Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Wilderness Act
Wilderness Act
Act 1964
Reed A Ochalek
What is wilderness?
“A wilderness, in contrast with those areas where man and his own works
dominate the landscape, is hereby recognized as an area where the earth and its
community of life are untrammeled by man, where man himself is a visitor who
does not remain.”
Constitutional Basis
- Property Clause
Federal Public Lands - Managers
Bureau of Land Management (245 ma)
National Forest Service (193 ma)
Fish and Wildlife Service (95 ma)
National Park Service (85 ma)
Bureau of Indian Affairs (55 ma)
Department of Defence (27 ma)
Bureau of Reclamation (6.1 ma)
Public Land Units
- National Parks
- National Recreation Areas
- National Forests
- National Wildlife Refuges
- National Monuments
- Many more (Seashores, lakeshores,
historic sites, battlefields)
Dark Canyon
Photo by James Kay
Requirements for Wolfman Panel – Butler Wash
Photo by Bev Wolf
Wilderness
- Minimal human imprint
- Opportunities for solitude or unconfined
primitive recreation
- At least 5000 acres
- Educational value
- Scientific value
- Cultural Value
Dark Canyon
Photo by James Kay
Tools to Create and
Manage Wilderness
Wilderness
Designations
Ray Bloxham
America’s Red Rock Wilderness Act
America’s Red Rock
Wilderness Act
HR 3031 / S. 1310
Labyrinth Canyon
Photo by Ray Bloxham
White Canyon
Photo by Ray Bloxham
Wilderness Study
Areas
WSAs
- Wilderness Quality Lands
- Identified by inventory
- Managed as Wilderness
- Less fortified than formal wilderness
- FLPMA (Federal Land Policy and
Management Act of 1976)
- Subsequent Inadequate Inventory
- Informal prohibition on new WSAs
Dark Canyon
Photo by James Kay
Stewardship Projects
Stewardship
- Once the land is significantly
degraded it no longer qualifies.
- Thus, protecting Wilderness Study
Areas and Lands with Wilderness
Characteristics (LWCs) is vital.
- Hands-on-stewardship helps.
- https://suwa.org/projectcalendar/
Dark Canyon
Photo by James Kay
Get Involved and Help
Protect Our Public
Lands!
Reed Ochalek: caintern@suwa.org
Bears Ears Draft Management Plan:
https://eplanning.blm.gov/eplanning-ui/projec
t/2020347/510
Go to suwa.org
Stickers, postcards…