Backcountry Recreation Management

Roles and Responsibilities

The Director of the NPS establishes and approves servicewide natural resource policies and standards. The Director is ultimately responsible for establishing natural and cultural resource programs that conserve natural resources unimpaired for the enjoyment of future generations and for ensuring that such programs are in compliance with directives, policies, and laws.

The Associate Director, Natural Resource Stewardship and Science (ADNRSS), has functional authority for developing policies and standards for the Director's approval; providing policy oversight of NPS natural resource and social science programs; providing direct assistance to parks in specific program areas; and administering certain natural resource and social science programs. Natural Resource Stewardship and Science (or other Washington Office) divisions/offices exercise the Associate Director's responsibility by administering specific natural resource programs. The Water Resources, Geologic Resources and Biological Resource Management Divisions provide direct assistance to parks that may assist in planning and managing backcountry uses. In addition, the Social Science Program administers the Visitor Services Program and may provide additional assistance in visitor needs assessments and visitor use management issues.

The Associate Director, Operations and Education has primary responsibility for developing policies and standards for the Director's approval related to park operational and educational programs, including wilderness management, facility management, visitor management and education, for providing policy oversight of programs in these areas, and for providing direct assistance to parks in these program areas.

The Associate Director, Professional Services has responsibility for developing policies and standards for the Director's approval related to planning and design, for providing policy oversight in these areas, and for providing direct assistance to parks in these program areas.

The regional director, through or with the assistance of an assistant or associate regional director is responsible for ensuring that planning, visitor management and natural resource programs within the region are uniformly implemented in compliance with directives, policies, and law. The regional office is responsible for policy level review of all backcountry management plans, and provides consultation to parks in situations where the existing policies are not fully applicable or require interpretation. [not sure this is right re regional approval of plans]

Support office planning, operations and natural resource staff have responsibility for assisting parks in needs identification; data collection and analysis; planning, program, and project development; and for providing advice in these areas.

The superintendent is responsible for understanding the park's resources and their condition. The superintendent is responsible for establishing and managing park backcountry management programs and ensuring that they comply with directives, policies, and laws. The superintendent initiates the development of backcountry recreational use plans as necessary. The superintendent should coordinate the visitor use management plans with neighboring land managers as appropriate. Each superintendent with designated or eligible wilderness should designate a wilderness coordinator to review all activities ongoing in the wilderness.

The backcountry or wilderness management plan should identify individual responsibilities for backcountry and/or wilderness management within the park.