Success for Wilderness
Since it was founded in 1992, The Wilderness Land Trust has preserved more than 344 parcels, comprising over 31,203 acres of wilderness inholdings in 76 designated and proposed wilderness areas.
click on the highlighted states on the map for details on our projects.
Arizona
The Trust maintains an active program of acquisitions in Arizona, having already successfully added four of five highest priority inholding acquisitions to Arizona’s designated wilderness areas, eliminating long standing access disputes, as well as existing and proposed private development.
California
The Trust has an active program and dedicated staff in California, home to about half of all the inholdings in existing designated wilderness areas in the lower 48 states. WE have completed multiple acquisitions from the deserts of southern California to the northern reaches approaching the Oregon border. Our work has focused on both proposed and existing wilderness areas and we can claim (with only a little exaggeration) to have built the recently designated Beauty Mountain Wilderness through multiple acquisitions that created public land where recently there was only private. These now public lands are designated wilderness.
Colorado
Colorado is where the Trust began and we have completed extensive work in the state. We continue to complete acquisitions in Colorado; the most recent include the transfer of the Polar Star Lodes within the Holy Cross Wilderness, and the acquisition of the Denver Lode, deep within the Maroon Bells/Snowmass Wilderness area. We are currently pursing a property in the Collegiate Peaks Wilderness and also working with the US Forest Service on the Denver Lode in the Maroon Bells Snowmass Wilderness.
Idaho
The Trust is undertaking a programmatic effort focused on the six newly designated Owyhee Wilderness Areas. Work continues on several inholdings in the Frank Church River of No Return Wilderness.
Montana
The Trust has preserved 315 acres in the Rattlesnake Wilderness and continues to work on opportunities to preserve wilderness in Montana. Inholdings remain that compromise the Absaroka-Beartooth, for example as well as many of Montana’s much loved wilderness. There are private land issues within certain proposed wilderness areas that the Trust continues to monitor.
New Mexico
The Trust has completed several acquisitions in New Mexico’s wilderness areas and is working on several more. To date we have completed two acquisitions in New Mexico, the most recent being the transfer of 320 acres within the El Malpais National Monument to the National Park Service. We have also completed the transfer of a property within the Gila Wilderness, our nation’s first wilderness area.
Nevada
The Trust has begun an active program of acquisitions, after completing an inventory and prioritization of inholdings in Nevada’s designated wilderness areas. Please check back to monitor our progress as this program gets under way.
Oregon
The Trust has worked on several high priority inholdings in Oregon’s designated wilderness areas, including the Steens and the Eagle Cap wildernesses. We continue to work with private landowners within designated wilderness to preserve and protect Oregon’s designated wilderness areas.
Utah
The Trust has worked on inholdings in the Mount Nebo Wilderness, as well as within certain proposed wilderness areas. We continue to remain involved and actively addressing inholding issues in Utah’s designated wilderness areas.
Washington
The Trust’s work in Washington remains focused on the Wild Sky Wilderness, as well as several other designated wilderness areas with high priority inholdings, including the Glacier Peak Wilderness and others.
Wyoming
The Trust does not have any projects in Wyoming at this time, but is willing to help on inholding issues as they arise.
WLT Acquistions Trends | Click Chart to enlarge