Celebrating the 60th anniversary of the Wilderness Act
On Sept. 3, 1964, President Johnson signed the Wilderness Act. It preserved 54 areas as wilderness, totaling 9,100,000 acres in 13 states. More importantly it envisioned additional areas being added to the newly created national wilderness preservation system.
The Wilderness Act was a compromise. It set a bold vision – to set aside areas where nature would shape the landscape. Yet, it included provisions for cattle grazing in the Gila, outboard motor use in the Boundary Waters, and a 20-year moratorium for mining exploration.
The process of adding areas was also a compromise. While original proponents of the Wilderness Act wanted the president to be able to add new areas, Congress reserved to itself that right.
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