WILDERNESS IN "Yes, I remember that the Act was a controversial piece of legislation," noted Alston.

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1 WILDERNESS IN It was the summer of Alston stood at the entrance to the ranger station located at the edge of the Roderick Nash Wilderness area. Before entering the station, he looked out over the horizon and into the wilderness which extended for as far as he could see. Surrounding the lakes were dense forests of solid green which extended like hundreds of fingers into the solid blue of the lakes. He thought to himself that this is how the continent must have looked before it was settled, endless miles of green and blue. He chuckled softly to himself at the thought because it occurred to him that this is how the wilderness was supposed to look. Alston glanced at his birchbark canoe resting against the ranger s station before entering the station. He opened the door, and as he entered through the door, he stepped over the threshold into a new world. The park ranger on duty, Aldo, greeted him with a friendly smile. Alston placed a large pack containing his gear and change of clothes on the table next to the ranger for inspection. "I am here for my four week wilderness experience," stated Alston. "I've been waiting for two years. I finally won the "Wilderness Lottery, so here I am." "You are truly lucky," exclaimed Aldo. "With the passage of the Wilderness Act of 2018, only twenty-four visitors are permitted into this wilderness area a year. Although this is the seventh year since passage of the act, this is only the second year of operation for the Roderick Nash Wilderness under the new Act." "Yes, I remember that the Act was a controversial piece of legislation," noted Alston. "It was," added Aldo. "Around the turn of the century people began to realize that wilderness as defined by the Wilderness Act of 1964 was not true wilderness. Most people had a romantic view of wilderness. Everything was natural but the experience. Wilderness looked good on paper, but it wasn't the real thing." "You mean wilderness travelers ate their freeze dried food, listened to the hiss of their gas stove, slept in brightly colored domes, and had little interaction with the actual environment," commented Alston. "Yes, and both the backpackers and canoe campers complained that the Winnebago crowd was not having a real outdoor experience," added Aldo. "A hypocritical thought when you think of it." 1 This article is copyrighted Robert B. Kauffman, 2006, Robert B. Kauffman, Ph.D., Professor of Recreation and Parks Management, Frostburg State University, Frostburg, MD e: rkauffman@frostburg.edu.

2 Wilderness in 2075 (7/16/02) page / 2 Originally, the slogan was to Take only pictures and leave only footprints noted Alston. In time, even footprints became interpreted as too much impact and the slogan fell into disuse. "Yes, low impact camping, excuse me, no impact camping eventually became synonymous with a sterile experience in the backcountry," added Alston. "That's why we changed our concept of wilderness," noted Aldo. "For wilderness to be wilderness, it must be as it was when the settlers found this continent," continued Alston. He paused for a moment of thought and then continued. "Perhaps it should be as it was before the coming of the Europeans, but then I couldn't have my wilderness experience, could I?" "The bottom line is that wilderness must contain people." added Aldo. "The concept of solitude which was popular in the 1970s and 1980s was an incorrect concept. It was premised on the proposition that wilderness does not contain people. However, people are an important part of the ecosystem. "I see," noted Alston. "It was not the quantity of people you see; it was how you interact with the environment. In order to be a true wilderness traveler, you need to visit the wilderness on its terms as a "hunter-forager." "That's correct, interjected Aldo. "However, the Act allows some latitude in what you can take into the wilderness. The Act limits the wilderness traveler to technology available before Allowing some industrial technology was a compromise made in order to obtain passage of the Wilderness Act of This is why we allow you to take your Hawkins, steel knife and axe into the wilderness along with your buckskins. Anything beyond what was available to the Indians or the mountain men simply corrupts the wilderness experience." "I understand that the membership of the major national wilderness organization was divided over the Act," noted Alston. "As I remember it, the organization was split right down the middle with the purists on one side and the romanticists on the other." "Yes, that was the case," continued Aldo. "The romanticists wanted wilderness as an aesthetic backdrop for their experience. They wanted their modern camping conveniences and they wanted an experience with few risks. They wanted wilderness devoid of people. In contrast, the purists wanted true wilderness. They wanted the risks. For them, Indians, bears, and the weather were all part of the experience. For the purists, if you don't challenge the wilderness on its terms, it is not wilderness." "So the romanticists were against the Wilderness Act of 2018, and they preferred keeping the Wilderness Act of 1964 unchanged," concluded Alston. "In contrast, the purists lobbied heavily for the new Act."

3 Wilderness in 2075 (7/16/02) page / 3 "For the most part, the purists won the battle of wilderness with the passage of the new Act," concluded Aldo. "The Roderick Nash Wilderness area was the first wilderness area managed under the new Act. Here, we strive to mimic true wilderness." Changing the subject, Alston asked where the changing room was since he wanted to change into his buckskins. After fifteen minutes he reemerged from the dressing room looking like a mountain man straight out of one of the text books he reviewed in preparation for his experience. "You look the part," commented Aldo with laugher in his voice. The rest of Alston's gear was spread out on the table. It included a Bowie knife, Hawkins rifle, and an assortment of supplies including beef jerky and other foods reminiscent of the early 1800s. "Two weeks supplies at best," noted Aldo? "That right. I will need to do some hunting and foraging for food if I am to make it through my four week experience," added Alston. He paused for a moment and then added, "Maybe, I'll shoot an Elk." Both Aldo and Alston walked outside to inspect Alston s canoe. A fine replica of a birch bark canoe, noted Aldo. You even sealed it with pine pitch. That is good! Yes, added Alston. Sealing it with pitch cost me a lot in time and money. As you know, the regulations don t allow me to use the less costly asphalt based products. We are sticklers for authenticity, continued Aldo as they both reentered the ranger s station. "Remember, no modern conveniences, this is wilderness. The only exception is the small transmitter which everyone is required to wear. It allows us to track your movement in the wilderness. It is strictly, for research purposes. In addition, it monitors your vital signs and signals us if you get killed." "Killed," exclaimed Alston. "Yes, its all part of creating a true wilderness experience," continued Aldo. "In the 1990s, we reintroduced the wolves. Then in 2018 with the passage of the new Act, we reinstated Indians. We learned from our park experiences in Kenya with the Maasai tribe that the native hunters were an integral part of maintaining a proper balance in the ecosystem." Aldo walked over to the map of the park hanging on the wall. "Our scouting reports indicate that the Indians are in this area so you may want to give them a wide berth." Pointing to the map, he continued. "You should get a good view of the Indians from the top of this ridge. You can view them with little danger. Remember, we are attempting to create a true wilderness experience. Please remember that the each Indian is permitted three scalps per year.

4 Wilderness in 2075 (7/16/02) page / 4 Its like a hunting license where you are the prey." "Where do you obtain your Indians," asked Alston? "I thought that any native Indians were eliminated in the late 1800s and any remaining Indians were living on reservations or in cities." "We hire them off the reservation," replied Aldo. "They go into the wilderness for two months at a time. They too have to live off the land, just as their ancestors did before the creation of the wilderness. And the pay isn't that bad either." "And what happens if I get into trouble with an Indian," asked Alston. "You wanted a true wilderness experience, didn't you," Aldo asked rhetorically? Then he answered his own question. "You may get killed!" "I guess so," replied Alston. "Oh, by the way," continued Aldo. "You need to sign this waiver. It relieves the government of any responsibility in case you become injured or killed. It states that you understand the risks of the experience including Indians and wildlife. Also, it states that if you are injured or in trouble, no assistance will be offered to you. You are completely on your own! I can not overstate this last point." As Alston signed the waiver, he chuckled to himself out loud. "You mean that if I get injured, I will have to crawl to the border of the wilderness, half dead, and only after I tag the border will I receive emergency medical services!" "You've got the right idea," replied Aldo. Then changing to a new subject he continued. "Did you have any other questions before you enter the Wilderness?" "I do," asked Alston philosophically. "Isn't the concept of managing wilderness really an oxymoron? You hire Indians to live as they once did. You require buckskins and 1850 technology. You reestablished the wolf, bison and other wildlife in the early 1990s that had become became extinct. And then you find that you need the Indians in several of the mid-west wilderness areas to hunt the bison which became overpopulated in the late 1990s. Haven't you created a contrived experience?" "You asked the age old question," noted Aldo. "As we both know, wilderness is supposed to be untrammeled, unshackled, and unmanaged. If you manage it, how can it be wilderness? You are correct; it is managed. However, the difference between the Wilderness Act of 1964 and the Wilderness Act of 2018 is evident in the differences between the romanticists and the purists. The difference is two fold: the experience and the risk. You are entering the wilderness with the technology consistent of a hunter-forager. In addition, you are entering wilderness on its terms, not on modern terms. Simply put, if you don't live by your wits, you can become severely injured or killed."

5 Wilderness in 2075 (7/16/02) page / 5 "I think you summarized it well," noted Alston. "I've enjoyed our discussion. I'll let you know in four weeks if my wilderness experience is as the purists hoped when they passed the Wilderness Act of 2018." Over the door at the rear of the office hung a sign: "Entering the Roderick Nash Wilderness Area. You are on your own." Alston chuckled silently to himself as he realized the true meaning behind the statement. He turned and thanked Aldo for his assistance. Alston walked over to the door, opened it and stepped into a true wilderness experience, thanks to the Wilderness Act of 2018.