Wilderness Commentary

I would like to add my support for the Hidden Gems wilderness proposal in its entirety.

I am writing to respond to Christy Love's letter of Nov. 12, in which she expresses opposition to designating the Rock Creek area as wilderness.

I appreciate her point of view as a stakeholder who grazes cattle in the area. However, to state that her ranch "most definitely would be adversely affected" by the designation is misleading.

According to section 4(d)(4)(2) of the Wilderness Act of 1964: "The grazing of livestock, where established..., shall be permitted to continue..." after an area becomes wilderness.

I read with considerable interest the guest column of Will Skelton in the Oct. 24 edition of the News Sentinel, since I and many others worked with Skelton's leadership to accomplish the passage of the 1984 wilderness bill that protected some outstanding wilderness areas in the Cherokee National Forest.

The effort to protect the Upper Bald River, which several of us know quite well, began in the early 1970s. It's a truly magnificent area.

Good news for outdoor enthusiasts and environmentalist alike in Maine: Yesterday, the Appalachian Mountain Club announced its recent purchase of 29,500 acres of the Roach Ponds track land.  Although the AMC will manage the property, they have donated the land to the state of Maine so that it will remain permanently protected land for recreational public use.  

I agree with Ray Ring that Dayton Duncan and Ken Burns are on to something with the idea that public lands and "resources" ought to be reserved for the public and not allowed to be a source of enrichment for private individuals (HCN, 9/14 & 9/28/09).

Editor:

The year 2009 marks the 40^th anniversary of the Wilderness Act. Oct. 30 marked the 25^th anniversary of the Tennessee Wilderness Act of 1984, which permanently set aside some of the truly wild places in the Volunteer State. Today there is a citizen's movement to create additional wilderness areas within the Cherokee National Forest.

On a recent weekday, I made the rigorous 11-mile hike to Mount Cammerer in the Smokies. During the hour my small group of hikers were enjoying lunch and the views, at least 40 others hikers showed up.

Running into so many people detracts a bit from the "wilderness experience." Don't get me wrong - I enjoyed the experience immensely, shared as it was. But the episode raises the question of whether the demand for wilderness is outstripping supply.

In fact, I often choose to hike in nearby designated wilderness areas to avoid the crowded trails.

As I walked past the "entering wilderness" sign with my hunting partner, Zach, I couldn't help but smile. We were going to spend the next few days hunting elk without the sound of old trucks rattling down the road or ATVs zipping up the trail around us. With only our bivvy sacks, sleeping bags and bare essentials, we headed up the mountain knowing that a few miles of designated hiking and elk trails will lead us into the middle of some of the best elk country in the West.

In 1960, Wallace Stegner argued that wilderness is more than just a parcel of ground; wilderness helped to shape the American character, Stegner wrote, and we need it today - as both a physical reality and a cultural ideal - to remember who we are.

"We need wilderness preserved - as much of it as is still left, and as many kinds - because it was the challenge against which our character as a people was formed," he wrote.

I'm a Sheridan grandmother who wants to save wilderness for my grandchildren, their children, and all children in Wyoming who come after.

Sara Domek's perspective (Casper Star-Tribune, Forum/Oct. 30), "Wyoming's Wilderness: A reason to celebrate," was a beautiful commentary about the legacy of wilderness designation and reminded us to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Wyoming Wilderness Act. It's odd that no Wyoming wilderness lands have been added since that act was signed Oct. 30, 1984.