Final Thoughts on the Importance of Wilderness

The Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act  (ANILCA) is a U.S. law passed towards the end of President Carter's Presidency after nearly four years of fierce debate. ANILCA significantly expanded the National Park System in Alaska and designated vast areas as wilderness, wildlife refugees, and wild and scenic rivers. A primary goal of ANILCA was to protect the unique natural, cultural, and recreational resources of Alaska while also recognizing the importance of subsistence uses for rural residents. 

The act is considered a landmark piece of environmental legislation demonstrating a commitment to both conservation and recognition of traditional ways of life. 

President Carter later described ANILCA "one of my most gratifying achievements in public life."

I come away from our time in Alaska with profound gratitude for all the visionaries who sought to preserve the wilds of Alaska versus exploit them. It is now up to us to ensure that this beautiful place will remain as unspoiled as possible for our children and grandchildren. 

On the trip, I also learned about Terry Tempest Williams who is a writer, educator, conservationalist, and activist. I love this quote of hers about the importance of wilderness in our lives. 

"Wilderness is the source of what we can imagine and what we cannot - the taproot of consciousness. It will survive us. I return to wilderness to remember what I have forgotten, that the world can be wholesome, beautiful and that the harmony and integrity of ecosystems at peace is a mirror of what we have lost."

Terry Tempest Williams