FYI, BLM NEWS Bytes 9/8/04

If you want to keep up with activities on BLM lands these BLM generated monthly reports are a good resource.

BLM News bites

Re: FYI, Wilderness Act-40 year anniversary

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|| United States | Forest | Pacific | Regional Office, R5 |
| | Department of | Service | Southwest | 1323 Club Drive |
| | Agriculture | | Region | Vallejo, CA 94592 |
| | | | | (707) 562-8737 Voice |
| | | | | (707) 562-9130 Text (TDD) |
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Caring for the Land and Serving People Printed on Recycled Paper



In 1832, frontier artist George Catlin suggested that the government create
a preserve to protect, “the wild freshness of nature.” One hundred and
thirty two years later, September 3, 1964, President Lyndon B. Johnson
signed into law the 1964 Wilderness Act, creating the National Wilderness
Preservation System that today consists of 662 wilderness areas and over
105 million acres. I want to take a moment to share with you, our region’s
stewards of wilderness, the legacy of that historic Act enacted 40 years
ago.

In the Pacific Southwest Region, we are stewards of 56 wilderness areas
that total over 4.5 million acres of the National Wilderness Preservation
System. Nearly 22 percent of U.S. Forest Service land in this region is
designated wilderness. Considering the population of California is 36
million and projected to reach 45 million by 2020, our role as wilderness
stewards will only grow in complexity. At a national scale, our region
already has the highest concentration of wilderness areas that are
considered the most complex to manage – including such icons as the John
Muir, Ansel Adams, Desolation, Trinity Alps and Emigrant Wilderness Areas.

Managing these inspiring landscapes is a privilege and a challenge. We are
charged with ensuring that Wilderness is, “an area where the earth and its
community of life are untrammeled by man, where man himself is a visitor
who does not remain…” We must also manage, “for the use and enjoyment of
the American people in such a manner as will leave them unimpaired for
future use and enjoyment as wilderness…” In all aspects of wilderness
stewardship we must remain steadfast to our commitment and responsibilities
for these wilderness areas.

Wilderness stewardship on a daily basis is accomplished by trail crews,
wilderness rangers, biologists and permit administrators, among others. In
addition, the work of our non-profit partners is equally significant.
Gratefully, we have over a dozen of these valued partners across the
Region, such as the Chief’s Award winning Stanislaus Wilderness Volunteers
and others including the San Gorgonio Wilderness Association, High Sierra
Volunteer Trail Crew and Backcountry Horsemen of California to name a few.
We couldn’t accomplish the level of work we do without them. I’d like to
take this opportunity to thank you and commend you all for your
professionalism as stewards of this enduring resource.
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| /s/ Jack A. Blackwell |
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| JACK A. BLACKWELL |
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| Regional Forester |
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