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Under § 4(c), the Secretary submits the proposal to the Secretaries of Agriculture
<br /> and the Army, the Chairman of the Federal Power Commission, and the head of any
<br /> other affected federal department or agency and evaluates and gives due weight to any
<br /> recommendations or comments which these officials furnish him within 90 days of the
<br /> date on which it is submitted to them. If the Secretary approves the proposed inclusion,
<br /> notice is published in the Federal Register.
<br /> C. Wilderness Designation: Wilderness Act of 1964 ("Wilderness Act"):
<br /> The Wilderness Act established and determined the management parameters for the
<br /> National Wilderness Preservation System, a system of major protection for federal lands
<br /> — National Parks, Forests, Wildlife Refuges, and BLM lands —which may be
<br /> designated as wilderness by Congress. The intent of the Wilderness Act is:
<br /> . . . to assure that an increasing population, . . . does not occupy and modify all areas
<br /> within the United States . . ., leaving no lands designated for preservation and protection
<br /> i n their natural condition, it is . . . the policy of the Congress to secure for the American
<br /> people of present and future generations the benefits of an enduring resource of
<br /> wilderness.
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<br /> Activities permitted in wilderness: Most activities that pre-existed the
<br /> wilderness designation are permitted in wilderness areas. Non-motorized recreation,
<br /> such as hiking, camping, hunting, horseback riding, fishing, boating, and commercial
<br /> outfitting are permitted, as are pre-existing activities, such as livestock grazing in the
<br /> same manner as it occurred at the time of designation (including motorized access
<br /> when necessary), development of valid mineral claims and leases, and access to
<br /> existing water-resource facilities for maintenance. Emergency activities, such as rescue
<br /> and firefighting, including motorized access, may occur in wilderness areas. Certain
<br /> administrative uses such as scientific research, data-gathering devices like rain gauges,
<br /> and fire prevention activities are also allowed. Private property rights within wilderness
<br /> are respected. Access to private land parcels within the wilderness, generally
<br /> consistent with historic access, is permitted.
<br /> Activities prohibited in wilderness: No road construction or permanent
<br /> structures are allowed in wilderness areas, nor are activities such as logging, mining
<br /> exploration, and vehicular traffic, although new construction for livestock grazing, such
<br /> as fences and spring developments, is allowed where needed to protect resources.
<br /> Motorized and mechanized access in wilderness, including off-road vehicles and
<br /> mountain bikes is prohibited, except for emergency use (firefighting, rescue, etc.); and
<br /> for grazing management, and some administrative uses (such as maintenance of water
<br /> facilities), where non-motorized alternatives aren't practical.
<br /> Benefits of wilderness: Leaving areas of land – and established traditional
<br /> activities — as they were at the time the wilderness is designated; protecting
<br /> watersheds that provide drinking water to cities and rural communities; helping meet the
<br /> nation's increasing demand for outdoor non-motorized recreation (hiking, hunting,
<br /> fishing, bird watching, canoeing, camping, and many other activities); providing habitat
<br /> for wildlife and natural laboratories for scientific research; and serving as a haven from
<br /> the pressures of our fast-paced, industrialized society.
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