Controversy over Wilderness Protection in the United States 1 In…

DoctorGoldfishMaster899 Controversy over Wilderness Protection in the United States 1 In… Controversy over Wilderness Protection in the United States
1 In the United States, conservationists have been trying to save wild areas from development since 1900. Overall, they have fought a losing battle. Not until 1964 did Congress pass the Wilderness Act. It allowed the government to protect undeveloped tracts of public land from development as part of the National Wilderness Preservation System. Such lands get the highest level of protection from human activities such as logging, mining, and motor vehicle use.
2 In 2009 the U.S. government granted wilderness protection to over 800,000 hectares (2 million acres) of public land in nine of the lower 48 states. It was the largest expansion of wilderness lands in 15 years. The new law also increased the total length of wild and scenic rivers (treated as wilderness areas) by 50 percent – the largest such increase ever.
3 One problem is that only four of the 413 wilderness areas in the lower 48 states are large enough to sustain all of the species they contain. Some species, such as wolves, need large areas in which to roam as packs, to find prey, and to mate and rear young. Also, the system includes only 81 of the country’s 233 distinct ecosystems. Most wilderness areas in the lower 48 states are
threatened habitat islands in a sea of development.
4 Scattered blocks of public lands with a total area roughly equal to that of the U.S. state of Montana could qualify for designation as wilderness. About 60 percent of such land is in the national forest. But for decades, the politically powerful oil, gas, mining, and timber industries have sought entry to these areas owned jointly by all citizens of the United States- in hopes of locating and removing valuable resources. Under the law, as soon as such an area is accessed in this way, it automatically becomes disqualified for wilderness protection. Image transcription text7. What is the topic sentence of paragraph 4? O a. But for decades, the politically powerful oil, gas, mining, andtimber industries have sought entry to these areas. “)b. Scattered blocks of public lands with a total arearoughly equal to that of the U.S. state of Montana could quality for designation as wilderness. )c. Un… Show more… Show more Arts & HumanitiesEnglish