The Aldo Leopold Wilderness Research Institute, part of U.S. Forest Service Rocky Mountain Research Station (RMRS), is an interagency, national research facility located on campus at the University of Montana. The Leopold Institute is the only federal research group in the United States dedicated to development and dissemination of knowledge needed to steward the nearly 112-million acre, U.S. National Wilderness Preservation System (NWPS), and similarly protected wild lands.
Programs
Wilderness Areas & Wilderness Study Areas
** Under Construction **
The Bureau of Land Management is responsible for 263 wilderness areas and 487 wilderness study areas in the western States and Alaska. From primitive hunting locations to remote fishing spots and extensive hiking, Wilderness and Wilderness Study Areas provide unparalleled opportunities for spending time outdoors. In addition, Lands with Wilderness Characteristics (LWC) are also identified. Policy guidance (manuals, boundary identification guidance, instruction memorandums, etc.) as well as case law, statistics, current research projects and training materials are available. Training is available on Congressionally-designated Wilderness Areas through the Arthur Carhart National Wilderness Training Center; for Wilderness Study Areas management through the Indiana University--Eppley Center for Parks and Public Lands (access via DOI Talent), or , and for Lands with Wilderness Characteristics through the BLM Wilderness SharePoint site.
Scientific research in BLM wilderness should be reviewed using the Minimum Requirements Analysis Framework (MRAF) prior to authorizing the activity, whether the research is conducted by BLM staff or by another Federal or non-Federal entity. The MRAF is the primary tool used to conduct the Minimum Requirements Analysis (MRA). The MRAF is intended to help managers: 1) evaluate actions proposed in wilderness involving a use otherwise prohibited by the Wilderness Act; and 2) consider appropriate choices about administrative actions they might take.
Scientific research in BLM wilderness should be permitted, using the Recreation and Permit Tracking Online Reporting (RAPTOR) system whenever appropriate.
NOTE: Materials available from these pages are contributed by BLM staff. The collections are being developed and may be an incomplete baseline of relevant content. It is expected that each collection will continue growing in time to reflect the most current information available.
The mission of the Arthur Carhart National Wilderness Training Center is to equip and inspire agency leaders and partners to ensure that America's National Wilderness Preservation System endures for future generations. We do this through training, information, and education.
Arthur Carhart National Wilderness Training Center
Links to the 4 management courses (NM/NCA, NSHT, WSA, and WSR) hosted by the Eppley Center for Parks and Public Lands along with other training resources are all available from Training Opportunities for National Conservation Lands
Wilderness.net (Wilderness Connect) is a website formed in 1996 through a collaborative partnership between the W.A. Franke College of Forestry and Conservation's Wilderness Institute at The University of Montana, the Arthur Carhart National Wilderness Training Center and the Aldo Leopold Wilderness Research Institute. The latter two partners are the wilderness training and research arms of the Federal government, respectively. The program's day-to-day activities are overseen by a working group and steering committee with additional oversight provided by the federal interagency National Wilderness Steering Committee and Wilderness Policy Council. The website educates hundreds of thousands of visitors annually about the benefits of wilderness and stewardship of wilderness under the Wilderness Act.