Wilderness
History
Wilderness is an indispensable part of American history. Native
Americans depended on the bounty of wildlands for survival and held
Earth and its wild places as sacred. The great western explorers
Meriwether Lewis and William Clark were inspired by the untamed
beauty of wild places that became the forge upon which our distinctive
American national character was created. After just 200 years from
the time of Lewis and Clark, the essential wildness of America had
virtually disappeared. As Americans realized that the long-term
health and welfare of the nation were at risk, a vision for conservation
emerged.
The Wilderness Act of 1964 established the National Wilderness
Preservation System, the system of all America's wilderness areas,
to "secure for the American people of present and future generations
the benefits of an enduring resource of wilderness."
The Wilderness Act
The Wilderness Act was passed by Congress in 1964 and continues
to be the guiding piece of legislation for all Wilderness areas.
The Act defines Wilderness as follows:
- "...lands designated for preservation and protection in
their natural condition..." Section 2(a)
- "...an area where the earth and its community of life
are untrammeled by man..." Section 2(c)
- "...an area of undeveloped Federal land retaining its primeval
character and influence, without permanent improvement or human
habitation..." Section 2(c)
- "...generally appears to have been affected primarily by
the forces of nature, with the imprint of man's work substantially
unnoticeable..." Section 2(c)
- "...has outstanding opportunities for solitude or a primitive
and unconfined type of recreation..." Section 2(c)
- "...shall be devoted to the public purposes of recreation,
scenic, scientific, educational, conservation and historic use."
Section 4(b)
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Mt.
Hood NF's Wilderness Stewardship Program
For me, and for thousands with similar inclinations, the most
important passion of life is the overpowering desire to escape periodically
from the clutches of a mechanistic civilization. To us the enjoyment
of solitude, complete independence, and the beauty of undefiled
panoramas is absolutely essential to happiness.
Bob Marshall
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