THE PRICE OF WILDERNESS

Graham Averill’s primer on Wilderness in the September issue ustifiably praises the virtue and uniqueness of the Wilderness Act of 1964. He also praises Congress as both the savior and protector of the national Wilderness Areas.

But this same Congress in 2004, with no public input and in the blink of a political eye, removed portions of Cumberland Island Wilderness at the bidding of a private commercial business. Never before has Wilderness been removed from the Wilderness System. This scurrilous deed on Cumberland Island, Ga., was described in Will Harlan’s article, “Line in the Sand” in the August issue.

So a word of warning regarding Averill’s claim that “Wilderness law is iron-clad and requires an Act of Congress to change it." The pork barrel political system can make it easy for your favorite Wilderness Area to be dismantled. To misquote Thomas Jefferson, “Eternal public vigilance is the price of Wilderness.” Keep an eye on your Congressman. Complacency is for Top Feeders.

—V.J. Henry, Savannah, Ga.

STOP SEASHORE CONSTRUCTION

Concerning the unauthorized construction for an apartment for Shepherd Spinal Center on Cumberland Island, I think the public should be outraged! A resort for Shepherd Center patients should not be built on land that will shortly become part of the public National Seashore.

This land is to revert in 2010 to the public (as part of the National Seashore), but it is being built upon—without approval and permits and environmental impact studies—as if it were private, no holds barred, land, not requiring even standard construction oversight. Building the apartment for Shepherd Spinal Clinic on Mr. Jenkins septic system drain field was thoughtless, showing total disregard for the environment.

—Annette Gelbrich, Norcross, Ga.

SAVING WILD CUMBERLAND

Thank you for two excellent feature articles in your August 2007 issue: “Line in the Sand” (about attacks on the Wilderness status of Cumberland Island, Georgia) and “The Lone Rangers” (about insufficient funding for the Blue Ridge Parkway).

When I was the assistant executive director of The Wilderness Society in the late 1960s, my colleague Ernie Dickerman (of Virginia Wilderness Committee fame) and I made the first visit by national conservation organization representatives to Cumberland Island to scope it out for possible inclusion in the National Wilderness Preservation System. We met with members of the Carnegie family who had flown in from all parts of the country to discuss the National Park Service offer to buy their island.

Ernie and I concluded that the island did qualify for Wilderness protection, and we encouraged conservation groups to support an Act of Congress to win that status for it. They were successful in that campaign, but, since then, the actions of the National Park Service and local Congressman Kingston to ignore and repeal that statutory protection have been very disappointing. A spirited campaign to restore full wilderness protection to Cumberland Island is needed.

—Rupert Cutler, Roanoke, Va.


HOMELESS HERO

In response to last month’s letter concerning my “dead-beat dad,” Mickey Mahaffey, I would like to comment on behalf of my two younger brothers and me. We have never equated our dad with anything but love, caring, and true guardianship. We have always been a tight-knit and close family. When our dad walked away from material possessions, he did not leave relationships to his loved ones behind. We have stood close by his side throughout his journeys, and we have even joined him on occasion and continue to do so. Thanks to the fact that he was not a dead-beat dad, we have all grown to be “green heroes” alongside him.

—Stephanie Mahaffey, Richmond, Va.

WHEELERS LOVE WILDERNESS

As a big fan of four-wheel drive vehicles and leave-no-trace backpacking, I am disappointed in BRO for calling the Blue Ribbon Coalition "an anti-wilderness ORV-group." Our code of ethics includes not disturbing wildlife and avoiding areas posted for the protection of feeding wildlife. Most people who enjoy 'wheeling' are just as much as interested in protecting our earth as those who walk the same area.

—Andrew Burton, Charlotte, N.C.