“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/

Your Wilderness Photo Could be Displayed at a Special Smithsonian Exhibition

Posted by Kathryn Sosbe, Office of Communication, U.S. Forest Service, on June 13, 2013 at 12:05 PM - See more at: http://blogs.usda.gov/2013/06/13/your-wilderness-photo-could-be-displayed-at-a-special-smithsonian-exhibition/#sthash.vxZnVTJe.dpuf

The United States has 757 wilderness areas covering nearly 110 million acres of public land, but just one of your photographs could be among those displayed at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History as part of a year-long celebration of the 50th anniversary of the Wilderness Act of 1964.

“Wilderness Forever” is a professionally juried photo contest by the 50th Anniversary National Wilderness Planning Team, or Wilderness50. Approximately 50 winning contest entries will be chosen for display as large format prints at the Smithsonian. Professional, amateur and student photographers are encouraged to submit photographs accompanied by personal stories and memories of the scenes depicted.

“We’re very excited to share the public’s own visions of America’s beautiful wilderness lands and to educate visitors about the importance of preserving our natural heritage through this remarkable photography exhibition,” said Charles Chen of the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History.

The contest deadline is Sept. 3, 2013.

Contest guidelines and entry instructions provide more details about how to enter the contest.

The categories are:

• Scenic Landscape: Dramatic scenes and unusual perspectives of protected wilderness land, providing expansive views, including plant life: flowers, trees, and other flora in natural habitat, close-ups, wide-open spaces, storms, sunsets and other natural views.
• Wildlife: Wild animals photographed within the boundaries of wilderness areas; animal portraits, behavior, predation and adults with young.
• People in Wilderness: Adventurers, backpackers, hikers, canoers and other activities; groups, families and individuals in natural settings, action, artistic perspectives and artistic compositions (silhouettes, motion shots, creative lighting, portrayals of solitude and primitive recreation, etc.)
• Most Inspirational Moment: Images of wilderness locations that have a very special story and personal meaning to entrants.

- See more at: http://blogs.usda.gov/2013/06/13/your-wilderness-photo-could-be-displayed-at-a-special-smithsonian-exhibition/#sthash.vxZnVTJe.dpuf

Is Mount Hood too white?

Well, actually the referenced article has a different title:

Is Mount Rainier too white?

Preserving our natural heritage will require engaging a larger share of the population in outdoor activities. The National Parks won't survive on support from white people with white hair

This is the start of an interesting piece posted on Crosscuts  http://crosscut.com/ , out of Seattle.  There are interesting facts and thought provoking questions in the article http://crosscut.com/2013/01/02/mossback/112253/mount-rainier-too-white/

Several excerpts:

 "The growing diversity in the country is a wake-up call to park and forest managers who are dealing with the reality that the folks who form the core of national park visitors are a shrinking slice of the population." 

"The awareness of the wilderness' "white problem" is known, not just at the policy levels of the National Park Service, but also at the retail level. Seattle's REI has hired Laura Swapp to help the company remain relevant in a more diverse world, both with employees and customers."