Wilderness: Overview and Statistics
Katie Hoover
Analyst in Natural Resources Policy
January 9, 2014
Congressional Research Service
7-5700
www.crs.gov
RL31447
Wilderness: Overview and Statistics
Summary
January 12, 2015
(RL31447)
Summary
Congress enacted the Wilderness Act in 1964. This act created the National Wilderness
Preservation System, reserved to Congress the authority to designate wilderness areas, and
directed the Secretaries of Agriculture and of the Interior to review certain lands for their
wilderness potential. The act also designated 54 wilderness areas with 9 million acres of federal
land. Congress began expanding the Wilderness System in 1968, and today, there are
759
762 wilderness areas, totaling nearly 110 million acres, in 44 states. Numerous bills to designate
additional areas and to expand existing ones have been introduced and considered in every
Congress.
The Wilderness Act defined wilderness as an area of undeveloped federal land, but, due to
differing perceptions of wilderness and its purpose, did not establish criteria or standards to
determine whether an area should be designated. In general, wilderness areas are undeveloped,
and commercial activities, motorized access, and roads, structures, and facilities are
generally
prohibited in wilderness areas. However, in response to conflicting demands, Congress has
granted both general exemptions and specific exceptions to the general standards and
prohibitions.
Questions also persist over the frequency and extent to which federal agencies must review the wilderness potential of their lands, and how those lands should be managed.
The federal government owns about
2928% of the land in the United States, although the proportion
in each state varies widely. Four federal agencies—the Bureau of Land Management, National
Park Service, and Fish and Wildlife Service in the Department of the Interior; and the Forest
Service in the Department of Agriculture—manage most of the 110 million acres of designated
wilderness, as well as many other lands. They also protect lands as possible additions to the
Wilderness System, and review the wilderness potential of lands.
In total, nearly 18% of federal land administered by the four major federal land management
agencies, and nearly 5% of all land in the United States, has been designated as wilderness,
largely in Alaska. Alaska, because of its size and relatively pristine condition, dominates
wilderness statistics—more than 52% of designated wilderness is in Alaska
(57.4 million acres). In total, nearly 16%
of all land (federal, state, private, and other) in Alaska has been designated as wilderness. In
contrast, 3% of all land in the United States outside Alaska has been designated as wilderness.
Congressional Research Service
Wilderness: Overview and Statistics
Contents
History of Wilderness ...................................................................................................................... 1
What Is Wilderness? ........................................................................................................................ 4
Prohibited and Permitted Uses......................................................................................................... 5
Data on Wilderness Designations as of December 31, 2013 ........................................................... 6
Agency Land Data ..................................................................................................................... 7
Wilderness Statistics ................................................................................................................ 10
Figures
Figure 1. Regional Distribution of Federal Land ............................................................................. 9
Figure 2. Regional Distribution of Wilderness Designations ........................................................ 10
Tables
Table 1. Additions to the National Wilderness Preservation System ............................................... 3
Table 2. Total Area Managed by Federal Land Management Agencies........................................... 7
Table 3. Federal Designated Wilderness Acreage, by State and by Agency .................................. 11
Contacts
Author Contact Information........................................................................................................... 14
Acknowledgments ......................................................................................................................... 14
Congressional Research Service
Wilderness: Overview and Statistics
I
n
Wilderness: Overview and Statistics
In 1964, the Wilderness Act established a national system of congressionally designated areas
to be preserved in a wilderness condition:
“"where the earth and its community of life are
untrammeled by man, where man himself is a visitor who does not remain.
”1"1 The National
Wilderness Preservation System (the Wilderness System) was originally created with 9 million
acres of Forest Service lands. Congress has since
expanded the Wilderness System to more than
109 million acresadded approximately 100 million more acres to the Wilderness System (see Table 1) among some
615608.9 million acres of land managed by the federal
land management agencies—the Forest Service in the Department of Agriculture, and the
National Park Service (NPS), Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), and Bureau of Land Management
(BLM) in the Department of the Interior
(see Table 2)..2 Federal agencies, Members of Congress,
and interest groups have recommended
moreadditional lands for inclusion in the Wilderness System.
Furthermore, at the direction of Congress, agencies have studied, or are studying, the wilderness
potential of their lands. This report provides a brief history of wilderness, describes what
wilderness is, identifies permitted and prohibited uses in wilderness areas, and provides data on
wilderness designations as of December 31, 2013 the 109.8 million acres of designated wilderness areas as of January 1, 2015. For information on current wilderness
legislation, see CRS Report R41610, Wilderness: Legislation and Issues in the
113th114th Congress
.
.
History of Wilderness
As the United States was formed, the federal government acquired 1.8 billion acres of land
through purchases, treaties, and other agreements. Initial federal policy was generally to transfer
ownership to states and private ownership, but Congress also provided for reserving certain lands
for federal purposes, and over time has reserved or withdrawn increasing acreage for national
parks, national forests, wildlife refuges, etc.
23 The general policy of federal lands disposal was
changed to a general policy of retaining the remaining lands in the Federal Land Policy and
Management Act of 1976 (FLPMA).
3
4
Beginning in 1897, management of the national forests emphasized conservation—protecting and
developing the lands. It did not take long for some Forest Service leaders to recognize the need to
preserve some areas in a natural state. Acting at its own discretion, and at the behest of an
employee named Aldo Leopold, the Forest Service created the first wilderness area in the Gila
National Forest in New Mexico in 1924. In the succeeding decades, the agency
’'s system of
wilderness, wild, and primitive areas grew to 14.6 million acres. However, in the 1950s,
increasing timber harvests and recreational use of the national forests led to public concerns about
the permanence of this purely administrative system. The Forest Service had relied on its
administrative authority in making wilderness designations; there was no law guaranteeing future
protection.
In response, Congress enacted the Wilderness Act in 1964. The act defines wilderness and
prohibits or restricts certain activities in wilderness areas, while permitting other activities to
occur. The act reserves to Congress the authority to designate areas as part of the National
Wilderness Preservation System.
The Wilderness System was initially endowed with the 9.1 million acres of national forest lands
that had been identified administratively as wilderness areas or wild areas. The Wilderness Act
1
P.L. 88-577. 16 U.S.C. §§1131-1136.
See CRS Report RL34267, Federal Land Ownership: Constitutional Authority and the History of Acquisition,
Disposal, and Retention.
3
P.L. 94-579. 43 U.S.C. §§1701, et seq.
2
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Wilderness: Overview and Statistics
directed the Secretary of Agriculture to review the agency
’'s 5.5 million acres of primitive areas,
and the Secretary of the Interior to evaluate the wilderness potential of National Park System and
National Wildlife Refuge System lands. The Secretaries were to report their recommendations to
the President and to Congress within 10 years (i.e., by 1974). Separate recommendations were
made for each area
;, and many areas recommended for wilderness were designated, although some
of the recommendations are still pending. In 1976, FLPMA directed the Secretary of the Interior
to conduct a similar review of the public lands administered by BLM within 15 years (i.e., by
1991). BLM submitted its recommendations to the President, and presidential recommendations
were submitted to Congress.
The 90th
The 90th Congress began expanding the Wilderness System in 1968, as shown in Table 1. Five
laws were enacted, creating five new wilderness areas with 792,750 acres in four states.
Wilderness designations generally increased in each succeeding Congress, rising to a peak of 60.8
million acres designated during the
96th96th Congress (1979-1980), the largest amount designated by
any Congress. Also during the
96th96th Congress, the largest single designation of 56.4 million acres
of wilderness occurred through the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act.
4
5
In 1977, the Forest Service began a review (RARE II)
56 of 62 million acres of national forest
roadless areas, to accelerate part of the land management planning process mandated by the
Forest and Rangeland Renewable Resources Planning Act of 1974 and the National Forest
Management Act of 1976 (NFMA).
67 The RARE II Final Environmental
Impact Statement was issued in
January 1979, recommending more than 15 million acres (24.3% of the study area) for addition to
the Wilderness System. In addition, nearly 11 million acres (17.4%) were to be studied further in
the ongoing Forest Service planning process under NFMA. The remaining 36 million acres
(58.3% of the RARE II area) were to be available for other uses—such as logging, energy and
mineral developments, and motorized recreation—that might be incompatible with preserving
wilderness characteristics. In April 1979, President Jimmy Carter presented the recommendations
to Congress with minor changes.
In 1980, the state of California successfully challenged the Forest Service RARE II
recommendations for 44 areas allocated to nonwilderness uses, with the court decision
substantially upheld on appeal in 1982.
78 The Reagan Administration responded in 1983 by
directing a re-evaluation of all RARE II recommendations, except in states with wilderness laws
containing certain provisions known as release language
.8.9 Tensions between the Administration
and Congress, and among interest groups, led to a particularly intense debate during the
98th
98th Congress (1983-1984). A compromise version of release language achieved in May 1984 led the
98th 98th Congress to enact 21 wilderness laws designating 8.5 million acres of wilderness in 21
states—more laws and more acres outside of Alaska than by any Congress since the Wilderness
System was created.
4
ANILCA; P.L. 96-487.
The first Roadless Area Review and Evaluation (RARE) was begun under the agency’s administrative authority in
1970, but was abandoned in 1972 because of a lawsuit asserting the review had been restricted in ways that violated the
National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA, Act of January 1, 1970; P.L. 91-190; 42 U.S.C. §§4321-4347).
6
Respectively: RPA; P.L. 93-378; and NFMA; P.L. 94-588. 16 U.S.C. §§1600-1614, et al.
7
California v. Bergland, 483 F. Supp. 465 (E.D.Cal. 1980), aff’d in part, rev’d in part, 690 F.2d 753 (9th Cir. 1982).
8
Release language provides direction on the timing of future wilderness review and of the management of areas not
designated as wilderness until the next review.
5
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Table 1. Additions to the National Wilderness Preservation System
Number of
Lawsa
Number of
States
Number of New Areas
(Additions)b
Acres
Designatedc
88th
1
13
54 (0)
9,125,721
89th
0
0
0 (0)
0
90th
5
4
5 (1)
792,750
91st
3
13
25 (0)
303,612
92nd
9
7
8 (1)
913,337
93rd
4
22
35 (0)
1,271,535
94th
8
23
35 (0)
2,428,327
95th
7
18
28 (5)
4,680,519
96th
7
10
71 (11)
60,753,605d
97th
6
6
7 (0)
98th
21
21
177 (49)
99th
5
5
11 (2)
99,153
100th
7
8
22 (4)
1,422,730
101st
5
5
68 (3)
3,501,160
102nd
2
2
6 (4)
426,290
103rd
2
2
79 (14)
104th
2
2
1 (2)
29,970
105th
1
1
0 (1)
160
106th
8
7
18 (1)
1,081,465
107th
5
5
18 (13)
529,590
108th
2
2
15 (0)
801,784
109th
6
7
25 (11)
110th
1
1
1 (0)
50 (27)
Congress
83,309
8,530,657
8,272,871
1,030,748
106,000
111th
1
9
112th
0
0
0
0
113th
0
0
0
0
118
44
Total
759 (149)
2,096,150
109,511,966
a.
Excludes laws with minor boundary and acreage adjustments (less than 10 acres of net change).
b.
The first number indicates the number of new wilderness areas; the parenthetical number indicates the
number of additions to existing wilderness areas.
This total differs from the total of the column because of acreage revisions.
This includes 56.4 million acres that were designated wilderness through the Alaska National Interest Lands
Conservation Act (ANILCA: P.L. 96-487).
c.
d.
Including the Wilderness Act—which created the National Wilderness Preservation System in
1964—Congress has enacted 118 total laws designating new wilderness areas or adding to
existing ones, as shown in Table 1. The 112th Congress was the first Congress since the 89th
Congress (1965-1967) not to designate any new wilderness areas. The Wilderness System now
contains 759 wilderness areas with more than 109 million acres in 44 states, managed by the four
System was created.
Table 1. Additions to the National Wilderness Preservation System
Congress
|
Number of Laws0
|
Number of States
|
Number of New Areas (Additions)b
Acres Designatedc
|
88th
|
89th
|
90th
|
91st
|
92nd
|
93rd
|
94th
|
95th
|
96th
|
60,753,605d
97th
|
98th
|
99th
|
100th
|
101st
|
102nd
|
103rd
|
104th
|
105th
|
106th
|
107th
|
108th
|
109th
|
110th
|
111th
|
112th
|
113th
|
114th
|
Total
|
Source: Created by CRS.
Notes:
a. Excludes laws with minor boundary and acreage adjustments (less than 10 acres of net change).
b. The first number indicates the number of new wilderness areas; the parenthetical number indicates the number of additions to existing wilderness areas.
c. This total differs from the total of the column because of acreage revisions.
d. This includes 56.4 million acres that were designated wilderness through the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act (ANILCA: P.L. 96-487).
Including the Wilderness Act—which created the National Wilderness Preservation System in 1964—Congress has enacted 120 laws designating new wilderness areas or adding to existing ones, as shown in Table 1. The 113th Congress designated five new wilderness areas and expanded four existing areas. The Wilderness System now contains 762 wilderness areas with approximately 109.8 million acres in 44 states, managed by the four federal land management agencies, as shown in Table
32. The agencies have recommended
additional lands be added to the Wilderness System; these lands are generally managed to protect
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Wilderness: Overview and Statistics
their wilderness character while Congress considers adding them to the Wilderness System.
Additional lands are being studied by the agencies
, to determine if they should be added to the
System. However, comprehensive data on the lands recommended and being reviewed for
wilderness potential are not available.
Questions and discussions persist over the protection and management of areas that some believe
should be designated as wilderness and others believe should be available for development. The
Clinton Administration moved to protect many of the remaining national forest areas that could
be designated as wilderness administratively, initially in January 1998 with a temporary
moratorium on road construction in roadless areas, and finally with a rule that prohibited most
road construction and many other activities in inventoried roadless areas (i.e., the remaining
undesignated RARE II areas). Over a decade of litigation followed, with the Clinton
Administration rule being enjoined twice, and the Bush Administration promulgating a rule that
also was enjoined. The courts deciding the cases upheld the Clinton Administration rule, and in
October 2012, the Supreme Court refused to review the issue.
9
10
Questions also persist over BLM wilderness study areas (WSAs). WSAs are the areas BLM
studied as potential wilderness under Section 603 of FLPMA, which requires BLM to protect the
wilderness characteristics of all WSAs (including areas not recommended for wilderness)
“until
"until Congress determines otherwise.
”" Congress has designated some BLM WSAs as wilderness
(included in Table
32), and, generally in the same statutes, Congress has released BLM from the
requirement to protect the wilderness characteristics of certain other areas. However, release
language in BLM wilderness statutes has generally been more controversial than for national
forest areas.
10
11
What Is Wilderness?
The Wilderness Act defines wilderness as an area of generally undisturbed federal land.
Specifically, Section 2(c) states:
A wilderness, in contrast with those areas where man and his works dominate the landscape, is
hereby recognized as an area where the earth and its community of life are untrammeled by man,
where man himself is a visitor who does not remain. An area of wilderness is further defined to
mean ... 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 and which (1) generally appears to have been affected primarily by
the forces of nature, with the imprint of man
’'s work substantially unnoticeable; (2) has
outstanding opportunities for solitude or a primitive and unconfined type of recreation; (3) has at
least five thousand acres of land or is of sufficient size as to make practicable its preservation and
use in an unimpaired condition; and (4) may also contain ecological, geological, or other features
of scientific, educational, scenic, or historical value.
This definition provides some general guidelines for determining which areas should, or should
not, be designated wilderness, but there are no specific criteria in the law. The phrases
9
Wyoming v. U.S. Department of Agriculture, 661 F.3d 1209 (10th Cir. October 21, 2011); California v. U.S.
Department of Agriculture, 575 F.3d 999 (9th Cir. 2009). For more background information on and the current status of
these rules, see CRS Report RL30647, National Forest System (NFS) Roadless Area Initiatives.
10
See CRS Report R41610, Wilderness: Legislation and Issues in the 113th Congress.
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“ "untrammeled by man,
” “" "retaining its primeval character,
”" and
“man’"man's work substantially
unnoticeable” unnoticeable" are far from precise. Even the numerical standard—5,000 acres—is not absolute;
smaller areas can be designated if they can be protected, and the smallest wilderness area—
Wisconsin Islands Wilderness in the Green Bay National Wildlife Refuge—is only 2 acres.
These imprecise criteria stem in part from differing perceptions of what constitutes wilderness. To
some,
wildernesswilderness is an area where there is absolutely no sign of human presence: no traffic can be
heard (including aircraft); no roads, structures, or litter can be seen. To others, sleeping in a
camper in a 400-site campground in Yellowstone National Park is a wilderness experience.
Complicating these differing perceptions is the wide range of ability to
“"get away from it all
”" in
various settings: in a densely wooded area, isolation might be measured in yards, while in
mountainous or desert terrain, human developments can sometimes be seen for miles.
In an attempt to accommodate contrasting views of wilderness, the Wilderness Act provided
certain exemptions and delayed implementation of restrictions for wilderness areas, as will be
discussed below. At times, Congress has also responded to the conflicting demands of various
interest groups by allowing additional exemptions for certain uses (especially for existing
activities) in particular wilderness designations. Ultimately, wilderness areas are whatever
Congress designates as wilderness, regardless of developments or activities which some might
argue conflict with the definition of wilderness.
Prohibited and Permitted
Uses11
Uses12
In general, the Wilderness Act prohibits commercial activities, motorized access, and roads,
structures, and facilities in wilderness areas. Specifically, Section 4(c) states:
Except as specifically provided for in this Act, and subject to existing private rights, there shall be
no commercial enterprise and no permanent road within any wilderness area designated by this
Act and, except as necessary to meet minimum requirements for the administration of the area for
the purpose of this Act (including measures required in emergencies involving the health and
safety of persons within the area), there shall be no temporary road, no use of motor vehicles,
motorized equipment or motorboats, no landing of aircraft, no other form of mechanical transport,
and no structure or installation within any such area.
This section prohibits most commercial resource development (such as timber harvesting) and
motorized entry (via cars, trucks, off-road vehicles, aircraft, or motorboats) except in
emergencies. However, Section 4(d) provides numerous exceptions, including (a) possible
continued use of motorboats and aircraft; (b) fire, insect, and disease control measures; (c)
mineral prospecting conducted
“"in a manner compatible with the preservation of the wilderness
environment;
”" (d) water projects; (e) continued livestock grazing; and (f) commercial recreation
activities.
In addition to these exemptions, the Wilderness Act extended the mining and mineral leasing laws
for wilderness areas in national forests for 20 years, through 1983. New mining claims and
mineral leases were permitted for many wilderness areas, and exploration and development were
authorized
“"subject, however, to such reasonable regulations governing ingress and egress as may
11
See CRS Report R41649, Wilderness Laws: Statutory Provisions and Prohibited and Permitted Uses.
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be prescribed by the Secretary of Agriculture.
”12"13 Despite this authority, no permits for on-site
exploration were considered until James Watt became the Secretary of the Interior in 1981.
13
14 Litigation halted a drilling application in Montana that year, and Congress enacted a moratorium
on wilderness area leasing and exploration in the Department of the Interior appropriations laws
for FY1983 and FY1984.
1415 However, mineral rights existing on or before December 31, 1983 (or
before the area was designated), remain valid, and can be developed if the right-holder chooses,
under
“"reasonable regulations
”" determined by the Secretary of Agriculture, and some mineral
exploration has occurred in designated wilderness areas under such regulations.
15
16
The Wilderness Act also directs that the act not alter existing federal-state relationships with
respect to state water laws or state fish and wildlife responsibilities. Specifically, Section 4(d)
states:
(7) Nothing in this Act shall constitute an express or implied claim or denial on the part of the
Federal Government as to exemption from State water laws.
(8) Nothing in this Act shall be construed as affecting the jurisdiction or responsibilities of the
several States with respect to wildlife and fish in the national forests.
However, the extent and nature of federal water rights that might arise from wilderness
designations continue to be an important issue for Congress.
16
17
Finally, as noted above, Congress has also enacted numerous exemptions to the Wilderness Act
’s
's standard prohibitions on activities and developments.
1718 These exemptions typically apply to one
or a few areas and typically authorize a particular activity (that might not be permitted under the
Wilderness Act
’'s management guidance) to be allowed to continue in the area at the level or
intensity that occurred prior to the area
’'s designation as wilderness.
Data on Wilderness Designations
as of December 31, 2013
The following tables present data on the federal lands managed by the four principal federal land
management agencies and on the acreage designated as wilderness by Congress. The data were
gathered from several agency sources and reflect the most current data available as of December
12
At the time of the Wilderness Act, most lands in the National Park System and the National Wildlife Refuge System
were already withdrawn from mining and mineral leasing, and extensive BLM wilderness designations were apparently
not contemplated until FLPMA was enacted in 1976. Thus, the Wilderness Act addressed mining and mineral leasing
only in the national forests.
13
Although national forests are managed by the Forest Service in the Department of Agriculture, mining claims and
mineral leases on most federal lands, including the national forests, are administered by BLM in the Department of the
Interior.
14
P.L. 97-394, and P.L. 98-146, respectively.
15
Olen Paul Mathews, Amy Haak, and Kathryn Toffenetti, “Mining and Wilderness: Incompatible Uses or Justifiable
Compromise?” Environment, v. 27 (April 1985): 12-17, 30-36.
16
See CRS Report R41649, Wilderness Laws: Statutory Provisions and Prohibited and Permitted Uses.
17
See CRS Report R41649, Wilderness Laws: Statutory Provisions and Prohibited and Permitted Uses.
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31, 2013. This section describes the agency land data shown in Table 2 and the wilderness data
shown in Table 3.
Agency Land Data
Table 2 shows the area managed by the four major federal land management agencies.18 The data
are not directly comparable across agencies, however, because of differences in accounting
practices. Differences occur in part because official ownership status often differs from
managerial responsibility; for example, the Forest Service administers 462,678 acres in Oregon
that are officially BLM lands. Another complication is partial ownership, such as split estates,
with the federal government owning only the surface (or the subsurface), and another owner for
the subsurface (or surface) rights; similarly, some lands are managed by the federal government
under easements and long-term leases, without fee simple federal ownership. Thus, the agency
acreage statistics in Table 2 may overstate actual federal land ownership.
Table 2. Total Area Managed by Federal Land Management Agencies
(in acres)
USDA Forest
Service
Alabama
National Park
Service
Fish & Wildlife
Servicea
Bureau of
Land
Management
Four-Agency
Total
671,063
17,581
33,177
2,753
724,574
Alaska
21,951,287
52,535,000
76,838,008
72,594,739
223,919,034
Arizona
11,264,611
2,695,806
1,703,820
12,202,750
27,866,987
Arkansas
2,598,645
101,735
374,780
1,075
3,076,235
California
20,828,020
7,614,256
417,326
15,330,274
44,189,876
Colorado
14,537,029
660,350
251,521
8,332,880
23,781,780
24
6,775
1,406
0
8,205
0
0
26,486
0
26,486
1,177,740
2,515,005
286,628
374
3,979,747
867,796
41,409
486,858
0
1,396,063
1
357,837
300,115
0
657,953
Idaho
20,465,172
512,820
52,430
11,611,720
32,642,142
Illinois
297,773
12
90,374
0
388,159
Indiana
202,870
11,248
16,957
0
231,075
0
2,708
71,801
0
74,509
Kansas
108,176
731
29,520
0
138,427
Kentucky
814,087
94,815
11,696
0
920,598
Louisiana
604,340
17,707
576,559
738
1,199,344
Connecticut
Delaware
Florida
Georgia
Hawaii
Iowa
18
Other federal agencies, such as the Department of Defense, administer some federal land, but land and resource
management is not their primary mission.
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USDA Forest
Service
Maine
National Park
Service
Fish & Wildlife
Servicea
Bureau of
Land
Management
Four-Agency
Total
53,709
78,169
69,658
0
201,536
Maryland
0
46,979
48,056
548
95,583
Massachusetts
0
34,034
22,633
0
56,667
Michigan
2,876,492
632,616
121,517
0
3,630,625
Minnesota
2,840,874
142,908
603,034
1,447
3,588,263
Mississippi
1,173,898
109,247
219,255
5,020
1,507,420
Missouri
1,493,565
63,645
65,296
0
1,622,506
Montana
17,116,002
1,222,149
932,662
7,983,412
27,254,225
352,463
7,126
179,076
6,354
545,019
5,765,914
777,259
2,346,228
47,794,096
56,683,497
736,028
20,538
34,372
0
790,938
0
38,710
75,429
0
114,139
9,411,718
379,634
332,144
13,484,412
23,607,908
16,259
37,755
30,083
0
84,097
North Carolina
1,256,014
396,359
430,673
0
2,083,046
North Dakota
1,106,690
71,657
1,879,827
58,841
3,117,015
Ohio
241,375
21,482
8,643
0
271,500
Oklahoma
400,928
10,206
115,014
1,975
528,123
15,692,301
198,507
577,824
16,135,531
32,604,163
Pennsylvania
513,418
53,952
10,218
0
577,588
Rhode Island
0
5
2,570
0
2,575
630,741
32,038
128,965
0
791,744
2,017,749
269,354
1,607,961
274,437
4,169,501
Tennessee
720,751
370,106
54,664
0
1,145,521
Texas
755,365
1,203,902
594,588
11,833
2,565,688
8,209,272
2,099,081
111,211
22,854,632
33,274,196
401,235
22,519
34,187
0
457,941
Virginia
1,664,467
336,576
134,963
805
2,136,811
Washington
9,291,900
1,936,829
165,787
429,167
11,823,683
West Virginia
1,045,076
65,810
19,830
0
1,130,716
Wisconsin
1,533,902
74,030
207,538
2,364
1,817,834
Wyoming
9,241,422
2,393,335
77,467
18,373,316
30,085,540
28,581
51,904
24,778
0
105,263
192,976,743
80,384,215
92,835,615
247,495,493
613,692,064
Nebraska
Nevada
New Hampshire
New Jersey
New Mexico
New York
Oregon
South Carolina
South Dakota
Utah
Vermont
Otherb
U.S. Total
Sources: For Forest Service: U.S. Dept. of Agriculture, Forest Service, Land Areas Report (LAR)—as of Sept 30,
2012, at http://www.fs.fed.us/land/staff/lar/LAR2012/LAR_Table_04.pdf. Data reflect land within the National
Congressional Research Service
8
Wilderness: Overview and Statistics
Forest System, including national forests, national grasslands, purchase units, land utilization projects,
experimental areas, and other areas.
For NPS: U.S. Dept. of the Interior, National Park Service, National Park Service, Listing of Acreage by State, as of
9/30/2012; personal communication with Mike Walsh, NPS Land Resources Division, Washington, DC. Data
reflects federally owned lands managed by the NPS.
For FWS: U.S. Dept. of the Interior, Fish and Wildlife Service, Division of Realty, FY2012 FWS Land Statistical
Data Tables for the Annual Report of Lands Under Control of the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service as of September 30, 2012,
Table 2—Summary by States, Associated Governments and Possessions, at http://www.fws.gov/refuges/realty/
archives/pdf/2012_Annual_Report_of_LandsDataTable11162012.pdf.
For BLM: U.S. Dept. of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management, Public Land Statistics 2011, at
http://www.blm.gov/public_land_statistics/pls11/pls1-4_11.pdf.
a.
Excludes marine areas.
b.
Includes the District of Columbia, American Samoa, Guam, Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands, and U.S. territories.
Figure 1 shows the distribution of federal land between eastern states, western states, and
Alaska.19 As can be seen from the data, federal land ownership is concentrated in the 11 western
states.
Figure 1. Regional Distribution of Federal Land
Western States
Alaska
Eastern States
Source: CRS.
Note: The 11 western states are the states west of the 100th Meridian: Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho,
Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming. The eastern states include the other
continental states (excluding Alaska and Hawaii).
19
The 11 western states are the states west of the 100th Meridian: Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Montana,
Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming. The eastern states include the other continental states
(excluding Alaska and Hawaii).
Congressional Research Service
9
Wilderness: Overview and Statistics
Wilderness Statistics
The wilderness statistics presented in Table 3 are the current acreage estimates by the agencies.
as of January 1, 2015
The wilderness statistics presented in Table 2 are the most recent acreage estimates for wilderness areas that have been designated by Congress. Acreages are estimates, since few (if any) of the areas have been precisely surveyed.
Table 3 is
the acreage for areas that have been designated by Congress. In addition, the agencies have
recommended areas for addition to the National Wilderness Preservation System, and continue to
review the wilderness potential of other lands under their jurisdiction, both of congressionally
designated wilderness study areas and under congressionally directed land management planning
efforts. However, statistics on acreage in pending recommendations and being studied,
particularly in the planning efforts, are unavailable.
As of December 31, 2013
As of January 1, 2015, Congress
hadhas designated 109.
58 million acres of federal land in units of
the National Wilderness Preservation System, as shown in
Table 2. Wilderness areas have been designated in 44 states plus Puerto Rico; only Connecticut, Delaware, Iowa, Kansas, Maryland, and Rhode Island have no federal lands designated as wilderness. Figure 1Table 3. Figure 2 shows the regional
distribution of lands designated as wilderness.
Nearly 52.5%Just over half (52%) of this land—57.4 million acres—is
in Alaska, and includes most of the wilderness areas managed by NPS (75%)
and by FWS (90%).
About a third of the Wilderness System is managed by the Forest System, but most of the FS
wilderness area (84%) is outside of Alaska. Wilderness areas have been designated in 44 states
plus Puerto Rico; only Connecticut, Delaware, Iowa, Kansas, Maryland, and Rhode Island have
no federal lands designated as wilderness.
Figure 2. Regional Distribution of Wilderness Designations
Western States
Alaska
Eastern States
Source: CRS.
Note: The 11 western states are the states west of the 100th Meridian: Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho,
Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming. The eastern states include the other
continental states (excluding Alaska and Hawaii).
Congressional Research Service
10
Table 3. Federal Designated Wilderness Acreage, by State and by Agency
(in acres and percentage of agency/federal land)
USDA Forest
Service
Alabama
National Park
Service
Fish and Wildlife
Service
Bureau of Land
Management
Total Designated Area
Share of
NWPS
41,367
6.2%
0
0.0%
0
0.0%
0
0.0%
41,367
5.7%
0.04%
Alaska
5,753,971
26.2%
32,979,406
62.8%
18,692,775
24.3%
0
0.0%
57,426,152
25.6%
52.46%
Arizona
1,333,293
11.8%
444,055
16.5%
1,343,444
78.8%
1,397,106
11.4%
4,517,898
16.2%
4.13%
Arkansas
116,578
4.5%
34,933
34.3%
2,144
0.6%
0
0.0%
153,655
5.0%
0.14%
California
5,078,948
24.4%
6,010,513
78.9%
9,172
2.2%
3,834,292
25.0%
14,932,925
33.8%
13.64%
Colorado
3,140,187
21.6%
351,409
53.2%
2,560
1.0%
205,814
2.5%
3,699,970
15.6%
3.38%
Connecticut
0
0.0%
0
0.0%
0
0.0%
0
0.0%*
0
0.0%
0.00%
Delaware
0
0.0%*
0
0.0%*
0
0.0%*
0
0.0%*
0
0.0%
0.00%
Florida
74,495
6.3%
1,296,500
51.6%
51,252
17.9%
0
0.0%
1,422,247
35.7%
1.30%
Georgia
114,537
13.2%
9,886
23.9%
362,107
74.4%
0
0.0%*
486,530
34.9%
0.44%
0
0.0%
155,509
43.5%
0
0.0%
0
0.0%*
155,509
23.6%
0.14%
Idaho
3,961,944
19.4%
43,243
8.4%
0
0.0%
517,362
4.5%
4,522,549
13.9%
4.13%
Illinois
28,063
9.4%
0
0.0%
4,050
4.5%
0
0.0%*
32,113
8.3%
0.03%
Indiana
12,463
6.1%
0
0.0%
0
0.0%
0
0.0%*
12,463
5.4%
0.01%
Iowa
0
0.0%*
0
0.0%
0
0.0%
0
0.0%*
0
0.0%
0.00%
Kansas
0
0.0%
0
0.0%
0
0.0%
0
0.0%*
0
0.0%
0.00%
Kentucky
18,132
2.2%
0
0.0%
0
0.0%
0
0.0%*
18,132
2.0%
0.02%
Louisiana
8,679
1.4%
0
0.0%
8,346
1.4%
0
0.0%
17,025
1.4%
0.02%
11,233
20.9%
0
0.0%
7,392
10.6%
0
0.0%*
18,625
9.2%
0.02%
Maryland
0
0.0%*
0
0.0%
0
0.0%
0
0.0%
0
0.0%
0.00%
Massachusetts
0
0.0%*
0
0.0%
3,244
14.3%
0
0.0%*
3,244
5.7%
0.003%
89,529
3.1%
143,758
22.7%
25,309
20.8%
0
0.0%*
258,596
7.1%
0.24%
Minnesota
812,941
28.6%
0
0.0%
6,180
1.0%
0
0.0%
819,121
22.8%
0.75%
Mississippi
6,046
0.5%
4,080
3.7%
0
0.0%
0
0.0%
10,126
0.7%
0.01%
Hawaii
Maine
Michigan
CRS-11
USDA Forest
Service
National Park
Service
Fish and Wildlife
Service
Bureau of Land
Management
Missouri
63,552
4.3%
0
0.0%
7,730
11.8%
0
Montana
3,372,525
19.7%
0
0.0%
64,535
6.9%
6,347
7,794
2.2%
0
0.0%
4,635
2.6%
1,087,624
18.9%
235,796
30.3%
0
138,618
18.8%
0
0.0%
0
0.0%*
0
1,387,498
14.7%
0
Share of
NWPS
71,282
4.4%
0.07%
0.1%
3,443,407
12.6%
3.15%
0
0.0%
12,429
2.3%
0.01%
0.0%
2,055,005
4.3%
3,378,425
6.0%
3.09%
0
0.0%
0
0.0%*
138,618
17.5%
0.13%
0.0%
10,341
13.7%
0
0.0%*
10,341
9.1%
0.01%
56,392
14.9%
39,908
12.0%
169,523
1,653,321
7.0%
1.51%
0.0%
1,380
3.7%
0
0.0%
0
0.0%*
1,380
1.6%
0.001%
102,634
8.2%
0
0.0%
8,785
2.0%
0
0.0%*
111,419
5.3%
0.10%
North Dakota
0
0.0%
29,920
41.8%
9,732
0.5%
0
0.0%
39,652
1.3%
0.04%
Ohio
0
0.0%
0
0.0%
77
0.9%
0
0.0%*
77
0.03%
14,543
3.6%
0
0.0%
8,570
7.5%
0
0.0%
23,113
4.4%
0.02%
2,228,103
14.2%
0
0.0%
940
0.2%
247,993
1.5%
2,477,036
7.6%
2.26%
Pennsylvania
9,002
1.8%
0
0.0%
0
0.0%
0
0.0%*
9,002
1.6%
0.01%
Rhode Island
0
0.0%*
0
0.0%
0
0.0%
0
0.0%*
0
0.0%
0.00%
South Carolina
16,671
2.6%
15,010
46.9%
29,000
22.5%
0
0.0%*
60,681
7.7%
0.06%
South Dakota
13,426
0.7%
64,144
23.8%
0
0.0%
0
0.0%
77,570
1.9%
0.07%
Tennessee
66,349
9.2%
0
0.0%
0
0.0%
0
0.0%*
66,349
5.8%
0.06%
Texas
38,483
5.1%
46,850
3.9%
0
0.0%
0
0.0%
85,333
3.3%
0.08%
Utah
772,925
9.4%
124,406
5.9%
0
0.0%
260,273
1,157,604
3.5%
1.06%
Vermont
101,019
25.2%
0
0.0%
0
0.0%
0
0.0%*
101,019
22.1%
0.09%
Virginia
135,325
8.1%
79,579
23.6%
0
0.0%
0
0.0%
214,904
10.1%
0.20%
2,715,607
29.2%
1,739,763
89.8%
805
0.5%
7,140
4,463,315
37.7%
4.08%
118,810
11.4%
0
0.0%
0
0.0%
0
0.0%*
118,810
10.5%
0.11%
Wisconsin
46,414
3.0%
33,500
45.3%
29
0.01%
0
0.0%
79,943
4.4%
0.07%
Wyoming
3,111,232
33.7%
0
0.0%
0
0.0%
0
0.0%
3,111,232
10.3%
2.84%
Nebraska
Nevada
New Hampshire
New Jersey
New Mexico
New York
North Carolina
Oklahoma
Oregon
Washington
West Virginia
CRS-12
0.0%*
Total Designated Area
1.3%
1.1%
1.7%
0.0001%
USDA Forest
Service
Territories
U.S. Total
Share of NWPS
National Park
Service
Fish and Wildlife
Service
Bureau of Land
Management
10,000
35.0%
0
0.0%
0
0.0%
0
36,160,560
18.8%
43,900,032
54.6%
20,703,061
22.3%
8,700,855
33.0%
40.1%
18.9%
0.0%*
3.6%
Total Designated Area
Share of
NWPS
10,000
9.5%
0.01%
109,464,508
17.8%
100.00%
7.9%
100.00%
Sources: For Forest Service: U.S. Dept. of Agriculture, Forest Service, Land Areas Report (LAR)—as of Sept 30, 2012, at http://www.fs.fed.us/land/staff/lar/LAR2012/
LAR_Table_07.pdf.
For NPS: U.S. Dept. of the Interior, National Park Service, National Park Service, Designated Wilderness Acreage by State, as of 12/20/2012; personal communication with
Jeremy Sweat, NPS Office of Legislative and Congressional Affairs, Washington, DC.
For FWS: U.S. Dept. of the Interior, Fish and Wildlife Service, Division of Realty, FY2012 FWS Land Statistical Data Tables for the Annual Report of Lands Under Control of the
U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service as of September 30, 2012, Table 8, at http://www.fws.gov/refuges/realty/archives/pdf/2012_Annual_Report_of_LandsDataTable11162012.pdf.
For BLM: U.S. Dept. of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management, Public Land Statistics 2011, at http://www.blm.gov/public_land_statistics/pls11/pls5-4_11.pdf.
Note: *indicates the agency owns no land within the state.
CRS-13
Wilderness: Overview and Statistics
Author Contact Information
Katie Hoover
Analyst in Natural Resources Policy
khoover@crs.loc.gov, 7-9008
Acknowledgments
This report was originally written by Ross Gorte, retired CRS Specialist in Natural Resources Policy.
Congressional Research Service
14
, FWS (90%), and FS (16%).19 NPS manages the largest amount of wilderness areas (43.9 million acres, 40% of the Wilderness System), followed by FS, which manages 36.4 million acres (33%). FWS manages 20.7 million acres (19%), while BLM manages the least amount of wilderness acreage, 8.7 million acres (8%).
Figure 1. Regional Distribution of Wilderness Designations
|
Source: CRS.
Note: The western states are the states west of the 100th Meridian: Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming, and includes Hawaii. The eastern states include the other continental states (excluding Alaska and Hawaii).
|
Table 2. Federal Designated Wilderness Acreage, by State and by Agency
(in acres and percentage of agency/federal land)
USDA Forest Service
|
National ParkService
Fish and Wildlife Service
|
Bureau of Land Management
|
Total Designated Area
|
Share of Wilderness System
|
|
Alabama
|
41,367
|
6.2%
|
0
|
0.0%
|
0
|
0.0%
|
0
|
0.0%
|
41,367
|
5.7%
|
0.04%
|
|
Alaska
|
5,753,971
|
25.9%
|
32,979,406
|
62.9%
|
18,692,615
|
24.4%
|
0
|
0.0%
|
57,425,992
|
25.7%
|
52.32%
|
|
Arizona
|
1,333,293
|
11.9%
|
444,055
|
16.8%
|
1,343,444
|
79.8%
|
1,396,826
|
11.4%
|
4,517,618
|
16.3%
|
4.12%
|
|
Arkansas
|
116,578
|
4.5%
|
34,933
|
35.5%
|
2,144
|
0.6%
|
0
|
0.0%
|
153,655
|
5.0%
|
0.14%
|
|
California
|
5,081,733
|
24.5%
|
6,011,041
|
79.3%
|
9,172
|
3.1%
|
3,842,751
|
25.0%
|
14,944,697
|
34.0%
|
13.62%
|
|
Colorado
|
3,177,423
|
21.9%
|
350,674
|
53.0%
|
2,560
|
1.5%
|
205,814
|
2.5%
|
3,736,471
|
15.8%
|
3.40%
|
|
Connecticut
|
0
|
0.0%
|
0
|
0.0%
|
0
|
0.0%
|
0
|
0*
|
0
|
0.0%
|
0.00%
|
|
Delaware
|
0
|
0*
|
0
|
0.0%
|
0
|
0.0%
|
0
|
0*
|
0
|
0.0%
|
0.00%
|
|
Florida
|
74,495
|
6.2%
|
1,296,500
|
52.5%
|
51,252
|
18.2%
|
0
|
0.0%
|
1,422,247
|
36.1%
|
1.30%
|
|
Georgia
|
114,537
|
13.2%
|
9,886
|
24.9%
|
362,107
|
75.0%
|
0
|
0*
|
486,530
|
35.0%
|
0.44%
|
|
Hawaii
|
0
|
0*
|
155,509
|
43.5%
|
0
|
0*
|
0
|
0*
|
155,509
|
23.7%
|
0.14%
|
|
Idaho
|
3,961,944
|
19.4%
|
43,243
|
8.5%
|
0
|
0.0%
|
517,319
|
4.5%
|
4,522,506
|
13.9%
|
4.12%
|
|
Illinois
|
28,063
|
9.2%
|
0
|
0.0%
|
4,050
|
4.5%
|
0
|
0*
|
32,113
|
8.1%
|
0.03%
|
|
Indiana
|
12,463
|
6.1%
|
0
|
0.0%
|
0
|
0.0%
|
0
|
0*
|
12,463
|
5.4%
|
0.01%
|
|
Iowa
|
0
|
0*
|
0
|
0.0%
|
0
|
0.0%
|
0
|
0*
|
0
|
0.0%
|
0.00%
|
|
Kansas
|
0
|
0.0%
|
0
|
0.0%
|
0
|
0.0%
|
0
|
0*
|
0
|
0.0%
|
0.00%
|
|
Kentucky
|
18,132
|
2.2%
|
0
|
0.0%
|
0
|
0.0%
|
0
|
0*
|
18,132
|
2.0%
|
0.02%
|
|
Louisiana
|
8,679
|
1.4%
|
0
|
0.0%
|
8,346
|
1.5%
|
0
|
0.0%
|
17,025
|
1.4%
|
0.02%
|
|
Maine
|
11,233
|
20.8%
|
0
|
0.0%
|
7,392
|
10.8%
|
0
|
0*
|
18,625
|
9.8%
|
0.02%
|
|
Maryland
|
0
|
0*
|
0
|
0.0%
|
0
|
0.0%
|
0
|
0.0%
|
0
|
0.0%
|
0.00%
|
|
Massachusetts
|
0
|
0*
|
0
|
0.0%
|
3,244
|
14.3%
|
0
|
0*
|
3,244
|
5.8%
|
0.00%
|
|
Michigan
|
89,529
|
3.1%
|
176,315
|
27.9%
|
25,309
|
21.9%
|
0
|
0*
|
291,153
|
8.0%
|
0.27%
|
|
Minnesota
|
812,941
|
28.6%
|
0
|
0.0%
|
6,180
|
1.2%
|
0
|
0.0%
|
819,121
|
23.5%
|
0.75%
|
|
Mississippi
|
6,046
|
0.5%
|
4,080
|
3.9%
|
0
|
0.0%
|
0
|
0.0%
|
10,126
|
0.7%
|
0.01%
|
|
Missouri
|
63,552
|
4.2%
|
0
|
0.0%
|
7,730
|
12.8%
|
0
|
0*
|
71,282
|
4.4%
|
0.06%
|
|
Montana
|
3,439,637
|
20.1%
|
0
|
0.0%
|
64,535
|
10.1%
|
6,347
|
0.1%
|
3,510,519
|
13.0%
|
3.20%
|
|
Nebraska
|
7,794
|
2.2%
|
0
|
0.0%
|
4,635
|
2.7%
|
0
|
0.0%
|
12,429
|
2.3%
|
0.01%
|
|
Nevada
|
1,135,073
|
19.7%
|
229,789
|
29.7%
|
0
|
0.0%
|
2,082,001
|
4.4%
|
3,446,863
|
6.1%
|
3.14%
|
|
New Hampshire
|
138,618
|
18.5%
|
0
|
0.0%
|
0
|
0.0%
|
0
|
0*
|
138,618
|
17.4%
|
0.13%
|
|
New Jersey
|
0
|
0*
|
0
|
0.0%
|
10,341
|
14.2%
|
0
|
0*
|
10,341
|
9.6%
|
0.01%
|
|
New Mexico
|
1,432,498
|
15.4%
|
56,392
|
15.0%
|
40,048
|
12.1%
|
169,523
|
1.3%
|
1,698,461
|
7.2%
|
1.55%
|
|
New York
|
0
|
0.0%
|
1,380
|
4.1%
|
0
|
0.0%
|
0
|
0*
|
1,380
|
1.8%
|
0.00%
|
|
North Carolina
|
102,634
|
8.2%
|
0
|
0.0%
|
8,785
|
2.1%
|
0
|
0*
|
111,419
|
5.5%
|
0.10%
|
|
North Dakota
|
0
|
0.0%
|
29,920
|
42.0%
|
9,732
|
2.0%
|
0
|
0.0%
|
39,652
|
2.3%
|
0.04%
|
|
Ohio
|
0
|
0.0%
|
0
|
0.0%
|
77
|
0.9%
|
0
|
0*
|
77
|
0.0%
|
0.00%
|
|
Oklahoma
|
14,543
|
3.6%
|
0
|
0.0%
|
8,570
|
8.0%
|
0
|
0.0%
|
23,113
|
4.5%
|
0.02%
|
|
Oregon
|
2,227,735
|
14.2%
|
0
|
0.0%
|
387
|
0.1%
|
247,993
|
1.5%
|
2,476,115
|
7.6%
|
2.26%
|
|
Pennsylvania
|
9,002
|
1.8%
|
0
|
0.0%
|
0
|
0.0%
|
0
|
0*
|
9,002
|
1.6%
|
0.01%
|
|
Rhode Island
|
0
|
0*
|
0
|
0.0%
|
0
|
0.0%
|
0
|
0*
|
0
|
0.0%
|
0.00%
|
|
South Carolina
|
16,671
|
2.6%
|
21,700
|
67.9%
|
29,000
|
22.7%
|
0
|
0*
|
67,371
|
8.5%
|
0.06%
|
|
South Dakota
|
13,426
|
0.7%
|
64,144
|
43.6%
|
0
|
0.0%
|
0
|
0.0%
|
77,570
|
2.9%
|
0.07%
|
|
Tennessee
|
66,349
|
9.2%
|
0
|
0.0%
|
0
|
0.0%
|
0
|
0*
|
66,349
|
5.9%
|
0.06%
|
|
Texas
|
38,483
|
5.1%
|
46,850
|
3.9%
|
0
|
0.0%
|
0
|
0.0%
|
85,333
|
3.4%
|
0.08%
|
|
Utah
|
775,568
|
9.5%
|
124,406
|
5.9%
|
0
|
0.0%
|
260,373
|
1.1%
|
1,160,347
|
3.5%
|
1.06%
|
|
Vermont
|
101,019
|
24.7%
|
0
|
0.0%
|
0
|
0.0%
|
0
|
0*
|
101,019
|
22.3%
|
0.09%
|
|
Virginia
|
135,325
|
8.1%
|
79,579
|
26.1%
|
0
|
0.0%
|
0
|
0.0%
|
214,904
|
10.2%
|
0.20%
|
|
Washington
|
2,737,780
|
29.4%
|
1,739,541
|
94.8%
|
805
|
0.5%
|
7,140
|
1.7%
|
4,485,266
|
38.2%
|
4.09%
|
|
West Virginia
|
118,810
|
11.4%
|
0
|
0.0%
|
0
|
0.0%
|
0
|
0*
|
118,810
|
10.5%
|
0.11%
|
|
Wisconsin
|
46,414
|
3.0%
|
33,500
|
54.3%
|
29
|
0.0%
|
0
|
0.0%
|
79,943
|
4.5%
|
0.07%
|
|
Wyoming
|
3,111,232
|
33.8%
|
0
|
0.0%
|
0
|
0.0%
|
0
|
0.0%
|
3,111,232
|
10.4%
|
2.83%
|
|
Territories
|
10,000
|
34.7%
|
0
|
0.0%
|
0
|
0.0%
|
0
|
0*
|
10,000
|
0.5%
|
0.01%
|
U.S. Total
|
18.9%
|
55.1%
|
20,702,488
|
22.8%
|
8,736,087
|
3.5%
|
109,756,008
|
18.0%
|
0.04%
|
Share of NWPS
|
Sources: Wilderness acreage from wilderness.net, and current as of 12/29/2014. Agency federal land acreage data as of 2013, from Table 2 in CRS Report R42346, Federal Land Ownership: Overview and Data.
Note: *indicates the agency owns no land within the state.
Acknowledgments
This report was originally written by Ross Gorte, retired CRS Specialist in Natural Resources Policy.
Footnotes
| 1.
|
P.L. 88-577. 16 U.S.C. §§1131-1136.
|
| 2.
|
For data on the acreage managed by the FS, BLM, NPS, and FWS, see CRS Report R42346, Federal Land Ownership: Overview and Data.
|
| 3.
|
See CRS Report RL34267, Federal Land Ownership: Constitutional Authority and the History of Acquisition, Disposal, and Retention.
|
| 4.
|
P.L. 94-579. 43 U.S.C. §§1701, et seq.
|
| 5.
|
ANILCA; P.L. 96-487.
|
| 6.
|
The first Roadless Area Review and Evaluation (RARE) was begun under the agency's administrative authority in 1970, but was abandoned in 1972 because of a lawsuit asserting the review had been restricted in ways that violated the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA, Act of January 1, 1970; P.L. 91-190; 42 U.S.C. §§4321-4347).
|
| 7.
|
Respectively: RPA; P.L. 93-378; and NFMA; P.L. 94-588. 16 U.S.C. §§1600-1614, et al.
|
| 8.
|
California v. Bergland, 483 F. Supp. 465 (E.D.Cal. 1980), aff'd in part, rev'd in part, 690 F.2d 753 (9th Cir. 1982).
|
| 9.
|
Release language provides direction on the timing of future wilderness review and of the management of areas not designated as wilderness until the next review.
|
| 10.
|
Wyoming v. U.S. Department of Agriculture, 661 F.3d 1209 (10th Cir. October 21, 2011); California v. U.S. Department of Agriculture, 575 F.3d 999 (9th Cir. 2009). For more background information on and the current status of these rules, see CRS Report RL30647, National Forest System (NFS) Roadless Area Initiatives.
|
| 11.
|
See CRS Report R41610, Wilderness: Legislation and Issues in the 114th Congress.
|
| 12.
|
See CRS Report R41649, Wilderness Laws: Statutory Provisions and Prohibited and Permitted Uses.
|
| 13.
|
At the time of the Wilderness Act, most lands in the National Park System and the National Wildlife Refuge System were already withdrawn from mining and mineral leasing, and extensive BLM wilderness designations were apparently not contemplated until FLPMA was enacted in 1976. Thus, the Wilderness Act addressed mining and mineral leasing only in the national forests.
|
| 14.
|
Although national forests are managed by the Forest Service in the Department of Agriculture, mining claims and mineral leases on most federal lands, including the national forests, are administered by BLM in the Department of the Interior.
|
| 15.
|
P.L. 97-394, and P.L. 98-146, respectively.
|
| 16.
|
Olen Paul Mathews, Amy Haak, and Kathryn Toffenetti, "Mining and Wilderness: Incompatible Uses or Justifiable Compromise?" Environment, v. 27 (April 1985): 12-17, 30-36.
|
| 17.
|
See CRS Report R41649, Wilderness Laws: Statutory Provisions and Prohibited and Permitted Uses.
|
| 18.
|
See CRS Report R41649, Wilderness Laws: Statutory Provisions and Prohibited and Permitted Uses.
|
| 19.
|
For data on the acreage managed by the FS, BLM, NPS, and FWS, see CRS Report R42346, Federal Land Ownership: Overview and Data.
|