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Show Denis REE TEPENAVMERMUARN MAPEHOOOE Sp ED ABBEY was WRONG BY SCOTT SILVER In September, Scott Silver gave this address at a conference in Missoula, Montana-the Alliance for the Wild Rockies....JS In The Journey Home, Ed Abbey wrote a line that is oft quoted today. He said: "The idea of wilderness needs no defense. It only needs more defenders." Whether, 25 years later, wilderness still is in need of more defenders is questionable. Without question, however, the idea of wilderness is, more than ever, in need of defense. Forty years after passage of the Wilderness Act, too many wilderness defenders appear to have forgotten what Wilderness is and what it meant to those who gave us the Act. Some have come to regard the Act primarily as a tool useful in their daily work of protecting lands from loggers, ranchers, miners, drillers and dirtbikers. For them, I offer a warning from the father of the Wilderness Act, Howard Zahniser who said: "There are and will be many temptations by the * guardians and supporters of wilderness areas to do those things which will bring more people to the areas and thus into the ranks of those who appreciate and defend them. In this temptation likewise is a great threat to wilderness that must be guarded against." Others see merit in actively promoting Wilderness as an economic engine arguing that wilderness designation can enable a vibrant tourism-based industry while forgetting that the Wilderness Act explicitly prohibits commercial operations within Wilderness. Still others propose opening Wilderness to recreational activities, such as mountain biking, which are explicitly prohibited by the Act. In their calculations they see advantage in creating more Wilderness defenders even at the cost of wildness itself. To any who may have forgotten, Wilderness is about wildness. Moreover, Wilderness is not about cutting corners. Wilderness is about not cutting corners. And finally, Wilderness is not just a place, but it is a path and above all else a portal where those willing to throw off their encumbrances can reconnect with their humanity. In 1956 Zahniser said: "It behooves us then to do two things: First we must see that an adequate system of wilderness areas is designed for preservation, and then we must allow nothing to alter the wilderness character of the preserves." Fifty years later we still must do both of these things. Failing either, we will face the serious consequence implicit in Thoreau's aphorism, "In Wildness is the preservation of the world.” FOR MORE (SOME) SEE MERIT IN ACTIVLEY PROMOTING WILDERNESS AS AN ECONOMIC ENGINE, ARGUING THAT WILDERNESS DESIGNATION CAN ENABLE A VIBRANT TOURISM-BASED INDUSTRY... TO ANY WHO MAY HAVE FORGOTTEN. IS ABOUT WILDNESS. today's Wilderness advocates, the issue SS: ‘625 § ual Ue i Woodblock Images on PO = Gay 11" x 14" Posters N@E a _— : : ; PS = ; Hand serigraphed on - archival (acid-free) stock. Produced ’ Numbered with a signed Certificate-of- Authenticity. Collectible first edition prints still available. to For more info write srjerman@xmission.com Everett Ruess F MOUNTAIN SHADOWS Amongst of "purity" has become particularly contentious. Some see advantage in adopting ~ less stringent standards for wilderness management or in drafting legislation to which normally anti-wilderness politicians can point and say: "this will not be your grandfather's Wilderness, this Wilderness will be user-friendly." EVERETT RUESS PRINTS td Lalso offer words from Michael Frome, author of Battle for the Wilderness: "How much wilderness does it take to fulfill the needs of civilization? That really isn't the key question. What counts more is whether each succeeding generation must settle for an increasingly degraded world and know the experience of the past from books and pictures only. Must the future be satisfied with mediocrity because nothing better will be known?" SCOTT SILVER... MONUMENT VALLEY WILDERNESS FROM WWW.WILD WILD ERNESS.ORG Send print name with a check or money order for $25 per print (and $5 shipping and handling) to: JERMAN DESIGN DEPT CCZ1 1810 SIGGARD DRIVE SALT LAKE CITY, UT 84106 RM TTI Tere) : Py As) vanes nee FEATURING REGIONAL & LOCAL ARTISTS PAINTINGS, JEWELRY, PHOTOGRAPHY BLOWN GLASS, WOOD TURNINGS, & MATA ORTIZ (CASA GRANDES) POTTERY 1707 I-70 Bus. Loop Grand Jct., CO 8150! 970.243.6310 FX: 970.241.5917 a CONSIDER US YOUR BEAUTY BROKERS IF YOU DON'T HAVEA SWIMMER'S CHEST... CHRIS CAN MAKE YOU ONE! ‘im GAO VERIO; LE Ber y INGE ERS CUSTOM FRAMING AVAILABLE SPECIALIZING IN CONSERVATION TECHNIQUES (DISCOUNT WHEN FRAMING FAMILY PHOTOS) IF ITS VALUABLE TO YOU, ITS EXCEEDINGLY VALUABLE TOs! CUSTOM FABRICATION DRY BOXES BOAT PROP REPAIR RAFT FRAMES CAROL DELANEY & TOM EYLER 83 EAST CENTER in MOAB... 435.259.3861 e PAGE30 7 |
