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WHAT ARE WE HERE FOR?
BY ALAN W. EWERT, ACTING MANAGING EDITOR
THIS PAST SEPTEMBER marked the 33rd anniversary of
the passage of The 1964 Wilderness Act in the United
States (PL. 88-577). While wilderness areas were in existence
well before 1964, the act codified a concept held dear
by many citizens in numerous countries. Moreover, this concept
of protecting specific areas for the natural continuation of
ecological processes or primitive recreation use has gained substantial
purchase in a number of other countries including
Canada, New Zealand, Australia, Russia, Finland, South
Africa, and Latin America.
While much has changed since 1964, the concept of
wilderness endures. That is, there is a value that many societies
have placed on setting aside certain lands from human
intrusion, development, and other “improvements.” Promoting
that idea is what we are here for! Form follows function,
and without an underlying philosophical belief in the value
of undisturbed lands, any designation is prone to political
whimsy and change.
This does not imply that all wildernesses are one and the
same. Rather, under the broad rubric of wilderness there can,
and does, exist a wide spectrum of landscapes with varying
degrees of human presence and natural processes. Some are,
for the most part, completely lacking a human element while
others are inhabited by indigenous peoples practicing their relationship
with the land just as their ancestors have done for
thousands of years. Wilderness is a big idea and one that can
accommodate a range of situations and settings.
What it cannot tolerate, however, is the lack of a conceptual
and philosophical base. Doubtless, there is a multitude of
FEATURE
other, more economically oriented
uses for many wilderness areas.
What ultimately defends these areas
from exploitation is a generalized
belief that undisturbed lands are a
social good and of great value that
transcends even economic worth.
What are we here for? Certainly not
just to encourage wilderness designation
for certain lands. What we
are really here for is to promote wilderness
as a concept of great value
to our people and our natural ecosystems.
As a resource that is already
scarce and increasingly threatened
from a variety of venues. As a place
IJW acting manging editor Alan W. Ewert.
where good things happen when
people and wilderness meet, or
where people aren’t even part of the picture. If we get these things
right, designation will surely follow. Perhaps Leopold had it right
when he insinuated that good resource management was less
about the resource and more about the human mind.
As you will see in this issue of the IJW, wilderness provides
value in a number of ways and for a number of entities, both
human and nonhuman. See for example Charles O. Mortensen’s
article on Henry David Thoreau and David Mattson’s manuscript
on wilderness-dependent wildlife. Once again, the IJW
reflects the diversity and multidimensional nature of wilderness
and its many attendent values. IJW
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL WILDERNESS—1998!
Watch for three spectacular issues of the International Journal of Wilderness in 1998. These will be published in April,
July, and December. Special feature highlights for these issues will include: April—Southern Africa; July-Latin America,
including Cuba; and December—Water Wilderness Areas.
We have made this change in issues per year in order to better serve our subscribers and uphold our reputation for
producing a high-quality publication at a reasonable price. We look forward to delivering three excellent products to
you in 1998.
Thank You!
THE INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF WILDERNESS Volume 3, Number 4 3