Planning And Design

published Jan 2014

Wilderness Stewardship Plan Handbook

by National Park Service

The purpose of the Wilderness Stewardship Plan Handbook 2014 is to provide direction for creating wilderness stewardship plans, driven by the concept of preserving wilderness character. The Handbook focuses on how to incorporate wilderness policy and wilderness character into a wilderness stewardship plan and also offers a general overview of planning and compliance to be useful for those with and without a professional background in planning.

posted May 18, 2022

Wilderness Trails: Special Places, Special Considerations

This webinar will provide some basic information on trails in federally-designated Wilderness, examples of practical experiences, and resources to learn more.

published Aug 2019

Wildlife and Trails Checklist — Introduction

by American Trails Staff

The Wildlife and Trail Planning Checklist is a sequence of wildlife-related questions and possible steps to consider in planning a trail.

published Sep 2018

Wildlife and Trails Checklist — Step A: Getting the Whole Picture

by American Trails Staff

Planning Trails with Wildlife in Mind

published Sep 2018

Wildlife and Trails Checklist — Step B: Considering alternatives

by American Trails Staff

The checklist focuses specifically on wildlife issues of trail planning and is designed to mirror comprehensive planning processes.

published Sep 2018

Wildlife and Trails Checklist — Step C: Building & Managing the trail

by American Trails Staff

The checklist focuses specifically on wildlife issues of trail planning and is designed to mirror comprehensive planning processes.

published Sep 2018

Wildlife And Trails Primer - I. What happens to plants near trails

by American Trails Staff

Encouraging visitors to stay on the trail is the most important issue, and is made easier by providing attractive, well-designed trail systems. Managers should also identify populations of plants that have been designated as threatened, endangered, or sensitive.

published Sep 2018

Wildlife And Trails Primer - A. Trails and their zones of influence

by American Trails Staff

A trail’s area of influence should be planned and managed as an integral part of the trail. This influence zone should provide recreationists with meaningful interactions with nature, without infringing on sensitive habitat.

published Sep 2018

Wildlife And Trails Primer - B. Avoiding large natural areas

by American Trails Staff

Protecting large, undisturbed areas of wildlife habitat should be a priority. Deciding whether or not to build a trail that may contribute to fragmentation is a tradeoff that the local community or land manager will have to make.

published Sep 2018

Wildlife And Trails Primer - C. Tools for a broader view

by American Trails Staff

Looking at resources from a regional or landscape-wide perspective helps identify where trails should go and which areas should be conserved for wildlife.