Wilderness Planning

Wilderness Specialists - KSAs needed to address wilderness stewardship needs in programmatic and project level planning processes.

Entry Level

Knowledge and understanding of:

• the specific unit's land management plan direction for wilderness
• the relationship between wilderness and other unit management plans
• the project planning process and its relationship to land management plan direction

Full Performance Level

Knowledge and understanding of:

• same as Entry Level
• the theory and concepts of Limits of Acceptable Change, Visitor Experience and Resource Protection, or similar planning processes
• the unit land management planning process
• agency or unit wilderness information database
• the unit’s wilderness resource, values, and management issues
• NEPA requirements
• the wilderness resource and principles of management sufficient for representing it in interdisciplinary situations with other resource specialists

Ability to:

• accomplish collaborative planning at both the project and program level
• identify issues, develop and implement project plans
• develop wilderness program action plans or implementation schedules
• identify and communicate wilderness research and technology development needs
• apply research
• ensure that wilderness planning is interdisciplinary and integrated with other planning documents

Skilled in:

• involving other government agencies and the public in the collaborative planning process where agency appropriate
• interdisciplinary planning
• wilderness information, education, and interpretation planning and implementation
• developing partnerships
• applying the minimum requirements analysis process

Expert  Level

Knowledge and understanding of:

• same as Full Performance

Ability to:

• provide technical assistance for National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and other resource management planning activities
• accomplish collaborative planning at the program level and identify and develop regional planning strategies and initiatives. 
• identify and assist with resolving regional scale issues
• prioritize and communicate wilderness research and technology development needs
• transfer knowledge from research results
• review or respond to appeals and lawsuits on various wilderness issues
• interpret effects to wilderness from changes in planning policies
• provide advice in the evaluation and study process requirements for agency wilderness designation recommendations to Congress
• complete analysis, devise new procedures, and provide advice on complex problems using technical information or resource data that is often inconclusive or unclear

Skilled in:

• same as Full Performance