…for wildlife and the natural evolution of the landscape. Wilderness offers land the opportunity to heal and rewild, often after centuries of hard use. In a wild landscape, trees grow old and store massive amounts of carbon. Trees also fall and remain in place, providing shelter to diverse species and adding richness back into forest soils.
On forever-wild land, management is minimal to non-existent. Light restoration may occur at the beginning phases of conservation. Recreation, when permitted, is limited to quiet enjoyment of the land without any motors or mechanization. There is no timber harvesting, in perpetuity.
The many gifts offered by untamed forests inevitably spill over into the human world. People receive pristine water, birdsong, fresh air, spring flowers, dark nighttime skies, snowy tracks, and quiet places to escape the clamor of everyday life. Stepping into the wild, we can feel that land does not belong to us, but that we belong to the land.