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Beginning in 1872 with the creation of Yellowstone National Park, our Nation has 

 set aside tracts of undeveloped public land in order to preserve the unspoiled rem- 

 nants of what was once a pristine continent. Formal standards for the designation 

 and protection of wilderness areas were established in 1964, when Congress passed 

 the Wilderness Act. The creation of each new wilderness area requires an act of 

 Congress providing official protection to the area. 



Wilderness is a key component of the multiple-use idea, and is specifically recog- 

 nized as a legitimate use of national forest land in both the Multiple Use — Sus- 

 tained Yield Act of 1960 and the National Forest Management Act of 1976. Multi- 

 ple-use is a concept applied generally to the forests, but does not mean — nor has it 

 ever meant — that every use must be applicable on every acre. 



Wilderness areas generally do provide more than one use. Their natural wild 

 characters serve to protect watersheds; provide wildlife habitat; and provide a scien- 

 tific database for the study of natural ecosystems. Other uses allowed in wilderness 

 areas are: 



• Non-commercial hunting, fishing, and trapping; 



• Hiking, horseback riding, and backcountry camping; 



• Cross-country skiing and snowshoeing; 



• Canoeing and float boating; 



• Guiding, outfitting, and packstock use; 



• Control of wildfires, and insect and disease outbreaks; 



• Livestock grazing, where previously established; and 



• Mining, on valid pre-existing claims. 



In order for natural forces to operate free from human interference, and to pre- 

 serve opportunities for solitude, certain uses are not allowed in wilderness areas: 



• Use of mechanized transport (except in emergencies, or medical appliances 

 such as wheelchairs); 



• Roadbuilding and logging (and similar commercial activities, such as ski 

 lifts); 



• Commercial harvesting of plants or animals; 



• Competitive events or large organized group activities, such as Volks- 

 marches; 



• Staking of new mining claims or mineral leases; and 



• New reservoirs or powerlines (except when authorized by the President). 



B. Wilderness uses 



With the recent publicity following the Sierra Club's proposed South Dakota Wil- 

 derness Act, the various Black Hills newspapers are again overflowing with hysteri- 

 cal letters and anti-wilderness misinformation. When you read that "fire and insect 

 control are not allowed" in wilderness, be advised that this is not true. When you 

 read that "grazing will be discontinued", be advised that this is not true. When you 

 read that "wheelchairs are not allowed", be advised that this is not true. 



The following facts about true uses of wilderness are taken from the Forest Serv- 

 ice Handbook and the Wilderness Act itself. 



Fire, Insect, and Disease Management 



Wildfire is an important part of natural ecosystems. Fires remove debris, recycle 

 soil nutrients, and encourage new plant growth. Fires caused by lightning within 

 designated wilderness areas can be allowed to burn if there is no threat to life and 

 property. Wilderness, fire management should conform to a fire management plan, 

 adopted following comments from the public. 



Fire suppression techniques must employ the minimum necessary equipment (e.g., 

 avoid bulldozers where hand tools are sufficient), and they must prevent unneces- 

 sary degradation of the land. 



Prescribed burning may be permitted to restore and maintain the natural condi- 

 tion of a fire-dependent ecosystem. This can help perpetuate habitat for certain 

 threatened and endangered plants or animals. 



Insect and disease outbreaks, like fire, are normal events in natural ecosystems. 

 Our use of the term "infestation" only shows how little we know of these natural 

 processes. Still, insects and disease may be controlled within designated wilderness 

 areas, if not to do so would threaten endangered plant or animal species or other 

 resources outside the wilderness. 



