President Joe Biden named September as National Wilderness Month and outlined support for expanded use of the Wilderness Act of 1964. The act limits use of motorized vehicles or mechanical tools on federal wilderness designations, leading to a decrease in active management against wildfires, invasive species and declining water sources.
“President Biden’s proclamation calling for increased utilization of the Wilderness Act of 1964 is incredibly out of touch at a moment when catastrophic wildfires are threatening populations across the West, and 4.8 million acres have already burned this year,” said National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) Executive Director of Natural Resources and Public Lands Council Executive Director Kaitlynn Glover.
Ethan Lane, NCBA vice president of government affairs, added: “The White House cannot acquire, designate or prohibit their way into nationwide conservation. If they pursue this approach, they will not be able to achieve the goal of truly conserving 30 percent of lands and waters, and they will alienate agricultural producers who make up the bulk of Americans actually performing conservation work every day.”
