RAD Decisions in Rad Landscapes: Black Ridge Canyons Wilderness

Responding to climate change in U.S. designated wilderness poses a wicked problem for wilderness managers. The Aldo Leopold Research Institute (ALWRI) and research parnters conducted comparative casestudy research across the U.S. to better understand the implications of climate-driven ecological transformation in wilderness and how the Resist--Accept--Direct framework can help wilderness managers approach climate adaptation. In the Black Ridge Canyons Wilderness (BRCW) of southwest Colorado, USA, climate change is impacting habitat conditions for native amphibians and exacerbating adverse interactions between native and invasive amphibian species. This report summarizes research and activities relevant to the RAD Decisions in Rad Landscapes: Black Ridge Canyons Wilderness case study. The overarching goal of this case study was to provide Bureau of Land Management (BLM) staff and their partners with knowledge and tools to support intentional and transparent decision-making for ephemeral riparian communities in the BRCW through climate change-driven ecological transformation. Scientists from the ALWRI conducted research to illuminate the potential ecological consequences of climate change for ephemeral riparian communities as well as managers’ perceived ability to respond to ecological change. Additionally, scientists at AWLRI facilitated a 2-day workshop which engaged BLM staff and their partners in an adaptive management process to clarify values and desired conditions, generate decision alternatives under the RAD framework, and evaluate the potential social, legal, and ecological implications of various decision alternatives for native amphibian communities within the BRCW.