Course summary:
This course explores the four most important principles of managing wilderness. Using stories and case studies, the course will prepare you to make well-informed decisions that minimize negative impacts to wilderness character as required by the Wilderness Act of 1964.
Each Cornerstone begins with a story to help frame the theoretical perspective of that Cornerstone and concludes with a short case study that allows you to practice what you have learned. The stories and case studies are based on real situations. They are designed to stimulate your thought process so that when you are faced with difficult wilderness stewardship issues, you can make informed, appropriate management decisions.
Course objectives:
After completing this course, learners should be able to:
• Describe the Four Cornerstones for Wilderness Managers.
• Distinguish between wildness (untrammeled) and natural conditions, and
• Describe how the positive and negative impacts of management actions may preserve one while degrading the other (Preserve Wildness and Natural Conditions).
• Identify the overall benefits of wilderness.
• Identify the benefits present in an individual wilderness, and
• Determine how best to protect them (Protect Wilderness Benefits).
• Explain the concept of minimum requirements,
• Conduct the two-step process for determining if an administrative action is necessary, and
• Determine the minimum activity necessary to achieve the action (Provide and Use the Minimum Necessary).
• Describe wilderness and the components that contribute to its unique character as a whole (Manage Wilderness as a Whole).
Course topics include:
• Introduction to the Four Cornerstones for Wilderness Managers
• Preserve Wilderness and Natural Conditions
• Protect Wilderness Benefits
• Provide and Use the Minimum Necessary
• Manage Wilderness as a Whole
Elements of the course:
• Informational text
• Engaging video
• Interactive practice activities
• Supplemental reference materials
• Final assessment
This course is self-paced, allowing learners the flexibility to complete the course as quickly or slowly as they need.
After completing all course content and activities, you will complete a final quiz to demonstrate your understanding of key course concepts. Upon successful completion of the quiz, you will be awarded a certificate of completion.
Recommended background
It is strongly recommended that you complete The Wilderness Act of 1964 e-course before beginning this course. Without a foundational understanding of the Wilderness Act, you will not be able to get the most out of this course and could find the content confusing. The Minimum Requirements Analysis courses (both Writing and Evaluating) are also strongly recommended.
This course is a self-paced, continuous enrollment course offered through the UM Wilderness Institute.
Please Note: After successfully registering for this course, login information for the online learning platform, Canvas, will be emailed to you at the address used for your account creation. This process could take up to 48 hours to complete. If you do not receive the login information in 48 hours, please email for assistance.