Wilderness Tutorials: Designating Wilderness

In the words of the 1964 Wilderness Act, designated Wilderness is "an area of undeveloped Federal land retaining its primeval character and influence, without permanent improvements or human habitation, which is protected and managed so as to preserve its natural conditions." By law, Wilderness is preserved from degradation by roads, dams, or other permanent structures; from timber cutting and the operation of motorized vehicles and equipment; and, since 1984, from new mining claims and mineral leasing. However, mining operations and livestock grazing are permitted to continue in Wilderness areas where such operations existed prior to an area's designation. Hunting and fishing are also allowed in Wilderness areas (except for hunting in national parks), as are a wide range of other non-mechanized recreation, scientific, and outdoor activities.

The Montana Wilderness Association was founded in 1958 with great foresight. The founders, all Montanans, knew that wilderness lands—if undeveloped--could provide countless long-term benefits to Montana. They also knew that pressure to develop lands for short-term, private gain was mounting. Their solution was Wilderness. As volunteers, they worked to get the 1964 Wilderness Act developed and passed. With its passage, many premier Montana Wilderness Areas were automatically established: the Bob Marshall, Cabinet Mountains, Gates of the Mountains, Selway-Bitterroot, and Anaconda-Pintler Wildernesses.

More citizen volunteers joined the ranks and, in 1972, won America’s first “citizen’s wilderness”—the Scapegoat. It was the first wilderness conceived by local citizens and won primarily through grassroots organizing. It became a model for many future wilderness campaigns across the country.

From 1976-1978, our members helped secure wilderness designation for the Great Bear, Rattlesnake, Absaroka-Beartooth, Mission Mountains, Welcome Creek, UL Bend, Medicine Lake, and Red Rock Lakes Wilderness Areas.

Many wilderness bills have been introduced since that time, but have consistently faced a difficult political climate in Congress or the executive branch.