The Dispute Over Wilderness Analysis

Words: 1641
Pages: 7
Open Document
Emily Jones
Thinking About the Environment
Nora Boyd
20 February 2016
The Dispute Over Wilderness and Concepts of Naturalness The Wilderness Act of 1964 was established for the sole purpose of ensuring that “an increasing population, accompanied by expanding settlement and growing mechanization, does not occupy and modify all areas…..leaving no lands designated for preservation and protection in their natural environment” (United States 1). Although this idea of protecting the pristine and valuable wilderness areas of the United States through the establishment of the National Wilderness Preservation System is thought of as a pivotal moment in the preservation movement, many authors are critical of its aims, and criticize the basis of …show more content…
For Cronon, this idea of wilderness is, in a way, a delusion created by people who want to escape the hustle and bustle of their every day lives in busy cities to the more remote areas of the country (Cronon 23). These remote areas, with little or no trace of human impact, have become popular vacation spots in which people such as this could escape in order to get away from their busy lives in the city. This “wilderness” is something to be desired, and offers a place to relax and experience the calming effects of being in a place where few have been before and in a place completely unfamiliar to those who visit. The fact that this vision was created disturbed Cronon in many ways. Cronon agrees that it is important for areas such as national parks be protected, but his issue lies in the neglect it creates for areas that are not protected (Cronon 17). Living in a highly industrialized nation, this vision of wilderness has caused Americans to lose touch with what nature truly is, only intensifying his arguments against this view of …show more content…
With this view of wilderness being a faraway, untouched land, this allows us to neglect the areas in which we live our everyday lives. Cronon establishes his viewpoint in stating, “The tree in the garden is in reality no less other, no less worthy of our wonder and respect, than the tree in an ancient forest that has never known an ax or saw – even though the tree in the forest reflects a more intricate web of ecological relationships” (Cronon 24). There is no difference between the tree in my front yard as compared to a tree in a faraway wilderness, yet why do we treat them as though they are? For Cronon, this is a main issue that needs to be addressed. Rather than having a dualistic view, in which we value a pristine nature in a national park, and neglect the nature in our own backyard, it is important that we adopt a middle ground in which both are a part of nature, and treated as such (Cronon
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