:::::::::::::US Forest Service: INTERNATIONAL PROGRAMS: Protected Area Management:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

International Seminars and Workshops

Seminar Date and Cost:

The International Seminar on Protected Area Management will be hosted by the University of Montana, in collaboration with Colorado State University and the University of Idaho.

DATE: July 12 - August 2, 2009

COST: $5,400 (does not include air travel expenses to and from the seminar)

APPLICATION DEADLINE:
April 3, 2009

Introduction
The International Seminar on the Management of Parks and Protected Areas will be held from July 12 - August 9, 2009, in the northern Rocky Mountains of the western United States. Designed for mid-career planners and managers of nationally significant protected areas worldwide, this integrated state-of-the-art course examines strategies to conserve the world's most special places. The program, sponsored by the US Forest Service International Programs and the Universities of Montana, Idaho and Colorado State, will evaluate policies and institutional arrangements that sustain both people and natural resources.

Seminar Design
The seminar will stimulate deliberations and interactive problem solving for issues related to protected area and natural resource management. Program activities will take advantage of the rich experiences and multiple cultural perspectives of the participants, as well as the unique heritage and resources available in the Northern Rocky Mountain region.

To experience the opportunities available in the region the seminar will travel to several major types of protected areas. During these visits participants will have opportunities to interact with respected experts in the management of national parks, wildlife refusges, privately held land conservancies, and multiple use forest and grassland reserves.

Seminar Themes
The following themes were identified by protected area managers and past seminar participants as significant areas of worldwide concern. The seminar will focus on these topics.

	Integrated Planning for Protected Areas The management of protected areas occurs within a dynamic social, political, and institutional environment. Planning efforts for protected areas must allocate uses among many interests and priorities. Within an international context, it is recognized that the roles played by researchers, non-governmental organizations, agency managers, private-sector investors, and the general public depend upon the unique cultural and political realities of the country where management occurs. This seminar will examine the strengths and weaknesses of several types of planning models to recognize the potential for resource protection as well as an equitable and sustainable distribution of benefits.
	Community Involvement The core issue in protected area management revolves around meeting the demands of resident populations that utilize resources within or adjacent to the designated area. Frequently, local demands for resource use conflict with other goals to conserve resources for visitor enjoyment or biological integrity. This seminar will analyze several forms of concession arrangements; it will discuss tourism strategies and the consequences of increased visitation on both the environment and visitor experience; and it will explore the administrative and operational implications of private/public partnerships in protected area management.
	Tourism, Concessions, and Visitor Management Protected areas provide significant potential for economic and recreational development within many countries. Private sector institutions play an increasing role in supplying services and facilities to meet visitor demand. This seminar will analyze several forms of concession arrangements; it will discuss tourism strategies and the consequences of increased visitation on both the environment and visitor experience; and it will explore the administrative and operational implications of private/public partnerships in protected area management.
	Transboundary Management in the Face of Climate Change The challenges of protected area management extend beyond the boundaries of parks or reserves. Participants will be provided an opportunity to examine transboundary management issues such as climate change, fire, and tourism promotion.

Seminar Timing and Location
The seminar will begin in Missoula, Montana and will take place from July 12 - August 9, 2009. The seminar participants will visit Glacier National Park on the border between the United States and Canada, although all participants will remain the United States for the duration of the seminar.

Instructional Staff
The International Seminar on Protected Area Management will be administered under the leadership of Wayne Freimund, Director of the Wilderness Institute of the University of Montana, and Bill McLaughlin of the University of Idaho. Noted researchers, planners, and protected area managers from throughout the United States will provide program presentations. Key public agency personnel from the US Forest Service and the National Park Service will join the program and assist with program operations. Leaders in protected area management from non-governmental organizations and private enterprise will also provide their insights and instruction.

Seminar Expenses
The seminar will charge a tuition fee of about $5,400 for each participant, which will include all instruction, lodging, and food throughout the program. Travel that occurs within the United States during the operation of the program will also be covered by the tuition fee. Air travel expenses to and from the seminar are the responsibility of participants.

Seminar Guidelines
The course is offered in the English language, so English speaking proficiency is a requirement for course attendance. Participants are expected to become actively engaged in seminar discussions and activities throughout the program, since the curriculum emphasizes deliberations and the cross-fertilization of ideas from multiple perspectives. Each participant will offer a brief presentation on protected area management in their home country, allowing others to recognize the common as well as unique opportunities and challenges facing managers worldwide.

The seminar is a technical and professional course, placing a high demand on the attention and contributions of participants. Selection of participants will be based only on professional and technical competency, without regard to sex, race, creed, or nationality. During the course of the program, all participants will be considered as students of the University of Montana.

Applications
To download an application, find out more about scholarship and other seminar information, click here.

Wayne Freimund
Chair Society and Conservation Department
College of Forestry and Conservation
The University of Montana
Missoula, Montana 59812
Phone: (406) 243-5184
Fax: (406) 243-6656
E-mail: wayne@forestry.umt.edu

Please attach to your application a short (one or two page) resume, a brief description of your job responsibilities, and your reasons for interest in the seminar program. Enrollment in the seminar is limited, and it is strongly recommended that individuals apply as soon as possible. Applicants must seek and acquire financial sponsorship to attend. Funding for participation is not available from the seminar organizers.

2000 US Forest Service International Programs
Legal Information and Disclaimer
Webmaster