The federal Wilderness Act celebrated its 40^th anniversary on September 3^rd, but most people don’t know one of its architects was from Pennsylvania.

Howard Zahniser, born in Franklin, Venango County, wrote 66 drafts of the bill and helped steer it through 18 Congressional hearings before it became law; sadly six months after his death in 1964.

Through his efforts, the legislation established the National Wilderness Preservation System which now permanently protects over 104 million acres across the United States.

Zahniser defined a wilderness this way, “A wilderness, in contrast with those areas where man and his own works dominate the landscape, is hereby recognized as an area where the earth and its community of life are untrammeled by man, where man himself is a visitor who does not remain."

Zahniser also served as executive secretary of The Wilderness Society and editor of its magazine, The Living Wilderness, from 1945 until his death in 1964.

As a tribute to his work, the Zahniser Institute for Environmental Studies was founded at Greenville College in Illinois that Zahniser attended to promote the preservation of unique and wild places and educate students and the public on sustainable use and management of natural resources and public lands.

The Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission placed an historic marker in Franklin County in 2001 commemorating Zahniser’s role in developing the Wilderness Act saying: Howard C. Zahniser - Conservationist and architect of the National Wilderness Preservation System Act of 1964. Although he died four months before President Lyndon Johnson signed the bill his efforts led to the preservation of over 100 million acres across the nation. Zahniser was born in Franklin, Pa., and Tionesta became his hometown. An advocate for preserving wilderness area, he was executive director of The Wilderness Society & editor of its journal. (Thanks to Wayne Kober, PA Association of Environmental Professionals, for reminding us of Zahniser’s contributions.)

NewsClips: Tionesta Native Had Hand in Wilderness Act

Pennsylvania Environmental Hero: Howard Zahniser

9/10/2004