Wilderness Act turns 50 next year, events on tap

In September 1964, the country was in turmoil. There was a growing war in Vietnam, the country was still suffering the effects of the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, and there was a growing cultural revolution.

In the midst of this, Congress passed and President Lyndon Johnson signed the Wilderness Act, which immediately protected 9.1 million acres of lands across the U.S., including the Bob Marshall Wilderness.

The area that became the Bob Marshall Wilderness had been administratively-designated as wilderness by the Forest Service in 1940. The Wilderness Act gave it congressional protection.

Next year marks the 50th anniversary of the act, and Forest Service officials along with the Bob Marshall Foundation, the National Park Service and other stakeholders are beginning plans for events and celebrations of the birthday.

Spotted Bear District Ranger Deb Mucklow said it’s important to reflect on the time in history when the bill was passed.

“I think it’s pretty special that we got a wilderness act passed,” she said.

Mucklow, who is also a quilter, plans on completing a commemorative quilt made of squares created by people with a special connection or story to tell about the Bob Marshall Wilderness. The squares will then be sewn into the quilt, which will be accompanied by a storyboard with the stories. Anyone interested in creating a square can contact Mucklow at dmucklow@fs.fed.us.

The Bob Marshall Wilderness Foundation has several events on tap, including a wilderness speaker series at the Flathead Valley Community College that will run from January into March. Talks will include the future of wilderness, research in the wilderness and climate change, a panel discussion and a recreation talk, foundation director Carol Treadwell said.

The foundation will also host 50 miles of trail restoration to mark the 50 years. Volunteers who participate will receive a special commemorative patch.

A wilderness gathering will take place at the Spotted Bear Ranger Station to celebrate people and their contributions to the wilderness on Aug. 2. The event, Mucklow noted, will be privately funded.

At the Hockaday Museum, a “Visions of the Wild” display will run from July 24 through Sept. 13, featuring works by 33 artists who have participated in the Artist-Wilderness Connection program that started 10 years ago.

The Museum at Central School will present “Bob Marshall Wilderness Trails: Past, Present and Future” through March, which will feature a display by the Bob Marshall Wilderness Foundation.

The recognition will culminate with a 50th anniversary celebration at the Expo Building at the Flathead County Fairgrounds on Sept. 20 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., with informative displays and booths, music, food, and hands-on demonstrations and activities.

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Four major Montana wilderness areas

• The Bob Marshall Wilderness (1,009,356 acres) was established administratively in 1940 and congressionally protected in 1964.

• The Great Bear Wilderness (286,700 acres) was designated in 1978.

• The Scapegoat Wilderness (239,936 acres) was designated in 1972.

The Scapegoat, Great Bear and Bob Marshall wilderness areas together create the Bob Marshall Wilderness Complex, flanking the Continental Divide from the Middle Fork of the Flathead River south to the Blackfoot River valley.

• The Mission Mountain Wilderness (73,877 acres), was designated in 1975. The Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes separately administer the adjacent 93,000-acre Mission Mountain Tribal Wilderness. The tribes protected the area in 1982. The wilderness area runs along the Mission-Flathead Divide and includes some of the most rugged terrain in the region.