“The Eternal Battle” The Success of the Wilderness Act at 50

“The Eternal Battle” The Success of the Wilderness Act at 50

“The Eternal Battle”

The Success of the Wilderness Act at 50

Ronald Eber – Oregon Chapter Historian

Introduction

The 50th anniversary of the Wilderness Act of September 3, 1964, provides an opportunity to reflect on what has been achieved and its importance to Oregon and for future wilderness campaigns; because wilderness protection is the foundation of the conservation movement especially in Oregon. The story is exemplified by what John Muir said in 1895 during an earlier campaign to protect Oregon’s Cascade forests: “the battle we have fought, and are still fighting, for the forests is part of the eternal battle between right and wrong, and we cannot expect to see the end of it.”

When President Lyndon Johnson signed the law, it established a national policy “to secure for the American people of present and future generations the benefits of an enduring resource of wilderness.”  It instantly designated 9,140,000 acres as wilderness in 54 areas. Now our National Wilderness Preservation System comprises 757 areas and protects more than 109,511,000 acres. There are now 47 wilderness areas in Oregon, covering about 2,474,000 acres.  But it wasn’t always so.  This article  will review the early development of the forest reserves, national forests and Wilderness Areas as well as learn about the pioneer leaders who promoted the protection of these areas.  Then it will explain about the adoption of the Wilderness Act and how conservationists campaigned for the protection of the areas designated in Oregon.

A nice historical summary from the Sierra Club http://orsierraclub.wordpress.com/2013/12/11/the-eternal-battle-the-success-of-the-wilderness-act-at-50/