Special Provisions in Wilderness: Commercial Services   

Course summary: 

Section 4(c) of the Wilderness Act of 1964 specifically prohibits commercial enterprises. Yet Section 4(d)(6) allows commercial services to the extent necessary for realizing recreational or other wilderness purposes. This course reviews processes for determining which commercial services may be necessary and to what extent. 

Course objectives: 

After completing this course, learners should be able to: 

• Distinguish between a commercial enterprise and a commercial service. 

• Define "necessary" as it relates to commercial services in wilderness. 

• Define the relationship between capacity and the extent necessary. 

• Describe common pitfalls and misconceptions regarding commercial service. 

• Determine the "extent necessary" for a commercial service in your wilderness. 

Recommended background: 

It is strongly recommended that you complete the free The Wilderness Act of 1964 e-course before beginning this course. Without foundational knowledge of the Wilderness Act, you will not be able to get the most out of this course and could find the content confusing. It is also recommended that you complete the Minimum Requirements Analysis courses. 

Course topics include: 

• What is a commercial service? 

• Which commercial services are "necessary"? 

• What other pitfalls and challenges are involved? 

• How do I make a Determination of the Extent Necessary? 

Elements of the course: 

• Informational text 

• 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.

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 ExtendedLearningSupport@umontana.edu for assistance.