Wilderness Preservation Activity At The State Level: A National Review

A national review of state-level activity in wilderness was undertaken early in 1984. All state resource management organizations plus those in Guam, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands were surveyed to determine the extent of such programs, the nature of management associated with such areas, and the problems confronting managers. Criteria were established to distinguish formal, systematic programs from those where wilderness preservation was only an incidental by-product-Nine states currently have promulgated guidelines, either through law or administrative regulation, to preserve wilderness; nearly fifty areas and almost two million acres have been set aside. Such areas represent important efforts to achieve nature conservation goals at the state level and play an important complementary rede to the National Wilderness Preservation System.