UPDATE (Feb.. 24, 2008) - Oregon Governor expresses support for broad Wilderness package. Urges congressional delegation to act now! See his letter of support here.

Wild, pristine wilderness areas are a precious--and unfortunately endangered--part of Oregon's natural heritage. Wilderness may be an intact forest ecosystem. It may be a vast landscape of desert sagebrush and lava rock, or a marshy wetland vital to the lifecycle and survival of numerous plants and animal.

Wilderness is simply an area where nature is left to find its own path, without interference from logging, roads and dams.

Oregon's pristine forest wilderness areas provide the purest habitat for salmon and are home to many rare and endangered animal and plant species. These areas serve as a critical anchor for biological diversity and are the source of the cleanest drinking water for many Oregonians. When protected, they also offer an enduring legacy of wilderness recreational activities and adventure.

In 1964 Congress passed the Wilderness Act to protect the unspoiled character of these wild areas in Oregon and across the United States. Wilderness designation preserves the public's ability to enjoy activities such as hiking, camping, whitewater boating, horseback riding, hunting and fishing in these natural areas while protecting land and the plants and animals that live there from destructive logging, mining, road building and other forms of development.

Only 13 percent of Oregon's 16 million acres of National Forest are currently protected as Wilderness. Approximately 5 million additional acres of wild and roadless areas remain suitable for wilderness designation but are currently unprotected from logging, road-building, and other human development. Oregon Wild believes Congress should designate these remaining areas as Wilderness.

As leaders of the statewide Wilderness coalition, we seek permanent protection for Oregon's forested roadless areas larger than 1,000 acres. We also work to provide ecosystem restoration of public lands adjacent to core wilderness areas in order to heal damaged watersheds.

Follow these links to find out more about what Oregon Wild is working to protect:

Statewide Oregon Wilderness Campaign
Oregon Wild Map Gallery
Map of Oregon's Forest Wilderness Areas
Mount Hood Wilderness Campaign

Wild Rogue Wilderness Campaign
Copper Salmon Wilderness Campaign
Soda Mountain Wilderness Campaign
Spring Basin and Bend Badlands Wilderness Campaigns
Oregon's Roadless Wildlands
Wilderness Recreational Activities and Adventure

_{Photo credits: Roaring River by Leslie Logan, Bald Mountain by Wendell Wood.}