FOREVER YOURS

Fifty years ago this month, the Wilderness Act was signed into law, and with that signature, some of the most spectacular places in Arizona were given the ultimate protection. No roads. No vehicles. No mining. No logging. No permanent structures. Just pure wilderness. Forever.

If Bigfoot was killed in the Escudilla Wilderness. The bear, a grizzly, was the last of its kind in Arizona, and if you're a disciple of naturalist Aldo Leopold, you'll believe that the spirit of the bear can still be found there, wandering among the trees.

President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Wilderness Act into law on September 3, 1964. The act's authors defined wilderness as being where “the earth and its community of life are untrammeled by man, where man himself is a visitor who does not remain.” Go, the act said, but leave nothing but your spirit.

As we celebrate the 50th anniversary of that landmark conservation law, which now protects nearly 110 million acres of wilderness across the nation, we also celebrate Arizona's protected spaces.

The state's 90 wilderness areas comprise 4.5 million acres, which means that Arizona ranks fourth – behind only Alaska, California and Idaho - in terms of total wilderness area.

Although that seems like a lot, designated wilderness makes up only 4 percent of the state's total land area, and some of Arizona's most treasured spaces, such as the Grand Canyon and the Blue Range Primitive Area, aren't afforded the utmost protections under federal law. For many years, the Arizona Wilderness Coalition, the Wilderness Society and others have been working to change that. They're also fighting to protect and restore the wild spaces we already have.

They do it because it matters. For future generations and ours.

Paria CanyonVermilion Cliffs Wilderness, near Page ACRES: 112,500 (Arizona and Utah) ESTABLISHED: 1984 MANAGED BY: Bureau of Land Management INFORMATION: Vermilion Cliffs National Monument, 435-688-3200 or www.blm.gov/az PHOTOGRAPH: Claire Curran

LEFT, TOP: Miller Peak Wilderness, near Sierra Vista

ACRES: 20,190

ESTABLISHED: 1984 MANAGED BY: U.S.

Forest Service INFORMATION: Sierra Vista Ranger District, 520-378-0311 or www. fs.usda.gov/coronado

PHOTOGRAPH: Paul Gill

LEFT, CENTER: Aravaipa Canyon Wilderness, between Globe

and Tucson

ACRES: 19,410

ESTABLISHED: 1984

MANAGED BY: Bureau

of Land Management

INFORMATION: Safford Field Office, 928-3484400 or www.blm. gov/az

PHOTOGRAPH: Tom Brownold

LEFT, BOTTOM: Strawberry Crater Wilderness, near

Flagstaff

ACRES: 10,141

ESTABLISHED: 1984

MANAGED BY: U.S.

INFORMATION: Flagstaff Ranger District, 928-526-0866 or www.fs.usda.gov/ coconino

PHOTOGRAPH: Tom Bean

RIGHT: Eagletail Mountains Wilderness, between Phoenix

and Yuma

ACRES: 97,880

ESTABLISHED: 1990

MANAGED BY: Bureau of Land Management INFORMATION: Yuma Field Office, 928-3173200 or www.blm. gov/az

PHOTOGRAPH: Paul Gill

LEFT, TOP: Kanab Creek Wilderness, near Fredonia

ACRES: 70,460

ESTABLISHED: 1984 MANAGED BY: U.S. Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management INFORMATION: North Kaibab Ranger District, 928-643-7395 or www.fs.usda.gov/ kaibab; Arizona Strip Field Office, 435-6883200 or www.blm. gov/az

PHOTOGRAPH: Elias Butler

LEFT, BOTTOM: Sierra Ancha Wilderness, between Payson and Globe

ACRES: 20,850

ESTABLISHED: 1964

MANAGED BY: U.S. Forest Service

INFORMATION: Pleasant Valley Ranger District, 928-4624300 or www.fs.usda. gov/tonto

PHOTOGRAPH: Nick Berezenko

RIGHT: Mount Baldy Wilderness, near Greer

ACRES: 7,079

ESTABLISHED: 1970

MANAGED BY: U.S. Forest Service

INFORMATION: Springerville Ranger District, 928-3334301 or www.fs.usda. gov/asnf

PHOTOGRAPH: Derek von Briesen