FOREWORD

The USDA Forest Service is required by the Renewable Resources Planning Act (RPA) of 1974 to prepare an Assessment every ten years. This document includes assessments of all resources of the National Forests and other public lands, including wildlife, range, water, timber, minerals, outdoor recreation, and wilderness.

In January 1988, the Forest Service sponsored Benchmark 1988, a national conference held in Tampa, Florida. The Conference was divided into two parts: the National Wilderness Colloquium and the National Outdoor Recreation and Wilderness Forum. Presentations and discussions at this conference were a source of information for the Forest Service's 1989 Assessment of Outdoor Recreation and Wilderness.

The Proceedings are being published in two separate volumes. This volume includes over twenty papers addressing the wilderness resource and its (non-recreational) values and benefits to the American people. The second volume reports current research in outdoor recreation, including additional descriptions of the wilderness resource with emphasis on recreational use.

The Colloquium

Forty persons from throughout the United States participated in the presentations and group discussions of the 1988 National Wilderness Colloquium. Invited participants came from the National Park Service, USDA Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, universities, private research groups and environmental organizations. "Nonrecreational uses and values of wilderness" were the colloquium's themes, reflecting the need to describe and quantify all uses of wilderness.

The 1964 Wilderness Act specifically authorizes a number of uses of wilderness. Section 4b of the Act states that "wilderness areas shall be devoted to the public purposes of recreational, scenic, scientific, educational, conservation, and historical use" (78 Stat 894). Notwithstanding, research into the extent and value of nonrecreational uses lags considerably behind those of recreational uses and values.

This volume begins with an overview of the National Wilderness Preservation System what it is now and what it could be in the future. The overview papers are followed by thirteen papers addressing specific nonrecreational uses and values of wilderness. Authors were asked to include descriptions of 1) legislative guidelines influencing the use; 2) inventory of use; 3) value of use; 4) trend in use; and 5) issues and recommendations.

A short summary of discussions at the colloquium and the results of a national telephone survey are included in the Appendix. Many of the ideas expressed in the discussion groups were used in the preparation of the RPA Assessment and are valuable reading for wilderness mangers and planners. A number of authors in these proceedings referenced the telephone survey in their papers. A short description of the procedure and the results of the survey are included here.

Numerous individuals contributed to the planning and organization of the colloquium and the publication of the Proceedings. Pat Reed of Colorado State University was the principle organizer and worked closely with the Outdoor Recreation and Wilderness Assessment Group of the USDA Forest Service in Athens, Georgia in selecting participants and soliciting papers. Reviewers of colloquium papers included: Evan DeBloois, Ken Cordell, Sarah Greene, David Cole, Bev Driver, Gary Davis, Tom King, Steve McCool, Perry Brown, David Porter, Roger Clark, Robert Greenway, Alan Ewert, Greg Alward, Jim Absher, Pat Long, Terry Hartig, Ted McConnell, Susan Bratton, William McLaughlin, Walter Cook, Doug Wellman, Ross Gorte, Sally Ranney, Robert Lucas, Joe Roggenbuck, Jim Omernick, Larry Phillips, and Larry Hartmann.

We hope these proceedings will spark the interest of researchers, planners, and managers and they will be encouraged to add to the information base presented here. More information is necessary if we expect all mandated uses and values of wilderness to be considered equally in land management decisions.

Helen R. Freilich, compiler