2014 marks the 50th anniversary of the Wilderness Act

brianluxbrianlux Moving through All Kinds of Terrain. Posts: 42,384
For you lovers of wilderness and all things wild:

http://wilderness.org/article/wilderness-act

2014 marks the 50th anniversary of the landmark Wilderness Act. See how this law revolutionized wilderness protections.

It's a time for celebration! 2014 marks the 50th anniversary of the 1964 Wilderness Act, the landmark conservation bill that created a way for Americans to protect their most pristine wildlands for future generations.

The 1964 Wilderness Act, written by The Wilderness Society's Howard Zahniser created the National Wilderness Preservation System, which protects nearly 110 million acres of wilderness areas from coast to coast.

This anniversary is a wonderful chance to celebrate all that's been achieved for wilderness in the past 50 years and remind Americans of all that we can achieve in the next 50.
- See more at: http://wilderness.org/article/wilderness-act#sthash.fukC86c5.dpuf
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Comments

  • rgambsrgambs Posts: 13,576
    woot woot!
    I wish I could list the federal wilderness territories I have enjoyed, it would be quite a list. maybe i should start keeping track! it's nice to see there is someone else here who loves the world. I see little evidence of people who take time in the wild seriously on here, and I guess I was naive to think I would find other outdoor enthusiasts as easily as I was expecting.
    Ed's lyrics sing to me in a way that I can't relate to most people, people who don't often enough immerse themselves in the palpable reality of Nature.
    Monkey Driven, Call this Living?
  • JonnyPistachioJonnyPistachio Florida Posts: 10,219
    Cool, thanks for that link Brian.
    I was unaware of the details of this act, and its good to know and for us to not take for granted.
    Its nice to see the map and all the affected areas.
    Pick up my debut novel here on amazon: Jonny Bails Floatin (in paperback) (also available on Kindle for $2.99)
  • polaris_xpolaris_x Posts: 13,559
    rgambs said:

    woot woot!
    I wish I could list the federal wilderness territories I have enjoyed, it would be quite a list. maybe i should start keeping track! it's nice to see there is someone else here who loves the world. I see little evidence of people who take time in the wild seriously on here, and I guess I was naive to think I would find other outdoor enthusiasts as easily as I was expecting.
    Ed's lyrics sing to me in a way that I can't relate to most people, people who don't often enough immerse themselves in the palpable reality of Nature.

    someone call!?
  • jmuscatellojmuscatello Colorado Posts: 332
    The map won't show for me, I'm bummed. But thanks for the link - I see some of my favorite places among the photos. I think that spending time in the wilderness is a huge perspective gainer/changer.
  • unsungunsung I stopped by on March 7 2024. First time in many years, had to update payment info. Hope all is well. Politicians suck. Bye. Posts: 9,487
    I love that the wilderness is preserved however I hate that the federal govt is in charge of it. It's unconstitutional and should be left up to the state. Too many people get their hands in the jar.
  • polaris_xpolaris_x Posts: 13,559
    unsung said:

    I love that the wilderness is preserved however I hate that the federal govt is in charge of it. It's unconstitutional and should be left up to the state. Too many people get their hands in the jar.

    right ... cuz the individual states would actually preserve any wilderness ...
  • hedonisthedonist Posts: 24,524
    polaris_x said:

    unsung said:

    I love that the wilderness is preserved however I hate that the federal govt is in charge of it. It's unconstitutional and should be left up to the state. Too many people get their hands in the jar.

    right ... cuz the individual states would actually preserve any wilderness ...
    Why wouldn't they?

    http://www.calwild.org/
  • polaris_xpolaris_x Posts: 13,559
    hedonist said:

    polaris_x said:

    unsung said:

    I love that the wilderness is preserved however I hate that the federal govt is in charge of it. It's unconstitutional and should be left up to the state. Too many people get their hands in the jar.

    right ... cuz the individual states would actually preserve any wilderness ...
    Why wouldn't they?

    http://www.calwild.org/
    uhhh ... have you seen the state of the california state parks!? ... it's tragic ... up and down the coast - abandoned state parks ... also, I'm not sure if California is the state you want to use as a symbol of wilderness preservation as their diversion of water has created deserts elsewhere ...

    as soon as a corporation or industry can make money off land - it will be sold ... that is how it is everywhere ... without the national park service - most of the jewels in the US would be developed ... look also at alaska ... the state wants to drill baby drill ... only thing that can stop it are the feds ...
  • hedonisthedonist Posts: 24,524
    Not using it as a symbol, per se...but I was curious what my state does try to do and that was one of the first seemingly-reputable sites that came up when I searched. I get the sorry condition of many of our parks; on the upside, there's also gorgeous land here that is well-kept and maintained - and better yet, used and appreciated!
  • polaris_xpolaris_x Posts: 13,559
    hedonist said:

    Not using it as a symbol, per se...but I was curious what my state does try to do and that was one of the first seemingly-reputable sites that came up when I searched. I get the sorry condition of many of our parks; on the upside, there's also gorgeous land here that is well-kept and maintained - and better yet, used and appreciated!

    right but i'm not sure how you can use a non-profit as an example that left to decide on its own - the state would actually do as much to protect wilderness ... everything points to that being an epic fail ...
  • brianluxbrianlux Moving through All Kinds of Terrain. Posts: 42,384
    polaris_x said:

    hedonist said:

    polaris_x said:

    unsung said:

    I love that the wilderness is preserved however I hate that the federal govt is in charge of it. It's unconstitutional and should be left up to the state. Too many people get their hands in the jar.

    right ... cuz the individual states would actually preserve any wilderness ...
    Why wouldn't they?

    http://www.calwild.org/
    uhhh ... have you seen the state of the california state parks!? ... it's tragic ... up and down the coast - abandoned state parks ... also, I'm not sure if California is the state you want to use as a symbol of wilderness preservation as their diversion of water has created deserts elsewhere ...

    as soon as a corporation or industry can make money off land - it will be sold ... that is how it is everywhere ... without the national park service - most of the jewels in the US would be developed ... look also at alaska ... the state wants to drill baby drill ... only thing that can stop it are the feds ...
    Interesting that you post this, polaris_x, as we spent the day yesterday in what we thought was a state park: Sugarloaf Ridge State Park near Kenwood in Sonoma County, CA. We were commenting how great it is that this beautiful park is still operating within the CA State park system. Well, it's not. Sugarloaf was closed by the CA State Park system. We ran into what we thought was a park ranger only to discover he is a volunteer. This particular park, we found out, is run by volunteer personnel. Now as great as that sounds (and in many ways is) there's a hitch: we were in Sonoma county, a rich person's playground. (For example, in the hills we spotted, through binoculars, what appears to be an estate with a privately owned fully lighted tennis court with private vineyard.) The county has the money and enough well-to-do retirees to keep this park open. Other areas in the state do not fair so well and many, many parks are closed. And those that are open have cut way back on services. Salt Point State Park, for example, generally keeps only one bathroom open and most of it's campground area is closed. In the few parks that are open, what camping is available is very limited.

    As a people, we are becoming more and more estranged from the natural world as we get further and further lost in our machines. The support of national and state parks has dropped drastically over the decades. We continue to extract more from nature than is replenished through conservation or natural processes. And I'm not sure how well equipped our government is to do a good job of being in charge of wild lands but it did a good job in the past (Senator Alan Cranston, for example, was a giant champion of wilderness) and it could do the same again if we the populous made that a priority.

    "Pretty cookies, heart squares all around, yeah!"
    -Eddie Vedder, "Smile"

    "Try to not spook the horse."
    -Neil Young













  • rgambsrgambs Posts: 13,576
    the future of the parks is as fucked as every other future in America. we are circling the drain!
    Monkey Driven, Call this Living?
  • polaris_xpolaris_x Posts: 13,559
    brianlux said:

    polaris_x said:

    hedonist said:

    polaris_x said:

    unsung said:

    I love that the wilderness is preserved however I hate that the federal govt is in charge of it. It's unconstitutional and should be left up to the state. Too many people get their hands in the jar.

    right ... cuz the individual states would actually preserve any wilderness ...
    Why wouldn't they?

    http://www.calwild.org/
    uhhh ... have you seen the state of the california state parks!? ... it's tragic ... up and down the coast - abandoned state parks ... also, I'm not sure if California is the state you want to use as a symbol of wilderness preservation as their diversion of water has created deserts elsewhere ...

    as soon as a corporation or industry can make money off land - it will be sold ... that is how it is everywhere ... without the national park service - most of the jewels in the US would be developed ... look also at alaska ... the state wants to drill baby drill ... only thing that can stop it are the feds ...
    Interesting that you post this, polaris_x, as we spent the day yesterday in what we thought was a state park: Sugarloaf Ridge State Park near Kenwood in Sonoma County, CA. We were commenting how great it is that this beautiful park is still operating within the CA State park system. Well, it's not. Sugarloaf was closed by the CA State Park system. We ran into what we thought was a park ranger only to discover he is a volunteer. This particular park, we found out, is run by volunteer personnel. Now as great as that sounds (and in many ways is) there's a hitch: we were in Sonoma county, a rich person's playground. (For example, in the hills we spotted, through binoculars, what appears to be an estate with a privately owned fully lighted tennis court with private vineyard.) The county has the money and enough well-to-do retirees to keep this park open. Other areas in the state do not fair so well and many, many parks are closed. And those that are open have cut way back on services. Salt Point State Park, for example, generally keeps only one bathroom open and most of it's campground area is closed. In the few parks that are open, what camping is available is very limited.

    As a people, we are becoming more and more estranged from the natural world as we get further and further lost in our machines. The support of national and state parks has dropped drastically over the decades. We continue to extract more from nature than is replenished through conservation or natural processes. And I'm not sure how well equipped our government is to do a good job of being in charge of wild lands but it did a good job in the past (Senator Alan Cranston, for example, was a giant champion of wilderness) and it could do the same again if we the populous made that a priority.

    yes ... that all ties into my point that wilderness protection has to be mandated at the federal level ... if a particular state for some reason wanted to mandate more - that would be great but left to their own devices - we know there will be less wilderness protected if left to the individual states ...
  • unsungunsung I stopped by on March 7 2024. First time in many years, had to update payment info. Hope all is well. Politicians suck. Bye. Posts: 9,487
    How do you know that?

  • polaris_xpolaris_x Posts: 13,559
    unsung said:

    How do you know that?

    because fundamentally speaking in the US - economy trumps EVERYTHING or at least the perceived concept of economy ... the environment is so low on the totem pole - it may as well not even be an issue for most states ... sure, there are handful of states that might do something but any time you put economic factors (especially the way it is calculated now) first - it means stuff like wilderness protection isn't a factor ... combine that with changing administrations ... all it takes is one mining company to say we want in somewhere and it'll be gone ...
  • unsungunsung I stopped by on March 7 2024. First time in many years, had to update payment info. Hope all is well. Politicians suck. Bye. Posts: 9,487
    It is unconstitutional and the states can do a better job.

  • brianluxbrianlux Moving through All Kinds of Terrain. Posts: 42,384
    unsung said:

    It is unconstitutional and the states can do a better job.

    How is preserving wilderness unconstitutional? And if federal protection of wild lands is somehow technically unconstitutional then we would do well to amend that part of the constitution. Just because something is written down somewhere does not make it right. You speak as though the constitution is flawless or is some kind of irrevocable law of God or some deity.

    As for states doing a better job- doubtful at best. Of all the states, California is generally considered one of the more conservation friendly and we have had to do battle unceasing to gain what wild lands we have and, as we have clearly seen, this state can't even handle it's state parks (which are hardly wilderness) very well at all. I have a cousin in his mid 60's who has worked much of his adult life in environmental law fighting for protection of wilderness in this relatively conservation-friendly state and still many battles are lost. One of the biggest US legal defenders of wildlife is NRDC, the Natural Resources Defense Council. Many people in this "liberal" state (let alone other less conservation minded states) are even aware of their existence. A strong federal contingency for wilderness would bring about greater awareness nationwide and overall would provide better wilderness protection .

    States are going to do a better job preserving wilderness? Not likely!

    "Pretty cookies, heart squares all around, yeah!"
    -Eddie Vedder, "Smile"

    "Try to not spook the horse."
    -Neil Young













  • polaris_xpolaris_x Posts: 13,559
    unsung said:

    It is unconstitutional and the states can do a better job.

    haha ... not even gonna try and pose a position with some factual information? ... you libertarian types are great at saying how shitty every thing is but can never actually show that your fundamental principles ever hold true ...
  • unsungunsung I stopped by on March 7 2024. First time in many years, had to update payment info. Hope all is well. Politicians suck. Bye. Posts: 9,487
    Constitution

    Article 1, Sec VIII

    That says what powers the Fed govt has, anything else is supposed to be left up to the States.

    There's your facts.
  • polaris_xpolaris_x Posts: 13,559
    dude ... the constitution has been shat on since it's been written ... looking for facts that support your belief the states could do it better ...
  • brianluxbrianlux Moving through All Kinds of Terrain. Posts: 42,384
    unsung said:

    Constitution

    Article 1, Sec VIII

    That says what powers the Fed govt has, anything else is supposed to be left up to the States.

    There's your facts.

    We would do well to set aside more wilderness not only for our own well being, but for all the other life forms we share this world with.

    Call it fact or opinion, matters not. I'll stand by that either way.

    Wilderness doesn't give two shits for some wordy manuscript.

    "Pretty cookies, heart squares all around, yeah!"
    -Eddie Vedder, "Smile"

    "Try to not spook the horse."
    -Neil Young













  • unsungunsung I stopped by on March 7 2024. First time in many years, had to update payment info. Hope all is well. Politicians suck. Bye. Posts: 9,487
    I get that. I'm a big time explorer when I can be.

    My problem is everytime there's a budget crisis they hold the parks hostage. Close the parks? Ha, it won't stop me. WE own the parks, not some bloated out of touch federal government.

    I believe most states would do a better job, so we can agree to disagree.
  • polaris_xpolaris_x Posts: 13,559
    right ... so nothing ...
  • brianluxbrianlux Moving through All Kinds of Terrain. Posts: 42,384
    unsung said:

    I get that. I'm a big time explorer when I can be.

    My problem is everytime there's a budget crisis they hold the parks hostage. Close the parks? Ha, it won't stop me. WE own the parks, not some bloated out of touch federal government.

    Good luck fighting the law.
    unsung said:


    I believe most states would do a better job, so we can agree to disagree.


    Fair enough.

    Ownership comes with a cost. Nothing entitles us to these places if we don't help keep them open. We support NPCA- National Parks Conservation Association and CalParks- California State Parks Foundation. By mentioning this, I'm not fishing for kudos- I just think if we really want to keep parks open and like the idea of wilderness we would do well to support those organizations- flawed though they are in some ways- that are working to provide and keep accessible to us these natural places. And personally, I always factor in a candidates stance on wilderness and parks when voting- not that it makes much difference, but one can hope.
    "Pretty cookies, heart squares all around, yeah!"
    -Eddie Vedder, "Smile"

    "Try to not spook the horse."
    -Neil Young













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