage through training, information, and education. The Center was named in commemoration of Arthur Carhart and located at the Ninemile Ranger Station and Remount Depot, outside Missoula, Montana. Today, the Carhart Center is housed on the University of Montana campus and has grown from its original staff of one and a half Forest Service employees to an interagency staff of seven and a half with representatives from the Bureau of Land Management, Fish & Wildlife Service, Forest Service and National Park Service.Arthur Carhart
While no one person can be called "Father of the Wilderness Concept," Arthur Carhart has been referred to as "the chief cook in the kitchen during the critical first years." His life stands as testimony that a good idea will grow and prosper in and of itself. Born in 1892 in Mapleton, Iowa, Carhart graduated from Iowa State College in 1916 with a degree in landscape architecture. In 1919 the U.S. Forest Service hired Carhart as its first full-time landscape architect, even though his official title was "recreation engineer."
"I feel so fortunate to have been able to participate - it was inspirational and an affirmation that there are dedicated/ knowledgeable/ efficient management officials/ologists out there. Renewed my faith in land management agencies."- Natural resource monitoring course
"The course was a wonderful opportunity to explore the importance of wilderness and how to protect it within the framework of the Wilderness Act."- Unit workshop
"Very thoughtful provoking presentations that showed a novice like me (the managers with tough choices) to deal with contingencies and planning."- National stewardship course
"You folks hit it right on in realizing the importance of planning and providing the ecological/plant physiology as the building block for successful projects."- Restoration course
"I know little about the wilderness, and was able to learn a vital history coupled with inspiration and opportunity for me to be a stronger participant in the future."- Education & interpretation course
Wilderness Stewardship Training
Agency Employee Wilderness Training - Using an interagency team approach, the Carhart Center staff works with experts within and outside the federal land management agencies to develop comprehensive solutions to critical wilderness stewardship issues through classroom and online courses focused on wilderness stewardship, planning, restoration, education & interpretation, visitor use, natural resource monitoring and specific unit issues. Carhart Center course participants learn skills for better wilderness management decision-making by understanding law, policy and mandated processes, interpreting controversial issues, critically analyzing the benefits and trade-offs associated with management actions, understanding the roles of key parties, participating in open forums with stakeholder groups, experiencing hands-on learning through case study analysis and field components, and networking and sharing knowledge with fellow attendees and speakers.Wilderness Information Resources
Online Resources - With increasing computer use by both government and private sector organizations, the Carhart Center remains dedicated to providing online access to information. The Carhart Center's website offers access to classroom course information, online course information, and decision documents such as the Minimum Requirement Decision Guide and the Wilderness Access Decision Tool. The Carhart Center's involvement with Wilderness.net has helped bring a variety of issue toolboxes online including: accessibility, air quality monitoring, awareness, commercial services, fire management, fish and wildlife management, GPS recreational activities, grazing, inholding access, interpretation and education, minerals, miscellaneous special provisions, motor vehicle trespass, national forest wilderness website, non-native invasive plants, recreation site monitoring, resource protection, restoration, search and rescue, signs and posters, state/tribal wilderness, traditional toosl and skils, visitor use management, volunteers and partners, wilderness information needs assessment.Wilderness Education Resources
Wilderness Management Distance Education Courses - The Wilderness Management Distance Education Program offers accredited university courses for a comprehensive study of wilderness management. The courses are written by agency professionals, and by academics and researchers renown in their respective fields. A Distance Education course removes the constraints of time and location, and presents the most current wilderness knowledge available anywhere. Students can study from home and earn credit toward a degree, professional certification, or for personal growth and satisfaction. Two course formats are available, the traditional correspondence course and the more interactive Online course.K-12 Wilderness and Land Ethic Curriculum - The Wilderness and Land Ethic curriculum is designed to help grade school, middle school and high school educators incorporate valuable information about wilderness into their classrooms through lessons and activities in American history, social studies, english, the arts, science and math. The goal of the curriculum is to foster awareness of the wilderness resource and its significance to our culture and society. Online access to lessons provides educators with easy access to this information, and soon-to-be-released revisions will further help teachers meet state educational standards.