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Access as Stewardship
Get Involved!
By Brian Shirley Co-Chair of Access Committee
One of the goals the Access Committee had for this year was to facilitate several presentations and a round table at the annual conference to help the membership better understand the history and developing issues related to public land recreational access and permitting.
The first session on this topic was a panel presentation on Access as Stewardship. The general premise being that while many programs complain about getting legal access to public lands, there are many things our programs can do to add to the value of these lands, increasing access for all. The session was well attended and had great thoughtful discussion and questions from the attendees.
The panel was made up of individuals from not-for-profit wilderness stewardship organizations, college and university outdoor programs, National Park Service, Georgia State Parks, and the U.S. Forest Service. Panel participants discussed the high level of need for volunteers on public lands to help support recreational infrastructure, with the main point being that funding continues to decrease for land managers while public use of these resources continue to increase. Now more than ever there is a need for educated, trained volunteers to work with agencies and not-for-profit entities to provide this labor force. It was clear that AORE organization members can be significant partners with land managers to provide an avenue to a skilled pool of volunteers for service.
The second session was a general exploration of America’s public lands. This presentation covered the historical evolution of land management, overview of federal agencies and land designations, and current threats to public lands. This curriculum was developed by the Wilderness Society to increase awareness and build advocacy for America’s public lands. This “public lands knowledge” is valuable to professionals for two reasons. First, it helps build and maintain relationships with land managers as we seek access to public lands for our programs. Second, it helps develop and inspire the next generation of public land stewards as they participate in our programs.
Finally, the last session hosted by the Access Committee featured invited guests Mike Schlafmann from the US Forest Service and Meryl Harrell from the office of the U.S. Undersecretary of Agriculture (the agency that oversees the Forest Service). The session started with an update on what has been happening most recently with regards to the national discussion on public land access, focusing on how the AORE has been a key player in these issues. It then quickly led to a round table discussion facilitated by Mike Schlafmann from the U.S. Forest Service Region VI. The groups were encouraged to re-imagine the Forest Service recreational permitting process. Through the process the groups initially disclosed many of the struggles they have had acquiring access to certain areas. However, as the discussion unfolded the participants developed some strong ideas and strategies for what the USFS could do better. Mr. Schlafmann and Ms. Harrell took notes and listened attentively to what members had to offer. Mr. Schlafmann concluded by disclosing a pilot program his district has been implementing that will likely address many of the concerns participants in the round table brought up. However, some new and some re-framed ideas were presented that we are confident the USFS and the USDA will continue to explore.
For those unable to attend these conference this year, or may have missed the conference we encourage you to read the Conference proceedings for a more in depth disclosure on these sessions. Many of you have experienced frustrations in the past with gaining legal permitted access to public lands. The future for permitted facilitated outdoor experiences is bright!
Access Committee
Awards Committee
If you have questions or want to be more involved, please reach out to the Access Committee co-chairs,
Brian Shirley ([email protected]) or Andy Nelson ([email protected])
To learn more about how you can help bring the Awards Committee, and the AORE as a whole, to a new level, please contact committee co-chairs Jenn Velie ([email protected]) or Steven Whitman ([email protected])
Student Development Committee
Research and Publications Committee
For more information about the Research and Publications Committee and how you can help, please contact Dr.Andrew Szolosi, ([email protected]) & Dr. Genevieve Marchand, ([email protected])
If you’d like to
join the committee, please contact Chris Bullard ([email protected]) or Jason Gosch ([email protected])