Policy and Advocacy Resources
This section is home to a growing list of resources pertinent to both individual recreationists as well as our Grassroots Groups, including: trends and the economic impact of winter backcountry recreation, winter recreation opportunities on public lands, the environmental impacts of winter over-snow vehicles and other tools to help get you informed and effectively engage in the issues that matter your group or favorite backcountry area.
We are currently in the process of building out these resources, so if you don’t see what you are looking for a particular resource please Contact Us.
Memorandum of Understanding
Guide to Commenting in Land Management Processes
Winter Recreation Management On National Forests
- Winter Recreation Planning Case Studies, June 2014
- Best Management Practices for Forest Service Travel Planning, April 2015 (full report)
Best Management Practices for Forest Service Travel Planning (peer-reviewed articles published July 2016)
- Snowmobile Best Management Practices for Forest Service Travel Planning: A Comprehensive Literature Review and Recommendations for Management – Introduction to Snowmobile Management and Policy
- Snowmobile Best Management Practices for Forest Service Travel Planning: A Comprehensive Literature Review and Recommendations for Management –
Water Quality, Soils, and Vegetation - Snowmobile Best Management Practices for Forest Service Travel Planning: A Comprehensive Literature Review and Recommendations for Management – Wildlife
- Snowmobile Best Management Practices for Forest Service Travel Planning: A Comprehensive Literature Review and Recommendations for Management – Winter Recreational Use Conflict
Trends & Economic Contribution of Human-Powered Snowsports
Teton-West Yellowstone Region Backcountry Winter Recreation Economic Impact Analysis, 2013:
What the Science Says About Snowmobiles
Winter Recreation on Western National Forest Lands: A Comprehensive Analysis of Motorized and Non-Motorized Opportunity and Access
Leave No Trace Ethics for Backcountry Snowsports
(adapted in conjunction with Winter Wildlands Alliance and Vermont Backcountry Alliance, partners of the Leave No Trace Center for Outdoor Ethics)
From the Resort to the Backcountry – 10 tips for being safe and responsible in and out of bounds
Current Efforts
A New Vision for Skiing in Northern MinnesotaMay 6, 2020 - 12:53 pmIn Northern Minnesota, backcountry skiers are fighting to save their most coveted terrain, which is the site of proposed development by a local ski area.
What’s Next? The Great American Outdoors ActApril 28, 2020 - 12:42 pmAs states begin to reopen, we believe public lands are a smart and necessary investment for economic stimulus.
The Crux of a LifetimeMarch 25, 2020 - 2:44 pmWe all experience moments of uncertainty. But the mountains teach us to lean into our challenges with curiosity, openness, care, and compassion. Now, as COVID-19 washes through our communities, our homes, our thoughts, and our bodies, this is a skill that we need more than ever. This is one we need to lean into.
Winter Wildlands Alliance is a national nonprofit organization promoting and
preserving winter wildlands and a quality human-powered snowsports
experience on public lands.
