Sierra Club
On September 3, 1964, President Lyndon B. Johnson signed into law one of our country's greatest conservation laws: the Wilderness Act. This historic bill established the National Wilderness Preservation System and set aside an initial 9.1 million acres of wild lands for the use and enjoyment of the American people. As a result of America’s support for wilderness, Congress has since added nearly 100 million more acres to this unique land preservation system—in 44 out of 50 states.
The 1964 Wilderness Act defines “wilderness” as areas “where the earth and its community of life … appear to have been affected primarily by the forces of nature, with the imprint of man’s work substantially unnoticeable…”
Today these lands are among the last repositories of nature's bounty. Worthy and valuable in their own right, they also provide natural services that are essential to the health of American communities. Wild lands and natural systems filter the air we breathe and the water we drink. They generate fertile soils, control pests that destroy crops, provide habitat for wildlife, sequester carbon pollution, and control floods. They also contribute to the multi-billion dollar outdoor recreation economy and provide important opportunities for people from all backgrounds to reconnect with nature. In today's busy world, the solace and peace provided by our protected wild places is as important as ever.
America's wilderness is a living legacy that all Americans should have the opportunity to experience. Throughout 2014, the Sierra Club, sister wilderness-focused organizations, the four federal wilderness managing agencies, and countless other Americans who value and enjoy wilderness celebrated the golden anniversary of the Wilderness Act.
And find out more about the Sierra Club's Our Wild America campaign.
