Press Room

Events and activities celebrating the 50^th Anniversary of the Wilderness Act are planned in Eugene during the week surrounding the September 3^rd anniversary. From Wilderness hikes, a happy hour at Ninkasi, a Wilderness film screening, and a Celebration Open House at the Obsidians Lodge, the Wilderness 50^th Celebration Week has something for all Wilderness lovers! (See full schedule and details below.)

A diverse group of organizations – including conservation advocacy groups Oregon Wild, Great Old Broads for Wilderness, and the Sierra Club’s Many Rivers Group; recreation interests like The Obsidians, and trails and equestrian groups; and the Willamette National Forest – are involved in the Eugene events. Other events celebrating the 50^th Anniversary of the Wilderness Act have been happening across the country (http://wilderness50th.org/).

Signed by President Lyndon Johnson on September 3^rd, 1964, the Act ensured the protection of America’s most spectacular landscapes for enjoyment by future generations. President Johnson said, "If future generations are to remember us with gratitude rather than contempt, we must leave them something more than the miracles of technology. We must leave them a glimpse of the world as it was in the beginning, not just after we got through with it."

Today, more than 110 million acres of Wilderness are protected across the nation. In Oregon, this includes nearly 2.5 million acres – from Mt. Hood and the Three Sisters to the Eagle Cap, Opal Creek, and Steens Mountain. Millions of Americans enjoy Wilderness areas for hiking, camping, backpacking, fishing and more.

Eugene Wilderness 50^th Celebration Week Schedule