Environmental historian to mark 45th anniversary of Wilderness Act in Hamilton
HAMILTON - Environmental historian Rod Nash will mark the Wilderness Act's 45th anniversary with a public talk Saturday in Hamilton about the benefits of preserving America's wild places.
The milestone comes as the landmark environmental law faces continued pressure from legislators, motorized recreationists and others who seek to weaken safeguards for some of the nation's most pristine areas, said George Nickas, executive director of Wilderness Watch, which is sponsoring Nash's talk.
"The wilderness system is in serious trouble" because of efforts to chip away at protections and because federal agency leaders have failed to fully monitor wilderness areas and enforce existing rules, Nickas said.
Nash's lecture, titled "The Meaning of Wilderness and the Rights of Nature," is slated for 7 p.m. at Hamilton City Hall. The event is free.
Nash, author of "Wilderness and the American Mind," is considered a national leader in wilderness history, management and education.
"He's one of America's foremost scholars on wilderness and conservation issues," said Dawn Serra, communications and outreach coordinator for Wilderness Watch.
The Missoula-based national nonprofit group, which is celebrating its 20th anniversary, works to protect lands and waters in the National Wilderness Preservation System.
Nash, who helped to create the modern conservation movement in the United States in the 1960s, is retired from the University of California at Santa Barbara. He lives in Colorado.
Both a wilderness scholar and explorer, Nash advocates for the preservation and management of wilderness areas.
"He understands what wilderness is and what the wilderness system means from the perspective of an educator and historian, but also from his personal experience as a river guide and adventurer," Serra said.
Nash's book, "Wilderness and the American Mind," explores the cultural history of America's relationship with wilderness.
"It's a seminal book on how Americans' attitudes and ethics about wilderness have evolved over the years," Serra said. "It's considered the Bible on American wilderness and what it means today."
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The milestone comes as the landmark environmental law faces continued pressure from legislators, motorized recreationists and others who seek to weaken safeguards for some of the nation's most pristine areas, said George Nickas, executive director of Wilderness Watch, which is sponsoring Nash's talk.
"The wilderness system is in serious trouble" because of efforts to chip away at protections and because federal agency leaders have failed to fully monitor wilderness areas and enforce existing rules, Nickas said.
Nash's lecture, titled "The Meaning of Wilderness and the Rights of Nature," is slated for 7 p.m. at Hamilton City Hall. The event is free.
Nash, author of "Wilderness and the American Mind," is considered a national leader in wilderness history, management and education.
"He's one of America's foremost scholars on wilderness and conservation issues," said Dawn Serra, communications and outreach coordinator for Wilderness Watch.
The Missoula-based national nonprofit group, which is celebrating its 20th anniversary, works to protect lands and waters in the National Wilderness Preservation System.
Nash, who helped to create the modern conservation movement in the United States in the 1960s, is retired from the University of California at Santa Barbara. He lives in Colorado.
Both a wilderness scholar and explorer, Nash advocates for the preservation and management of wilderness areas.
"He understands what wilderness is and what the wilderness system means from the perspective of an educator and historian, but also from his personal experience as a river guide and adventurer," Serra said.
Nash's book, "Wilderness and the American Mind," explores the cultural history of America's relationship with wilderness.
"It's a seminal book on how Americans' attitudes and ethics about wilderness have evolved over the years," Serra said. "It's considered the Bible on American wilderness and what it means today."