History of Wilderness Programs

Guiding, which led to Wilderness Programs, has a long and colorful history. Early surveyors and sportsmen needed help in traversing the wilderness so they engaged the services of old woodsmen.

Many of these 'guides' were trappers, hunters or loggers who 'hired out' to occasional visitors for extra cash. As tourism flourished, guiding became a full-time profession and resulted in the Guide Association being formed in 1891. Following World War II, the lure of the wilderness waned and the Association all but dissolved.

President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Wilderness Act in 1964 that set aside over 100 million acres of both state and federal lands for outstanding opportunities for solitude or a primitive and unconfined type of recreation.

By the 1970's there seemed to be a renewed interest in the outdoors and people found it difficult to locate reliable guides. Because of this renewed interest, the old tradition of "Guiding" was revised in 1981.

In addition to increased use of wilderness by the public, there has been a steady increase in wilderness use by organized groups.

Wilderness Program Statistics

There are more than 700 Wilderness Experience Programs across the United States with a growth rate of about 15% per year. After investigating these programs to see which ones presently have opportunities open to the Deaf population, it became evident that these opportunities are very minimal.

Surveys show that the existant program providers would like to expand their programs to make them accessible for the deaf. However, due to a lack of interpreters who are Licensed Wilderness Guides, they are not equipped to do so.

All children, including those who are deaf, are the stewards of both our future and the ecological health of the planet. By creating opportunities for youth to explore, discover, and enjoy natural places, will help to give the disadvantaged opportunities to experience the wonders of nature.