Infernoren

Nickas, G. & Proescholdt, K. (2005). Keeping the wild in wilderness: Minimizing nonconforming uses in the National Wilderness Preservation System. International Journal of Wilderness,11(3), 13-18.

Summary: The article “Keeping the Wild in Wilderness”, elaborates many underlining issues not obviously evident about what really is allowed to happen in wilderness area. It expresses the overall importance of wilderness character and its purpose for nature. Yet it identifies the many confounding uses that are degrading the benefits of its presence through loop holes in the law. This is ultimately allowing management of the wilderness ecosystem to be missed used in sense yet being legal. Issues include the use of airstrips, outfitting and guiding, motorized vehicle use, predator control by hunting, to name a few within wilderness boundaries. Also noted are ways to remove or limit the nonconforming uses within the legislation that gives wilderness its powerful presence here in America.

Context: An important step in controlling the management and state of wilderness areas has led to legislation to be the final say. With this comes the action’s of four governing agencies to play out the roles made by the ever important Wilderness Act. With the many minimum requirements made within the act leaves room for chances to take advantage of what is documented to extremes. “Unfortunately, the good intentions of the law are not always being realized on the ground” (Nickas & Proescholdt, 2005, p. 15), showing a lack in stewardship for the land. Ease within what can be done on the land creates open door management that can be manipulated or taken advantage of towards the true essential use. Conserving nature is essential but management is the answer making way for such a paradox in the known wilderness. With this “These nonconforming uses reflect some of the compromises necessary to pass a Wilderness bill” (Hendee & Dawson, 2002, p. 112). This supports the idea that...