Webinar #2: Making Decisions: Evaluating Impacts and Tradeoffs
to Wilderness Character
Case Study
Yellowstone Cutthroat Trout
North Absaroka Wilderness
Clarks Fork of the Yellowstone River
• Reduced to a fraction of their historic distribution range
• Widespread habitat degradation and fragmentation
• Increasing environmental pressures
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Webinar #2: Making Decisions: Evaluating Impacts and Tradeoffs
to Wilderness Character
Case Study
Yellowstone Cutthroat Trout
Goal of the North Absaroka Wilderness:
“To restore YCT to a part of the Clarks Fork of the
Yellowstone River while maximizing, to the degree possible,
all qualities of wilderness character.”
First Objective: Remove hybridized YCT and non-native species and
reestablish the native population of YCT in the middle reach of the river.
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Webinar #2: Making Decisions: Evaluating Impacts and Tradeoffs
to Wilderness Character
Case Study
Yellowstone Cutthroat Trout
Management Action Alternatives:
• Remove undesirables mechanically; allow YCT to reestablish
naturally
• Remove undesirables chemically; allow YCT to reestablish
naturally
• Remove undesirables chemically; reestablish YCT by both
natural means and stocking
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Webinar #2: Making Decisions: Evaluating Impacts and Tradeoffs
to Wilderness Character
Case Study
Yellowstone Cutthroat Trout
Chosen Management Action Alternative:
• Remove undesirable fish chemically in the middle reach of
the river
• Reestablish YCT through natural downstream drift and
stocking pure YCT to waters downstream of the wilderness
area
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Webinar #2: Making Decisions: Evaluating Impacts and Tradeoffs
to Wilderness Character
Case Study
Yellowstone Cutthroat Trout
Key Points:
• Significant short-term negative impacts to the Untrammeled and
Natural qualities AND significant long-term improvements to the
Natural quality
• Preserves the Undeveloped quality by not using motorized
equipment or mechanical transportation
• Upholds the wilderness management principle:
"Seek the least possible degradation of wilderness character"
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