In celebrating the 45th anniversary of the 1964 Wilderness Act this month, we must keep an eye to the future of Central Oregon's wild deserts. As President Obama said when he declared September 2009 "National Wilderness Month," if we can work together to protect more of our nation's wilderness, "... we will ensure that future generations inherit the unique gift of knowing nature's peace."
In our busy lives, we sometimes forget how fortunate we are to have wild places where we can find both solace and adventure. For me, the greatest escape is finding a new place to explore. Wild areas just outside of town, like Whychus Creek, Gerry Mountain and the South Fork of the Crooked River, remind me of what Central Oregon must have been like hundreds of years ago. In our high deserts, we still have places where it is possible to feel that no one has ever stood exactly where you now stand, that no feet but the gentle hooves of pronghorn have ever beaten the faint trail you follow. I want to keep Central Oregon wild, so that one day my grandchildren may follow that same faint trail, or find their own way in the wilderness.
