Ambassadors Archives - Winter Wildlands Alliance

RIMS 2023-24 Review – Aug 2024

Emily Scott — Tue, 27 Aug 2024 21:03:43 +0000

Winter Recreation Data Collection: 2023-2024 Season Review

Winter Wildlands Alliance is using data to shape the future of winter recreation and protect your favorite snowy escapes.

Photo courtesy Kelly Bessem

How does Winter Wildlands Alliance collect winter recreation data?

Over the past three winters, Winter Wildlands Alliance has partnered with trained volunteers and nonprofit organizations to collect winter recreation data. This data helps inform Forest Service planning and implementation for winter recreation. In the 2023-2024 season, our focus was primarily on the Stanislaus, Lassen, and Inyo National Forests in California, while our key partners in Colorado focused on the Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre, Gunnison, and San Juan National Forests.

What tools are used for data collection?

To ensure consistent data collection, we encourage our partners and volunteers to use the Colorado Mountain Club’s Recreation Impact Monitoring System (RIMS) mobile app. This tool aligns with the data collection methods used by the Forest Service, providing a standard format for gathering information. Some organizations with longstanding data collection efforts utilize different methods, but the type of data collected remains the same or similar. For more information on the CMC RIMS app, please click here.

What kind of data is collected?

Data collected includes:

Parking lot surveys (how many cars and trailers present)
Visitor use assessments (people observed at a trailhead or on a trail, and the activities they’re engaged in)
Condition of signs and facilities
Number of dogs (and whether they’re on a leash)
Violations of management rules
Use conflicts

While the data is not based on a predetermined random sample and therefore should not be used for statistical purposes, it provides a general overview of recreation use patterns. As with any data collection effort, the more information gathered from a specific location over time, the more useful that dataset becomes.

Therefore, as we plan for our 2024-2025 season of data collection, we will continue to focus on collecting meaningful datasets from forests that have either completed winter travel planning, are in the process of drafting winter travel plans, or plan to begin this process in the near future.

What were the findings in California?

In California, 95.4% of winter visitors recorded through RIMS visitor use assessments were human-powered, with 79.9% engaging in some form of snow play. Although violations and conflicts are always a minor element of the data collected, they highlight common issues across public lands.

Lack of signage or inadequate signage at non-motorized and parking areas
Parking areas without guidance (e.g. absence of white lines)
Ability for motorized vehicles to breach snow berms onto non-motorized groomed trails
No etiquette signage where multiple uses occur, or signs indicating safe places to pull over (e.g., sledding or snow play into dangerous roadway areas)
Insufficient trash cans, dog poop bag receptacles, and etiquette information in areas with frequent dog visits
Lack of recognition and signage related to snow depth requirements for motorized vehicles

These issues have relatively straightforward solutions, provided that resources are available.

READ THE FULL REPORT

What were the findings in Colorado?

Over twelve percent of Colorado’s population participates in skiing or snowboarding, and the state is a national draw for winter recreation. Despite the importance of winter recreation for Coloradans, and for Colorado’s economy, limited data exists concerning backcountry winter recreation use on National Forests in the state. A better understanding of where and how winter recreation occurs on National Forest lands is crucial to better recreation planning, including informing winter travel planning.

In Colorado, most RIMS data was collected was by Colorado Club Snow Rangers and Grand Mesa Nordic Council volunteers on the Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre, and Gunnison National Forests. The San Juan Mountains Association Snow Ambassador program also collected visitor data using similar methodology on the San Juan and Rio Grande National Forests. In these areas, over 80% of winter visitors recorded by either RIMS visitor use assessments or Snow Ambassador observations were human-powered, with nearly one-third engaging in family-friendly snowshoeing or hiking.

READ THE FULL REPORT

[av_layout_row border='' min_height_percent='' min_height_pc='25' min_height='0' color='main_color' mobile='av-flex-cells' mobile_breaking='' av-desktop-hide='' av-medium-hide='' av-small-hide='' av-mini-hide='' id='' custom_class='' template_class='' aria_label='' av_element_hidden_in_editor='0' av_uid='av-ulp1vv' sc_version='1.0'] [av_cell_one_full vertical_align='top' padding='30px,0,30px,0' background='bg_color' background_color='#00b5e8' background_gradient_color1='' background_gradient_color2='' background_gradient_direction='vertical' src='' attachment='' attachment_size='' background_attachment='scroll' background_position='top left' background_repeat='no-repeat' link='' linktarget='' link_hover='' mobile_display='' custom_class='' template_class='' av_uid='av-ktj5n4lc' sc_version='1.0'] [av_textblock size='' av-medium-font-size='' av-small-font-size='' av-mini-font-size='' font_color='' color='' id='' custom_class='' template_class='' av_uid='av-ktj5oa1z' sc_version='1.0' admin_preview_bg='']

Winter Wildlands Alliance is a national nonprofit organization working to inspire and empower people to protect America’s wild snowscapes.

[/av_textblock] [/av_cell_one_full][/av_layout_row]

The post RIMS 2023-24 Review – Aug 2024 appeared first on Winter Wildlands Alliance.

Bridger Sign Project – Aug 2024

Emily Scott — Wed, 21 Aug 2024 17:22:02 +0000

Bridger Ski Kind Stewardship Project Update

See how education, collaboration, and stewardship initiatives have been working to protect Montana’s Bridger Mountains again this season!

Photo by Hilary Eisen

(8/20/2024)

How does education play a role in conservation?

As Winter Wildlands Alliance’s Policy Director, I never thought I’d be in the sign business, but sometimes education is the most important part of conservation. Case in point: the Bridger Infrastructure Project.

Photos by Patrick Cross and Hilary Eisen

What makes the Bridger Mountains a recreational hotspot?

The Bridger Mountains, just north of Bozeman, serve up some of the best skiing in Montana. The range also boasts hundreds of miles of trails that provide recreation and access for snowmobiling, hiking, mountain biking, dirt biking, horseback riding, and ATV use.

The Gallatin National Forest completed a travel plan for this area in 2009, and the Forest Service has clearly defined which uses are allowed where, and when. However, with Bozeman’s rapidly growing population, not everybody is aware of the travel plan. There’s also a need for more responsible recreation education and general information about how and where to recreate in the Bridgers.

How are stakeholders working together?

Over the past year, Winter Wildlands Alliance has been working with a wide variety of recreation, conservation, and management stakeholders to improve and reduce the impacts of outdoor recreation in the Bridgers. You can read about our first season of work on this project here. This project is supported by a grant from the Montana Fish Wildlife and Parks Trail Stewardship Program.

Why is improved trail signage important?

This summer, we have been coordinating volunteers and with partner organizations to install new trail and trailhead signs across the Bridgers. By ensuring all of the trail intersections are clearly marked and that clear maps are available at each trailhead, this project will help people comply with the travel plan. Additionally, by providing information about how to recreate responsibly at each trailhead, we’re hoping people can take small individual actions to reduce the overall impact of recreation in this popular area.

What role does weed management play?

There is also a weed management aspect to the project, benefiting wildlife, ecosystem health, and visitor experiences. We’ve installed “boot brush” weed stations at some of the most popular trailheads, where people can clean weed seeds off of their shoes and learn about the noxious weeds in that specific area. Additionally, we’re ttreating noxious weed infestations along trail corridors.

Photos by Garth Neuffer

How does this project support the 2022 Forest Plan?

This project assists the Custer Gallatin National Forest in implementing the 2022 Forest Plan. The plan strives to reduce the spread of invasive species, sustainably manage recreation throughout the Bridgers, enhance recreation opportunities, and work with partners to emphasize winter recreation safety in the Bridger Recreation Emphasis Area.

Winter Wildlands Alliance is a national nonprofit organization working to inspire and empower people to protect America’s wild snowscapes.

[/av_textblock] [/av_cell_one_full][/av_layout_row]

The post Bridger Sign Project – Aug 2024 appeared first on Winter Wildlands Alliance.

Boots on the Snow

Emily Scott — Wed, 15 Nov 2023 06:29:01 +0000

Boots on the Snow

Winter Wildlands Alliance Mobilizes Grassroots to Improve Backcountry Winter Recreation Management

Vehicles left for long periods of time in the Bucks Summit parking lot in January 2023, which affected plowing, in Plumas National Forest. Unceded Cayuse, Umatilla, Walla Walla, and Maidu lands

This write-up was originally featured in our Fall 2023 Trail Break issue.

In over a decade of work on National Forest winter recreation planning, WWA has found that there has been little to no real data to inform long-range management decisions. Outside of resort boundaries, nobody really seems to know how many people are out recreating each winter, where they’re going, what they’re doing, how their activities overlap or conflict with what other people are doing. Is there enough parking? Signage? Restrooms?

In order to build a clearer picture, and to inform planning with real data rather than just anecdotes from different users, WWA partnered with Colorado Mountain Club (CMC) to adapt the smart-phone-based Recreation Impact Monitoring (RIMS) mobile app for objective winter recreation data collection.

Winter Data Collection

The 2022-2023 winter marked the second full season of our national Winter Recreation Monitoring Program. Using CMC’s RIMS app, trained volunteers and nonprofit partners across 8 states and 18 National Forests collected data for on-the- ground winter visitor use assessments, to report winter recreation travel management violations and use conflicts, and to help inform Forest Service winter recreation planning and implementation. Altogether, 681 assessments and reports were collected during the winter season, with visitor use assessments being the most common type of data collected.

Violations and Conflict Reports

The winter violations and conflict reporting function in RIMS provides a centralized tool that does not serve as a real-time enforcement tool. Rather, it provides a way to track use conflict and travel management violations with verifiable, non-subjective data. Violation and Conflict reports are confidential and not viewable by other app users.

This past season, RIMS users reported incidents including resource damage, snowmachine use outside of designated areas, Wilderness encroachment, and motorized use on non-motorized trails. Incidents recorded via RIMS are entered into a national database that can be tracked across seasons to provide an understanding of persistent problems.

Other Assessments

In addition to visitor use monitoring, RIMS was also used to collect data on the condition of signs and other facilities, as well as road and trail conditions. These assessments are very useful for noting whether signs and facilities are up to standard, or if roads and trails have maintenance or grooming issues that need to be addressed.

Snow Rangers and Winter Backcountry Ambassadors

In addition to Teton Backcountry Alliance’s Backcountry Ambassador program on Teton Pass profiled in the Spring 2023 issue of Trail Break, this winter also marked the fourth season of the CMC Snow Ranger Program. A joint effort between CMC and the Forest Service, this program is based out of Montrose, Colorado, and splits its efforts between the Ouray and the Grand Valley Ranger Districts of the Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre, and Gunnison (GMUG) National Forest. Snow rangers collect data using the RIMS app and also interact with and survey winter recreationists at key trailheads and in the field. The Forest Service provides a truck, trailer, snowmobiles, emergency communication devices, and fuel for the program, while CMC provides administrative overhead, uniforms, touring ski gear, and avalanche safety equipment.

Backcountry Ambassador and CA Data Manager, Claire Marvet, spent last winter tracking winter recreation use and promoting positive backcountry interactions across the Sierra Nevada. Unceded Miwok lands. Photo courtesy of Friends of the Plumas Wilderness

Over-Snow Vehicle (OSV) tracks by Obsidian Dome Road going by a sign that the area is closed to OSVs in Inyo National Forest. Unceded Northern Paiute lands. Photo by David Page @dtpage

An overflowing waste receptacle at Pinecrest Recreation Area in Stanislaus National Forest. Unceded Washoe and Miwok lands.

With in-kind support from Patagonia, WWA also began piloting a new Winter Backcountry Ambassador program in California, with preliminary efforts on the Stanislaus, Lassen, Plumas, and Inyo National Forests. Under the coordination of our first-ever seasonal California Data Manager, Claire Marvet, WWA worked with volunteers and grassroots partners across the Sierra Nevada, including Friends of the Plumas Wilderness, Friends of the Inyo, Snowlands Network, and Tahoe Backcountry Alliance. In addition to RIMS data collection, Backcountry Ambassadors worked to promote positive interactions between winter recreationists and to share winter etiquette, safety, and conservation tips with visitors in key areas where winter recreation is concentrated.

In partnership with specific National Forest units and the Pacific Southwest Region, WWA plans to further expand and formalize the Winter Backcountry Ambassador program this coming season, resulting in improved visitor experience, a reduction in winter use impacts, and an even-more robust RIMS dataset for future planning and implementation.

Stanislaus Winter Travel Plan Implementation

The Stanislaus is the first National Forest in the country to have finalized a Winter Travel Plan under the 2015 OSV Rule. It’s by no means a perfect plan in terms of conservation or improving and protecting human-powered recreation opportunities, but it’s much better than no plan at all, which is what existed before. Having invested seven years in the planning effort, WWA has now pivoted to partnering with the forest to ensure proper implementation and monitoring.

Read the Fall 2023 Trail Break

Winter Wildlands Alliance is a national nonprofit organization working to inspire and empower people to protect America’s wild snowscapes.

[/av_textblock] [/av_cell_one_full][/av_layout_row]

The post Boots on the Snow appeared first on Winter Wildlands Alliance.

Emilé Zynobia

Melinda Quick — Tue, 24 Nov 2020 16:41:02 +0000

Emilé Zynobia

Snowboarder, Environmentalist, Writer

Home Base: Jackson, Wyoming

Instagram: @Curlsinthewild

Emilé is an avid splitboarder, environmental writer, and conservationist. She is pursuing her Masters at the Yale School of the Environment focusing on land management, ecosystem conservation, and climate change. She is broadly interested in natural resource management and conflict resolution. At Yale, she serves as the executive co-director of the Environmental Film Festival. She has worked for the Bureau of Land Management as a range technician, an instructor for National Outdoor Leadership School, and taught at Teton Science Schools. She is leveraging media and writing to better communicate the nuances of our modern socio-ecological context. Emilé is currently working on her first snowboard filming project this Winter 20/21. As a black female outdoor enthusiast, she is deeply passionate about increasing accessibility for the BIPOC community to experience winter landscapes through the vehicle of winter sports. She works with brands like Patagonia, The North Face, Vans, Smartwool, and Rivian.

Meet Our Ambassadors

Emilé Zynobia

Ambassadors Archives - Winter Wildlands Alliance

RIMS 2023-24 Review – Aug 2024

Winter Recreation Data Collection: 2023-2024 Season Review

How does Winter Wildlands Alliance collect winter recreation data?

What tools are used for data collection?

What kind of data is collected?

What were the findings in California?

What were the findings in Colorado?

Bridger Sign Project – Aug 2024

Bridger Ski Kind Stewardship Project Update

How does education play a role in conservation?

What makes the Bridger Mountains a recreational hotspot?

How are stakeholders working together?

Why is improved trail signage important?

What role does weed management play?

How does this project support the 2022 Forest Plan?

Boots on the Snow

Boots on the Snow

Emilé Zynobia

Emilé Zynobia

Meet Our Ambassadors

Sofia Jaramillo

Sofia Jaramillo

Meet Our Ambassadors

Brody Leven

Brody Leven

Meet Our Ambassadors

Caroline Gleich

Caroline Gleich

Meet Our Ambassadors

Brennan Lagasse

Brennan Lagasse

Meet Our Ambassadors