National Wilderness Preservation System

The term wilderness is defined as "an area where the earth and community of life are untrammeled by man, where man himself is a visitor who does not remain" and "an area of undeveloped Federal land retaining its primeval character and influence, without permanent improvements or human habitation, which is protected and managed so as to preserve its natural conditions".

During the 1950s and 1960s, as the American transportation system was on the rise, concern for clean air and water quality began to grow.

Fish and Wildlife Service review all federal lands under their jurisdiction for wilderness areas to include in the NWPS.

[8] On March 30, 2009, President Barack Obama signed into law the Omnibus Public Land Management Act of 2009.

[9] The John D. Dingell, Jr. Conservation, Management, and Recreation Act of 2019 added another 1.3 million acres (530,000 ha) in 43 new and expanded wilderness areas.

"[1] Wilderness areas are subject to specific management restrictions; human activities are limited to non-motorized recreation (such as backpacking, camping, hunting, fishing, horseback riding, etc.

When closely observed, the Leave No Trace ethos ensures that wilderness areas remain untainted by human interaction.

A special exemption to the rule against mechanized equipment is made for wilderness areas in Alaska: limited use of motorized vehicles and construction of cabins and aquaculture are permitted.

In terms of total acres, Alaska, California, Arizona, Idaho, and Washington are the top five states for wilderness, containing almost 80 percent of the acreage in the system.

Wilderness areas exist in every state except Connecticut, Delaware, Iowa, Kansas, Maryland, and Rhode Island.

The smallest area protected by the WPS is the Pelican Island Wilderness in northern Florida, which measures just 6 acres (2.4 ha) total.

On November 7, 2009, an agreement between the United States, Canada, and Mexico entitled the "Memorandum of Understanding on Cooperation for Wilderness Conservation" was made.

One of the major goals of the Wilderness Preservation System is to provide undeveloped habitats for threatened or endangered species.

[16] Thousands of laws and policies have helped shape and manage the National Wilderness Preservation System in the United States.