SUCCESS FOR WILDERNESS Since it was founded in 1992, The Wilderness Land
Trust has preserved more than 259 parcels, comprising over
21,091 acres of wilderness inholdings in 61 designated
and proposed wilderness areas. Click on the highlighted states
on the map or the state names below for details on our projects:
Arizona
The Trust has worked in the following four Bureau of Land
Management Wilderness Areas in Arizona: Mount Tipton, Muggins Mountain,
Swansea and Wabayuma Peak. A total of 1,423 acres of inholdings
in 47 parcels have been preserved in Arizona. Most recently the Trust protected 120 acres in the Mt Tipton Wildernesses.
California
The Trust has preserved over 13,577
acres of land, more than 91 parcels
in California's designated and proposed
wilderness areas. California has
the largest number and acreage of
inholdings in Forest Service designated
wilderness areas in the lower 48
states—more than 22,000 acres
in 258 parcels. Thanks to the continuing
support of the Resources Legacy Fund
Foundation, the Trust recently acquired
80 acres in the Proposed
Lassen Volcanic,
160 acres in the Ventana
Mountain Wilderness,
and 80 acres in the Soda
Mountains Wilderness Study Area.
The trust also purchased 277 acres
in the Sheep
Mountian Wilderness
Colorado
The Trust began its work in 1992 in Colorado and since then
has preserved 5,323 acres in 112 different parcels in the
state. These projects have taken place in 16 of the state’s
41 Wilderness Areas, including the Maroon Bells-Snowmass,
Holy Cross, Raggeds, and Collegiates. The Trust most recently purchased and protected 9 acres in the proposed Browns Canyon wilderness and 10 acres in the Maroon Bells-Snowmass Wilderness.
The Trust’s work has significantly reduced the threat
inholdings pose to Colorado’s designated wilderness
areas. Less than 2,000 acres of high and secondary priority
parcels remain in Colorado. The Trust believes that largely
eliminating the threat of inholdings in Colorado in the next
five years is within reach.
Montana
The Trust has completed one project in the Rattlesnake Wilderness
Area near Missoula. Although there are relatively few inholdings
in Montana’s designated wilderness areas, they are typically
very high priority properties, controlling water and access
to public lands. The Trust plans to undertake an inventory
and prioritization of these important properties in the coming
year.
The Trust acquired one inholding in the Gila Wilderness. As
the first designated wilderness area anywhere in the world,
the Gila received Forest Service administrative protection
in 1924 at the urging of Aldo Leopold.
Washington
The Trust has helped preserve seven parcels, totaling 410 acres,
in Washington. These properties are in the Glacier Peak Wilderness,
Stephen Mather Wilderness, and Wild Sky proposed wilderness.
The Trust most recently protected a 113-acre property in the proposed Wild Sky wilderness. We expect to complete an increasing number of projects in
the region in the next several years. Our next step is to
inventory and prioritize the inholdings in Washington’s
designated wilderness areas.
