Wilderness Defined

Rod Nash, a wilderness historian believes that wilderness is a difficult word to define. He believes that wilderness is so weighted with meaning of "a personal, symbolic, and changing kind that it is difficult to define." Some define wilderness as sanctuary in which they can find solice from civilization. Wilderness as defined by Webster's Third New Dictonary is a "trait of land or a region (as a forest or a wide barren plain), uncultivated and uninhabited by human beings."

Wilderness, says the USFS Rocky Mountain Regional Office is, "a location for renewal of mind and spirit. This rejuvenation is more than what might occur from simply withdrawing or escaping from urban pressures. What makes the wilderness experience unique is the tranquility, peace, and silence to be found in the wilderness and the opportunity it affords for contemplation."

Unfortunatly, wilderness is becoming less and less characteristic of these definitions as people tear through these pristine areas with their sport utility vehicles, snowmobiles, and off road vehicles. Many believe that "wilderness serves as a haven from the pressure of our fast-paced industrial society. It is a place where we can seek relief from the noise and speed of machines, confinesx of steel and concrete, and the crowding of people." But, we can no longer find solice from civilization because people insist on being connected to home with their cell phones and radios.