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 A combination of public involvement and scientific information recently led to a decision, endorsed by the public, to halt off-trail use—including rock climbing—of Devil’s Courthouse in Blue Ridge Parkway, North Carolina. Bambi Teague Chris Ulrey
Back to Chapter 7: Collaboration and Public Participation Articles Russian scientists help seek brucellosis solutions for Yellowstone By Glenn Plumb, Wayne Brewster, and Margaret Wild Long-term bison management plan for Yellowstone and Montana Park Flight Program protects migratory birds beyond the United States By Carol Beidleman Technology and collaboration improve interagency fire planning By Anne Birkholz and Pat Lineback Work group initiated by National Park Service gains permanent support from county government By Kathleen Kodish Reeder Partners in plant protection at Capitol Reef National Park By Tom O. Clark Mountain of partnerships elevates North Cascades’ monitoring capabilities By Bruce L. Freet Other Developments A photographic mushroom survey Joint conservation plan for the Potomac Gorge Geologists-in-the-Parks program expands in scope Public participation and personal watercraft Award-winner Profile - Facility Manager Chris Case recognized with award Superfund cleanup at Grant Kohrs Ranch Progress developing the National Cave and Karst Research Institute International fisheries management plan for the Amistad Reservoir |
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 By Bambi Teague and Chris Ulrey Locals know the Devil’s Courthouse as the must-see view along the Blue Ridge Parkway. For 30 years solo rock climbers and groups from youth camps within a 300-mile radius have seen this unusual formation as a challenge to their climbing skills. Biologists recognize it as a fragile habitat, home to four rare plant communities and 13 rare plants. With its ever-increasing popularity, the Devil’s Courthouse is in trouble. As visitor use has increased, the natural resources have deteriorated. Much of the vegetation has been trampled, leaving soil to erode. To avoid permanent damage to the site, a decision on how to manage Devil’s Courthouse was greatly needed. Involving the public in the decision-making process was critical to its success, so 2001 was dedicated to a lengthy but productive effort to include the public as partners in resource management. The first, and perhaps most important, step was to rove the site to talk to users about their concerns. Working on a personal level, the park was able to establish a trusting relationship between park managers and users. The park’s next step was to hold a public meeting. The purpose of the public meeting was twofold: to inform the public of the site’s significance and alert them about declining conditions and to gather input on options for reducing impacts to the site. During the first meeting, park staff made a brief presentation on the overall significance and current condition of the site and quoted comments solicited from local scientists before the meeting. After the presentation, all meeting participants acknowledged the importance and urgency of the site. The park received many comments and options for reducing impacts to the site during the meeting and later by mail. After reviewing all sources of input, the park held a second meeting to present the pros and cons of all alternatives, including the park’s preferred alternative of maintaining the existing trail to the summit while closing all use beyond the summit. The data alone confirmed that no other alternative could provide the necessary protection of the site. An attendee at the second meeting, a member of the rock-climbing community, stated that though he was not pleased with the preferred option, he did not see any other way to protect the site. He thanked the National Park Service for allowing him to voice his concerns. Another walked away shaking his head: “I am really going to have to reflect on why I can accept closing the site if peregrine falcons were to nest there, but not if rare plants occur there. I never thought I would come out of this meeting needing to reflect on my own flaw.” This process was extremely productive because the final decision was based upon all available information and the users understood the critical decision to be made. One USDA Forest Service employee commented that his agency could learn a lot from the National Park Service. Indeed, staff of the Blue Ridge Parkway hope that the National Park Service and others will find utility in the approach of engaging the public in reaching management decisions. |
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This material is from Natural Resource Year in Review--2001, published by the National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior, in May 2001 (publication D-2255) /YearInReview/yir/yir2001/07_collaboration/07_1_teague_BLRI.html Last Updated: |
