We all know that wild areas represent some of the most ecologically significant parts of our Pacific Northwest landscape and that protection of these areas is critical to maintenance of biodiversity and ecological integrity in the Pacific Northwest. But how many conservationists can describe the important geographic, biological, environmental and political attributes of more than a handful of these areas? Consider the fact that there are over 2400 wild areas (roadless and undeveloped areas) over 1000 acres in size on National Forest land in Oregon and Washington. How many of these areas would you personally be able to describe in some detail?

We have accomplished the first step – identifying the individual areas – which is essential to their eventual protection. But widespread knowledge of the characteristics and attributes of each wild area is still lacking. Widespread knowledge about the specific threats to each area is also lacking. There are often dozens of specific reasons that an individual wild area deserves protection. Knowledge of wild area attributes and specific treats can be critical to protection efforts.

Pacific Biodiversity Institute (PBI) has been working toward the development of a Wildland Information Network for the Pacific Northwest that will utilize the extensive research and information we have developed and acquired on wild areas, their characteristics and contents. We have information on the size, location, management status, vegetation, wildlife species and habitats, endangered and threatened plants and animals present, wetlands, erosion potential, geology, mineral potential and mining claims, fish species presence and status, past disturbances, insects and diseases, climate, elevation ranges, topography and other important attributes of almost every wild area in the Pacific Northwest. We also have satellite imagery, aerial photography, digital raster graphics, and other digital imagery covering most wild areas.

    We propose to put such information covering each wild area on an Internet map and data server with interactive database capability. This will enable all conservationists in the region to have full access to this extensive information. This project will allow access to this information without requiring individuals to acquire new computer hardware, new software or to learn new computer skills. All this information will be accessible using a standard Internet web browser (Netscape or Internet Explorer). Conservation users of this system will have easy access to over 20 gigabytes of information regarding the characteristics of wild areas in the Pacific Northwest – without needing to have over 20 gigabytes crammed into your computer. This information will be available anywhere there is a computer hooked to the Internet – from a backwoods cabin to a Congressional office in Washington DC. When you visit your Congressperson in DC it would be possible to pull up an extensive array of information, maps, images and even photos of your favorite wild area – right on their PC. Users of this system will be able to print out maps and wild area reports on their own printers with ease.

The best part of the system is that it will be participatory and interactive. Users will not only be able to access vast information resources on wild areas that PBI has developed – they will also be able to share information that they have acquired based on their own studies and field visits. Conservationists around the region will be able to enter wildlife sightings, personal experiences, site specific observations, photographs, and other data on individual wild areas into an interactive web database. This data will then be accessible to everyone who has access to the system. Through an interactive process, a massive amount of information will accumulate about each wild area from many different sources. We also anticipate eventually putting all proposed Forest Service timber sales effecting wild areas into this system – so you can overlay sale plans with a host of other environmental information. This huge accumulation of readily accessible information will be invaluable to forest protection efforts, the development of Wilderness proposals; reserve designs and comments on proposed Forest Service actions that effect these areas. Its accessibility through the Internet will help to stimulate more involvement in wild area protection efforts. This system will also help level the playing field - so that all forest activists have access to the highest quality and most comprehensive information on these critical areas.

The Wildland Information Network (WildInfoNet) will help PBI meet the volume of requests that we receive for maps, data and information about roadless areas in the Pacific Northwest. We will still provide large format maps, assistance with specific roadless and Wilderness projects, GIS training to groups that require advanced GIS analysis capabilities, and other forms of data access. But we anticipate that the WildInfoNet will meet most of the needs of the conservation community. It will provide access to a vast array of information that would have been impossible to provide before.

We welcome your thoughts and comments on these ideas. Please contact us with any recommendations, suggestions, cautions that you might have. We will soon be posting more information about this project on this web site.