Art as a Tool for Wilderness Management: Stewardship and Sense of Place in Misty Fiords National Monument, Alaska

Abstract

Although the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) manages the nation’s oldest and largest number of federally designated wilderness areas, the agency struggles to articulate the socioecological importance of wilderness to the U.S. people and to develop monitoring protocols to protect wilderness characteristics. Drawing on a long-standing U.S. tradition of using art to inspire conservation and preservation, in 2010 the Alaska Region USFS began partnering with artists to celebrate wilderness and “creat[e] dialogue” about management challenges. As the 2016 “Voice of the Wilderness” artist for Misty Fiords National Monument, I collaborated with backcountry rangers to assess anthropogenic impacts to the wilderness, envision alternatives to current recreational uses, and, mainly, translate the soaring fjords, swirling mist, sea-gray water, lush forest, and abundant wildlife into sketches, photographs, and a hand-drawn map for outreach materials. This article describes Misty Fiords’ unique characteristics, discusses the artist-in-wilderness experience, and explores the premise that art has the power to help people develop a sense of place and nurture a stewardship ethic.