Wilderness: Our Enduring American Legacy

8/12/2019 Wilderness: Our Enduring American Legacy

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Wilderness:O U R E N D U R I N G A M E R I C A N L E G A C Y

50TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE WILDERNESS ACT


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... A wilderness, in contrast with those areas where

man and his own works dominate the landscape, ishereby recognized as an area where the earth and itscommunity of life are untrammeled by man, whereman himself is a visitor who does not remain.

The Wilderness Act, September 3, 1964


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uR 1964: R J D. D, M 4

uA V T: W S P J W 5uE S 6uB A S 8uT N W P S T 11uW C W 15uT W L: P P W 18

Northeast

Coastal Islands, Maine

Northern Rockies

Rocky Mountain Front, MontanaKootenai, Beaverhead-Deerlodge, and Lolo National Forests, MontanaBoulder-White Clouds, Idaho

Northwest ForestsAlpine Lakes, Washington

Great Basin

Pine Grove Hills, NevadaPine Forest Range, Nevada

Southern Rocky Mountains

Browns Canyon, ColoradoHermosa Creek Watershed, ColoradoSan Juan Mountains, ColoradoColumbine Hondo, Northern New Mexico

Appalachian Mountains

Cherokee National Forest, Tennessee

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CONTENTS


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REFLECTIONS ON 1964

AMessagefromRepresentativeJohnD.DingellTheLastSitting

CongressionalMemberwhoVotedforthe1964WildernessAct

AsoneoftheHouseauthorsoftheWilde

rnessActof1964,andaswe

approachthe50thanniversaryofitsenactment,IbelievewewoulddowelltoreflectupontheActsremarkablecon

tributiontoconservationefforts

acrossAmericaandconsiderhowbesttoadvancewildernessconservation

inthefuture.

TheHouseofRepresentativestookuptheWildernessActin1964afterthe

Senatepasseditthepreviousyear. Atthattime, PresidentKennedycalled

itoneofthemostsignificantconservationlandmarksofrecentyears.

DuringHousedebateontheAct,Isaiditwouldstandoutthroughthe

yearsasoneofthemostfar-reachingandsignificantconservationmeasures

enactedbytheCongressinthe20thcentury.ThetruthinPresident

Kennedysandmywordsismanifestintheapproximately110millionacres

includingnearly260,000acresinmyhomestate

ofMichiganthathave

beendesignatedaswildernessareassince1964. Justthisspring,Michigan

washonoredwiththenationsnewestdesignationundertheWildernessAct

withthecreationofSleepingBearDunesWilderness,aspectacularswath

ofcoastalbeautycoveringmorethan32,000acresofsandyshoreline,

crystallinewaters,andlushfoliagealongLakeMichigan.

DespitetheActssuccess,westillconfrontconcertedeffortstoweaken

citizenopportunitiestoadvocateforwildplaces,whichprovideeconomic

andrecreationalbenefitstocommunitiesandstatesallacrossourcountry.

SafeguardingtheWildernessActandensuringitscontinueduseintothe

nexthalf-centuryandbeyondwillpaytributetoapearlofwisdomofwhich

myfatherwasfondofremindingme:WedonotsimplyinheritthisEarth,

butratherweborrowitfromfuturegenerations.

Iamproudtopassthissharedlegacyon

tomycolleaguesinCongressandthenext

generationsofAmericanswhowillenjoythese

landsformanyyearstocome.

RepresentativeJohnD.Dingell

Michigan,12thDistrict

Sleeping Bear Dunes Wildernwas designated by Congress iMarch 2014, and is the newesunit of the National WildernePreservation System.


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Aswecelebratethe50thanniversaryofTheWildernessAct,wepaytributetothwhohadtheforesighttocreateawildernesspreservationsystemthatisuniquethroughouttheworld. Americaswildplacesforgedourcharacterasanation,anthisyearwemustnotonlycelebratetheirprotection,wemustchartacourseforwildernessconservationforthenext50years.

Todaywildernessisasimportantasever,bringingcountlessrestorativebenefitsnotonlytonaturebuttopeopleprovidingcleanairandcleanwatertomyriadcommunities,reconnectingchildrenwiththemagicoftheoutdoors,andcreatingjobsthroughAmericasburgeoningrecreationeconomy.Butaswefaceachanginworldandachangingclimate,ourapproachtoprotectingplacesmustalsoevolvWecannotsimplyworktoprotectisolatedacresofwilderness;wemustconnectwildplacestolargernaturalsystemsthatcanberesilientinthefaceofclimatechangeandallownaturetoadaptandthrive.

WecanprotectsouthwestColoradosHermosaCreekwatershedtoensureconnectivitytothegreaterSanJuanMountainslandscape;jointhenorthernprairiwiththeRockyMountainsinMontanatosafeguardcriticalhabitatforwildlife;andconnectthelargestremainingexpansesofcontiguouswildforestsintheEasternUnitedStatesbyprotectingWestVirginiasBirthplaceofRivers.Establishingtheseinterconnectedlandscapes,amongmanyothers,enablesustopreserveAmericaswildestplacesinthefaceofanever-changingworld.

Tomakewildernessenduringforanewageandforfuturegenerations,wealsomustempowerlocalcommunitiestosafeguardwildareasclosetohome,connectingAmericanfamiliestothegreatoutdoorsandinspiringthemtoprotectmoreremotewildernesslands. ThatmeansprotectingplaceslikeBrownsCanyoninColorado,theCherokeeNationalForestinTennessee,CaliforniasSanGabrielMountainsnearLosAngeles,andruggedCoastalIslandsofftheshoresofMaineallhighlightedinthisreport.

FiftyyearsagotheWildernessActaffirmedthatourwildplacesareworthsaving,forthebenefitofallAmericansandforalltime.Lookingback,weseethesimplegeniusoftheAct,andlookingaheadweknowthatnomatterwhatmaychange,ouneedforwilderness,andthewealthofbenefitsitprovides,willendure.

JamieWilliams,PresidentTheWildernessSociety

A VISION FOR TOMORROW


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Americans passed theWilderness Act in1964 to protect forever

our most awe-inspiringwild places and theirmany human stories. Theresponsibility to care for thesemagnificent landscapes, and topreserve our own special places forthe future, continues. But changesunforeseen by the authors of theWilderness Act five decades agopressures like climate change andthe onslaught of oil and gas leasing,combined with the emergence of a

nature-starved generationmakethe resource of wilderness evenmore essential to our nationsfuture. Thisreport highlightsAmericas pathtoward theWilderness Act in1964, focuses onkey landscapesthat citizenswant to seeprotected today,

and addresseswhy wildernessis more relevantthan everforthe next 50 yearsand beyond.

TIME SPENTIN WILDERNESS IMPROVES OURQUALITY OF LIFE

According to Nielsen, the average

American adult spends 11 hours perday with electronic media. Our nextgeneration is no better off: childrenare spending half as much timeoutdoors as they did 20 years ago.1Today, kids 8-18 years old devote anaverage of 7 hours and 38 minutesto entertainment media in a typicaldaymore than 53 hours a week.2

Disturbing health trends amongyoung people who are increasinglydisconnected from the naturalworld include depression, obesity,

and attention deficit disorder.Recreational opportunities in wildplaces benefit our bodies andminds and offer character-shaping

experiences to enjoy solo or with agroup of friendswhether hikinga scenic day trail with family, or aweeks pack trip hunting elk in someof Americas heartiest backcountry.Exposing children to the wondersof wild places can help changenegative health trends and cultivatethe next generation of conservationstewards for Americas future.

AMERICANS NEED OUTDOOREXPERIENCES FREE FROM NOISE

AND POLLUTION

At the same time as young peopleare growing upless connected tothe natural world,we are losingincrementallythequiet backcountryexperiences thatwere still relativelyabundant in 1964.Off-road vehicle (ORV)use on our nationalforests has increasedmarkedly in the past50 years. The ForestService estimates thatORV use accountedfor 6.7 million visits,or 4 percent, in 20093

compared to an estimated 5.3million visits in 19794. Moreover,according to the USFS projectForests on the Edge, 21 million

acres of private rural lands nearnational forests and grasslands willexperience substantial housingdensity increases by 20305raising the volume of people withrecreational access to public lands.Half of all wilderness areas arewithin a days drive of Americas 30largest cities.6 With the countryspopulation expected to increasenearly 50 percent by 20507, morepeople will be living closer to ourfederal public lands for recreation

and renewal. With growing,competing demands on these landquiet backcountry experiencesmay become increasingly rare for

future generationsunless we usethe Wilderness Act to preservemore of our wild places. Morethan two dozen citizen-initiatedwilderness bills currently awaitpassage by Congress. Theseareas reflect the diverse range ofpeople and communities across thUnited States that want their mostcherished wildlands protected andfree of noise and pollution.

WILD PUBLIC LANDS DELIVER

ECONOMIC BENEFITS FOR LOCALCOMMUNITIES

Recent economic studies highlightthe role of wilderness and protecteopen space as drivers of economicgrowth for rural communities.Higher-wage service industries,such as technology and health careare leading the Wests job growthand diversifying the economy ofrural areas. Many Americans, fromentrepreneurs to retirees, arechoosing to live where they canenjoy outdoor recreation and natulandscapes. High-wage industriesare using the Wests national parksmonuments, wilderness areas andother public lands as a tool torecruit and retain innovative, high-performing talent.8 By locatingtheir companies near popularfederal public lands, growing hightech and service industries wielda competitive advantage, which is

a major reason why the westerneconomy has outperformed therest of the U.S. economy in keymeasures of growthemploymentpopulation, and personal incomeduring the last four decades.9

Moreover, the rapid pulse ofAmericas outdoor recreationeconomy showed clearly during thgovernment shutdown in fall 2013A 7.88 million decline in overallNational Park Service (NPS) Octob

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY


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visitation resulted in a loss of $414million NPS visitor spending withingateway communities across thecountry.10 Utah, for example, a

state with bountiful parks and wildspaceswas on its way to anotherrecord year of tourism profit, butinstead suffered an estimated $30million in lost revenue from theshuttering of revered federal landslike Zion, Bryce Canyon, and ArchesNational Parks over a period of just10 days.

WILDERNESS CONTRIBUTES TOTHE NATIONS CLEAN AND

ABUNDANT SUPPLIES OFWATER

For many cities across theUnited StatesincludingPhoenix, Los Angeles, New

York, Denver, and Seattlewilderness areas protect vitalwatersheds that sustain millions ofpeoples drinking water supplies.Wilderness provides fundamentalecosystem services that otherwiserequire expensive and often

inefficient human investment torecreate artificially. Not surprisingly,our nations healthy watershedconditions most frequently coincidewith designated wilderness areas onfederal public lands.11

WILDERNESS ALLOWS NATIVEPLANTS AND ANIMALS TO THRIVEUNDISTURBED

The largest single threat to

biological diversity worldwide isthe outright destruction of habitat,along with habitat alteration andfragmentation of large habitats intosmaller patches by roads and otherdevelopment.12 According to theU.S. Forest Service, the miles ofroads in Americas national forestsmore than doubled from about175,000 miles in 1964 to about385,000 miles in 2000enoughto circle the Earths equator 15times. 13 As havens for at-risk and

charismatic animals,wilderness areas areintact, corelandscapes

allowingjaguars,grizzly bears,bighorn sheep,wolves, ocelots, condors,and other wildlife tosurvive away fromdevelopment and noise.Wilderness areas also offerincomparable real-lifeclassrooms, wherethe study of oureffect on the

planetcan lead tosolutions for howto mitigate damagingenvironmental change.

WE HAVE A RESPONSIBILITYTO HAND DOWN AMERICAS

WILD LEGACY

It has been 50 years sincethe Wilderness Act gave us atool with which to safeguardour irreplaceable natural andcultural heritage, for currentand future generations.Protected wilderness belongs

to all of us and is a statementof American ideals. In theface of ongoing social andenvironmental change andhuman pressures on wild places,we must continue to fight for thelands that personify our Americanspirit. Going strong since 1935, TheWilderness Society is poised to leadthe charge toward a goal of greaterawareness, greater enjoyment, and morediverse appreciation for wilderness. Theselands are simply too wild to lose.


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BACKBONE OF THE AMERICAN SPIRIT

Conservation is a great moral issue, for it involves the patriotic duty ofensuring the safety and continuance of the nation.

President Theodore Roosevelt

North American wildernessforests, mountains, deserts, rivers, lakes, and all inbetweenhas instilled in successive generations an appreciation of our naturalheritage and national character. Wilderness has fostered our shared sense ofindependence, self-sufficiency and above all, hope. In times of crisis, war and cultura

insecurity, Americans have returned again and again to the calm and timeless beautof our natural placestaking their families hunting, hiking, fishing, camping, orpicnicking on our national forests, parks, wildlife refuges, and other public lands.

A NATIONAL IDENTITY

In the early days of the Americancolonies, wilderness was thephysical challenge by which wegrew stronger and more self-reliant,carving out farms and communities

to sustain our fledgling nation.Since the 1800s, wildernessraw,rugged landhas been an elementthat sets America apart from muchof the developed world. Duringthe Romantic period, artists, poets,writers, and theologians seized onthese vast, wild landscapes as auniquely American asset, portraying

their beauty as unparalleled in theworld. Writers like Thoreau andEmerson proclaimed value in livingsimply and finding ones closeness toGod by communing with wild nature.

It was Thomas Morans paintings ofYellowstone country that ultimatelyhelped Congress decide that thearea was worthy of national parkstatus in 1872. The Romantic mythof a limitless garden helped kindleAmerican westward expansion,which continued unabated for nearly100 years.

WHAT WAS AT STAE

As settlement expanded acrossthe continentaided by theaggressive spread of the railroad,the California gold rush, and waves

of homesteaderswild places andthe native cultures that thrivedwithin them began to suffer.Americas industrial appetite fueledthe harvest of 90% of Eastern

forests by the 1880sleading tothe passage of the Forest ReserveAct and the beginnings of the U.S.Forest Service. In 1893, an essay bFrederick Jackson Turner abruptlyannounced that the American

frontier had officially disappeared.Emerging from the Gilded Ageat the dawn of the 20th century,President Theodore Rooseveltlamented the state of Americanculture as indolent, morally corrup


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Most of us descend from foreigners wpassed through mountains, forests, andeserts, who cut a way through and aband around and died doing it, lived do

it, and were profoundly changed by thact of moving through a place that warelentless in its resistance to any passaThat resistance led to friction, and thafriction with land and water burned awwhat we used to be, and forged what would eventually become, what we arstill becoming. We are Americans. Oucharacter was shaped by passages thrWilderness.

Shelton JohnsonNational Park Service Ranger

Yosemite NP

Shelton Johnson grew up in inner city D

and fell in love with the mountains at an

age. Before finishing his Masters degree

he spent a summer in Yellowstone Natio

Park where, in his words, he was hooke

Shelton has spent the bulk of his adult li

in national parks and travels extensively

throughout the country educating childr

about the experiences of the Buffalo Sol

in the American West.

and greedya society that had lostsight of the robust, entrepreneurialvalues that had shaped our nation

just 100 years earlier. As a remedy,Roosevelt challenged citizens to getout and experience wild Americaonce againto remember thewilderness hardships that shaped agreat nation and to appreciate andprotect our remaining wild placesso that future generations wouldbenefit from them.

VISIONS FOR WILD AMERICA

The conservation movement weknow today began with the notion

of saving wild places for their beautybut also for their role in preservingforests and wildlife, protectingwater supplies and providingrobust recreational opportunitiesfor a growing America. Championsemerged in many walks of life,including political and businessleaders, hunters, artists, scientists,and faith leaders throughout theUnited States. Many of theseprominent visionaries were foundersof The Wilderness Society in1935forward thinkers of theirday and avid outdoor enthusiastsin their own right. Among them:Aldo Leopold, who introducedthe concept of ecology to theU.S. Forest Service and pushedfor the establishment of roadlessprimitive areas on USFS lands;Bob Marshall, a curious New Yorkerwith a Ph.D. in plant physiology

and an insatiable appetite forhiking, writing and advocatingfor wilderness protection;Robert Sterling Yard, whoawakened the nation to thescenic magnitude of wildernessand whose passionate writingshelped establish the NationalPark Service; Benton Mackaye,best known for fathering theidea of the Appalachian Trail;and Harvey Broome, whoworked closely with WildernessAct author Howard Zahniser topersuade Congress to createa national system of wildlands.

Zahniser wrote 66 drafts ofthe Wilderness Act between1956 and 1964 and steered itthrough 18 hearings; it finallypassed the Senate 73-12 andpassed the House by a nearunanimous 374-1 margin.

A BEACON TO THE WORLD

In 1964, the United Statescharted a course new inthe history of nations. The

Wilderness Act establishedthe National WildernessPreservation System (NWPS)beginning with 9.1 million acresof national forest lands. Thelaw created a process that hasempowered Americans to workwith their members of Congressto protect natural landscapesthat enhance their communities,improve quality of life and

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inspire outdoorexploration forgenerations to come.It was the first of itskind, anywhere in theworld. Today, theNWPS is nearly 110million acres strongstretching from the

frigid tip of Alaska tothe blistering heatof Death Valley,sweeping across thecontinent towardthe forests of theRocky Mountains,the ancient peakstraversed by theAppalachianTrail, the ruggedcoastline of Maine

and as far south as Puerto Rico and thetropics of Hawaii. As the largest wildernesssystem in the world, Americas NationalWilderness Preservation System stands as aninspiration to many nations who seek to preservetheir natural and cultural resources.

NO MOUNTAIN TOO HIGH ORTrIL TOO STEEP

Fifty years since the passage of the WildernessAct, Americans are still working to save themost vulnerable pieces of our wild heritage; the

threats continue to mount. From oil and gasdrilling to relentless off-road vehicle incursionsinto some of our last quiet forests and deserts,and the ever-present onslaught of climatechange, wilderness areasexisting and yet-to-bedesignatedand the wildlife they support needmore defenders now than ever before. At TheWilderness Society, we work with communitieshelping them to strategically plan a path forwardfor protecting their neighboring wildlands whileat the same time enhancing their quality of life.We work locally. We use science as our guide

and we work collaboratively. Thats how it hasbeen since 1935.

Today, wilderness serves as a reminder of ourcultural and natural history, our duty to stewardthe Earth, and our responsibility to ensureAmerican vitality for the future. It falls to us, asa nation, as inheritors of this great wildernesslegacy, to protect the vulnerable wild lands andwaters that remain, and to pass on this heritageand historical context to the next generation ofhopeful, resilient, and innovative Americansfor

the next 50 years and beyond.


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Designated

Wildeness

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THE NATIONAL WILDERNESS

PRESERVATION SYSTEM TODAY

Over its 50 year history, the Wilderness Act has preserved a diverse networkof nearly 110 million acres of wild public lands in every corner of the UnitedStates758 distinct unitsthat help us reconnect with the magic of our naturaland cultural heritage. In terms of acreage, only about 5% of the entire UnitedStates is protected as wilderness. Much has changed since 1964in our culture andacross our American landscape. But in an ironic way, the places that remain mostunchanged are where we learn deeply about our human effect on the planet andabout ourselves.

This map shows the extent of the National Wilderness Preservation System today ancalls out some notable places that help Americans connect with their wild side.

1SCAPEGOAT WILDERNESS, MONTANA U.S. FOREST SERVICESIZE: 239,936 ACRES YEAR PROTECTED: 1972

The Scapegoat is part of the larger Bob Marshall Wilderness Complexwhich covers more than 1.5 million acres of Northwestern Montanaspread across both sides of the continental divide. Between the steemountain ridges and cliffs are lush alpine meadows and forests wheregrizzly bear, gray wolf, moose, mountain lions, elk, mountain goats anmountain sheep reside. Local citizens who hiked and camped in thisbackcountry provided the grassroots push beginning in the 1960s thaeventually led to its inclusion in the National Wilderness Preservation

System as the first citizen-initiated wilderness area.

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2MARJORY STONEMAN DOUGLAS WILDERNESS,FLORIDA NATIONAL PAR SERVICE

SIZE: 1,296,500 ACRES YEAR PROTECTED: 1978

This wilderness area covers most of the EvergladesNational Park in Florida, featuring a vast, teemingriver of grass. The marshes, forests and waterwaysprovide essential habitat for alligators, flamingos,cranes and hundreds of other species. The area

is named after Marjory Stoneman Douglas, a prolific writer, suffragist and college professor who championedpreservation of this landscape beginning as early as 1927 and helped the public to recognize the Everglades as avibrant, irreplaceable ecosystem.

3GILA WILDERNESS, NEW MEXICO U.S. FOREST SERVICESIZE: 558,014 ACRES YEAR PROTECTED: 1964

Fighting against a proposed road system expansion on the Gila National Forestin the early 1920s, forester Aldo Leopold argued instead that a large area be leftroadless and preserved for wilderness recreation. Leopolds proposal for the GilaWilderness in 1924 was a landmark development in United States conservationhistory. Administratively protected as Americas first wilderness area for the first40 years of its existence, the Gila Wilderness gained full protection when theWilderness Act passed in 1964. Both the Gila Wilderness and its neighbor, theBlue Range Primitive Area in Arizona, are conservation legacies of Aldo Leopold.They have served as reintroduction sites for Mexican gray wolves, the animal thathelped Leopold grasp the concept of managing land as a community of equally

important parts.

4SHENANDOAH WILDERNESS, VIRGINIANATIONAL PAR SERVICE

SIZE: 79,579 ACRES YEAR PROTECTED: 1976

This wilderness covers several patches along an 80-mile stretchof the Blue Ridge Mountains in Shenandoah National Park

in northwest Virginia. A short distance from nearly 6 millionpeople in the Washington, D.C., metro area, this forest providesopportunities for hiking, camping and viewing the spectacularfall foliage of white oaks and red maples. Merely a century ago,much of this land had been logged or cleared for farming. Firstapproved as a park in 1926, Congress included the land in theNational Park System in 1936. Over intervening decades, the landhas returned to woodlands and meadows. In 1976, the NationalPark Service recommended that nearly half of the park bedesignated as wilderness.

5OTIS PIE FIRE ISLAND HIGH DUNE WILDERNESS, NEW YORNATIONAL PAR SERVICE


This Wilderness stretches along seven miles of the eastern part of FireIsland, a barrier island that provides a buffer between the Atlantic Oceanand Long Island, just east of approximately 19 million people in the New

York City metro area. The wetlands and catbrier thickets provide habitatfor white tail deer, red fox and an abundance of migrating waterfowl.This is the only federal wilderness area in the state of New York. The areais named for former member of Congress Otis Pike, who championed

protections for Fire Island National Seashore in 1964.

FIRST

DESIGNATED

WILDERNESS


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6JOHN MUIR AND ANSEL ADAMS WILDERNESS AREAS,CALIFORNIA U.S. FOREST SERVICE


These two areas cover some of the most spectacularand celebrated wilderness areas in America. Located inCalifornias Sierra Nevada mountains, the two areas containnearly 1,000 miles of hiking trails. Both units are namedfor visionaries deeply connected to Americas wilderness:

beginning in the late 19th century, John Muir, a propheticoutdoorsman, made it his lifes work to advocate for anational park system that would preserve wildlands. AnselAdams was a revered outdoors photographer and formerGoverning Council member of The Wilderness Society,

whose published photographs have brought the beauty of wilderness to millions around the world.

7DENALI NATIONAL PAR WILDERNESS,

ALASK NATIONAL PAR SERVICESIZE: 2,124,783 ACRES

YEAR PROTECTED: 1980

At the center of the towering Alaska Range, thiswilderness contains vast mountain, tundra andtaiga landscapes. Caribou, grizzly bears and Dall

sheep are among the three dozen mammal species that inhabit these lands along with 150 bird species and morethan 400 species of flowering plants. First established as a wildlife refuge in 1917, much of the land was knownas Mount McKinley National Park until its designation as wilderness in 1980. Native Athabascans used the wordDenali to describe 20,320-foot Mount McKinley, which is the highest mountain in North America.

8GREAT SWAMP NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE WILDERNESS,NEW JERSEY U.S. FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE


Located in northern New Jersey, this wilderness was shaped into a

wetland 25,000 years ago by a receding glacier that left an immense lakeToday, the area contains marsh and woodland that is habitat for otters,deer and the rare bog turtle. It also serves as a vital resting and feedingrefuge for hundreds of species of migrating birds between North andSouth America. Regional planners in the late 1950s had eyed this area asa potential site for an airport that could accommodate large jet aircraft.However, local advocates for preserving the wild area prevailed in 1960

when the area was established as a National Wildlife Refuge. It was the first wilderness area designated within the

U.S. Department of the Interior in 1968.

9EAGLETAIL MOUNTAINS WILDERNESS, ARIZONABUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT

SIZE: 97,880 ACRESYEAR PROTECTED: 1990

Jagged ridges and towering landmarks like Eagletail Peakrise high above the desert plain to give these lands theirdistinctive and awe-inspiring solitude. Arches, monoliths andother geological marvels abound just 90 minutes from 6 milliopeople in the Phoenix metro area. The Eagletails containcliffs for adventurous rock climbers and a number of ancientpetroglyphs carved by native desert inhabitants who met andtraded in the Sonoran Desert thousands of years ago.


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10BOUNDARY WATERS CANOE AREA, MINNESOTAU.S. FOREST SERVICE


With more than 1,000 lakes left by receding glaciers and hundreds miles of streams, this northern Minnesota wilderness provides a vasparadise for campers, anglers and hikers traveling by canoe. The arcontains 1,200 miles of canoe routes and 18 hiking trails. One of thefirst units preserved by the Wilderness Act, Boundary Waters was a

favorite of Sigurd Olson, former president and Governing Council member of The Wilderness Society, who servedas a wilderness guide in northern Minnesota for over 30 years and helped advocate for its inclusion in the NationalWilderness Preservation System.

11PELICAN ISLAND WILDERNESS, FLORIDAU.S. FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICESIZE: 5.5 ACRES YEAR PROTECTED: 1970

President Theodore Roosevelt set aside tiny Pelican Island as a bird haven onMarch 14, 1903, ordering the first federal land dedication to wildlife and thusinitiating the National Wildlife Refuge System. Pelican Island National WildlifeRefuge is comprised primarily of water in the wide lagoon of the Indian River.Human development near the shoreline currently threatens the fragile but highlyproductive waters. Fifteen threatened and endangered species live here, includimanatees. A huge natural supply of fish provides food for wading birds that nestin the area. As part of the Pelican Island National Wildlife Refuge, this wilderness

is closed to visitation to protect wildlife and other natural, cultural, and/or other resources consistent with theconservation purpose(s) of the refuge.

12WrNGELLSAINT ELIAS WILDERNESS, ALASKNATIONAL PAR SERVICESIZE: 9,078,675 ACRES YEAR PROTECTED: 1980

Wrangell-Saint Elias National Park and Preserve embodies the essencof wild. It is a land of remote valleys, wild rivers, and an unparalleled

wildlife community that includes Dall sheep, grizzly bears, blackbears, caribou, moose, bison, mountain goats, wolves, wolverines,beavers, coyotes, foxes, and marmots. In the north part of the park,the glaciated peaks drop to tundra and forested uplands. In the southmassive glaciers spread from the mountains almost to the Gulf ofAlaska. Here visitors will find the most extensive glaciated country ofAlaska (with more than 100 glaciers), a vastly rugged land that holds

nine of North Americas 16 highest peaks (many over 16,000 feet), the 90-mile-long and 4,000-foot-thick Bagley IceField (North Americas largest subpolar ice field), and the unsurpassed Malaspina Glacier, which covers an area 50percent larger than the state of Delaware.

13SLEEPING BEAR DUNES WILDERNESS, MICHIGANNATIONAL PAR SERVICE


Signed into law by President Obama on March 13, 2014, Sleeping BearDunes represents a welcome break in a 5-year drought for congressionalaction to protect wilderness. Located on Lake Michigan, Sleeping BearDunes is a popular getaway where hikers, hunters, anglers and boaters comto experience quiet coastal backcountry. The area includes a diverse arrayof natural landscapes, from the towering dunes themselves to quiet inland

lakes, beech and sugar maple forests, and rocky shorelines all important habitat for native wildlife and plants. Whithe park is wonderfully water oriented, the most prominent featuresand those for which the park is namedare thimmense sand dunes that are perched atop the already towering headlands that are glacial moraines.

SMALLEST

WILDERNESS

LARGEST

WILDERNESS

NEWEST

WILDERNESS


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WILDERNESS IN A CHANGING WORLD

Since enactment ofthe Wilderness Act,our country and theworld have continued tochange at a rapid andunprecedented pace.Yet an enduring resource ofwilderness, as written in theAct in 1964, is more importantto Americans than ever before.According to the Outdoor IndustryAssociation, more than 140 millionAmericans make outdoor recreationa priority in their daily lives.1

Technological advancements intransportation are bringing peoplefurther into the backcountry andtelecommuting means people areable to live and work in more ruralplaces, closer to public lands. Butunless we keep pace with theserapid changes and continue toactively protect what we hold sodear, our remaining wild places willdisappear. Moreover, the typicalwilderness visit is changing from

what it once was. Day use hasbecome the most common type ofwilderness visit, and many peopleare now choosing to visit wildernessareas closer to their home or in theirhome state.2 It is in our nationsbest interest that we protect ourremaining wilderness, which providesplaces to hike, hunt, camp, fish, andescape the roar of civilization withfamily and friends. Our majesticlandscapes, rich in natural beautyand cultural significance, havedefined our country and shaped whowe are today. But as environmentalpressures continue to mountand our nations perspective onwilderness continues to evolve, itbecomes more important than everto maintain wild places to contrastagainst managed landscapesbothto help us measure change and todevise solutions for maintaininga healthy environment. We mustprioritize wilderness not only in

A thing is right when it tends to preserve the integritystability and beauty of the biotic community. It is wrowhen it tends otherwise.

Aldo LeopoldCo-founder, The Wilderness Socie

todays context, but for our countryand our people in the future.

A LIVING CLASSROOMWilderness areas serve as a rich anddynamic classroom and laboratoryallowing scientists and studentsto study the relative fragility andresilienceof nature inthe face ofa changingclimate. Thesewild settingsultimately

offer us uniqueopportunitiesto learn how tobe responsiblestewards of theland. Climatechange often interacts with otherecological stressors, such as habitatfragmentation and invasive speciesto erode natural characteristics andlandscape functions. Expanding ournational system of wilderness lands

and maintaining ecological integritywithin that system are importantstrategies to maintain habitat for adiverse array of plants and animals.As changes in climate continue toimpact our worldthrough drought,increased fire, and plant and animalchangesreserving some landswhere nature operates withoutdirect human control will allowus to evaluate the effects of ourmanagement elsewhere.

Studying nature in its mostuncontrolled state, without theever-increasing influences of mode

technology, provides scientists abroad array of baseline data thatis needed to achieve a betterunderstanding of how climatechange will affect our natural world

the resources werely upon, and thewild places so manyAmericans enjoy.

A PREMIER HOME FOWILDLIFE

The legacy of theWilderness Act canbe measured, inpart, in the role thatthese lands haveplayed in sustaining

healthy populations of Americasmost revered wildlife species.Grizzly bears, wolverines, nativetrout, muskoxen, caribou, jaguars,polar bears, wolves and countlessbird species that most impressed

early settlers continue to haveenormous cultural value to FirstNations and are an irreplaceabledraw to American wildlands forvisitors from around the globe. Tothrive and survive, wildlife relies onless disturbed, more biologicallycomplete landscapes in an ever-developing, human-dominatednatural world. Today, many of ourmost wildlife-abundant landscapesare found within designated


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wilderness and national parks.Without large, intact landscapes likewilderness to sustain wildlife, ourcountry would most certainly havelost a priceless and irreplaceablepart of its ecological legacy. Wildlife-related viewing in America remains atop indicator of the relevancy of wildplaces: more than 90 million peopleparticipated in wildlife-relatedrecreation in 2011, according to theU.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.3 In anuncertain climate future, investingin the health and stability of ourwild places is a practical strategy forsustaining both our ecological andeconomic resiliency.

As climate change accelerates, ourmost valued wildlife species willneed to roam and adapt to surviveand successfully reproduce. We

now know that these movements willmost likely be to higher elevationsor part of a steady march northward.As wildlife ranges continue to shift,so will the travel corridors betweenthese habitat areas, highlightinganother increasingly criticallyimportant function of wildernessin an era of changing climateconnectivity for wildlife on the move.

If future generations are to remember us with gratitude rather than contempt, we musleave them something more than the miracles of technology. We must leave them a

glimpse of the world as it was in the beginning, not just after we got through with it.

Lyndon B. Johnson, President of the United StatesWilderness has proven itself to bea successful conservation strategythat will continue to have enormousrelevance in an uncertain climatefutureboth for wildlife and humans

alike.

SUPPLYING LIFE SUSTAININGWATER

Wilderness areas are a significantcontributor to the nations cleanand abundant supplies of water.For many cities across the UnitedStatesincluding Phoenix, Denver,Los Angeles, New York, and Seattle--wilderness areas protect vitalwatersheds that sustain millions of

peoples drinking water. Wildernessprovides ecosystem services that

otherwise require expensive andoften inefficient human investment.Healthy watershed conditions mostfrequently coincide with designatedwilderness areas.4 Moreover, aconservative estimate of the annualmarginal value of water flowingfrom national forests in the UnitedStates is $3.7 billion. DesignatedNational Forest wilderness areas

alone generate about 25% of thetotal supply of water from Americasnational forest lands.5

CRITICAL TO A HEALTHY

ECONOMYOver the last 50 years, evidencehas piled high about the valuedesignated wilderness and otherprotected lands contribute toour economy and our quality oflife. These contributions can bemeasured in a variety of ways,including recreation uses, scientificbenefits, and property values.Since 1964, we have experiencedseven economic recessions in the

United States, yet the value of wildplaces to American communities

and livelihoods has remained steadand continues to increase. In 2011Americans and foreign visitorsmade nearly 435 million visits toInterior-managed lands. These visitsupported over 403,000 jobs andcontributed around $48.7 billion ineconomic activity.6 Wildlife viewingalone generates $144.7 billion, whicequates to one percent of the Gros

Domestic Product in the UnitedStates.7 Technological changes areenabling more people to chooseto live and work near protectedpublic lands. In 2010, per capita

income in western rural counties wi100,000 acres of protected publiclands was on average $4,360 highethan per capita income in similarcounties with no protected publiclands.8 Moreover, western ruralcounties with more than 30 percentof the countys land base in federalprotected status such as nationalparks, monuments, wilderness, andother similar designations increased

jobs by 345 percent over the last


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TOO WILD TO LOSE: PRIORITY

PLACES AWAITING PROTECTION

For most of the past half-century, Congress has heeded the calls ofthe American people to protect important lands for the benefit andenjoyment of future generations. Today, public support for wilderness is strong, asevidenced by the more than two dozen locally-crafted, home-grown bills to protect new wilderness areasstill pending before the House and Senate. Yet recently, Congress has turned its back on Americans fromacross the country who wish to see their favorite places protected.

In celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Wilderness Act, The Wilderness Society is calling on Congressto renew its commitment to protecting wilderness by passing legislation to protect our great wild legacyfrom coast to coast.

Most of these bipartisan bills have languished on Capitol Hill for yearssome as long as a decadedueto political partisanship and ideological disputes. Protecting wilderness has never beenand shouldnot becomea partisan issue. These are lands owned by, and managed for, all Americans. We owe it tofuture generations to ensure that these lands are cared for and preserved for everyone to enjoy.

The following are just a few of the priority places Congress should protect as wilderness. [For the fulllist of bills awaiting passage, visit www.wilderness.org.] In this 50th anniversary year, there is no betterway to celebrate our nations commitment to an enduring resource of wilderness than to permanentlyprotect these deserving and emblematic lands with the Wilderness Act.

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5

8

7

610

9 11 12

DesignatedWildeness


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PLACE:Coastal Islands, Maine

LEGISLATION:Maine CoastalIslands Wilderness Act

The Maine Coastal IslandsWilderness Act (H.R. 1808),sponsored by Rep. Michael Michaud,would designate as wilderness 13islands off the rugged coast of

northern New England. The bill wouldhelp provide habitat for a wide varietyof migratory seabirds, waterfowl,wading birds, shorebirds, songbirds,and raptors, as well as hosting adiversity of plants and other wildlife.In addition to wildlife restorationand conservation, wilderness islandswould provide Maine citizens andtourists opportunities for hiking,photography, wildlife viewing,picnicking, camping and hunting,contributing significantly to the localeconomies up and down the coast.

With enthusiastic partners in the U.S.Fish and Wildlife Service and theFriends of Maine Seabird Islands,The Wilderness Society has built acompelling case for protection underthe Wilderness Act. When passed,this designation will help to furtherelevate the profile of these uniquecoastal islands and boost tourismin Maine, where an active outdooreconomy generates roughly $3 billionannually in retail sales and servicesacross the state.

It oftencomes as asurprise tosome thatmany of thepublicallyowned islandsoff Mainescoast,includingthe majority

of the islands that would bedesignated by the Maine Coastal

Islands Wilderness Act, are open towaterfowl hunting. As sportsmenand women, we understand theimportance of preserving theseunique islands for future generationsfor hunters, anglers, and otheroutdoor enthusiasts.

Scott HessAttorneyPittson, Maine

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PLACE:Rocky Mountain Front, Montana

LEGISLATION:The Rocky Mountain Front Heritage Act

The Rocky Mountain Front is a key piece of Montanas Crown of the Continentregion, where the majestic limestone contours of the Rocky Mountains give way to

lake-dotted plains. The region is a mix of prairie, forest and alpine habitats and stands amongthe countrys most biologically diverse, hosting growing grizzly bear populations and huge herdsof bighorn sheep, elk and mule deer. The Rocky Mountain Front Heritage Act (S. 364) woulddesignate 67,000 acres of this game-rich region as additions to the Bob Marshall WildernessComplex. The measure also designates 208,000 acres as a Conservation Management Areaalocally developed designation that would prohibit road building and limit motorized recreationand establishes new requirements for federal agencies regarding management of noxious weeds

on the Front. Biologists say the region is critical habitat for numerous game populations. The Rocky Mountain Front is widelyconsidered a hunters paradise, where the Montana Fish, Wildlife, and Parks Department estimates that sportsmen spent astable $10 million annually from 2006 through 2010 during hunting season.

My family has been ranching here for 128 years and the Heritage Act will help protect the Fronts wild lands and working

landscapes for generations to come.

Karl RappoldDupuyer, Montana

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PLACE:Kootenai, Beaverhead-Deerlodge and Lolo National Forests, Montana

LEGISLATION:Forest Jobs and Recreation Act

The Forest Jobs and Recreation Act (S. 37) would permanently protect over 600,000 acres as wilderness amidnearly one million total protected acres in three national forests in Montana. This includes additions to the BobMarshall Wilderness, which would add protection to the cherished Crown of the Continent region, one of the

last truly wild ecosystems in the continental United States. The Forest Jobs andRecreation Act is the product of hard-working Montanans from all walks of lifehunters, hikers and anglers, loggers and conservationists, outfitters and businessowners. Seventy-two percent of Montanans support the Forest Jobs and Recreation

Act because it will not only create jobs and support local economies, it will protectplaces important to local communities for outdoor recreation and scenic beauty.

Theres only one thing better than watching a big trout rise to a dry flyand thatscooperation. The Forest Jobs and Recreation Act will protect some of Montanas besttrout streams and keep our outdoor traditions strong for future generations.

Tim and Joanne LinehanOwners of Linehan Outfitting Company

Yaak, Montana

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PLACE:Boulder-White Clouds,Idaho

LEGISLATION:Central IdahoEconomic Development andRecreation Act

First proposed for protection in the1960s, the Boulder-White Cloudsrepresent the single largest intact,unprotected landscape in the lower 48states. The area is known for its majestic

rocky peaks, picturesque lakes andbountiful wildlife. Species native to thearea include black bears, big horn sheep,mountain goats, mountain lions and elk;sportsmen have supported efforts toprotect this area for years. The area alsocontains the headwaters of the East Forkof the Salmon River, and key tributariesof the Big Wood River, Big Lost Riverand Salmon River. The Central IdahoEconomic Development and RecreationAct (H.R. 145) would protect more than333,000 acres in and around the Boulderand White Cloud mountain ranges under

the Wilderness Act. Rep. Mike Simpson(R-ID) has sponsored this legislationfor ten years but it remains stalled inCongress despite strong support fromlocal sportsmen and women, businessinterests, and other backcountryenthusiasts.

Simply put,the BoulderWhite-Cloudsare way off thebeaten path.As an outfitter

on the MiddleFork of theSalmon, Ibackpackthere often toget away from

it all. I hope we can see this incrediblearea protected for many years to come.

James EllsworthOwner, Middle Fork River ExpeditionsStanley, Idaho

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PLACE:Alpine Lakes, Washingto

LEGISLATION:Alpine LakesWilderness Additions and thePratt and Middle Fork SnoqualmRivers Protection Act

The Alpine Lakes Wilderness Additionsand the Pratt and Middle ForkSnoqualmie Rivers Protection Act (S.112/H.R. 361) would add 22,000 acres

of wilderness to the existing AlpineLakes Wilderness Area, a populartourist attraction, and add 40 miles ofthe Pratt and Snoqualmie Rivers to theNational Wild and Scenic River SystemThe river areas proposed for protectioare premier whitewater rafting,kayaking and fishing destinationsand would represent one of the firstwild and scenic river designations inWashingtons central Cascades regionThe forest range proposed for newwilderness protection is home to adiversity of wildlife including mountain

lions, black bears and elk.

My dad begantaking mybrother andme fishing andhunting whenwe were youngso I grew upin a family thatunderstoodthe importanceof wild places

especially close to population centers,where families can go hike, fish andcamp without having to spend a greatdeal of money or drive long distancesfrom home. And now my son anddaughter will have the privilege ofenjoying this land as well. I am proud tsupport this legislation and to have hathe chance to work with CongressmanReichert as this legislation makes its wathrough the process. The final productis one we can all be proud of.

Reagan DunnCouncilmemberKing County, Washington

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PLACE:Pine Forest Range,Nevada

LEGISLATION:PineForest Range RecreationEnhancement Act

The Pine Forest Range RecreationEnhancement Act (S. 342/H.R. 433)would protect 26,000 acres of wildernessin northwest Nevadas Pine ForestRange, combining the Blue Lakes andAlder Creek Wilderness Study Areas. Thelegislation would connect crucial habitatfor pronghorn antelope, mule deer, sagegrouse and bighorn sheep and has longbeen a destination for anglers, huntersand outdoor enthusiasts. The foothills ofthe range border the Black Rock Desertand the peaks ascend to over 9,000feet in elevation, supporting the only

alpine lakes in remnant glacial cirquesfound in this part of the state. This billwould ensure the lands are managedin a way that protects traditional andhistoric uses, such as ranching, accessfor fishing, hunting, camping, and otherforms of outdoor recreation, as well asallow for appropriate fire management.It maintains open roads important to off-highway vehicle users while conservingthe areas unique solitude.

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PLACE:Browns Canyon,Colorado

LEGISLATION:Browns CanyonNational Monument andWilderness Act of 2013

The Browns Canyon National Monumentand Wilderness Act of 2013 (S. 1794),would establish the 22,000-acre Browns

Canyon National Monument in ChaffeeCounty and preserve this unique naturaland economic resource for futuregenerations. The proposal includes10,500 acres of new wilderness andseeks to protect the most popular raftingdestination in the country. Hundredsof thousands of visitors travel throughthe canyon every year to raft or fish thisexciting stretch of the Arkansas River. Thearea also provides outstanding habitat fordeer and elk, and sweeping views of theCollegiate Peaks and the Arkansas Valley.

Love of ourland was aprime motivatorbehind mymilitary career,and love of ourland continuesto motivateme today.Americans havelong valueda high level

of protection for the best of our publiclands owned by us all in equal share.

This is a value I deeply cherish, and I seeprotecting Browns Canyon as in keepingwith that long-held value.

Keith BakerCommander, United States Navy (retired)Buena Vista, Colorado

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PLACE:Hermosa Creek Watershed, Colorado

LEGISLATION:Hermosa Creek Watershed Protection Act

The Hermosa Creek Watershed Protection Act (S. 841/H.R. 1839) would designate 108,000 acres as aspecial management area that includes 38,000 acres of wilderness in southwest Colorados San Juan National Forest. Thewatershedcritical to the town of Durango and surrounding communitiescontains 17 distinct ecosystems, encompassesthe largest unprotected roadless area in the southern Rocky Mountains, and serves as habitat for elk, Canada lynx andother wildlife. Hermosa Creeks rugged beauty and large trail system entices countless hikers, mountain bikers, hunters,horseback users, and other outdoor enthusiasts.

Through the Hermosa Creek Workgroup process, dozens of public meetings were held tocollaboratively formulate recommendations for how best to protect the watershed. Local andregional support for protecting Hermosa Creek extends to local governments, businesses,ranchers, mountain bikers, hunting and fishing interests, and motorized recreationists.

High quality water is clearly the most valuable resource we can get from our public lands.The Hermosa Creek Watershed Protection Act balances various types of low impact recreationin a way that insures the water will remain clean and safe. Local user groups set aside theirstringent ideologies so they could contribute to the partnership, which resulted in thisprecedent-setting legislative proposal.

Ed ZinkRancher, outfitterDurango, Colorado

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PLACE:San Juan Mountains, Colorado

LEGISLATION:San Juan Mountains Wilderness Act

The San Juan Mountains Wilderness Act (S. 341) would expand existing wilderness areas and protect a diversportion of southwestern Colorados landscape, including soaring mountain peaks, old growth spruce and fir forests and mid-elevation desert lands. Introduced by Senator Mark Udall (D-CO), the bill would safeguard more than 60,000 acres, including32,000 acres of wilderness, and preserve one of Colorados most beloved outdoor recreation areas. Backpacking, huntingand fishing, and back country skiing are just some of the world-class opportunities provided on these lands. These stunningmountains provide premier views and safeguard water supplies for the towns of Telluride, Ouray and Silverton.

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PLACE:Columbine Hondo, Northern New Mexico

LEGISLATION:Columbine Hondo Wilderness Act

The Columbine Hondo Wilderness Act would designate 45,000-acres as permanently protected wildernessdeep in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains in northern New Mexico. Located outside the towns of Taos, Questa andRed River, it is a recreation haven, attracting hikers, hunters, anglers, horseback riders and wildlife lovers. The areaserves as home for elk, deer, mountain lion, black bear, and Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep and is critical habitat forthe endangered Rio Grande cutthroat trout. The area contains the headwaters of the Rio Hondo and Red River, bothmajor tributaries of the Rio Grande on which so many New Mexicans rely for water. The area has been under officialconsideration as a potential wilderness area for more than 30 years.

The steep Columbine Hondo mountains tower above our little villages and towns in TaosCounty as a daily reminder of our deepest root of existence and the source of life andprosperity, our Earth. The support for Columbine Hondo Wilderness represents a highlyevolved process of community solidarity where people set aside political differences toexpress a common value in relation to ecosystems, economics, spirit, and physical well-being,as the highest expression for the sustainability of our beautiful home here in Northern NewMexico. This process has been a great joy to witness.

Roberta SalazarWildlife biologist, Executive Director and Founder of Rivers & BirdsArroyo Seco, New Mexico

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PLACE:CherokeeNational Forest,Tennessee

LEGISLATION:TennesseeWilderness Act

The Tennessee Wilderness Act(S. 1294) would protect almost

20,000 acres of the CherokeeNational Forest in easternTennessee, considered one of themost biologically diverse temperateforests on earth. It would createthe states first new wildernessarea in 25 years, adding acreageto five existing wilderness areasand creating the new Upper BaldRiver Wilderness. The latter wouldstretch across a little more than9,000 acres and complete theprotective designation of the BaldRiver watershed, a wooded regionrenowned for its solitude as well asopportunities for hunting, anglingand other outdoor recreation. TheUpper Bald River plays a vital rolein the economic vitality of MonroeCounty.

As amedicalprofessional,and now assomeonewho livesclose to

the UpperBald RiverWildernessStudy

Area, I know just how critical itis to protect these watershedsfor the value of clean water - weall live downstream. As a BoardMember of the Benton MacKayeTrail Association, I support theTennessee Wilderness Act knowingthat it will also provide hikers offuture generations the primitiveexperience of passing through

this spectacular area. Our trailshares a heritage with wilderness--named for one of the foundersof The Wilderness Societyso itsonly fitting that our footpath forfuture generations to follow passesthrough these special areas.

Richard HarrisPediatric OncologistTellico Plains, Tennessee

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SAN GABRIEL MOUNTAINS,CALIFORNIASIZE: APPROXIMATELY 530,000

ACRES

Rising high above Los Angeles,

the spectacular San GabrielMountains are a dramatic landmarkin the Angeles and San BernardinoNational Forests. The San Gabrielsare within an hours drive of morethan 15 million people in SouthernCalifornia, making these mountainsthe regions most accessible andpopular backyard for those whovisit. The San Gabriel Mountainsare also an irreplaceable naturalresource. The Angeles NationalForest gives Los Angeles County

WILD FOR THE FUTURE

The United States hasmore than 600 millionacres of federally-owned

land that belong to allAmericans.While nearly 110million acres are preserved foreveras part of the National WildernessPreservation System, manymore are still without protectionfrom development. Defendingunprotected wild areas is one ofthe most important things that TheWilderness Society does. Once anarea is drilled, mined, logged or

otherwise fragmented, it is very hardto get its wild character back.

The Wilderness Society aims to drivedevelopment away from our mostimportant wildlands so they mayqualify for permanent protectiondown the road and be enjoyed byfuture generations. We reach thatgoal in different ways, whetherwe are working through a landmanagement plan, encouraging

the closure of redundant motorizedroutes, or supporting the creation ofa national monument. The followingare special places that deserve ahigher level of protection.

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I volunteer at a nature center at thebase of the mountains, just 20 minutesfrom Los Angeles. It always surprises and saddens me that so many childrenI take on tours are seeing a little bit ofnature here for the first time. I showthem native plants, birds and reptiles,we take walks on the trails to experiencethe outdoors and the creek. If you couldsee the look on the faces of these kids:They always tell me they cant wait tocome back.

Brenda KyleSan Gabriel Mountains ForeverLeadership Academy graduateDuarte, California

more than 70% of its open spaceand more than one-third of itsdrinking water. The range alsoprovides habitat for rare andendangered species, and its legacyincludes important historic andNative American cultural resources.Located so close to a massivemetropolitan area, the San GabrielMountains endure ongoing and

significant threats, such as heavyrecreational impacts and thedemand for open space and cleanwaterways on one of the nationsbusiest national forests.

The Wilderness Society is alead partner in San GabrielMountains Forever (SGMF)adiverse partnership of residents,cities, business owners, faith andcommunity leaders, health andenvironmental justice organizations,

and recreation and conservationgroups. Two main goals of thepartnership focus on advocatingfor permanent protection forapproximately 530,000 acres ofnational forest lands and buildinga diverse legacy of environmentalstewards to care for them in thefuture.


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DUNOIR, FrNCS PEA AND WOOD RIVERSHOSHONE NATIONAL FOREST, WYOMINGSIZE: 144,000 ACRES

Americas first national forest, the 2.4million-acre Shoshone is part of the world-renowned Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem.With terrain ranging from rocky, snow-capped peaks to sagebrush flats and lushriver valleys, the Shoshone is home to mule

deer, elk, moose, grizzly bears and othersensitive species and outstanding trouthabitat. Unfortunately, poorly managedoff-road vehicle (ORV)/mechanized usethreatens the solitude and wild habitat ofsome of the Shoshones last unprotectedwildlands. Motorized/mechanized use canscare off wildlife, disrupt elk and grizzlybears, as well as fragment wildlife habitatand contribute to erosion.

The Wilderness Society, along withcoalition partners, is asking the Forest

Service to specifically recommend theDunoir Special Management Unit andthe Francs Peak and Wood River roadlessareas as wilderness in its forest planrevision process. Unfortunately, the ForestServices proposed plan opens the Dunoirto mechanized use and significant areas ofboth the Francs Peak and Wood River areasto motorized use. The Wilderness Societyhas filed formal objections to this plan, andwill fight to keep motorized/mechanizeduse out of these sensitive landscapes.

CIBOLA NATIONAL FOREST, NEW MEXICOSIZE: 1.2 MILLION ACRES

The Sky Islands of New Mexicos CibolaNational Forest host more than 200 rareplants and animals. These jagged peaksrise out over the plains of the Rio Grandewatershed in central New Mexico, andprovide habitat for Mexican spotted owls,mountain lions, bear and elk. Other partsof the Cibola hold ancient artifacts ofAmerican Indian civilizations, like the SandiaMan Cave, containing relics from the lastice age including bones from long-extinctmastodons.

Unfortunately, these amazing naturaland cultural resources are threatenedby irresponsible ORV use in the CibolaNational Forest. The Wilderness Society isworking with the Forest Service to improveand revise regulations for ORV use on theforest and engaging volunteers to inventoryroadless areas and evaluate them for theirwilderness qualities, wildlife and recreation.


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IMAGES:

INSIDE COVER(page 2) West Fork, Little Colorado River, Mt. Baldy Wilderness Area. Photo: Mark Miller

REFLECTIONS ON 1964(page 4) Sleeping Bear Dunes Wilderness. All photos: National Park Service

A VISION FOR TOMORROW(page 5 backdrop) Scapegoat Wilderness on the Helena National Forest, Montana. Photo:Brandan W. Schulze

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY(page 6) Little friends venture into Pine Mountain W ilderness, Arizona. Photo: Katurah Mackay(page 7) Bob Marshall Wilderness. Photo by: Jeff L Fox

BACKBONE OF THE AMERICAN SPIRIT

(page 8 top left) Bob Marshall. Photo: Wilderness.net(page 8 top center) Theodore Roosevelt and John Muir on Glacier Point, Yosemite Valley,California, in 1903. Photo: Underwood & Underwood, Library of Congress Prints and PhotographsDivision Washington, D.C.(page 8 top right) Ladies around the campfire. Photo: Joseph J. Kirkbride(page 8) Yosemite Valley Sunset. Painting by Albert Bierstadt(page 9 top left) President Lyndon B. Johnson signs the Wilderness Act and the Land and WaterConservation Fund Act, September 3, 1964. LBJ Library Photo: Cecil Stoughton(page 9 top right) Founders of The Wilderness Society. Photo: United States Forest Service,Region 5(page 9 top center) l to r: Howard Zahniser, Mardie Murie and Olaus Murie. Photo: Wilderness.net(page 9 lower right) Shelton Johnson. Photo: National Park Service(page 10 top) American hunting scenes A good chance. Print by Currier & Ives(page 10 top center) Arthur Carhart. Photo: Wilderness.net(page 10 right and inset) Hiking in the John Muir Wilderness Area. Photos Elias ButlerPhotography

THE NATIONAL WILDERNESS PRESERVATION SYSTEM TODAY(page 11) Meadow Creek Campfire, Scapegoat Wilderness. Photo: U.S. Forest Service, BrandanW. Schulze(page 12) TRCA Florida Bay Flamingo Canoe Trail. Photo: National Park Service(page 12) Gila Wilderness. Photo: United States Forest Service(page 12) Autumn in Shenandoah National Park. Photo: National Park Service(page 12) Remains of the old Burma Road at Otis Pike Fire Island High Dune Wilderness. Photo:Diane Abell(page 13) John Muir Wilderness Area. Photo Elias Butler Photography(page 13) Denali National Park Wilderness, Savage River Drainage. Photo: Paxson Woelber(page 13) Eastern Tiger Swallowtail Butterfly, Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge. Photo:Steven Reynolds, flickr(page 13) Eagletail Mountains Wilderness Area petroglyph panel. Photo: Mark Miller(page 14) Boundary Water Canoe Area Wilderness. Photo: Greg Walters, flickr(page 14) Pelican Silhouette, Pelican Island National Wildlife Refuge. Photo: U.S. Fish and WildlifeService(page 14) Wrangell-St. Elias National Park Wilderness. Photo: National Park Service(page 14) Sleeping Bear Dunes Wilderness. Photo: National Park Service

WILDERNESS IN A CHANGING WORLD(page 15 top) Madison River, Gallatin National Forest. Photo: Anne Rockhold(page 15 center) A young bear cub, Rocky Mountain Front, Montana. Photo: Robert Granzow(page 16) Youth hikers on the Appalachian Trail. Photo: Neil Shader(page 17 top and center) Aspenwood funding is helping The Wilderness Society put teams ofresearchers in the Bob Marshall Wilderness to study the resilience of forests protected by theWilderness Act. Photo: Starrett Artists, LLC / www.starrettartists.com(page 17, bottom) A Student Conservation Association trail crew, sponsored in part by TheWilderness Society, moves a log out of the trail in the Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness of Idaho.Photo: John McCarthy(page 17 right) Climate research is ongoing in the Bob Marshall Wilderness. Photo: Travis Belote,Ph.D.

TOO WILD TO LOSE: PRIORITY PLACES AWAITING PROTECTION(page 19 center left) Puffins landing, Maine Coastal Islands. Photo: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service(page 19 center right) Watching for predators, Maine Coastal Islands. Photo: Rosie Walunas, U.S.Fish and Wildlife Service(page 19 bottom) Marshall Island, Maine. Photo: Jeremy Sheaffer(page 20 top) Rocky Mountain Front. Photo: Jeff Van Tine(page 20 bottom) Traditional recreation like horseback riding is popular on the Rocky MountainFront. Photo: Montana Wilderness Association(page 21 large) Fishing in the Bob Marshall Wilderness. Photo: Scott Brennan(page 21 small) The Swan Front, as seen here from Rainy Lake, is proposed for addition to the BobMarshall Wilderness. Photo: Starrett Artists, LLC / www.starrettartists.com(page 22 top) Tent pitched near Pika Lake, Boulder-White Clouds. Photo: Ed CannadyPhotography(page 22 right) Boulder-White Clouds, East Fork Salmon River. Photo: Ed Cannady Photography(page 23 top). Middle Fork, Alpine Lakes Wilderness. Photo: Monty VanderBilt, flickr(page 23 middle left) The Neighbors, Alpine Lakes Wilderness. Photo by: Jeff P, flickr(page 23 middle right) Robin Area Panorama, Alpine Lakes Wilderness. Photo: Jeff P, flickr(page 23 bottom left) Pratt Trail, Alpine Lakes Wilderness. Photo: Monty VanderBilt, flickr(page 24 top) The Pine Grove Hills region, Nevada. Photo: Kurt Kuznicki(page 24 bottom) The proposed Wovoka Wilderness. Photo: Kurt Kuznicki(page 24 bottom right) Two bighorn rams square off. Photo: P. Gower, U.S. Fish and WildlifeService(page 25 top) Alder Creek, Pine Forest Range. Photo: Brian Beffort/Friends of Nevada Wilderness(page 25 middle) Blue Lake Wilderness Study Area, Pine Forest Range. Photo: Brian Beffort/Friends of Nevada Wilderness(page 25 bottom right) Greater sage grouse. Photo: Jeanne Stafford, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service(page 25 bottom left) Sunset at Pine Lake, Pine Forest Range. Photo: United States Geological

Survey(page 26 main) Arkansas River rafting, Browns Canyon. Photo: John Fielder(page 26 bottom left) Browns Canyon. Photo: John Fielder(page 27 middle left) Mountain biker, Hermosa Creek. Photo: Jeff Widen(page 27 middle right) Hermosa Creek aerial view. Photo: Jeff Widen(page 27 bottom) Hermosa Creek confluence. Photo: Jeff Widen(page 28) San Juan Mountains, Ice Lakes Basin. Photo: John Fielder(page 29) A group enjoys the views from Columbine Hondo. Photo: Roberta Salazar(page 30 center) The Upper Bald River. Photo: Bill Hodge(page 30, bottom left) Winter trees in Big Laurel Branch Wilderness. Photo: Bill Hodge(page 30, bottom right) A SAWS Crew removes a tree from the Benton MacKaye Trail. Photo: BillHodge

WILD FOR THE FUTURE(page 31, top right) Mt. San Antonio and Pine Mountain in the San Gabriel Mountains, California.Photo 2010 Michael Gordon/www.Michael-Gordon.com(page 31, bottom right) West Fork, San Gabriel River. Photo 2010 Michael Gordon/www.Michael- Gordon.com(page 32, right) Kens Creek, Cranberry Wilderness. Photo: Mike Costello/WV Wilderness Coalition(page 33, top center) A loggerhead shrike, Otero Mesa. Photo: NMWA(page 33, right) Expedition Denali participants. Photo http://www.hudsonhenry.com/ HudsonHenry Photography(page 34, right) Wyoming Range. Photo: Dave Showalter

End Notes:

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

1 http://www.nwf.org/be-out-there/why-be-out-there.aspx

2 Ibid

3 USDA Forest Service (2010). National Visitor Use Monitoring Results USDA Forest ServicNational Summary Report. Data co llected FY 2005 through FY 2009.

4 Feuchter, R. (1980). Off-road vehicle use: The U.S. Forest Service Perspective. In R. Andrand P. Novak (Eds.), Off-road Vehicle Use: A Management Challenge (pp.143-147). AnnArbor: University of Michigan.

5 http://www.fs.fed.us/openspace/fote/national_forests_on_the_edge.html

6 http://www.wilderness.net/nwps/threatsOveruse

7 http://www.fs.fed.us/publications/policy-analysis/unmanaged-recreation-position-paper.

8 http://headwaterseconomics.org/wphw/wp-content/uploads/West_Is_Best_Full_Report

9 ibid

10 http://www.nature.nps.gov/socialscience/docs%5CEconomic2013ShutdownReport_Finnrss_VSE.pdf

11http://wilderness.org/sites/default/files/wilderness_newsroom_toolsfactsheets_forestsandpubliclands_AI_060512_factsheet1.pdf

12http://www.wildlife.state.nm.us/conservation/habitat_handbook/documents/2004EffecoadsonWildlifeandHabitats.pdf

13 USFS, 2000, Final EIS on Roadless Area Conservation, p. 3-21.

WILDERNESS IN A CHANGING WORLD

1 http://outdoorindustry.org/pdf/OIA_OutdoorRecEconomyReport2012.pdf

2 http://www.wilderness.net/nwps/threatsOveruse

3 http://wsfrprograms.fws.gov/Subpages/NationalSurvey/2011_Survey.htm

4http://wilderness.org/sites/default/files/wilderness_newsroom_toolsfactsheets_forestsandpubliclands_AI_060512_factsheet1.pdf

5 http://www.wilderness.net/nwps/documents/fs/chiefs-long-water.pdf

6 http://www.doi.gov/americasgreatoutdoors/loader.cfm?csModule=security/getfile&pageid=308931

7 https://www.census.gov/prod/2013pubs/fhw11-ca.pdf

8 http://headwaterseconomics.org/wphw/wp-content/uploads/West_Is_Best_Full_Report.

9 ibid10 www.businessformontanasoutdoors.org

11 http://outdoorindustry.org/advocacy/recreation/economy.html

12 http://www.doi.gov/americasgreatoutdoors/loader.cfm?csModule=security/getfile&pageid=308931

13 Hofferth, Sandra and John Sandberg (1999), Changes in American Childrens Time, 191997, University of Michigan Institute for Social Research.

14 http://www.cdc.gov/healthyyouth/obesity/facts.htm

15 http://www.nwf.org/pdf/Be%20Out%20There/MindBodySpirit_FactSheet_May2010.pd

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Our mission is to protectwilderness and inspire

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For more information please contact:

Kate Mackay, Communications Director, Wildlands Designations(602) [email protected]

Michael Reinemer, Communications Manager, Wildlands Designations(202) [email protected] Rowsome, Senior Director, Government Relations for Lands(202) [email protected]

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[email protected]

Our mission is to protect wilderness and inspire Americans to care for our wild places.

JUNE 2014

Cover photo: Anne Rockhold

Wilderness: Our Enduring American Legacy

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