Fresno Bee
Published February 21, 2004

Celebrate wilderness on anniversary of protection act

By Ron Mackie

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

On Sept. 3, lovers of remote, undeveloped and untamed lands will celebrate the 40th anniversary of the Wilderness Act. The Wilderness Act now protects nearly 5% of all the public land in the United States, preserving wild places for everyone's benefit, as a living legacy to pass on to future generations.

When President Lyndon Johnson signed the Wilderness Act in 1964, about 9 million acres of Forest Service "primitive" and "wild" areas immediately received permanent protection from development.

Since then, more than 106 million acres in 650 areas in 44 of the 50 states have been protected, from ancient Alaskan spruce forests to Sierra Nevada granite pinnacles to the quiet splendor of the East's hardwood wilds.

Today, wilderness remains as a tangible link to our nation's past, a chance to experience the American land as it was when Thomas Jefferson was thinking deeply about self-evident truths and inalienable rights. Wilderness provides for fresh air, clean water, fertile topsoil, plant pollination, waste recycling and a hospitable climate delivered free of charge by countless plants and animals that thrive best in the world's wild places.

Happy birthday, wilderness. May all of us be fortunate enough to spend some part of this 40th anniversary in the wilderness.

Ron Mackie

Ahwahnee

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