78 FOREST OUTINGS 



control nearly always demands additional trails, telephone lines, and look- 

 out towers. The provision of this equipment furnishes a means of fire pro- 

 tection but at the same time brings in man-made control as against natural 

 control." 



ZONES OF WILDERNESS ... It was about 15 years ago that the first national 

 forest wilderness area was set aside. Today, of 70 of the Nation's established 

 or proposed wilderness areas of 100,000 acres or more, 52 are on the na- 

 tional forests. And 11 out of 13 of those containing 500,000 acres or more 

 are entirely or chiefly on national-forest land. Natural conditions here in 

 many places reasonably compare with general conditions at the time of 

 the Louisiana Purchase. 



Today, too, the Forest Service recognizes some 19 different types of 

 areas where recreation has dominant or exclusive importance. The first 

 five and the eighth of these classifications as listed here stress, in varying 

 degree, the preservation of wilderness values: 



A "wilderness area" must be designated by the Secretary of Agriculture, 

 and must remain content with primitive transportation and habitation. It is 

 defended against roads, resorts, organization camps, summer homes, and 

 commercial logging. It may not be modified or eliminated except by order 

 of the Secretary, and then only after public notice and a 90-day period 

 within which public hearings shall be held if there is a demand for them. 

 The smallest area recognized as a forest wilderness is 100,000 acres, and its 

 boundaries must be at least one-half mile back from any road. 



A "wild area" is a small wilderness area of less than 100,000 acres, but 

 of at least 5,000 acres. 



A "virgin area" is 5,000 acres or more on which there has been virtually 

 no disturbance of the natural vegetation. A "natural area" is set aside to 

 preserve special botanical values, but is not large enough to qualify as a 

 virgin area. A "geological area" is set aside to preserve features of the for- 

 mation and structure of special interest to students. An "archeological area" 

 is set aside to preserve material evidence of aboriginal American peoples, and 

 an "historical area" preserves interesting evidences of the life and activities 

 of people who have lived since the advent of the whites on this continent. 



