Our Successes
The Virginia Wilderness Committee (VWC) has been the driving force behind every Virginia Wilderness bill. Today, the largest unprotected roadless lands in the East remain in Virginia's George Washington and Jefferson National Forests. Our work continues to be crucial.
Devil's Marbleyard in James River Face Wilderness
Historical milestones for Wilderness in Virginia:
1964 - Passage of the Wilderness Act
1969 - Formation of the Virginia Wilderness Committee
1975 - Passage of the Eastern Wilderness Act: added 200,000 acres to the National Wilderness Preservation System (NWPS), including Virginia's first Wilderness area, James River Face, and four Wilderness Study Area: Mill Creek, Peters Mountain, Mountain Lake, and Ramseys Draft
1976 - Passage of an act adding 80,000 acres of Wilderness in Shenandoah National Park
1984 - Passage of the Virginia Wilderness Act: Added to the NWPS Ramseys Draft, Saint Mary's, Thunder Ridge, Mountain Lake, Peters Mountain, Kimberling Creek, Beartown, Little Dry Run, Lewis Fork, Little Wilson Creek, James River Face addition, and four Wilderness Study Areas: Rough Mountain, Rich Hole, Barbours Creek, and Shawvers Run
1988 - Passage of the Virginia Wilderness Act: Four new areas: Barbours Creek, Shawvers Run, Rich Hole, and Rough Mountain, and additions to Mountain Lake and Lewis Fork
1994 - Passage of Mount Pleasant National Scenic Area Act
2000 - Passage of the Virginia Wilderness Act: Added Three Ridges and The Priest
2009 - Passage of the Virginia Ridge and Valley Act: Added Brush Mountain, Brush Mountain East, Garden Mountain, Hunting Camp Creek, Raccoon Branch, and Stone Mountain; established National Scenic Area designation for Bear Creek and Seng Mountain, and Wilderness Study Area designation for Lynn Camp Creek
1964 - Passage of the Wilderness Act
1969 - Formation of the Virginia Wilderness Committee
1975 - Passage of the Eastern Wilderness Act: added 200,000 acres to the National Wilderness Preservation System (NWPS), including Virginia's first Wilderness area, James River Face, and four Wilderness Study Area: Mill Creek, Peters Mountain, Mountain Lake, and Ramseys Draft
1976 - Passage of an act adding 80,000 acres of Wilderness in Shenandoah National Park
1984 - Passage of the Virginia Wilderness Act: Added to the NWPS Ramseys Draft, Saint Mary's, Thunder Ridge, Mountain Lake, Peters Mountain, Kimberling Creek, Beartown, Little Dry Run, Lewis Fork, Little Wilson Creek, James River Face addition, and four Wilderness Study Areas: Rough Mountain, Rich Hole, Barbours Creek, and Shawvers Run
1988 - Passage of the Virginia Wilderness Act: Four new areas: Barbours Creek, Shawvers Run, Rich Hole, and Rough Mountain, and additions to Mountain Lake and Lewis Fork
1994 - Passage of Mount Pleasant National Scenic Area Act
2000 - Passage of the Virginia Wilderness Act: Added Three Ridges and The Priest
2009 - Passage of the Virginia Ridge and Valley Act: Added Brush Mountain, Brush Mountain East, Garden Mountain, Hunting Camp Creek, Raccoon Branch, and Stone Mountain; established National Scenic Area designation for Bear Creek and Seng Mountain, and Wilderness Study Area designation for Lynn Camp Creek
History of the Virginia Wilderness Committee
Ernie Dickerman at St. Marys Wilderness
- Ernie Dickerman, the "Father of Eastern Wilderness," was deeply involved with VWC for decades before his death in 1998. Ernie helped draft early texts of the Eastern Wilderness Act and lobbied Congress. Later he joined The Wilderness Society staff, building grassroots support for wilderness designation and wrestling with the land management agencies. He retired in 1976 to Virginia, where he became part of the backbone of the VWC and was constantly consulted on a variety of wilderness planning and strategy issues. Ernie donated his papers to Special Collections in Carrier Library at James Madison University. Read Ernie's "History of Virginia Wilderness Committee" (1996) and his 1989 essay, "In Celebration of a Quarter Century of the Wilderness Act."
After Ernie died in 1998, Jim and Bess Murray put together Ernie Dickerman, 1910-1998: A Tribute, The Wilderness Society, 1999. As Editor Bess Murray said, it is a collection of "contributions long and short, funny and sad, light-hearted and serious, from colleagues, friends and family." The full-text is available below.
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Jim Murray
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