April, 2004
This issue of the IJW salutes forty years of the US Wilderness Act. John Hendee and Chad Dawson contribute a special editorial perspective on this significant milestone. In the education and communication section, Dawson and Hendee also provide an overview of wilderness-related courses at US Colleges and Universities and Suzanne Caswell and Rob Meltzer introduce the Wilderness Therapy Symposium Series at Naropa University. John Shultis reviews the book, “Wilderness: Earth’s Last Wild Places,” by Russell A. Mittermeier et al.
This issue of the IJW focuses on Alaska, in preparation for the 8th World Wilderness Congress (Anchorage, 2005). Some of the topics covered are how subsistence lifestyles, inholdings and ANILCA impact wilderness stewardship issues, the five most significant threats to Alaska’s wilderness, commentary on the character and soul of northern and arctic wilderness areas. Jon Kohl provides a stewardship article on the history of zoos as conservation centers, and calls for zoos to focus more on conservation instead of animal exhibition.
This issue of the journal celebrates a successful 10 years of publication. Several articles in this issue address the character of wild-nature, and the meaning and value of primitive experiences of solitude in wild-nature. How can we manage for wilderness experiences? Mary Wagner contributes a stewardship article on the US Forest Service’s commitment to Wilderness and Wild and Scenic Rivers. Following the article is an interview with Mary Wagner. F. Patrick Holmes and Walter E. Hecox address the important question: Does Wilderness Impoverish Rural Regions?