How protecting wilderness could mean purposefully tending it, not just leaving it alone

For decades, wilderness lands have been left largely unaltered by human activity. But those places are still changing, and keeping them wild and special may require action, not inaction.

By: Clare E. Boerigter, United States Forest Service, The Conversation

Outlets: The Conversation

Published: February 25, 2026

Words: 1,426

Last Updated: 2 weeks ago

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By Clare E. Boerigter, United States Forest Service

More than 110 million acres of land across the U.S. are protected in 806 federally designated wilderness areas – together an area slightly larger than the state of California. For the most part, these places have been left alone for decades, in keeping with the 1964 Wilderness Act’s directive that they be “untrammeled by man.”

But in a time when lands are experiencing the …

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