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Abstract
The Federal Land Policy & Management Act of 1976 directed the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to inventory its lands for wilderness characteristics and to protect identified areas as "wilderness study areas" (WSAs) until acted upon by Congress. BLM conducted these inventories and studies between 1976 and 1991, finding nearly 800 areas totaling 9.6 million hectares to possess wilderness characteristics. The remaining areas, released from "interim management" protection, were expected to be further degraded by uses not allowed within WSAs. In the ensuing 20 to 30 years, however, a surprising number of formerly unqualified areas have now been found to meet minimum wilderness criteria. Using Oregon public lands as an example, this paper highlights events, prompted largely by non-governmental organizations conducting "citizen inventories," and renewed wilderness inventory efforts conducted by the BLM, that have led to an unexpected second chance to recognize new areas with wilderness characteristics.
Parent Publication
Keywords
wilderness,
biodiversity,
conservation,
protected areas,
economics,
subsistence,
tourism,
traditional knowledge,
community involvement,
policy,
stewardship,
education,
spiritual values,
wilderness study areas (WSAs)
Citation
Magee, Jerry; Harmon, Dave. 2011. Wilderness: An unexpected second chance. In: Watson, Alan; Murrieta-Saldivar, Joaquin; McBride, Brooke, comps. Science and stewardship to protect and sustain wilderness values: Ninth World Wilderness Congress symposium; November 6-13, 2009; Merida, Yucatan, Mexico. Proceedings RMRS-P-64. Fort Collins, CO: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station. p. 209-210.
