2023 Quarter 3: July-September update
In the third quarter of 2023, the Alpine Lake Collaborative (ALC) focused mostly on gathering information about desired conditions for the Alpine Lakes Wilderness. This was accomplished through workshops and gathering public feedback to integrate into the project.
Earlier in the year, the Project Manager worked with the Mount Baker Snoqualmie National Forest to apply for a Washington State Recreation and Conservation Office (RCO) grant but due to low scoring it was assumed the ALC would not receive it. In quarter 3 however, the ALC got the exciting news that we would be receiving the funds. This funding will support University of Washington Outdoor Recreation and Data Lab predictive modeling work to help guide how different management actions could impact variables in the wilderness.
Read on for descriptions of the ALC workgroups, with updates of their progress and accomplishments this quarter.
Network Coordination Team Statement of purpose: The Network Coordination Team organizes the Network’s internal systems and structures to enable participants to share information and advance collective work. Team members establish and maintain network operations and logistics, support knowledge management, and assist network working groups. Network coordinators are specifically identified as people/organizations with specific coordination roles, such as project management or convening. Q3 23 update: In the third quarter the Network Coordination Team helped support the public information gathering survey. This work included developing a web map of the zones developed by the Visitor Use Management workgroup and publishing that map along with the narrative explanation supporting the survey to Society for Wilderness Stewarship’s webpage. The team also worked to plan a field visit where members got the opportunity to meet the new Project Manager and experience the Enchantments alongside local Wilderness Rangers.
Design Workgroup Statement of purpose: The design workgroup was tasked with Charter design and development. The charter captures the Network’s broad purpose, and outlines initial agreements about how we plan to work together. It includes guidance for voting when needed and description of the different engagement tiers partners self-identify as in the project. Work developing the charter mostly took place in 2022 ahead of the fall 2022 outreach to partners to join the ALC. Q3 23 update: No work this quarter.
Forest Service Advisory Team Statement of purpose: The Forest Service Advisory Team provides input and recommendations as needed to the ALC Network based on applicable agency law and policy that is relevant to the project. The Team actively shares information and facilitates communication between the Okanogan-Wenatchee and Mount Baker Snoqualmie National Forests, Regional Office, and Enterprise Programs to ensure consistency in and shared understanding of leaders’ intent, objectives, and outcomes for participation in the project and network. Informal monthly meetings occur before monthly Network meetings to discuss and comment on timely ideas, issues, concerns, and other pending items relevant to the ALC Network. Q3 23 update: During Q3 the Forest Service Advisory group had some staffing changes within the working group but also within the agency itself. Sarah Lange left and Nancy Taylor took over as group lead. Much of the quarter was spent planning for Q4. These plans include the how and when to present the desired condition statements to the Tribes and ask for feedback, as well as providing an update on the project to Forest Leadership on the desired conditions. Conservation Finance support: The ALC did not receive the Innovative Finance for National Forests (IFNF) grant it applied for in spring 2023 to conduct a feasibility analysis ($150,000). However, some funding ($40-$50K) is available for a reduced scope of work analysis under the Forest Service Challenge Cost Share Agreement with Conservation Finance. The workgroup is actively discussing with Quantified Ventures a revised scope that will help us with the exploratory phase of Conservation Finance. Additionally, some Forest Service staff and partners were accepted to the spring 2024 Forest Service Conservation Finance workshop in Sacramento, CA.
Fundraising Planning Workgroup Statement of purpose: The Fundraising Planning Workgroup will develop the Fundraising Strategic Plan. This plan will include: project priorities, potential fundraising bodies (parties who may engage in fundraising or fundraising assignment), project components including detailed budgets and in-kind contributions and copy to be utilized for fundraising, potential sources, and fundraising calendar. Q3 23 update: This quarter the Fundraising Planning workgroup finished researching funding sources for the topical categories they developed last quarter. They also started working on an educational presentation to the Network on challenges in funding a project like the ALC and what funding sources they found.
Knowledge Advisory Team Statement of purpose: The Knowledge Advisory Team has a primary responsibility for advising and supporting working groups with 1) best practices and relevant examples from other locations, 2) what is Known (and not known) in a given field of interest or practice, 3) data collection, analysis, synthesis, and modeling, 4) methods for public engagement and network’s deliberations. The Knowledge Advisory Team is comprised of content-matter experts, generally scientists and other recognized experts in a given field or practice, including traditional ecological knowledge held by indigenous people and scientists. Q3 23 update: No work this quarter
Partner Engagement Workgroup Statement of purpose: The Partner Engagement Workgroup discusses participation and inclusion in the collaborative, furthering initiatives related to the ALC's Visitor Use Management process or beyond to ensure a wide array of voices are included in this process. Q3 23 update: The Partner Engagement Workgroup supported the planning and execution of a virtual “office hours” session to offer Collaborative members another opportunity to provide feedback on current and desired conditions. Members also support survey analysis after the public survey closed for responses.
Visitor Use Management (VUM) Technical Workgroup Statement of purpose: The Visitor Use Management Tech Team works on the technical aspects of visitor use management and guides the collaborative’s work to implement the Interagency Visitor Use Council’s Visitor Use Management Framework. All team members have knowledge of the Framework and we work on how to adapt the framework to the specific situation of the ALC and the Alpine Lakes Wilderness. This work leads to developing processes and content related to Visitor Use Management for the ALC network to work through, currently that's accomplished with the workshops being planned. Q3 23 update: The VUM workgroup continued our implementation of the Visitor Use Management Framework. The workgroup members developed and presented content for the first in-person gathering of the ALC Network partners to begin development of desired future conditions for the Alpine Lakes Wilderness. The team also developed and supported the release by the Society for Wilderness Stewardship (the project convenor) of a public survey that collected information about desired future conditions for the Alpine Lakes Wilderness. The survey included questions specific to defined zones within the wilderness to allow for site-specific comments. The survey was broadly successful with over two thousand responses received. Survey results were analyzed and conclusions summarized by the workgroup members. Based on the information collected during the workshop and from the survey, the workgroup members have begun work on creating draft desired conditions statements for review by the Network and are planning for the next steps of creating indicators and thresholds for evaluating attainment of desired conditions and then draft management actions.
2023 Quarter 2: April-June update
In the second quarter of 2023, the Alpine Lake Collaborative (ALC) focused mostly on current conditions workshops. Three workshops were held this quarter to get the collaborative oriented to on-the-ground conditions and perspectives of the wilderness. The first workshop focused on data on campsites, social trails, visitation and wildlife. The second workshop presented the four ranger districts’ perspectives of challenges associated with visitation. FInally, the third workshop focused on organizations in the ALC and how their members use the wilderness. These workshops together made up the step of the Visitor Use Management framework to assess and summarize existing information and current conditions.
Read on for descriptions of the ALC workgroups, with updates of their progress and accomplishments this quarter.
Network Coordination Team Statement of purpose: The Network Coordination Team organizes the Network’s internal systems and structures to enable participants to share information and advance collective work. Team members establish and maintain network operations and logistics, support knowledge management, and assist network working groups. Network coordinators are specifically identified as people/organizations with specific coordination roles, such as project management or convening. Q2 23 update: The Network Coordination Team has a lot of ongoing work which includes meeting monthly to plan the monthly Network meeting, general administration/organization of project files, and facilitating connections across workgroups. A new Project Manager was hired through SWS at the end of March who assumed leading this group. A communications plan was developed in coordination with the Partner Engagement Workgroup to strategize how the Collaborative engages with the public, the media, and other stakeholders.
Communications Workgroup Statement of purpose: Facilitate the communication of the progress, challenges, and general happenings of the ALC to people both internal and external to the ALC. Priority tasks include developing and updating the ALC webpage, working with public affairs officers within the Forest Service to effectively communicate the ALC work through USFS channels, and field media requests. Q2 23 update: This workgroup disbanded in the second quarter since its original goals were covered by work accomplished by other workgroups.
Design Workgroup Statement of purpose: The design workgroup was tasked with Charter design and development. The charter captures the Network’s broad purpose, and outlines initial agreements about how we plan to work together. It includes guidance for voting when needed and description of the different engagement tiers partners self-identify as in the project. Work developing the charter mostly took place in 2022 ahead of the fall 2022 outreach to partners to join the ALC. Q2 23 update: There was not much work this quarter in the Design Workgroup. There were discussions about the charter to address issues with consensus voting within the network but no changes were made to the charter.
Forest Service Advisory Team Statement of purpose: The Forest Service Advisory Team provides input and recommendations as needed to the ALC Network based on applicable agency law and policy that is relevant to the project. The Team actively shares information and facilitates communication between the Okanogan-Wenatchee and Mount Baker Snoqualmie National Forests, Regional Office, and Enterprise Programs to ensure consistency in and shared understanding of leaders’ intent, objectives, and outcomes for participation in the project and network. Informal monthly meetings occur before monthly Network meetings to discuss and comment on timely ideas, issues, concerns, and other pending items relevant to the ALC Network. Q2 23 update: The Forest Service Advisory Team has been very active this quarter. Michaela Gold, a Presidential Management Fellow, started a six-month detail with the Pacific Northwest Regional Office to support collaboration and planning for the Alpine Lakes Collaborative. Michaela is taking the lead on supporting the desired conditions workshops and data analysis. We are excited to have her support! The Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest brought on a new Partnership Coordinator, Sonja Hartman, who will be providing assistance to the Partnership Engagement workgroup. In May, Forest Service staff presented an update on the ALC to the Okanogan-Wenatchee Forest Leadership Team. A sideboards document was created, and district staff supported posting information on the ALC at trailheads. Engagement of forest leadership was discussed and has been ongoing. Conservation Finance support: The Conservation Finance program develops innovative finance models that engage private capital by creating investment opportunities that align environmental, social, and financial outcomes. The Forest Service submitted a proposal 3/6 to fund a conservation finance feasibility study for ALC that identifies a menu of funding and financing options, informs decision making on project viability, outlines potential payors, and provides a roadmap for implementation. We did not get this funding. We did have a follow up discussion with the National Partnership Office and Quantified Ventures for feedback on our Innovative Finance for National Forests grant application in August – so continuing the conversation!
Fundraising Planning Workgroup Statement of purpose: The Fundraising Planning Workgroup will develop the Fundraising Strategic Plan. This plan will include: project priorities, potential fundraising bodies (parties who may engage in fundraising or fundraising assignment), project components including detailed budgets and in-kind contributions and copy to be utilized for fundraising, potential sources, and fundraising calendar. Q2 23 update: The fundraising planning workgroup started meeting monthly to develop a fundraising strategy for ALC by the end of 2023. The Society for Wilderness Stewardship worked with TREAD to identify thematic categories and potential sources of funding for each category for the ALC in the future.
Knowledge Advisory Team Statement of purpose: The Knowledge Advisory Team has a primary responsibility for advising and supporting working groups with 1) best practices and relevant examples from other locations, 2) what is Known (and not known) in a given field of interest or practice, 3) data collection, analysis, synthesis, and modeling, 4) methods for public engagement and network’s deliberations. The Knowledge Advisory Team is comprised of content-matter experts, generally scientists and other recognized experts in a given field or practice, including traditional ecological knowledge held by indigenous people and scientists. Q2 23 update: No work this quarter
Partner Engagement Workgroup Statement of purpose: The Partner Engagement Workgroup discusses participation and inclusion in the collaborative, furthering initiatives related to the ALC's Visitor Use Management process or beyond to ensure a wide array of voices are included in this process. Q2 23 update: The Partner Engagement Workgroup (PEW) carried out a “parallel engagement strategy” to have one-on-one conversations with organizations who have not been active in the Collaborative due to capacity. These efforts collected the feedback on “current conditions”, and somewhat desired conditions, in the Alpine Lakes Wilderness for 8+ organizations. The PEW also helped plan for the in-person desired conditions workshop and the public survey that are planned for the next quarter.
Visitor Use Management (VUM) Technical Workgroup Statement of purpose: The Visitor Use Management Tech Team works on the technical aspects of visitor use management and guides the collaborative’s work to implement the Interagency Visitor Use Council’s Visitor Use Management Framework. All team members have knowledge of the Framework and we work on how to adapt the framework to the specific situation of the ALC and the Alpine Lakes Wilderness. This work leads to developing processes and content related to Visitor Use Management for the ALC network to work through, currently that's accomplished with the workshops being planned. Q2 23 update: This quarter the Visitor Use Management Workgroup has been working on several activities with multiple sub-group small teams focused on concurrent topics. Work has included: updating the Project Management Plan, developing the concept and design of the desired conditions workshop, revising the sideboards document which defines the guidance to work within when the ALC developing visitor use management proposals, developing a zoning scheme for use while defining desired future conditions for the ALW, and contributing to the public involvement strategy development.
2023 Quarter 1: January-March update
The Alpine Lakes Collaborative recently onboarded several new members (in late 2022), which represents a new phase of the collaborative as it approaches a more fully formed group. In the first quarter of 2023, collaborative members in the active engagement tiers (in the ALC charter, active engagement tiers include those people who are most actively involved at a planning level) met monthly to get to know each other, hear updates from the working groups (to avoid siloing of efforts), and discuss important issues (e.g., proposed changes to the charter and topics that workgroups need wider input on). Members in the active engagement tiers represent 20 organizations total.
Highlights of the quarter include partner integration of several new people joining the ALC, and the execution of a workshop that introduced members of the ALC to the Visitor Use Management Framework. Read on for descriptions of the ALC workgroups, with updates of their progress and accomplishments this quarter.
Network Coordination Team Statement of purpose: The Network Coordination Team organizes the Network’s internal systems and structures to enable participants to share information and advance collective work. Team members establish and maintain network operations and logistics, support knowledge management, and assist network working groups. Network coordinators are specifically identified as people/organizations with specific coordination roles, such as project management or convening. Q1 23 update: The Network Coordination Team has a lot of ongoing work which includes meeting monthly to plan the monthly Network meeting, general administration/organization of project files and facilitating connections across workgroups. In addition to the ongoing work there were some specific projects tackled this quarter. A large chunk of January was focused on one-on-one integration meetings. These meetings were with partners who self-identified as one of the active engagement tiers from the charter (“Lead” or “Partner”). The purpose of these meetings was to allow partners joining ALC to have a space to ask any questions of the Project Manager that weren’t answered in the fall briefing and join any workgroups if they had interest and capacity. The ALC Project Manager helped the FS apply for grant funding to expand on the University of Washington's visitor use data collection. Mount Baker Snoqualmie NF gave the presentation for the Recreation & Conservation Office NOVA grant funding on 3/2. This funding would expand on UW's visitor use data collection and modeling work. The funding would allow ALC to develop and evaluate different management scenarios that consider the potential outcomes and tradeoffs of management strategies on the ground. For example - what happens if we limit parking at some trailheads or expand it at others? How would visitation patterns change? What other outcomes might we see for wildlife or vegetation recovery? Big thanks to those who helped put the application together and present. That being said, it's a very competitive grant and the scores released from RCO indicate we will not receive funding.
Communications Workgroup Statement of purpose: Facilitate the communication of the progress, challenges, and general happenings of the ALC to people both internal and external to the ALC. Priority tasks include developing and updating the ALC webpage, working with public affairs officers within the Forest Service to effectively communicate the ALC work through USFS channels, and field media requests. Q1 23 update: developed general content for the ALC webpage (overview, links to recording, email sign-up form) and Q1 updates. The communications workgroup has several aspirations, but is currently seeking leaders and partners to drive the group forward.
Design Workgroup Statement of purpose: The design workgroup was tasked with Charter design and development. The charter captures the Network’s broad purpose, and outlines initial agreements about how we plan to work together. It includes guidance for voting when needed and description of the different engagement tiers partners self-identify as in the project. Work developing the charter mostly took place in 2022 ahead of the fall 2022 outreach to partners to join the ALC. Q1 23 update: No work in 2023
Forest Service Advisory Team Statement of purpose: The Forest Service Advisory Team provides input and recommendations as needed to the ALC Network based on applicable agency law and policy that is relevant to the project. The Team actively shares information and facilitates communication between the Okanogan-Wenatchee and Mount Baker Snoqualmie National Forests, Regional Office, and Enterprise Programs to ensure consistency in and shared understanding of leaders’ intent, objectives, and outcomes for participation in the project and network. Informal monthly meetings occur before monthly Network meetings to discuss and comment on timely ideas, issues, concerns, and other pending items relevant to the ALC Network. Q1 23 update: In addition to the informal monthly meetings, available members of the Forest Service Advisory Team have worked to develop capacity support for the project which includes the Enterprise, Presidential Management Fellows, and Conservation Finance programs. Enterprise support The Enterprise program offers specialized on-demand capacity support to Forest Service projects. In 2022, the Forest Service successfully submitted a competitive proposal for obtaining the support of the Enterprise program’s participation in the ALC project. Enterprise support for the ALC comes in the form of a meeting facilitation, technical expertise in Visitor Use Management, and internal Forest Service communication products about the ALC project. The meeting facilitator and technical expert started in 2022 and the development of the internal communication products started this quarter. The current agreement with the Enterprise program goes until August 2023. Conservation Finance support The Conservation Finance program develops innovative finance models that engage private capital by creating investment opportunities that align environmental, social, and financial outcomes. The FS submitted a proposal 3/6 to fund a conservation finance feasibility study for ALC that identifies a menu of funding and financing options, informs decision making on project viability, outlines potential payors, and provides a roadmap for implementation. ALC should hear back in the second quarter of 2023 if the study will move forward. Presidential Management Fellow support The Presidential Management Fellow (PMF) program is the Federal Government's flagship leadership development program for advanced degree holders. Its mission is to recruit and develop a cadre of future government leaders drawn from all segments of society. The work plan for the ALC PMF was finalized this quarter with the support planned for May 7 through September 23. This support will add capacity to the Conservation Finance, Visitor Use Management and Partner Engagement workgroups.
Fundraising Planning Workgroup Statement of purpose: The Fundraising Planning Workgroup will develop the Fundraising Strategic Plan. This plan will include: project priorities, potential fundraising bodies (parties who may engage in fundraising or fundraising assignment), project components including detailed budgets and in-kind contributions and copy to be utilized for fundraising, potential sources, and fundraising calendar. Q1 23 update: The Fundraising Planning Workgroup met for the first time this quarter. They reviewed the tasks and timeline for the strategic plan and agreed to reconvene in the spring to start work in earnest since capacity from team members was limited this quarter.
Knowledge Advisory Team Statement of purpose: The Knowledge Advisory Team has a primary responsibility for advising and supporting working groups with 1) best practices and relevant examples from other locations, 2) what is Known (and not known) in a given field of interest or practice, 3) data collection, analysis, synthesis, and modeling, 4) methods for public engagement and network’s deliberations. The Knowledge Advisory Team is comprised of content-matter experts, generally scientists and other recognized experts in a given field or practice, including traditional ecological knowledge held by indigenous people and scientists. Q1 23 update: The Knowledge Advisory Team paused activities at the beginning of 2023 in order to free up time for Team members to provide technical support to specific efforts through participation in working-groups (primarily the Design, Partner Engagement, and Visitor Use Management workgroups). No work this quarter.
Partner Engagement Workgroup Statement of purpose: The Partner Engagement Workgroup discusses participation and inclusion in the collaborative, furthering initiatives related to the ALC's Visitor Use Management process or beyond to ensure a wide array of voices are included in this process. Q1 23 update: The Partner engagement workgroup continued to plan and inform the Alpine Lakes Collaborative workshops as well as debrief learnings from previous workshops. The group discussed opportunities to involve more voices and establish more inclusive methods of collecting Visitor Use Management information – conversations that will continue into Q2.
Visitor Use Management (VUM) Technical Workgroup Statement of purpose: The Visitor Use Management Tech Team works on the technical aspects of visitor use management and guides the collaborative’s work to implement the Interagency Visitor Use Council’s Visitor Use Management Framework. All team members have knowledge of the Framework and we work on how to adapt the framework to the specific situation of the ALC and the Alpine Lakes Wilderness. This work leads to developing processes and content related to Visitor Use Management for the ALC network to work through, currently that's accomplished with the workshops being planned. Q1 23 update: This quarter, the Visitor Use Management Tech Team developed the Project Management Plan and presented a workshop on the Framework in February. The Project Management Plan outlines the group's projected timeline for moving the ALC through the Visitor Use Management framework. The workshop was to introduce the ALC to the framework with the goal that the Network would have an overall understanding of the steps that will be involved. Planning also started for Current Conditions workshops which will occur in Q2.