Wilderness Stewardship Performance

To ensure that wilderness areas stay wild forever.


  • The Wilderness Stewardship Performance (WSP) framework tracks how well the Forest Service meets baseline performance elements for preserving wilderness character by tracking the number of wilderness areas meeting these elements.
  • Users select 10 elements (Table 1) and score them individually (Table 2), adding them up for a total wilderness stewardship score for each wilderness area.
  • CLs are used for the element: Air Quality Values

What are the steps for using CLs to protect air quality values in wilderness areas?

  1. Select the Air Quality Values element as one of your 10 elements (page 23 in Guidebook).
  2. If lichens were the most sensitive receptor, access the Wilderness Air Quality Values reports for more specific lichen-based CL data.
  3. If surface water acidification was the most sensitive receptor, contact your regional Air Resource Specialist for surface water quality data.
  4. Score the element (full version of Table 2 on page 25 in Guidebook).
Table 1. list of elements and selection criteria
Table 2. scoring mechanism for the air quality values element