Wilderness Act is 45 Years Young and Looking Good
Friday, September 4, 2009
North Conway, NH - This week marks the 45th anniversary of the signing of the Wilderness Act. Since then, more than 109 million acres have been preserved for future generations, including over 150,000 acres in New Hampshire's White Mountain National Forest.
Doug Scott, policy director with the Campaign for America's Wilderness, says there may be more wilderness areas coming to the state.
"Groups like the Sierra Club are at work on proposals to designate some of the national grasslands in this special way."
The Wilderness Act reflects democracy at its best, says Scott, which is an idea that came from bipartisanship and now is a realistic tool used to protect the country's wild places.
"Forty-five years later we know that the Wilderness Act was not merely a promise and a vision, but it's now a proven method of practical preservation."
Even with more than 100 million acres set aside, the Act's protections account for only five percent of America's land mass. The U.S. loses roughly 6,000 acres of open space every day to development, adds Scott.
On September 3rd 1964, President Lyndon Johnson signed the Wilderness Act, considered groundbreaking legislation that would guarantee future generations could use and enjoy the nation's wilderness areas.
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