America's Newest Wild Lands and Wilderness
On March 25, 2009, Congress passed the largest wilderness and lands protection measure in fifteen years - the Omnibus Public Lands Management Act. Whether it be Earth Day or any other day, it is worth taking time to celebrate these places and the wildlife and ecological values they protect.
For more than a decade our staff, local partners and citizens like you have been working on the ground and in Congress to build support for these places. Explore these lands by clicking on the icons below.
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Wilderness Area
Wild and Scenic River
National Landscape Conservation System area
The Omnibus Public Lands Act helped protect over two million acres of wilderness, hundreds of miles of wild and scenic rivers and special areas overseen by the Bureau of Land Management. You can find out more about each area by clicking the icons above.
After the bill was signed, Bill Meadows, President of The Wilderness Society, wrote that this was a tremendous day for wilderness. He talked about how...
"The scope of the bill cannot be cannot be overstated: Nine states, 2.1 million acres of wilderness, landmark protection for over one million acres of wild landscapes in the Wyoming Range, and the designation of four national conservation areas and a national monument. It also formally establishes the National Landscape Conservation System, the first new system of conservation lands in more than half a century."
Thank you for your support
Video of President Obama signing the Omnibus Public Lands Act
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Wilderness Experts View All >
Spencer R. Phillips, Ph.D.
Spencer Phillips is a natural resource economist who has been with The Wilderness Society's scientific team since 1992. His economic work has focused on helping people, communities and institutions realize the benefits of wildland conservation.
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