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51-405: Wild Montana was founded in 1958, originally named Montana Wilderness Association, by Ken and Florence Baldwin. The grassroots organization's mission was and is to preserve wilderness and influence policy on public land management. Wild Montana began as a group of individuals sharing the goal of protecting the heritage of Montana's wildlands and securing the proper management of public lands. The group

102-602: A conference committee to resolve differences between the House and Senate versions of the bill, the Act eventually was eventually signed into law by President Johnson on September 3, 1964. The Wilderness Act of 1964 was significant in American environmental legislation, setting a start for the federal protection of wilderness areas across the United States. It was passed with the support in both

153-643: A critical moment in the history of environmental protection but also set the stage for ongoing debates about the role of government in managing natural resources and the balance between conservation and development. The 1964 Wilderness Act, which was praised for protecting undisturbed American landscapes, encountered strong resistance from the Sagebrush Rebellion in the latter part of the 1970s. The majority of "resource Westerners" who were affected by federal environmental regulations that limited their access to public lands, such as ranchers, miners, and loggers, were

204-456: A formal mechanism for designating wilderness. It was written by Howard Zahniser of The Wilderness Society . After over sixty drafts and eight years of work, President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Wilderness Act into law on September 3, 1964, creating the legal definition of wilderness in the United States and protecting 9.1 million acres (37,000 km²) of federal land. The Wilderness Act

255-1081: A foundation that allows for many new additions of American land to be designated as wilderness. Congress considers additional proposals every year, some recommended by federal agencies and many proposed by grassroots conservation and sportsmen's organizations. Additional laws adding areas to the NWPS include: Congressional bills are pending to designate new wilderness areas in Utah, Colorado, Washington, California, Virginia, Idaho, West Virginia, Montana and New Hampshire. Grassroots coalitions are working with local congressional delegations on legislative proposals for additional wilderness areas, including Vermont, southern Arizona, national grasslands in South Dakota, Rocky Mountain peaks of Montana, Colorado and Wyoming. The U.S. Forest Service has recommended new wilderness designations, which citizen groups may propose to expand. In 2014, America celebrated "50 Years of Wilderness" and Wilderness50 which

306-546: A plan that added 87,000 acres (350 km) to the Bob Marshal/Scapegoat/Mission Mountains Wilderness complex. 2005-2008 – Snowmobilers and wilderness advocates in Seeley Lake agree to a proposal that added more wilderness in exchange for an established winter recreation area. By 2008, the group reaches consensus on a suite of forest management goals, including the addition of 80,000 acres to

357-712: A pledge card to vote for public lands. 2014 – The Rocky Mountain Front Heritage Act, crafted by a local coalition of ranchers, outfitters, Wild Montana staff, and other Montana conservationists, passes at the end of 2014, breaking a 31-year Wilderness drought in Montana and adding 67,000 acres to the Bob Marshall Wilderness Complex . 2016 – Local members of the Blackfoot Clearwater Stewardship Project (BCSP) reach an agreement with

408-456: A span of four days. One month later, the Senate also introduced a draft bill of the Wilderness Act. President John F. Kennedy , was a supporter of the Wilderness Act, his administration worked to rally Legislators to pass the bill. During the 87th Congressional session , the Senate voted and passed a version of the Wilderness Act, however it never made it to a vote in the House and its overall fate

459-546: A very specific boundary line in statutory law. Once a wilderness area has been added to the system, its protection and boundary can be altered only by Congress. The basics of the NWPS set out in the Wilderness Act are straightforward: Section 4 lists what usage is not allowed on land protected by the NWPS, and define the exceptions to the rules. Prohibited actions include: Sections 5, 6, and 7 discuss how Congress shall handle acquisition of more land, gifts, and addition of new designated wilderness areas. Some topics surrounding

510-587: Is 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". A series of projects and events were held to commemorate the 50th year of the Wilderness Act, including community museum, airport and visitor center displays; National website and social media campaign; Smithsonian photography exhibition; Washington D.C. Wilderness Week in September, and

561-556: Is the last great stronghold of the silvertip grizzly and is home to every species of mammal indigenous to the Northern Rockies except for Plains Bison. 1983 – The Lee Metcalf Wilderness is designated. This Wilderness Area is an important component of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem and is crucial grizzly habitat. 1988 – The last Wilderness bill passes United States Congress , but President Reagan pocket-vetoes

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612-450: Is well known for its succinct and poetic definition of 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." – Howard Zahniser When Congress passed and President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Wilderness Act on September 3, 1964, it created

663-743: The International Mountain Bicycling Association , the Montana Mountain Biking Alliance, and local mountain biking club MTB Missoula on the BCSP's legislative proposal. The agreement would ensure new backcountry cycling opportunities while continuing to protect secure habitat and free-flowing headwaters. 2013-2019 – In 2013, Mountain States Legal Foundation files a lawsuit against the federal government on behalf of lessee Sidney Longwell of Solenex, LLC to lift

714-553: The Library of Congress . The report was completed a year later, and the results released the data that had been requested which provided more information on the current state of federal land. In 1956, about seven years later, the first committee hearings began in House and Senate on the topic of protecting Wildlife Refuge areas. The first drafts of the Wilderness Act were introduced in the House in January 1957, where 6 bills were introduced over

765-653: The Mission Mountains , Scapegoat Wilderness , and Bob Marshall Wilderness Areas, a move that would safeguard the West Fork of the Clearwater River (a stream crucial for bull trout) and the wildlife-rich slopes of the Swan Range above Seeley Lake. 2012 – Wild Montana begins its Volunteer Trail Crew program to keep trails up to standard for public use and enjoyment, as well as begins encouraging Montana citizens to sign

816-733: The National Landscape Conservation System to protect their value as wilderness until Congress decides whether to designate them as wilderness, including them in the National Wilderness Preservation System . On BLM lands, a WSA is a roadless area that has been inventoried (but not designated by Congress) and found to have wilderness characteristics as described in Section 603 of the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 and Section 2(c) of

867-731: The National Parks System , National Forests , and primitive areas . Unfortunately, many of these designations came short of providing the necessary protections needed to keep the land preserved for future generations. The shortcomings of previous protections were exclaimed by efforts to develop protected lands for mining and energy utilization, a prominent example is the Echo Park Dam controversy at Dinosaur National Monument .The encroachment on existing protected land motivated conservationists to lobby Congress to add additional protections to wilderness land, in particular, Howard Zahniser wrote

918-518: The National Wilderness Conference . The Wilderness Act of 1964 is a pivotal legislation governing the preservation and management of wilderness areas in the United States. It provides a framework for Congress to designate federally managed lands as wilderness areas and mandates federal land agencies to manage these areas in a manner consistent with their natural wilderness character. Celebrating its fiftieth anniversary in September 2014,

969-505: 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 the United States of America previously protected by administrative orders. The current amount of areas designated by the NWPS as wilderness totals 757 areas encompassing 109.5 million acres of federally owned land in 44 states and Puerto Rico (5% of

1020-595: The Wilderness Act of 1964. Wilderness Study Area characteristics are: Wilderness bills often include so-called "release language" that eliminates WSAs not selected for wilderness designation. Some WSAs are managed in exactly the same manner as wilderness areas, a specific government designation and not synonymous with the natural state of wilderness. Some areas permit activities that are generally excluded from wildernesses, such as mountain biking and off-roading . As of 2023, there are 487 BLM wilderness study areas in

1071-525: The "Bomb the Bob" attack, a plan to retrieve oil and gas from the Bob Marshall Wilderness . "The Bob" is the most ecologically complete mountain wilderness in the country, with rugged peaks, big river valleys, lakes, large meadows and extensive coniferous forests. There are more than 100 lakes in the wilderness and major streams have their beginning there including the blue ribbon South Fork Flathead. The Bob

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1122-601: The 50th anniversary in 2014, it encompassed over 109 million acres across 758 areas in 44 states. This expansion has been largely due to the bipartisan support wilderness designations often receive, reflecting a shared value across the political spectrum. Wilderness Study Areas A wilderness study area (WSA) contains undeveloped United States federal land retaining its primeval character and influence, without permanent improvements or human habitation, and managed to preserve its natural conditions. The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) manages wilderness study areas under

1173-416: The Act has facilitated the protection of over 109 million acres of public land. The commemorative symposium, "The Wilderness Act at 50," organized by Lewis & Clark Law School, brought together experts to discuss various facets of the Act's evolution and impact. Notably, discussions delved into the role of litigation in shaping wilderness management, emphasizing strategic decisions by plaintiffs. Moreover,

1224-674: The Act remained unanswered, which has prompted future actions and controversies. 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. The uncertainty was clarified in 1976 with the passing of the Federal Land Policy and Management Act , which stated that land managed by the Bureau of Land Management would remain federally owned and, between March 1978 and November 1980, would be reviewed to possibly be classified as wilderness. Some argue that

1275-544: The Badger-Two Medicine. 2021 – On June 3, 2021, Wild Montana announced that the organization was embarking on a new era with a new name: Wild Montana. With the name change came a change to the organization's logo and mission statement – now "Uniting and mobilizing communities to keep Montana wild." Wilderness Act The Wilderness Act of 1964 ( Pub. L.   88–577 ) is a federal land management statute meant to protect federal wilderness and to create

1326-690: The Bozeman area and began recruiting other wildland enthusiasts to help lead hikes across the state. Wilderness Walks continue today. 1964 – President Lyndon B. Johnson signs Wilderness Act, creating Wilderness Areas in Montana: such as the Bob Marshall Wilderness , Cabinet Mountains , the Gates of the Mountains , the Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness , and Anaconda-Pintler Wilderness . 1972 – Congress designates

1377-607: The Interior (DOI) cancels the Solenex lease and, in January 2017, cancels the final two leases. On November 16, 2016, the largest leaseholder, Devon Energy, agrees to voluntarily relinquish its 15 leases. In September 2017, Washington, D.C. District Court Judge Richard Leon rules in favor of Solenex and Moncrief and reinstates their leases, arguing the government had waited too long to cancel the leases. In 2019, DOI announces it will not defend its own cancellation of one of two leases remaining in

1428-417: The Interior, emerged as a key player in this situation. During his tenure, he worked to extend the scope of mineral rights to include coal and oil, a goal that suited the interests of people impacted by the Wilderness Act and other environmental laws. Watt aimed to reduce federal constraints and give local governments more authority over land management choices. These efforts were perceived as a direct answer to

1479-680: The Lincoln-Scapegoat Wilderness as proposed by Wild Montana members. This marks the first time an area is recommended by someone other than the U.S. Forest Service. Because Wild Montana activists proposed the idea, this wilderness is also known as the "first citizen's wilderness". 1975-1980 – Wild Montana members secure designations for the Great Bear, Rattlesnake, Absaroka-Beartooth, Mission Mountains, Welcome Creek, UL Bend, Medicine Lake, and Red Rock Lakes areas. 1981 – Along with other conservation groups, Wild Montana members counterattack

1530-566: The Senate (73–12) and the House of Representatives (373–1), showing bipartisan agreement on the importance of preserving natural landscapes for future generations. This act established the National Wilderness Preservation System, defining wilderness as areas, according to Wilderness Society president Howard Zahniser, "where the earth and its community of life are untrammeled by man." It also stopped most forms of development and motorized vehicles in these areas. The success of

1581-641: The Wilderness Act and the growing federal oversight of environmental protection, opposition movements like the Sagebrush rebellion and the Wise use movement emerged, particularly in the American West. These movements represented a shift in the political landscape, fighting against what they saw as federal overreach and advocating for states' rights and individual property rights over public land management. The conflict over wilderness protection and public land management showed

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1632-523: The Wilderness Act had a lot to do with the groups who supported it. These groups included not only environmental organizations like the Wilderness Society and the Sierra Club but also labor and civic groups, showing great public interest in preserving America's wilderness. The Wilderness Act of 1964 included a few provisions (sections), that covered different aspects its implementation. Section 2 of

1683-426: The Wilderness Act provides a justification for and definition of what constitutes an area of land as wilderness. Wilderness Act land is chosen from existing federal land and by determining which areas are considered to meet the following criteria: Section 3 of the Act outlines the creation and regulation of the National Wilderness Preservation System (NWPS). When Congress designates each wilderness area, it includes

1734-547: The Wilderness Society. Wild Montana is the nation's premiere Wilderness grassroots organization and was significantly influential in the passing of the Wilderness Act by Lyndon B. Johnson in 1964. With the passing of this Act came the designation of the first Wilderness areas: The Bob Marshall Wilderness Complex, Cabinet Mountains , the Gates of the Mountains , the Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness , and Anaconda-Pintler Wilderness . 1958 – Ken and Florence Baldwin found Montana Wilderness Association (now Wild Montana). Wild Montana

1785-416: 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. Because of

1836-671: The bill as a favor to elect Senator Conrad Burns . 1990 – Wild Montana leads the Kootenai and Lolo National Forest Accords. Spearheaded by John Gatchell, the Accords brought together conservationists and sawmill workers in support of the preservation of huge swathes of roadless land in northwestern Montana . A corresponding bill identifying Wilderness and timberland is introduced in 1991 by Montana Senator Max Baucus , but doesn't make it through Congress. 1994 – Wild Montana members lead an attempt at another Wilderness bill. Montana representative led

1887-482: 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. Wilderness advocacy groups and some agency staff have attempted to use this standard: "the word 'roadless' refers to the absence of roads that have been improved and maintained by mechanical means." For more information, see Revised Statute 2477 . The Wilderness Act has been interpreted by

1938-525: The demands of the Sagebrush Rebellion. Due to regulatory rollbacks which were perceived as a decrease in federal government control over Western lands, the Sagebrush Rebellion temporarily felt victorious due to its alliance with the Reagan administration. The pioneering research and advocacy work of Margaret and Olaus Murie and Celia Hunter, along with the Alaska Conservation Society, was crucial to

1989-483: The first draft of the Wilderness Act. The Wilderness Act of 1964 went through numerous discussions and drafts before finally being enacted during the 88th Congress. The concept of developing a Federal Wilderness system through Congress began to be seriously explored in 1948 when a group of Congressional members requested a report be compiled on the topic through the Legislative Reference Service within

2040-542: The growing division in American environmental politics, showing bigger cultural and ideological divides. This period of environmental opposition not only challenged the principles of federal land management but also contributed to the reorganization of political ideas, playing a role in the evolution of the New Right and the Republican Party's stance on environmental regulations. The Wilderness Act, therefore, not only marked

2091-540: The land in the United States). Throughout the 1950s and 1960s, there were growing concerns about the rapidly growing population in America after World War II , a period known as a baby boom . Additionally, American transportation systems grew in size which made transportation easier and increased environmental concerns. A leading concern was that environmental degradation would have an impact on air and water quality, this

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2142-531: The ones who initiated this backlash. The Federal Land Policy Management Act (FLPMA) of 1976, which changed the Bureau of Land Management's emphasis from resource extraction to conservation, was a major source of dispute because it significantly restricted these groups' ability to make a living. Many in the West were unhappy as a result of this alleged government overreach and saw it as "federal colonialism." James G. Watt, nominated by President Ronald Reagan as Secretary of

2193-622: The passage of the Wilderness Act, and to the creation of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. Margaret Murie testified passionately before Congress in favor of the Wilderness Act. Margaret worked with Wilderness Society staffer Howard Zahniser , author of the bill, to promote passage of the act, and she attended the signing ceremony. As of 2014, the National Wilderness Preservation System comprised over 109 million acres (441,000 km²), involving federal lands administered by four agencies: The Wilderness Act has created

2244-659: The suspension on the Hall Creek lease. Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell cancels Sidney Longwell's lease and two other illegally issued leases, but Sidney Longwell and the Mountain States Legal Foundation – along with another former leaseholder, W.A. Moncrief Jr. – continue to challenge the cancellations in court and pursue their desire to drill in the Badger-Two Medicine. In March 2016, the Department of

2295-568: The symposium highlighted the National Environmental Policy Act's (NEPA) significant influence on promoting wilderness designation and constraining agency management practices in wilderness areas. Overall, the Wilderness Act remains a cornerstone of wilderness preservation, subject to ongoing refinement to ensure the enduring protection of these natural treasures. Over the decades, the Wilderness System has grown steadily. By

2346-540: The way and the bill passed in the House. Conversely, neither senator supported the bill and it was not considered in the Senate. Democrat Max Baucus and Republican Conrad Burns were senators at this time. 2003 – Members again lead an act to protect Wilderness Study Areas . The United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit states that the United States Forest Service has a legal obligation to keep

2397-654: The wild character of seven wilderness study areas in Montana. The Lewis and Clark National Forest proposes a controversial Rocky Mountain Front Travel Plan which would allow motorized travel in the area. In response, Wild Montana helped generate, tally, and analyze 7,600 comments on the plan, causing the Forest Service to scrap it. 2007 – Wild Montana participates in the Blackfoot Cooperative Landscape Stewardship Pilot Project,

2448-407: Was inspired by similar wilderness-oriented individuals and associations around the nation at the time. John Muir had recently founded the Sierra Club and was very active in protecting Yosemite; Aldo Leopold wrote about the ethics involved in conservation and was a co-founder of the Wilderness Society; Bob Marshall wrote several essays about conservation in forestry publications and was also a founder of

2499-488: Was partly addressed by the initial passage of the Clean Air Act in 1963. The problem of American wilderness still persisted even after attempts to regulate pollutants. Part of America's identity was the vast untamed wilderness that was untouched by humans, which had fallen to about 2.5% of the total land in America by the 1960s. Previous efforts to conserve nature had yielded public land designations and protections such as

2550-586: Was regarded as uncertain at the time. Early in the 88th Congressional term , the Senate debated and eventually passed the Wilderness Bill in April 1963. After President Kennedy's assassination , President Lyndon B Johnson continued the executive efforts for the Wilderness Act to be passed. During a press conference on June 23, 1963, President Johnson included the Wilderness Act as a piece of legislation that needed to be passed in his list of 30 "musts." After going to

2601-609: Was the nation's first state organization centered on protecting wilderness and the proper management of public lands. 1960 – Wilderness Walks begin in the summer of 1960 when Wild Montana founders Ken and Florence Baldwin lead 14 hikers into the Crazy Mountains. Inspired by the positive feedback they received the next year, they set out with a group of 40 hikers to Table Mountain in the Spanish Peaks. As Wilderness Walks grew in popularity, Ken and Florence continued to lead walks around

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