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~..OQV\t... .,~.' . m NotianaIl . ~ NEWS t> ~~~~ IMMEDIATE JOHN E. BURNS May 24, 1974 303 234-4185 FIFTIETH ANNIVERSARY OF NATIONAL FOREST WILDERNESS June 3, 1974 marks the 50th anniversary of the formal establishment of the first area in the National Forest System to be "managed so as to appear unmanaged" __ Wilderness. The Gila Primitive Area - now the Gila Wilderness - was designated on June 3, 1924, and was the first of 66 National Forest areas, totaling almost 11,000,000 acres, now included in the Wilderness System. The national celebration will take place in Silver City, New Mexico, near the Gila Wilderness, on June 2nd. Secretary of Agriculture Earl Butz, Forest Service Chief John McGuire, New Mexico Governor Bruce King, and Sig Olson, noted author and conservationist, representing the Wilderness Society, will be featured. The master of ceremonies will be entertainer Arthur Godfrey. Twenty three Primitive Areas including almost 4,000,000 acres of National Forest are under consideration for addition to the Wilderness System by Congress. The Forest service has also identified 274 roadless and undeveloped areas total- ing approximately 12,000,000 acres for evaluation as possible Wilderness units. The National Forests in Colorado contain 5 Wilderness and 6 Primitive Areas, totaling over 812,000 acres, while Wyoming has almost 2,400,000 acres in 4 Wilderness and 3 Primitive Areas. An information package on the Wilderness concept and the history of the various Wilderness and Primitive Areas in the Rocky Mountain Region is available on request from the Regional Forester, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Region, Bldg. 85, Denver Federal Center, Denver, Colorado. -- END -- n ij I, l i ~ ,I :1 ., I d " I I I I I