To acquire private lands (inholdings) in current and potential Wilderness Areas from willing sellers and to transfer them to public ownership, so that all generations of Americans will enjoy an enduring resource of wilderness.





In 2002, the Trust’s Board of Directors adopted the goals of eliminating wilderness inholdings within the National Wilderness Preservation System over the next 10 years and of helping address inholdings issues in proposed Wilderness Areas. According to recent estimates, more than 400,000 acres of privately owned lands remain within designated Wilderness Areas. As long as this is the case the essential wilderness character of these areas is at risk, as private land owners retain the right to develop their land as they see fit, including timber production and mineral extraction and building homes, roads and utilities. After accomplishing the goal of eliminating the issue of wilderness inholdings, our plans call for going out of business, as our primary objective will have been met.