Excerpt
SEPTEMBER 3, 1989, marked the 25th anniversary of the signing of the Wilderness Act. A quarter century has passed since President Johnson's signature created the National Wilderness Preservation System (NWPS), making it “the policy of Congress to secure for the American people of present and future generations the benefits of an enduring resource of wilderness.”
This has been a period of controversial debate over how much land and which land to designate as wilderness. During this period, it also has become increasingly apparent that managing this land so wilderness qualities will endure is a difficult and complex task.
So what is the status of wilderness 25 years after the Wilderness Act? How has the NWPS changed? How has management of wilderness progressed? What are some of the most prominent strengths and weaknesses of current programs? And what are the foremost management challenges for the future?
A large and diverse system
During the first 15 years of its existence, the wilderness system increased slowly …
Footnotes
David N. Cole is a research biologist and project leader, Forestry Sciences Laboratory, Intermountain Research Station, Forest Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, P.O. Box 8089, Missoula, Montana 59807.
- Copyright 1990 by the Soil and Water Conservation Society
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