what did the wilderness act of 1964 create

When was the National Wilderness Act created?

- Howard Zahniser When Congress passed and President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Wilderness Act on September 3, 1964, it created the National Wilderness Preservation System. The initial statutory wilderness areas, designated in the Act, comprised 9.1 million acres (37,000 km²) of national forest wilderness areas in...

What is the national wilderness preservation system?

The Wilderness Act created the National Wilderness Preservation System and immediately placed 54 areas into the system. Those areas included 9.1 million acres in 13 states, including some of our most iconic wilderness areas: Among some of the very first wilderness areas created by the act were: Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, Minnesota

Who is the author of the Wild Wilderness Act?

Wilderness Act. The Wilderness Act of 1964 (Pub.L. 88–577) was written by Howard Zahniser of The Wilderness Society.

How many acres of land was protected by the Wilderness Act?

It created the legal definition of wilderness in the United States, and protected 9.1 million acres (37,000 km²) of federal land.

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What was the purpose of the Wilderness Act of 1964?

Mindful of our “increasing population, accompanied by expanding settlement and growing mechanization,” Congress passed the 1964 Wilderness Act in order to preserve and protect certain lands “in their natural condition” and thus “secure for present and future generations the benefits of wilderness.” 11 U.S.C. § 1131(a).

How did the 1964 Wilderness Act affect national forests?

On September 3, 1964, President Lyndon Johnson signed the Wilderness Act into law, preserving nine million acres of land in the United States in its "original and unchanging beauty and wonder." The bill established the National Wilderness Preservation System to protect natural resources by increasing the number of ...

Is the Wilderness Act of 1964 still in effect?

Original text of the Wilderness Act of 1964 which was repealed: 4(d)(5) Other provisions of this Act to the contrary notwithstanding, the management of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area, formerly designated as the Superior, Little Indian Sioux, and Caribou Roadless Areas, in the Superior National Forest, Minnesota, shall ...

What Does the Wilderness Act prohibit?

The Wilderness Act generally prohibits commercial activities within wilderness areas, although it allows commercial activities related to wilderness-type recreation. The act also generally prohibits motorized and mechanical access, and roads, structures, and other facilities within wilderness areas.

How did the 1964 Wilderness Act affect national forests quizlet?

1964! What did the Wilderness Act do? 1. established the National Wilderness Preservation System, to include areas of undeveloped land at least 5,000 acres existing on national forests, national parks, and national wildlife refuges.

What is the controversy surrounding the Wilderness Act of 1964?

Indian lands constituted a potential issue, as did the authority of tribal councils whenever Indian lands would fall under the National Wilderness Preservation System, while the fact that the bill “prohibited the construction of roads into the wilderness areas” was also cause for concern (“History of Dispute on ...

What type of human impact is the Wilderness Act?

Most bills direct that the designated areas are to be managed in accordance with the Wilderness Act, meaning human impacts, such as commercial activities, motorized and mechanical access, and infrastructure developments, are generally prohibited.

What has the Wilderness Society accomplished?

Since 1935, The Wilderness Society has led the effort to permanently protect nearly 112 million acres of wilderness in 44 states. We have been at the forefront of nearly every major public lands victory. Uniting people to protect America's wild places.

How Does the Wilderness Society influence government?

The Wilderness Society advocates for policies designating federal lands as federally protected wilderness areas and national monuments, which are areas preserved primarily for conservation similar to national parks.

How was the Wilderness Act implemented?

The result of a long effort to protect federal wilderness and to create a formal mechanism for designating wilderness, the Wilderness Act was signed into law by President Lyndon B. Johnson on September 3, 1964 after over sixty drafts and eight years of work.

Who opposed the Wilderness Act of 1964?

Two important groups that opposed the 1964 Wilderness Act were the National Park Service and the US Forest Service. The opposition from these two groups stemmed from the control they had over protected lands.

How do I cite the Wilderness Act of 1964?

Act of September 3, 1964 (P.L. 88-577, 78 Stat. 890 as amended;16 U.S.C. 1131(note), 1131-1136)Sec. This Act may be cited as the.Purpose.

How Does the Wilderness Act help the environment?

The Wilderness Act is considered one of America's greatest conservation achievements. The act created our National Wilderness Preservation System and provided the means for Americans to induct unspoiled areas into the system.

How Does the Wilderness Act of 1964 protect parks and preserves?

Federal Law Creates Wilderness Areas This Act established the National Wilderness Preservation System "...for the permanent good of the whole people." This law also directs federal land management agencies, including the National Park Service (NPS), to manage these wilderness areas and preserve wilderness character.

What was the biggest outcome of the National Forest Management Act?

NFMA changed forest planning by obliging the United States Forest Service to use a systematic and interdisciplinary approach to resource management. It also provided for public involvement in preparing and revising forest plans.

What was the effect of forest act?

The Indian Forest Act of 1865 extended the British colonialism in India and claimed over forests in India. The 1865 act was a precursor to the Forest Act of 1878, which truncated the centuries-old traditional use by communities of their forests and secured the colonial governments control over the forestry.

What did Howard Zahniser do after Echo Park?

He drew up a bill that would place all wildlands and primitive areas (a primarily historical designationfor unspoiled land without roads or public accommodations) in a special wilderness system protected from development and provide a means to add land from national parks, monuments, and other federally protected lands and Indian reservations . The initial bill would have placed many millions of acres into the wilderness system. He solicited opinions from numerous individuals both in and out of government. Zahniser envisionedthat additions to the system would be suggested and approved by a board made up of environmental organizations and government agencies.

What was the Wilderness Act?

Wilderness Act, U.S. environmental protection legislation (1964) that created the National Wilderness Preservation System, setting 9 million acres (3.6 billion hectares) aside from development and providing a mechanism for additional acreage to be preserved. The Wilderness Act was a landmark victory for the environmental movement. Since 1964 more than 100 million acres (40 million hectares) have been made part of the wilderness system.

What are the environmental problems of the 21st century?

Solving the critical environmental problems of global warming, water scarcity, pollution, and biodiversity loss are perhaps the greatest challenges of the 21st century. Will we rise to meet them?

How many states are there in the United States?

United States, country in North America, a federal republic of 50 states. Besides the 48 conterminous states that occupy the middle latitudes of the continent, the United States includes the state of Alaska, at the northwestern extreme of North…

When was the Wilderness Act passed?

The United States Department of Justice - The Wilderness Act Of 1964

Who introduced the Wilderness Bill?

In 1956 Sen. Hubert H. Humphrey, a Democrat from Minnesota, and Rep. John Saylor, a Republican from Pennsylvania, introduced the Wilderness Bill. By May 1964 the bill had been rewritten 66 times, and more than 6,000 pages of testimony had been collected in congressional committees. The strongest opposition had come from western mining, grazing, and timber interests. It took Pres. Lyndon Johnson’s open support and a great many compromises to get the final bill enacted into law. Under the final provisions, far less acreage was included in the system, some exceptions were made for use, and an act of Congress was required to add more land to the wilderness system. While pleased that they were able to gain protection for wilderness, environmentalists were somewhat disappointed with how much compromise they had to make in their quest to get the landmark bill through Congress.

Why is the Wilderness Act a ban on bicycles?

The Wilderness Act has been interpreted by the administrating agencies to ban bicycles from wilderness areas based on the statutory text prohibiting "other mechanical forms of transport." It is noteworthy that mountain bikes did not exist when the Wilderness Act was enacted, hence they were not explicitly identified in the statute. The prohibition on bicycles has led to opposition from mountain bikers to the opening of new wilderness areas.

How many acres are protected by the Wilderness Act?

It created the legal definition of wilderness in the United States, and protected 9.1 million acres (37,000 km²) of federal land. The result of a long effort to protect federal wilderness and to create a formal mechanism for designating wilderness, the Wilderness Act was signed into law by President Lyndon B.

What is the 50th anniversary of the Wilderness?

In 2014, America celebrated "50 Years of Wilderness", and Wilderness50, a growing coalition of federal agencies, non-profit organizations, academic institutions, and other wilderness user groups has been created to document this historical commemoration honoring America's "True American Legacy of Wilderness."

What are some examples of wilderness criteria?

Some argue that the criteria to determine wilderness are vague and open to interpretation. For example, one criterion for wilderness is that it be roadless, and the act does not define the term roadless.

Why was the Wilderness Act ignored?

When the Wilderness Act was passed, it ignored lands managed by the Bureau of Land Management because of uncertainty of policy makers surrounding the future of those areas.

What is wilderness designation?

Wilderness designation is a protective overlay Congress applies to selected portions of national forests, parks, wildlife refuges, and other public lands.

What are the requirements for wilderness?

Wilderness Act land is chosen from existing federal land and by determining which areas are considered to have the following criteria: 1 Minimal human imprint 2 Opportunities for unconfined recreation 3 At least five thousand acres 4 Educational, scientific, or historical value

What is the Wilderness Act?

In addition to creating the National Wilderness Preservation System--which now includes wilderness areas on national forests, national parks, national wildlife refuges, and Bureau of Land Management lands--the Wilderness Act shifted authority for wilderness designations from the land management agencies, such as the Forest Service, to Congress.

How many acres are in the L-20?

Approximately 5.5 million acres of Primitive Areas (established by the L-20 Regulation) were to be reviewed by the Secretary of Agriculture, who would then make recommendations for inclusion as Wilderness within ten years. By 1979, 23 of the 34 Primitive Areas had been designated as Wilderness by Congress.

When was the Wilderness Act passed?

1964: Wilderness Act. Signed into law by President Lyndon B. Johnson on September 3, 1964, the Wilderness Act designated all previously existing Wild Areas, Canoe Areas, and Wilderness Areas as Wilderness. At the time, these areas on national forests totaled 9.1 million acres and represented the entire National Wilderness Preservation System.

What is the bill that would protect the boundary waters from copper-nickel mining?

H.R. 5598 entitled “The Boundary Waters Wilderness Protection and Pollution Prevention Act” would ban sulfide-ore copper mining of federal lands in the Rainy River Headwaters watershed, where waters drain into the Wilderness and Voyageurs National Park.

Who was the author of the boundary water act?

Sigurd Olson , an author and environmentalist revered for his writings about the Boundary Waters, was an important figure in the writing of the 1964 Wilderness Act. He was a former president and governing council member of The Wilderness Society where he helped protect public lands around the country including Voyageurs National Park, Arctic National Wildlife Refuge and Point Reyes National Seashore. He continued his conservation efforts throughout the years and worked on passing the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness Act on October 21,1978.

Who was the president of the Wilderness Act?

On September 3, 1964, the Wilderness Act was signed into law by President Lyndon B. Johnson. The Wilderness Act established the National Wilderness Preservation System and is considered one of the most pivotal conservation efforts for America’s public lands. Howard Zahniser, who led the Wilderness Society, authored the act with the help of many notable conservationists. The lead sponsor in the US Senate was Minnesota’s own Senator Hubert Humphrey. The Boundary Waters Canoe Area was one of the first Wilderness areas established by the Act.

What is the smallest wilderness in the US?

The smallest wilderness area in the National Wilderness Preservation System is the five and half acres Pelican Island Wilderness in Florida. This wilderness area is managed by the US Fish and Wildlife Service. The waters surrounding Pelican Island provide abundant food for the area's wading birds who nest on the wilderness island, including great blue herons, white ibis, anhingas, and oyster catchers.

When was the Wilderness Act passed?

The Wilderness Act was passed in 1964, signed into law by President Lyndon B. Johnson. This Act established the National Wilderness Preservation System and instructed federal land management agencies, including the National Park Service (NPS), to manage wilderness areas and preserve wilderness character. To support the mandates of the Wilderness ...

Who created the National Wilderness Preservation System?

The Wilderness Actwas passed in 1964, signed into law by President Lyndon B. Johnson. This Act established the National Wilderness Preservation System "...for the permanent good of the whole people." This law also directs federal land management agencies, including the National Park Service (NPS), to manage these wilderness areas and preserve wilderness character.

Overview

Legal framework

Creation

Future legislation

50th anniversary of Wilderness Act

See also

External links