The United States General Land Office established the Gila River Forest Reserve on March 2, 1899, a remote and biologically diverse land in southwestern New Mexico.  The forest encompasses over three million acres of forested hills, rugged mountains, deep canyons, free-flowing rivers, and hearty range land.  The Gila is home to an array of large mammals, birds of prey, and endangered fish species.  This landscape has long captured the imagination of those who visit.

On June 3, 1924, the U.S. Forest Service designated 755,000 acres of land in the Gila and Mimbres river watersheds of southwestern New Mexico as wilderness, a roadless backcountry forever free of development, the first such designation of its kind in the world. Arthur Carhart and Aldo Leopold, a Forest Service employee stationed in New Mexico since graduating from Yale’s School of Forestry in 1909, developed a recreational working plan for the service and convinced their superiors to designate an area within the Gila National Forest to implement the pioneering concept.  Considered the father of wildlife ecology and modern conservation, Leopold’s preservation experiment in the Land of Enchantment would go on to be replicated around the world and codified by Congress with the Wilderness Act of 1964.  A biologically rich and diverse landscape, the Gila is home to the Mimbres people of the Mogollon culture and the Nde (Tsokanende/Chiricahua Apache), the original caretakers of the region.  Today, although legislatively protected, the area is actively threatened by nearby mining enterprises, efforts to impound the Gila River’s flow, invasive species and ranching, drought and mega wildfires, and extinction of plant and animal species.  As this first-of-its-kind public land celebrates its centennial year, the Gila still needs strong advocates who support the wilderness land ethic and its place in the world.

In October 1922, the federal government assessed the Gila National Forest as home to vast supplies of raw materials in the form of timber, forage, and mineral resources, as well as a recreationist’s paradise.  “Large portions of the Forest, which are extremely rough and mountainous, are now accessible only to those traveling on horseback and with pack animals.  Much of this country is, therefore, little known except to a few stockmen and hunters.” (1)  This assessment, however, failed to acknowledge the long history of human occupation in the region.

Human history in the Gila Forest region dates back thousands of years, as documented in the archeological evidence left behind and in the oral traditions shared today. Groundbreaking research in New Mexico is furthering our understanding of the first hunter-gatherer societies in North America.  Stunning cliff dwellings along the Gila River showcase the ingenuity of the Mimbres peoples of the former Mogollon culture.  The Apache people have a long history as careful stewards of the Gila’s lands and its dependent flora and fauna.

Aldo Leopold

Upon graduating from the Yale School of Forestry in 1909, Aldo Leopold took a position with the U.S. Forest Service in Arizona and New Mexico.  The proceeding thirteen years in the American Southwest brought the man from Iowa into contact with a biologically diverse and remote landscape that profoundly shaped his thoughts on forest management and wildlife ecology.  While serving as the assistant supervisor of the Carson National Forest he courted and married Estella Luna Otero Bergere of Santa Fe in October 1912, and they would raise five children together.

While working in the southwest, Leopold began to develop an ecocentric outlook that considered the balance of natural elements rather than a goal of dominance over nature and the submission of wildlife.  He grew increasingly concerned with the loss of wilderness as unrestricted recreation and hunting, along with the incessant road building and development of extractive industries, harmed previously remote areas.  A prolific writer, Leopold published widely on his preservationist stance.  Working with Arthur Carhart, the two Forest Service employees drafted a wilderness recreational working plan for the service and convinced their superiors in 1924 to designate a 755,000-acre area within the Gila National Forest as a roadless backcountry forever free of development.  Thus, the Gila Wilderness was born.

Aldo Leopold’s push for the preservation of wilderness areas on federal lands created a precedent that saw other areas in the United States and elsewhere in the world saved from environmental degradation.  Leopold left the Forest Service in 1924 after writing the service’s first game and fish handbook and the first comprehensive management plan for the Grand Canyon.  He moved to teach at the University of Wisconsin, where he continued to develop and test his ideas on wildlife management and conservation.  His legacy is seen today in the work of the Wilderness Society, which he helped found in 1935, his “Land Ethic” concept as laid out in his posthumously published A Sand County Almanac, and the work of his children who followed in his footsteps.  Leopold passed away in 1948.

Protecting the Gila

The Gila Wilderness is a versatile landscape, serving as sacred space, playground, and workplace – equal parts classroom and laboratory.  Since the establishment of the wilderness experiment in 1924, the Gila has been closely analyzed and debated regarding whether setting aside large tracts of federal land proved an efficient use of a shared public resource.  With Forest Service plans in place to monitor effects on plant and animal life, as well as feedback from those recreating in the wilderness, the general consensus is that environmental protection is a worthy course of action.

Ecologists, botanists, and others who study animal and plant life have long ventured into the Gila Wilderness area to unlock its mysteries.  Its wide range of elevation – from lowland desert to woodlands along mountain tops – supports a diverse set of vegetation systems and wildlife communities.  The forest is home to at least 574 species of plant and animal life, some who are unfortunately imperiled, including the endangered Gila Chub, Gila Trout, and Mexican Wolf.

The protection of the Gila Wilderness, particularly its vulnerable flora and fauna, is the ongoing charge of the U.S. Forest Service and those residing near its boundaries.  The Forest Service often works in partnership with other federal agencies (BLM, NPS, USBR, and USGS, in particular) and allied State of New Mexico bureaus to carry out this monitoring.  Numerous environmental and recreational non-profits, along with ranching and agricultural advocacy groups, frequently debate the acceptable uses of protected forest lands.  While they may not always agree on management and recreation plans, each group aims to educate their constituents and the general public on the needs of the Gila Wilderness and the challenges of its administration.

Long a New Mexico destination, those who venture into the Gila Wilderness often do so because of its unique designation.  That this portion of the forest is “primeval” and “rugged” is a draw to many who wish to temporarily leave behind the comforts modern living affords.  An outdoor recreation economy in southwestern New Mexico employs numerous people in service industries that assist visitors as they explore and recreate in the Gila.

The remoteness of the landscape and rapidly changing weather conditions require preparedness on the part of those entering the wilderness.  The U.S. Forest Service produces numerous maps and publications that assist visitors during their time in the Gila Wilderness.   Visitors are encouraged to come properly equipped and supplied for their visit, having notified others of their plans and time of return.  When emergencies strike, explorers may require self-rescue as cell phone signals prove unreliable and assistance is often hours away.

Celebrating the beauty and uniqueness of the Gila Wilderness is in itself a small industry.  Artistic works of all kinds and numerous publications offer the public a chance to learn intimate details of the land and how the wilderness has intellectually, emotionally, and spiritually moved so many that have ventured within the Gila’s boundaries.  Outdoor enthusiasts – hikers, backpackers, trail runners, back country riders, hunters, kayakers, bird watchers, etc. – join with writers, artists, and naturalists in celebrating the “land ethic” and Leopold’s vision of protecting our public lands against environmental degradation.  Here’s to the next 100 years of the Gila Wilderness!

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(1) U.S. Department of Agriculture, The National Forests of New MexicoU.S. Department of Agriculture, Department Circular 240 (October 1922): 14.  See Branson Library, Government Documents – Doc A 1.14/2:240.

The exhibition, The Gila: America’s First Designated Wilderness Turns 100!, from which the above text is drawn, will run through 2024 in Zuhl Library, 1st floor.