If You Value Wilderness, Now Is the Time to Speak Up

For many outdoor enthusiasts, Wilderness is where the best adventures begin. There are more than 111 million acres of Wilderness areas on our public lands, which are protected for their undeveloped character, their conservation benefits, and for their backcountry recreation values.

Wilderness is where we backpack into alpine basins, paddle wild rivers, climb towering cliffs, explore remote landscapes, ski quiet forests, and reconnect with nature away from roads and crowds.

Now, the Department of the Interior is asking the public to weigh in as it reviews longstanding policies that guide how Wilderness, Wilderness Study Areas, and other wilderness-eligible public lands are managed by the National Park Service, BLM, and Fish and Wildlife Service.

The agencies haven't proposed specific policy changes. But they are asking whether existing Wilderness policies should be reconsidered and changed—and that's why it's important they hear from the people who value wilderness experiences.

This review comes at a time when the administration is rolling back important public land protections, including national monuments and the Roadless Rule. The administration also often uses “outdoor recreation” and “access” as a touchstone, which makes it especially important for the outdoor recreation community to speak up about how much they value undeveloped landscapes and the recreation experiences they provide.

Use our tool below to share your personal comment on why you value Wilderness. You can use the template and add what you love to do in Wilderness, why it matters to you, and why you hope future generations can experience them too.

Whether you're introducing your kids to backpacking, climbing your favorite route, paddling a wilderness river, or simply finding peace on a quiet trail, your story belongs in the public record.