A man does not always see himself as others see him. John Muir is venerated by several generations of Americans as a man who left a legacy of State and National Parks, State and National Forests, outdoor beauty and untouched wilderness areas which would never have survived has it not been for this dedicated man. He did not plan such a course. He did what he found necessary to be done, without thought of personal gain or public honor. However, during his lifetime there were those who did not view him with such veneration. Countless ranchers, lumberman and politicians must have considered him a formidable foe. The purpose of this paper is to show how involved he was politically. He really became quite an adept politician, although the whole idea would have been extremely distasteful to him if he had heard himself designated as such.

KwaZulu-Natal’s Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Park has historically been prioritized for biodiversity conservation but it also has the oldest protected wilderness area in the country. For 50 years, conservation management, tourism and education within the Imfolozi Wilderness Area have generally been carried out using non-mechanized wilderness principles. The validity of the Imfolozi Wilderness is constantly questioned in terms of efficiency, equity and aesthetics and is consequently subject to a variety of pressures that those different ideologies can exert. The historical development and applicability of the wilderness concept is examined here against evolving South African social and environmental circumstances. Whilst this investigation confirms the findings that colonialism and apartheid resulted in the exclusion of local peoples from protected areas, it also takes note that Imfolozi’s history is characterized by organizations and individuals who ignored the racist laws of the time. Nevertheless, management structures pertaining to both politics and conservation tended to be top-down, such that the Imfolozi Wilderness retained an air of elitism, regardless of attempts to be racially inclusive. Modern trends in protected area management expose the necessity of refining the justification of wilderness areas, to simultaneously recognize localized priorities and the importance of such areas to the planet’s ecological wellbeing. Without attempting to resolve philosophical debates but, at the same time, recognizing their validity, protected area management requirements for the Imfolozi Wilderness are examined in terms of the legal mandate handed to the management agency. This leads to the selection of the Limits of Acceptable Change planning and management system which is implemented as an action research project in conjunction with the Imfolozi Management Team, over a three year period. This involved: defining legal mandates and area issues; defining the zonation categories for the wilderness area; selecting the indicators to measure human impact; compiling an inventory of conditions in the wilderness area; specifying standards; examining alternative zonation category allocations from stakeholders and selecting a preferred alternative. The desired outcome was the establishment of a system in which managers could receive ongoing collaboration from stakeholders and consultatively develop a defendable wilderness management strategy that would meet the legal requirements of the area’s proclamation. Through a descriptive narrative, this dissertation provides an account of the implementation process and discusses to what extent this has been achieved. / Thesis (M.Sc.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2009.

No description available.

South Africa's well-established history of formally protected areas has resulted in it becoming a global leader in resource conservation and a pioneer of new management techniques. Roughly thirty years ago, South Africa became one of the earliest countries in the world to legislatively recognise wilderness. Since the first wilderness areas were designated, use and management issues have become increasingly complex as managers strive to balance the biological and social values of wilderness areas. Consequently, it is imperative that management techniques and strategies evolve to preserve wilderness values and resources in South Africa. Wilderness visitor education and information programs are a critical part of an effective wilderness management strategy. To ensure that wilderness education and information systems are inclusive and able to evolve over time three elements are needed. A management framework must be in place to ensure that a system-wide approach is established and maintained. Once a system-wide framework is established, wilderness education and information systems can be inventoried and monitored against established management goals. This information can then be used to continually refine and improve wilderness information and education systems as they evolve through increased understanding of use and management Issues. Lastly, increased wilderness-specific research and continued testing of current research in the South African context is needed, to ensure that management strategies stay relevant and adaptive. These adaptive management strategies will serve as the foundation for wider coordination of wilderness management and research at the provincial and national levels, further developing South Africa's leadership role in protected area management in Africa and the global community. / Thesis (M.Env.Dev.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2004.

Thesis submitted for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy University of Western Sydney. / Title from electronic document (viewed 2/6/10) Interviews held with: "James' Dharug, Traditional Custodian; Dr. Rob Lesslie, conservation biologist, Dr. Val Plumwood, environmental philosopher, Virginia Young, Director WildCountry Project, Professor Mike Archer, Dr. Deborah Bird Rose, anthropologist, Ms. Penny Figgis, former Vice President of ACF, Dr. Tim Flannery, Director South Australian Museum, Mr. Dean Stewart, Aboriginal Education Officer, Melbourne Botanic Gardens, Dr. Rosemary Hill, ACF Northern Lands Project Officer, Professor Harry Recher.

Thesis (MSc)--Stellenbosch University, 2003. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Veld fires in the mountain regions of the South Western Cape are an annual occurrence. These veld fires occur as a result of human, natural and unknown causes. The Mediteranean weather conditions of the South Western Cape and its typical vegetation are conducive to these fires. Within the mountain regions of the South Western Cape, the use of fire can be advantageous for conservation and forest managers as a tool for fire management e.g. preparation of fire belts, reduction of veld fire occurrence by burning fuel load, rejuvenation of indigenous vegetation and enhancing the water yield of surrounding areas within their management area. Abnormally high incidences and run away veld fires within the management area of conservation and forest managers leads to. the loss of biodiversity, destruction of properties and loss of human lives, and extensive soil erosion. This study aimed at identifying factors contributing towards the occurrence of veld fires in the mountain regions of the South Western Cape, and using GIS to analyse spatially the contributing variables, and to generate seasonal veld fire hazard maps. Potential veld fire occurrence on a seasonal basis was mapped using spatial analyses of variables that are significant to the distribution of veld fires within the study area. Variables used to assess potential veld fire occurrences were: vegetation, slope, population density (human influence), proximity to roads, mean monthly maximum temperatures and mean monthly rainfall. The veld fire hazard maps generated indicated that potential for veld fire occurrence is high in the summer and autumn months, decreasing to a low in the winter and spring seasons. The exception is the Southern Cape sub-region where the possibility of veld fires can be quite high in winter as a result of Fohn-like berg winds. These winds are characterized by sudden increases in temperature and decreases in humidity that may pose severe fire hazards. Reducing and containing veld fires in the mountain regions of the South Western Cape depends on the effective use of the seasonal veld fire hazard maps. The maps can be used to delineate critical zones of veld fire occurrence which can be used for evaluating costeffective control measures and can be implemented to reduce the level of veld fire danger within the management areas of conservation and forest managers. There is a need for a Catchment Management System (CMS) (Richardson, Van Wilgen, Le Maitre, Higgins & Forsyth, 1994) that can be used to generate daily probabilities of veld fire occurrence and to link these to fire-spread models for predicting or simulating expected fire directions and severities or intensities, and educating people about fires and the damage it can do. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Elke jaar kom daar veldbrande in die berggebiede van die Suidwes-Kaap voor. Die oorsake van hierdie veldbrande is van menslike, natuurlike of onbekende oorsprong. Die Mediterreense weersomstandighede en die tipiese plantegroei van die Suidwes-Kaap is ook bevorderlik vir die ontstaan van veldbrande. In die berggebiede van hierdie streek kan die gebruik van vuur egter ook tot voordeel van natuurbewaring en bosbou aangewend word deurdat dit gebruik kan word as 'n metode om die brande te bestuur, soos in die voorbereiding van brandpaaie, in die vermindering van die voorkoms van veldbrande deur vooraf van die brandbare materiale af te brand, in die vernuwing van die inheemse plantegroei en in die verhoging van wateropbrengs in die omliggende gebiede binne die area wat bestuur moet word. 'n Abnormale hoë voorkoms van veldbrande binne die bestuursgebied van bewarings- en bosboubestuurders lei egter tot 'n verlies aan biodiversiteit, die vernietiging van eiendom, 'n verlies aan menselewens en uitgebreide gronderosie. Die doel van hierdie studie was om die faktore wat bydra tot die voorkoms van veldbrande in die berggebiede van die Suidwes-Kaap te identifiseer, om GIS te gebruik om 'n ruimtelike analise van die bydraende veranderlikes te doen en om dan 'n seisoenale veldbrandgevaarkaart saam te stel. Die potensiële voorkoms van veldbrande op 'n seisoenale basis is gekarteer deur gebruik te maak van ruimtelike analises van die veranderlikes van belang in die verspreiding van veldbrande in die studiegebied. Die volgende veranderlikes is gebruik om die potensiële voorkoms van veldbrande te bepaal: plantegroei, helling, bevolkingsdigtheid (invloed van mense), afstand vanaf paaie, gemiddelde maandelikse maksimum temperature en gemiddelde maandelikse reënval. Die veldbrandgevaarkaarte wat ontwikkel is, het aangetoon dat die potensiële voorkoms van veldbrande hoog is in die somer- en herfsmaande en dan afneem tot 'n laagtepunt in die winter en lente. 'n Uitsondering is die Suid-Kaap-substreek waar die moontlikheid van veldbrande selfs in die winter taamlik hoog is as gevolg van Fëhn-tipe bergwinde. Hierdie winde word gekenmerk deur In skielike toename in temperatuur en In afname in humiditeit wat die brandgevaar skerp kan verhoog. Die vermoë om veldbrande in die berggebiede van die Suidwes-Kaap te verminder en te beperk, sal grootliks afhang van die effektiewe gebruik van die seisoenale veldbrandgevaar-kaarte. Die kaarte kan gebruik word vir die afbakening van kritieke sones vir die voorkoms van veldbrande wat dan gebruik kan word vir die evaluering van koste-effektiewe beheermaatreëls. Hierdie kaarte kan dan geïmplementeer word om die vlakke van veldbrandgevaar binne die gebiede waarvoor bewarings- en bosboubestuurders verantwoordelik is, te verminder. Daar is In behoefte aan In opvanggebiedbestuurstelsel (OGB) (Richardson, Van Wilgen, Le Maitre, Higgins & Forsyth 1994) wat gebruik kan word om daaglikse waarskynlikhede vir die voorkoms van veldbrande te genereer. Dit kan gekoppel word aan brandverspreidingsmodelle wat die verwagte rigting van brandverspreiding, asook die ems of intensiteit daarvan, kan voorspelof simuleer. Die publiek moet ook ingelig word oor veldbrande en die skade wat daardeur aangerig kan word.

The call of the wilderness resonates in all of our hearts, with the desire to get in touch with nature and experience wilderness at some level. This project gives the high school teacher the practical resources necessary to share the passion of being in the wilderness with high school students.

Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) / This thesis focuses on the history of human impact on North Manitou Island, Michigan, the management of natural and cultural resources on the island by Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, and the often conflicting beliefs and attitudes about wilderness and cultural resources that influenced (and continue to influence) management of the island by Sleeping Bear’s administrators.

Human-induced impacts associated with recreational use in wilderness areas have the potential to imperil the wilderness resource and the quality of visitor experiences. One approach to address this problem is the Limits of Acceptable Change System, which helps Protected-area managers determine acceptable levels of resource impacts and social conditions in wilderness areas. This study's objective was to determine the possible applicability of the Limits of Acceptable Change System to the overnight caves in the wilderness areas of the uKhahlamba-Drakensberg Park. Component A of the study discusses the ten steps of the Limits of Acceptable Change system and the management approaches for the wilderness areas and overnight caves in the uKhahlamba-Drakensberg Park. A product of Component A is a procedure manual for inventorying indicators of resource conditions in the overnight caves. During a brief period of field research this procedure manual was applied to four overnight caves in the Mlambonja Wilderness area. Component B of the study summarizes much of the information found in Component A and examines the results from the field research. Recommendations are made to improve the effectiveness of measuring the resource indicators for the overnight caves in the procedure manual. This study's conclusions indicate that the Limits of Acceptable Change System can be applied to the overnight caves and would provide a valid management framework to address visitor impacts / Thesis (M.Env.Dev.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2004.