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	Press Release from Congresswoman Barbara Lee Ninth Congressional District of California U.S. House of Representatives

Congresswoman Barbara Lee Celebrates 40^th

Anniversary of the Wilderness Act

Calls for Expansion of Wilderness Areas

Washington , DC – In recognition of the 40^th anniversary of the Wilderness Act, and wilderness advocacy events planned in Washington D.C. this week, Congresswoman Lee released the following statement.

“Earlier this month we celebrated the 40^th Anniversary of an historic piece of legislation, the Wilderness Act, which was signed into law by President Lyndon B. Johnson on September 3^rd, 1964 .  Since the Act’s inception, over 105 million acres of our collective natural heritage has been protected under the wilderness designation.”

“This week, as we take time to recognize the accomplishments of the Wilderness Act, we must also recognize the work that has yet to be done.  Throughout the nation, there are many more wilderness areas that have yet to fall under the full protection of the Wilderness Act - places like the Arctic Coastal Plain, Utah’s Redrocks wilderness, and the Northern California Coastal wilderness.”

“We must continue our efforts to safeguard these existing natural habitats from human exploitation and development in order to protect threatened and endangered species and to ensure the long-term health and vitality of the entire ecosystem.”

“And I believe that as a global community, we must quickly recognize the dramatic impact that human development has made on our natural environment and work to reduce the human footprint that we leave behind on the world.”

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