What is Wilderness?
Wilderness refers to a special piece of federal public land that has been given this name by Congress. The United States was the first country in the world to both define and designate Wilderness through law. In 1964, in a nearly unanimous vote, Congress enacted landmark legislation that permanently protected some of the most natural and undisturbed places in America. The Wilderness Act of 1964 is one of the most successful U.S. environmental laws because it continues to be the guiding piece of legislation for all Wilderness areas. It is the strongest form of protection that we can give to our federal public lands.
The Wilderness Act defines wilderness as "as an area where the earth and its community of life are untrammeled by man, or man himself is a visitor who does not remain." The Act further defines a wilderness area as "land retaining its primeval character and influence, without permanent improvements or human habitation,... which (1) generally appears to have been affected primarily by the forces of nature, with the imprint of man's work substantially unnoticeable; (2) has outstanding opportunities for solitude or a primitive and unconfined type of recreation; (3) has at least 5,000 acres of land or is of sufficient size as to make practicable its preservation and use in an unimpaired condition; and (4) may also contain ecological, geological, or other features of scientific, educational or historical value."
Currently, there are over 110 million acres protected as Wilderness in the United States. Only 1% of Virginia’s land is designated as Wilderness, nearly 220,000 acres on the George Washington & Jefferson National Forest and Shenandoah National Park. The Virginia Wilderness Committee looks to protect the most special places. It is the highest form of protection available for our public lands is the best way to leave a lasting wild legacy in Virginia.
The Wilderness Act defines wilderness as "as an area where the earth and its community of life are untrammeled by man, or man himself is a visitor who does not remain." The Act further defines a wilderness area as "land retaining its primeval character and influence, without permanent improvements or human habitation,... which (1) generally appears to have been affected primarily by the forces of nature, with the imprint of man's work substantially unnoticeable; (2) has outstanding opportunities for solitude or a primitive and unconfined type of recreation; (3) has at least 5,000 acres of land or is of sufficient size as to make practicable its preservation and use in an unimpaired condition; and (4) may also contain ecological, geological, or other features of scientific, educational or historical value."
Currently, there are over 110 million acres protected as Wilderness in the United States. Only 1% of Virginia’s land is designated as Wilderness, nearly 220,000 acres on the George Washington & Jefferson National Forest and Shenandoah National Park. The Virginia Wilderness Committee looks to protect the most special places. It is the highest form of protection available for our public lands is the best way to leave a lasting wild legacy in Virginia.