Come Celebrate the Eve of the 50th Anniversary of the Wilderness Act

Date: August 26, 2014
Contact: Public Affairs Office, 307.739.3393

On the eve of the golden anniversary of the Wilderness Act, local residents and park visitors are invited to join Grand Teton National Park ranger naturalists at the Laurance S. Rockefeller Preserve Center, Tuesday, September 2, to celebrate the conservation crusade that led to passage of this landmark legislation. The Wilderness Act was signed into law by President Lyndon B. Johnson 50 years ago on September 3, 1964.

Those attending Tuesday's program will be encouraged to discuss ideas about how the National Park Service can adhere to the original intentions of the Wilderness Act of 1964, while also meeting the unique challenges of 21st century land conservation. Participants will also learn about the significance of the Wilderness Act as a conservation milestone and discuss questions such as:

·Are 'untrammeled' lands still 'untrammeled' when we account for the global impact that people have through climate change and other worldwide trends?

·Can humans be 'merely visitors' when no corner of the Earth has remained untouched by the sounds of automobiles, airplanes and other technologies?

·Can the concept of 'wilderness' be an attainable reality or is it an introspective social construct?

This special educational/interpretive program titled, Rethinking the Wild in Wilderness, will take place from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, September 2, in the Laurance S. Rockefeller Preserve Center Resource Room. Refreshments will be provided.

Reservations are required. Please call the Laurance S. Rockefeller Preserve at 307.739.3654 to confirm to a space for this contemplation on wilderness and its 21st century implications.

As John Muir once said, "Thousands of tired, nerve-shake, over-civilized people are beginning to find out that going to the mountains is going home;that wildness is a necessity;and that mountain parks and reservations are useful not only as fountains of timber and irrigating rivers, but as fountains of life." Come explore the meaning of this statement for our everyday lives, as well as the consequences for future generations.