Questions
and Answers
Mt Moriah by Robert J Kozlow
1. Question: Will the public have access to Wild River if it is designated
Wilderness?
Answer: Yes. Designating this area for Wilderness maintains open public
access to this amazing watershed. Recreational opportunities include hiking,
backpacking, fishing, swimming, hunting, trapping, snowshoeing, cross-country
skiing, camping, wildlife viewing, canoeing and kayaking.
Wilderness further protects some of our most valuable natural resources:
clean water, clean air, productive fisheries, and other benefits of healthy
ecosystems. And some of our most treasured human resources are also ensured:
scenic beauty, solitude, peace and backcountry, primitive recreation.
2. Question: Can creating new Wilderness in NH stimulate the local economy?
Answer: Yes. Wilderness areas provide many economic benefits and help
communities diversify by providing “quality of life” amenities that attract new
businesses to the area. One study (Loomis and Richardson, 2000) estimated that
recreation spending alone translates into support for one local job for every
550 acres of wilderness. For the Wild River Valley, that translates into 127 new
jobs.
3. Question: Does NH need more Wilderness?
Answer: Absolutely. Currently, only 2% of New Hampshire is designated as
Wilderness, about 112,000 acres. New Hampshire has experienced exponential
growth in the last 25 years and is converting forestland to other uses at a rate
of 13,000 acres a year. The White Mountain National Forest offers the best
opportunity to expand the amount of Wilderness in the state.
4. Question: What is the process to get Wild River designated as Wilderness?
Answer: Wilderness provides the strongest land protection for our public
lands. It takes an act of Congress to designate new Wilderness areas. The Forest
Service plans to revise its Forest Plan for the White Mountain National Forest
in the next few years, making now an ideal time to increase New Hampshire’s
limited Wilderness. The Friends of Wild River are working hard to demonstrate
that the Northeast needs more Wilderness, and that Wild River is worthy of this
special designation from Congress.
Carter Dome by Robert J Kozlow
Pine Martin by John Marriott
