When President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Wilderness Act of 1964, he called it “a happy and historic occasion for all who love the great American outdoors.” Sixty years later, it’s regarded by some critics as an obstacle to good conservation.
The landmark law, which now grants the highest level of federal protection to nearly 112 million acres of cherished public lands, has recently ignited fights across the country.
Proponents see wilderness designations — which they would like expanded — as key to safeguarding some of the most pristine places in the country.
But detractors question if the idea has outlived its usefulness and too often been used to block fire-prevention efforts and other experimental plans that could protect remote areas and, perhaps, allow them to be used by more people. Some tribal leaders complain that the law has been flawed from the start, arguing that the underlying premise that wilderness areas are untouched ignores the long history of Native Americans and their use of the land.
