So much has changed since 1964. In many ways, the America of today bears scant resemblance to the America of 45 years ago. There are few corners of our country that have not changed dramatically in the last two generations. Many of the small towns we or our parents grew up in have become cities or suburbs, farmland has given way to strip malls, back roads have become superhighways.

America's Wilderness spans magnificent lands from coast to coast — north to south. We can celebrate these outstanding natural benefits today — and be sure they will be available to us tomorrow — because forty-five years ago, our nation’s leaders introduced visionary legislation unlike any the world had ever seen: The Wilderness Act. A deliberate and farsighted effort to protect from development vast areas of wild places, the Wilderness Act preserves the lasting benefits of wilderness for the enjoyment of all Americans.