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49-662: The White Mountain Wilderness was first established as a primitive area by the United States Congress in 1933. After the passage of Public Law 88-577, also known as The Wilderness Act, in September 1964, the primitive area was re-designated as the White Mountains Wilderness Area and entered into the newly created National Wilderness Preservation System . Originally established at 28,118 acres, Public Law 96-550,

98-750: A U.S. Senator from New Mexico and later Secretary of the Interior , owned the Three Rivers Ranch just south of Carrizozo, but had to sell it to settle legal debts as a result of his involvement in the Teapot Dome scandal (1922–1923). During the same time, journalist Quentin Reynolds visited the town and wrote a piece on it for Collier's . Later, he wrote in The Wounded Don't Cry that "I used to agree with Bugs that once you left New York, you were strictly on

147-560: A small Forest Service camping area at the end of Forest Road 579, a 13-mile road that begins on US 54 approximately 18 miles north of Tularosa and 24 miles south of Carrizozo . While there are no developed facilities within the Wilderness, the area is open to hiking, backpacking, horse-back riding, and primitive “Leave No Trace” camping. For hikers and riders the Wilderness contains a developed trail system of nearly two dozen maintained trails ranging in length from 0.8 miles to 20 miles and rated from easy to difficult. The area’s longest trail,

196-624: A state by state basis and determines which areas and how much land in each area will become part of the WPS. There have been multiple occasions in which Congress designated more federal land than had been recommended by the nominating agency. Where as the Wilderness Act stipulated that a wilderness area must be "administered for the use and enjoyment of the American people in such a manner as will leave them unimpaired for future use and enjoyment as wilderness",

245-464: Is about 35 miles (56 km) east of the Trinity Site , where the first nuclear bomb was detonated on July 16, 1945. Residents reported tremors like an earthquake and, as the first major downwind settlement, the town received a significant part of the remnants of the mushroom cloud resulting in nuclear fallout of the area, which caused radioactive contamination . Bonito Lake which also lies within

294-412: Is also home to many types of birds and is a critical habitat for several species, including the northern three-toed woodpecker, Clark's nutcracker, red-breasted nuthatche, Townsend's solitaires, and golden-crowned kinglets. Located approximately 15 miles NNW of Ruidoso , the northern and eastern sections of the Wilderness can be accessed by passenger car from Ruidoso via NM state highways 48 and 37, while

343-456: Is approximately 12.5 miles (20.1 km) long and 12 miles (19 km) wide. It consists of mainly a long, northerly running ridge and its branches. The west side of this ridge is extremely steep and rugged, while the eastern side is more gentle with broader, forested canyons and some small streams. Elevations range from 6,400 feet (2,000 m) at Three Rivers Campground on the western side to 11,580 feet (3,530 m) near Lookout Mountain in

392-542: Is protected and managed so as to preserve its natural conditions". As of 2023 , 806 wilderness areas have been designated, totaling 111,889,002 acres (45,279,873 ha; 452,798.73 km ; 174,826.566 sq mi), which comprise about 4.5% of the land area of the United States . During the 1950s and 1960s, as the American transportation system was on the rise, concern for clean air and water quality began to grow. A conservation movement began to take place with

441-648: Is the southernmost mountain in the continental United States to rise above timberline. Other areas of interest near the Wilderness include the previously mentioned Ski Apache winter sports area, and the Monjeau Lookout, a stone fire lookout tower built in the 1930s. The Lincoln National Forest’s other Wilderness Area, the Capitan Mountains Wilderness , is located NE of the White Mountains Wilderness, near Capitan, New Mexico . Also located in

490-664: Is under federal ownership and management, (2) the area consists of at least five thousand acres of land, (3) human influence is "substantially unnoticeable," (4) there are opportunities for solitude and recreation, and (5) the area possesses "ecological, geological, or other features of scientific, educational, scenic, or historical value." Wilderness areas are subject to specific management restrictions; human activities are limited to non-motorized recreation (such as backpacking , camping , hunting , fishing , horseback riding, etc.), scientific research , and other non-invasive activities. During these activities, patrons are asked to abide by

539-571: The Eastern Wilderness Areas Act of 1975, which added 16 national forest areas to the NWPS, allowed for the inclusion of areas that had been severely modified by human interference. The Wilderness Act provides criteria for lands being considered for wilderness designation. Though there are some exceptions, the following conditions must be present for an area to be included in the NWPS: (1) the land

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588-609: The Leave No Trace policy. This policy sets guidelines for using the wilderness responsibly and leaving the area as it was before usage. These guidelines include: Packing all trash out of the wilderness, using a stove as opposed to a fire, camping at least 200 feet (61 m) from trails or water sources, staying on marked trails, and keeping group size small. When closely observed, the Leave No Trace ethos ensures that wilderness areas remain untainted by human interaction. In general,

637-549: The National Park Service , the U.S. Forest Service , the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service , and the Bureau of Land Management . The term wilderness is defined as "an area where the earth and community of life are untrammeled by man, where man himself is a visitor who does not remain" and "an area of undeveloped Federal land retaining its primeval character and influence, without permanent improvements or human habitation, which

686-636: The Pelican Island Wilderness in northern Florida , which measures just 6 acres (2.4 ha) total. The smallest area preserved in the system was formerly the Rocks and Islands Wilderness in Northern California at 5 acres (2.0 ha), but after a reassessment by the Bureau of Land Management in 2006 it was officially expanded to 19 acres (7.7 ha). On November 7, 2009, an agreement between

735-528: The Sierra Blanca mountain range. As of the 2010 census , there were 996 people living in the town. The racial makeup of the town was 78.71% White, 0.70% African American, 2.61% American Indian, 14.16% Other, and 3.82% identified as two or more. Hispanics of any race were 43.57% of the population. Of the population, 54.72% were men and 45.28% were women. Of these, 15.96% were under the age of 18, 24.50% were over 65, and 59.54% were between 18 and 65. Carrizozo

784-542: The 14th longest cave in the United States. National Wilderness Preservation System The National Wilderness Preservation System ( NWPS ) of the United States protects federally managed wilderness areas designated for preservation in their natural condition. Activity on formally designated wilderness areas is coordinated by the National Wilderness Preservation System. Wilderness areas are managed by four federal land management agencies:

833-641: The 20-mile long Crest Trail (T25), runs across much of the eastern end of the Wilderness and crosses a number of smaller trails, including the Big Bonito Trail (T36), the Scenic Trail (T15), and the Three Rivers Trail (T44). The area’s namesake peak, Sierra Blanca (White Mountain) is located on the adjacent Mescalero Indian Reservation and can reached by a 1.25 mile (2 km) trail from Lookout Mountain. Reaching 11,973 feet (3,649 m), Sierra Blanca

882-523: The 20th century. Recently, the town has seen increasing focus on tourism, and cherry cider produced in the town was known nationally. The Carrizozo Orchard has since been permanently closed. Carrizozo is located at the northern end of the Tularosa Basin , which extends southward to the New Mexico– Texas border. The town itself is located in a flat area known prior to the founding of the town as

931-619: The Corrizo flats, with typical Chihuahuan desert scrub and desert grasslands . To the west of the town is the Carrizozo Malpais , a 40-mile-long (64 km) lava flow that is about 1,500 years old and accessible through the Valley of Fires Recreation Area . To the northeast is Carrizo Mountain , a 9,600-foot (2,900 m) peak within the Sacramento Mountains , and to the southeast are

980-784: The Forest Service's Roadless Area Review and Evaluation (RARE) process. The Bureau of Land Management was not required to review its lands for inclusion in the NWPS until after October 21, 1976, when the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 was signed into law; designation of wilderness areas on BLM lands began in 1978. Over 200 wilderness areas have been created within Bureau of Land Management administered lands since then, consisting of approximately 8.71 million acres (3,520,000 ha) in September 2015. As of August 2008, 704 separate wilderness areas, encompassing 107,514,938 acres (43,509,752 ha), had become part of

1029-521: The NWPS included 34 areas protecting 9.1 million acres (37,000 km ) in the national forests. As of 2023, there are 806 areas in the NWPS, preserving 111,889,002 acres (45,279,873 ha). This is approximately 4.5% of the entire United States , though only about 2.7% of the 48 contiguous states. However, most of that acreage is located in a handful of states. The states with the highest number of wildernesses are California , Arizona , Nevada , Alaska , and Oregon . However, when measured in acres

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1078-732: The NWPS, much of the wildlife in the U.S. also has an area in which to exist without significant human interaction. In late 2011, a full wilderness review was requested of the Arctic Refuge Coastal Plain in Alaska. One of the major qualifications for this area to be considered as a possible wilderness area was its diverse wildlife population, many of which are on the endangered species list. In this potential wilderness area alone, whales , seals , wolves , polar bears , grizzly bears , muskoxen , caribou , and over 200 species of migratory birds call this one area home for at least part of

1127-564: The National Park Service, U.S. Forest Service, and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service review all federal lands under their jurisdiction for wilderness areas to include in the NWPS. The first national forest wilderness areas were established by the Wilderness Act itself. The Great Swamp in New Jersey became the first National Wildlife Refuge with formally designated wilderness in 1968. Wilderness areas in national parks followed, beginning with

1176-613: The National Wilderness Preservation System. On March 30, 2009, President Barack Obama signed into law the Omnibus Public Land Management Act of 2009 . The legislation designated an additional 2 million acres (810,000 ha) in nine states as wilderness, representing the largest expansion of wilderness lands since 1994. The John D. Dingell, Jr. Conservation, Management, and Recreation Act of 2019 added another 1.3 million acres (530,000 ha) in 43 new and expanded wilderness areas. On federal lands in

1225-1065: The New Mexico Wilderness Act, added an additional 16,860 acres to the area in December 1980, increasing the total size to 46,963 acres. The Wilderness Area is administered by the United States Forest Service as part of the Lincoln National Forest, headquartered in Alamogordo, New Mexico . Located in the Smokey Bear Ranger District of the Lincoln, the Wilderness is managed from the District Ranger Office in Ruidoso, New Mexico . This wilderness area contains approximately 46,963 acres (19,005 ha) of land and

1274-790: The Nogal Canyon Trailhead, via Forest Road 400, the Mills Canyon and Argentina & Bonito Trailheads via Forest Road 107, and the Crest Trailhead via Forest Roads 107 and 108. State Highway 532 offers access to the Wilderness via Ski Apache, a winter sports area west of Ruidoso operated by the Mescalero Apache Reservation. US 54 offers access to the Three Rivers Trailhead at the Three Rivers Campground,

1323-634: The Smokey Bear Ranger District, the Capitan Wilderness is considerably more rugged and remote than the White Mountain Wilderness, and can only be accessed by high-clearance vehicles. Also near Capitan is the Fort Stanton-Snowy River Cave National Conservation Area . A former frontier military reservation, the Bureau of Land Management -administered area protects the 31-mile Fort Stanton Cave complex,

1372-460: The United States, Congress may designate an area as wilderness under the provisions of the Wilderness Act of 1964. Multiple agencies, including the Bureau of Land Management , the National Park Service , the Fish and Wildlife Service , and the U.S. Forest Service , are responsible for the submission of new areas that fit the criteria to become wilderness to Congress. Congress then reviews these cases on

1421-516: The United States, Canada, and Mexico entitled the "Memorandum of Understanding on Cooperation for Wilderness Conservation" was made. This agreement created a new entity, the North American Intergovernmental Committee on Cooperation for Wilderness and Protected Areas Conservation, that would streamline the process for open communication between international agencies for the purpose of wilderness preservation. This committee

1470-634: The designation of wilderness in part of Craters of the Moon National Monument in Idaho in 1970. A dramatic spike in acreage added to the wilderness system in 1980 was due in large part to the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act , signed into law by President Jimmy Carter on December 2, 1980. A smaller spike in 1984 came with the passage of many bills establishing national forest wilderness areas identified by

1519-452: The early decades of the 1900s. However, with declining relevance of the railroad, the population of the town has gradually declined. The town is located at the intersection of U.S. Routes 54 and 380 . The name of the town is derived from the Spanish vernacular for reed grass ( Carrizo ), which grew significantly in the area and provided excellent feed for ranch cattle. The additional "zo" at

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1568-460: The end of the town name was added to indicate abundance of Carrizo grass. The town is now often referred to colloquially as "Zozo". Prior to 1899, the area was primarily a few ranches and a stagecoach crossing with limited permanent settlement. Lawrence Murphy , a merchant active in the Lincoln County War (1878), owned a major ranch in the area. The location of Carrizozo was selected as

1617-461: The estimated radioactive fallout zone of the 1945 Trinity test, was a water source for Carrizozo. With the rise of the automobile, Carrizozo's proximity to the railroad became less important starting in the 1950s, and the last passenger train passed through in 1968. The result was a decrease in economic opportunity in Carrizozo, and the population fell back to about 1,200 people for much of the end of

1666-507: The exact nature of protection may differ from federal laws. Some U.S. states have created wilderness preservation programs modeled on the NWPS. Carrizozo Carrizozo is a town in Lincoln County , New Mexico , United States. It is the county seat , with a population of 996 at the 2010 census . Founded in 1899, the town provided the main railroad access for Lincoln County, and the town experienced significant population growth in

1715-694: The form of small streams or springs scattered throughout the area. Trails with good water access include Big Bonito Trail and South Fork Trail. Although fishing is permitted within the wilderness area, few fish are found due to the small size of most streams. Although the streams run well most of the year, in times of severe drought, they may be non-existent. Wildlife commonly found in the Wilderness Area include mule deer , elk , black bear , turkey , porcupine , badger , bobcat , gray fox , coyote , skunk , spruce and rock squirrels , and numerous species of mice , moles , and birds. The White Mountain area

1764-524: The future of both the U.S. system and North American preservation efforts as a whole. One of the major goals of the Wilderness Preservation System is to provide undeveloped habitats for threatened or endangered species . Many of the species found in the United States are represented in wilderness areas. There are 261 basic ecosystems in the U.S., and 157 of them are represented in the system. With 60% of all ecosystems somewhat protected by

1813-420: The horse and buggy circuit. But of late years I've had to modify that. Since then I've discovered New Orleans , San Francisco and a little place called Carrizozo, New Mexico, where I want to go when I die. I want to go there and gang around the drug store and sneak behind the prescription counter with Art Rolland and have a nip of what he calls Old Granddaddy then type out his prescriptions for him." Carrizozo

1862-411: The intent of establishing designated wilderness areas. Howard Zahniser created the first draft of the Wilderness Act in 1956. It took nine years and 65 rewrites before the Wilderness Act was finally passed in 1964. The Wilderness Act of 1964 (Public Law 88-577), which established the NWPS, was signed into law by President Lyndon B. Johnson on September 3, 1964. The Wilderness Act mandated that

1911-623: The largest amount of wilderness land is administered by the National Park Service. The largest contiguous wilderness complex in the United States is the Noatak and Gates of the Arctic Wildernesses in Alaska at 12,743,329 acres (5,157,042 ha). The largest wilderness area outside Alaska is the Death Valley Wilderness in southeastern California. The smallest area protected by the WPS is

1960-438: The law prohibits logging , mining , motorized or mechanized vehicles (including bicycles ), road-building, and other forms of development in wilderness areas, though pre-existing mining claims and grazing ranges are permitted through grandfather clauses in the Wilderness Act. Wilderness areas fall into IUCN protected area management category Ia (strict nature preserves) or Ib (wilderness areas). A special exemption to

2009-572: The list changes dramatically, as Alaska contains many of the largest areas protected under the act. In terms of total acres, Alaska , California , Arizona , Idaho , and Washington are the top five states for wilderness, containing almost 80 percent of the acreage in the system. Wilderness totals in most eastern states are modest, with the exceptions of Florida and Minnesota . Wilderness areas exist in every state except Connecticut , Delaware , Iowa , Kansas , Maryland , and Rhode Island . Most U.S. wilderness areas are in national forests, but

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2058-564: The result of forest fires . The weather is dry and windy in springtime, with temperatures ranging from 32 °F/0 °C to 80 °F/26 °C. July and August are the rainy months with frequent afternoon showers and high temperatures averaging 85 °F/29 °C. Snows in winter do not typically begin until mid-November, and snowfall averages 6 feet (1.8 m) or more. Low temperatures during winter average around 22 °F (−6 °C), but have reached as low as −15 °F (−26 °C). Water sources are not abundant, but do exist in

2107-480: The rule against mechanized equipment is made for wilderness areas in Alaska : limited use of motorized vehicles and construction of cabins and aquaculture are permitted. These exemptions were allowed due to the large amount of wilderness in Alaska and the concerns of subsistence users, including Alaska Natives . Wilderness areas are parts of national parks , wildlife refuges , national forests , and BLM lands; some units are managed by different agencies. Initially,

2156-469: The site for a station on the El Paso and Northeastern Railway (EP&NE) main line in 1899. Carrizozo was chosen over the nearby booming mine town of White Oaks , resulting in large-scale migration from White Oaks to Carrizozo. The railroad brought businesses, growing population, and increased importance to the town of Carrizozo. As a result, a county referendum in 1909 moved the seat of Lincoln County from

2205-456: The south. There are four different life zones within this wilderness area: pinyon- juniper , ponderosa pine , mixed conifer , and sub-alpine forest, plus alpine tundra found at the summit of Sierra Blanca just outside the wilderness boundary. Abrupt changes in elevation, escarpments, rock outcroppings, and avalanche chutes make for striking contrast and scenery. The area is also interspersed with meadows and grass-oak savannahs , which are

2254-482: The southern half can be reached from either Ruidoso, via state highway 532 or from Carrizozo, New Mexico or Tularosa, New Mexico via US 54. As with all designated Wilderness Areas the White Mountains Wilderness is closed to all forms of mechanized transport, so the most common means of access is via trailheads, small developed parking areas located just outside the Wilderness’ boundaries. New Mexico 37 offers access to

2303-491: The town of Lincoln to Carrizozo. This decision resulted in a four-year legal battle that was eventually resolved in favor of Carrizozo by the Supreme Court of the United States in the case of Gray v. Taylor . The result was a boom in which railroad access and political importance combined to lead to significant population growth in Carrizozo. The population reached around 2,000 by 1920. During this time, Albert B. Fall ,

2352-524: The year. This vast assortment of flora and fauna is a major consideration for addition into the wilderness preservation system. Thousands of laws and policies have helped shape and manage the National Wilderness Preservation System in the United States. The following Acts of Congress either directly affect the wilderness system or help influence wilderness management: Some state and tribal governments also designate wilderness areas under their own authority and local laws. These are not federal areas, and

2401-403: Was formed to gain insight on the benefits of wilderness preservation, establish open channels of communication between international agencies, and examine the cultural differences and similarities behind preservation efforts in each country. Within the U.S. system, all of the agencies responsible for wilderness preservation will work in cooperation with their international counterparts to determine

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