Wilderness activists, leading wilderness academicians, federal wilderness agency personnel, and energetic youth were in abundance at the Wilderness 50 Conference, held October 15-19, 2014, in Albuquerque, N.M. The session was a celebration of the 50th Anniversary of enactment of the Wilderness Act in 1964.
The conference, which attracted 1,200 attendees, included several plenary sessions, as well as six tracks of breakout sessions each day under the themes of History, Science, Stewardship, Civic Engagement, Experience, and Education. Also included was a one-act play impersonation of Aldo Leopold, two film festivals, an outdoor Wilderness Festival, an exhibit hall full of 100 exhibiters, and pre- and post- conference field trips.
Needless to say, it was impossible to attend and participate in all activities, though I did attend all plenary sessions. All four directors of the federal public land management agencies (except National Park Service Director Jonathan Jarvis, who sent his deputy due to a family emergency) spoke at one plenary panel and signed a 2020 Vision Statement for future (hopefully improved) management of wilderness. Sierra Club President David Scott gave a speech at one of the plenary sessions; author Terry Tempest Williams at another. Longtime wilderness advocate Doug Scott expressed his well-known passion for adding more units to the wilderness system, and activist Dave Foreman wrapped up the conference with an enthusiastic stemwinder speech - this time he ended with the loud chirping call of chickadees instead of his traditional wolf howl!
I focused my attention in breakout panels on the History, Science, and Stewardship themes. I learned quite a bit about the development of the concept of wilderness as various writers fleshed out their thoughts in writings both before and after passage of the Wilderness Act. I also learned about the many scientific research projects completed and underway to provide better informatuion about the wilderness resource and the impacts of both recreational and non-recreational users on wilderness areas.
Most disturbing to me were some of the things I learned from panelists who discussed various aspects of stewardship by federal wilderness managers. Although these managers have a difficult job evaluating proposed actions that would impinge on wilderness values, several speakers (including one notable agency staffer) expressed opinions that managers too often lean toward the side of expediency rather than upholding true wilderness values.
Wilderness Watch Board Member Louise Lasley and Conservation Director Kevin Proescholdt made very informative presentations during their panel presentations. This organization was established 25 years ago for the sole purpose of monitoring wilderness decisions and taking action in response to decisions that, in the opinion of Wilderness Watch, are adverse to wilderness values. Its track record is excellent; it has won over 90% of the lawsuits it has filed.
As many may know, the Sierra Club's wilderness advocate Vicky Hoover was instrumental in planning and implementing this very informative conference. And a splendid job she and the other organizers did.
David Czamanske is chair of the Pasadena Group of Sierra Club's Angeles Chapter.