Whitebark pine, a geographically widespread upper subalpine tree species, exists largely within designated wilderness areas that are afforded greater protection as compared to surrounding public and privately owned lands. The 1964 Wilderness Act mandates that wilderness areas are preserved in their “natural” condition, however, the pervasive effects of human-induced climate change challenges natural resource managers and stewards with new decisions regarding whitebark pine restoration. To address the wicked problem of address whitebark pine conservation in the context of wilderness, we investigated the use of the RAD (resist-accept-direct) framework as a decision-making tool for whitebark pine in an era of climate change. We used a combination of social and biological science techniques to investigate shifting climatic habitat for whitebark pine and to illuminate the socio-ecological trade-offs inherent in making R-A-D alternative decisions in designated wilderness. Our results demonstrate that wilderness may be particularly important for future whitebark pine conservation and that land stewards have diverse perspectives on implementing actions within wilderness for whitebark pine recovery under climate change. These results were shared with managers, decision-makers, and rightsholders during an in-person workshop to demonstrate how RAD may be used as tool to support strategic planning efforts.