
at? “os 
creasingly restless and were eager to vote, for they had often heard 
from the "folks back home," and knew the people were solidly in favor 
of the bill, 
The staff of the Wilderness Society (2144 P St., Washington, D.C.) 
stated that the overwhelming support given the bill by the people of 
the far West, by other sections of the country, and also by regional 
groups like the Illinois Audubon Society, resulted in "educating" 
Congressmen to the need for a National wilderness policy, This victory, 
which resulted in the most significant outdoor conservation legislation 
of our generation, was due to everyone who made a phone call, wrote a 
letter, or sent a telegram expressing his or her views on the subject. 
The law creates no new bureaus, creates no new taxes, sets aside 
no new wilderness areas, It merely provides legislative protection to 
more than 9,000,000 acres of existing wilderness which formerly were 
protected only by the forbearance of the Secretary of Agriculture and the 
Secretary of the Interior, The Wilderness Society has warned conserva- 
tionists that they face a ten-year battle to protect 5.6 million acres 
now classified as "Primitive Areas" which do not come under the Act, 
There are 34 such areas, 
~----Raymond Mostek 
TRIUMPH IN WASHINGTON - HOW GREAT? 
In an appropriate outdoor setting, with a host of Senators, Con- 
gressmen, agency officials, and leaders of conservation organizations as 
witnesses, President Lyndon B, Johnson on September 3 signed into law 
two historic conservation measures: S.4, the "WILDERNESS ACT" and 
H.R. 3846, the "LAND AND WATER CONSERVATION FUND ACT," 
Among those on hand for the signing ceremony in the White House rose 
garden were Mrs, Howard Zahniser and Mrs, Olaus Murie, widows of men who 
contributed major efforts to the formulation and passage of the Wilderness 
Act. You may recall Mr, Zahniser's recent unexpected death, when he died 
in his sleep at the age of 58 after working a full day at his desk, As 
Executive Director of The Wilderness Society and editor of The Living 
Wilderness, Dr. Zahniser did not live to witness the triumph of ten long, 
discouraging years of fighting for the bill, 
The President said: "This is a very happy and historic occasion 
for all who love the great American outdoors,....The two bills that I am 
signing this morning are in the highest tradition of our heritage as 
conservators as well as users of America's pountiful natural endowments, 
The Wilderness Bill preserves for our posterity, for all time to come, 
9 million acres of this vast continent in their original and unchanging 
beauty and wonder, The Land and Water Conservation Fund Bill assures 
our growing population that we will begin, as of this day, to acquire on 
a pay-as-you-go basis, the outdoor recreation lands that tomorvow's 
Americans will require..." While we realize that the Wilderness Act 
allows mining and lumbering to pillage wilderness areas for 25 more years, 
Still we wish to thank all of you in the ILLINOIS AUDUBON SOCIETY who 
helped to bring these conservation measures into law, 
----Betty Groth 



