Protect wilderness

Wilderness designation is an issue that drills a nerve as harsh as getting a root canal among Montanans. It has been a topic of heated debate and has served to divide Montanans since the Wilderness Act of 1964.

However, we all share one common feature — we all enjoy the wilderness. The fisherman who catches a brook trout in Youngs Creek in the Bob Marshall, the hunter who shoots an elk in the Scapegoat, the backcountry horseman who rides for days on end in the Mission Mountains, and the hiker who hikes up Great Northern Mountain in the Great Bear have all experienced the magnificence of wilderness areas.

The word "wilderness' alone seems to enrage people and is taboo, which I find baffling, since Montana is defined as "wild" and the "last best place." I read about a study that had a place described to a group of people from Montana, and afterward the people were to say how they felt about the particular place.

The place was a designated wilderness area, but the word "wilderness' was never mentioned, just the features of a wilderness area (i.e. pristine lake, mountains, wildlife, trees, miles away from any road, quiet, hunt, fish, hike, horseback ride, no motorized use, etc.).

Almost every single person said, "Well, that's Montana," and feedback was very positive. When the same place was described to them again, but the word "wilderness' was mentioned, the response was overwhelmingly angry and full of negative feedback. This shows that Montanans define Montana as "wilderness," whether they think they disagree with wilderness designation or not.

We live here because it is the "last best place," and Montana is the "last best place" because we work to preserve our treasured forests, clean water and wildlife habitat. Those features define who we are, and without them we lose our identity as Montanans.

Wilderness designation protects what we cherish most and allows us to retain our cultural heritage. Let's ensure that future generations will be as lucky as we are and have the privilege to enjoy America's last remaining wilderness. Let's keep it wild.

Josh Schott

Whitefish