Wilderness Tradeoff Posters

Two posters aimed to communicate two sides of a supposed wilderness management trade-off.

This project was done in partnership with Adalyn Vergara a researcher of Forest and Conservation Science at the University of Montana. Posters were displayed in the university’s art gallery for public viewing.

The tradeoff involves Chinook and Steelhead Salmon in the Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness and what should be done about the problem of them being diverted into irrigation ditches.

Assigned prompts:
Poster 1:
Prevent entrainment!

The Nez Perce Tribe has approached various private inholders (those who own parcels of private land within the Wilderness) to reconfigure their irrigation systems and consider adding fish screens to their systems, and help prevent entrainment. While these actions would further development within the Wilderness, they would help prevent sea running Steelhead and Chinook salmon from getting diverted into irrigation ditches and allow them to better follow out their life course—and, thus, improve the natural quality of the Wilderness.

Poster 2:
Stop the development!

The existing irrigation infrastructure within the Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness is already too extensive. Any further reconfiguration of these systems, or the addition of fish screens intended to prevent entrainment, would only further degrade the undeveloped quality of wilderness and would represent yet another manipulation of the Wilderness. We must cease meddling with the Wilderness and let things run their course.

Created in September 2025.