Local economic importance of designated wilderness: Evidence in the literature

Abstract

As we approach the 50th anniversary of the passage of the 1964 Wilderness Act, the public and federal land management agencies continue to search for a better understanding of the benefits and costs of inclusion of new areas within the National Wilderness Preservation System (NWPS). There are numerous U.S. federal lands considered suitable for inclusion in the NWPS. Forest Service lands that are potential candidates for future Wilderness designation are managed as Inventoried Roadless Areas under the Roadless Rule of 2001, Wilderness Study Areas that have been designated by Congress for further study, and Proposed Wilderness Areas that were identified through formal planning efforts. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the National Park Service manage suitable areas as Proposed Wilderness Areas. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Bureau of Land Management also have a number of Wilderness Study Areas identified by Congress. Formal designation of these lands as Wilderness under the 1964 Wilderness Act requires a decision by Congress to protect their long-term national interest for a broad set of wildland-related values.

Citation

Christensen, Neal. 2011. Local economic importance of designated wilderness: Evidence in the literature. International Journal of Wilderness. 17(3): 24-27.