Special Provisions in Wilderness: Wildlife   

Course summary: 

Section 4(d)(8) of the Wilderness Act of 1964 [16 U.S.C. 1133(d)(7)] states: "Nothing in this Act shall be construed as affecting the jurisdiction or responsibilities of the several States with respect to wildlife and fish in the national forests." This course examines the meaning of this simple sentence and places it in the context of the Wilderness Act as a whole. 

Course objectives: 

After completing this course, learners should be able to: 

• Explain who has authority over the various aspects of wildlife management in wilderness. 

• Locate wildlife management regulations/policies. 

• Explain common misconceptions in the application of agency policies. 

• Interpret "different" language concerning wildlife management in subsequent laws that designate a wilderness. 

• Describe how wildlife issues extend beyond wilderness boundaries. 

• Recognize that some species may need more substantial management in order to be maintained as part of preserving wilderness character. 

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 (Writing and Evaluating) courses. 

Course topics include: 

• An Outline from the Courts 

• Wildlife Authority 

• Managing Agency 

• Developments & the "Minimum Necessary" 

• Commercial Enterprises 

• State Proposals 

• "Different" Language 

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.