Message to the Congress Proposing Establishment of New National Wilderness Areas.

To the Congress of the United States:

There is no greater challenge facing America today than the discovery and development of new energy resources.

As we move toward national self-sufficiency in energy, however, we must be diligent in protecting and preserving our natural heritage of unspoiled wilderness areas and the ecosystems which they support.

With this goal in mind, and pursuant to the Wilderness Act of 1964, I am today proposing 15 new additions to our National Wilderness Preservation System. These additions comprise more than 6 million acres and would nearly double existing wilderness acreage.

I would also like to take this opportunity to urge once again that Congress enact the eastern wilderness legislation I recently submitted, now embodied in legislation labeled S. 2487 and H.R. 10469. On May 31, the Senate passed a bill which would designate certain wilderness areas in the Eastern United States. The Senate bill, I believe, is inadequate. I urge the House to give early and favorable consideration to wilderness legislation incorporating the Administration proposal, and I urge the Congress to adopt it as the most balanced approach to studying and designating wilderness areas in the Eastern United States.

Briefly described, the additions I am proposing today are:

(1) Crater Lake National Park, Oregon--122,400 acres. Crater Lake is the deepest lake in the country and, in its ancient caldera setting, one of the most beautiful. The lake is surrounded by rugged and varied terrain, most of which is recommended for wilderness designation.

(2) Havasu National Wildlife Refuge, California--2,500 acres of Sonoran desert land. Located in one of the hottest and driest areas of the country--rainfall averages only 4.73 inches per year--this refuge is the home of such rare or endangered species as the Yuma clapper rail, the Gila monster, and the peregrine falcon.

(3) Semidi National Wildlife Refuge, Alaska--256,000 acres comprising nine islands and surrounding submerged lands in the western Gulf of Alaska. The refuge's fragile estaurine system is a breeding ground for vast colonies of sea birds and other forms of wildlife.

(4) Hawaiian Islands National Wildlife Refuge, Hawaii--1,742 acres on various islets and reefs distributed among some 800 miles of ocean between the main Hawaiian Islands and Midway Island. Among the rare forms of wildlife found within this refuge are the Laysan teal, found only on Laysan Island; the Hawaiian monk seal; and the green sea turtle.

(5) Crab Orchard National Wildlife Refuge, Illinois--4,050 acres. This refuge is a haven for such migratory waterfowl as Canada geese, snow and blue geese, and mallard ducks.

(6) Zion National Park, Utah--120,620 acres. This park is a superlative example of the effect of erosion on an uplifted plateau. The great bulk of its towering peaks and pinnacles, arches, and natural bridges are recommended for wilderness designation.

(7) Katmai National Monument, Alaska--2,603,547 acres. Situated near the base of the Alaskan Peninsula, this massive area comprises three entirely different ecosystems: a coastal area dotted with fjord-like bays; a mountainous area atop ancient volcanic basement rocks; and a plain crisscrossed by lakes of glacial origin.

(8) Rice Lake and Mille Lacs National Wildlife Refuges, Minnesota--1,407 acres. Consisting largely of bog, forest, and lakes, Rice Lake National Wildlife Refuge supports a variety of birds, notably the ring-necked duck. Both of the islands which constitute the small, nearby Mille Lacs National Wildlife Refuge are also included in this recommendation.

(9) Glacier National Park, Montana-927,550 acres. Located in the Rocky Mountains of Montana, this park--nearly all of which is suitable for wilderness designation-contains some 50 small glaciers and 200 lakes.

(10) Red Rock Lakes National Wildlife Refuge, Montana--32,350 acres. Although it harbors a multitude of ducks, as well as such mammals as moose, elk, deer, and antelope, the primary purpose of this refuge is to protect the once-rare trumpeter swan, largest of all American waterfowl.

(11 ) Olympic National Park, Washington--862,139 acres. The home of more than 50 wildlife species, this landscape of rain forests and seashore lies in the wettest winter climate in the lower 49 States.

(12) Tamarac National Wildlife Refuge, Minnesota--2,138 acres. One of the most important sanctuaries along the Mississippi Flyway, this area hosts thousands of pairs of ducks during the annual nesting season.

(13) Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado--239,835 acres characterized by massive peaks, Alpine lakes, and mountain forests. Among the wildlife found here are wapiti, mule deer, and bighorn. sheep.

(14) Missisquoi National Wildlife Refuge, Vermont--620 acres. Located less than a mile from the Canadian border, this refuge supports primarily waterfowl but also a population of 100 whitetail deer, a species which was all but nonexistent in this area 30 years ago.

(15) Unimak Island (Aleutian Islands National Wildlife Refuge), Alaska-973,000 acres. A rich diversity of wildlife, including the Alaskan brown bear and the once-rare sea otter, inhabit this island. Its scenic coastline, rugged mountains, and volcanic remnants make the island ideal for the study of interrelated marine and terrestrial ecosystems.

In addition, two proposals which have been previously submitted--Pinnacles National Monument and Sequoia-Kings Canyon National Parks, all in California-have been augmented by sufficient acreage to warrant resubmission to the Congress. The enlargements, which are attributable to revised management philosophy and plans and the recent acquisition of private in holdings, amount to 5,970 acres in the case of Pinnacles and 68,800 acres in the case of Sequoia-Kings Canyon.

Three other areas--previously proposed--Cabeza Prieta Game Range, Arizona; Desert National Wildlife Range, Nevada; and Glacier Bay National Monument, Alaska--contain surface lands suitable for wilderness designation. However, because two of these areas are open to mining, and all three may contain minerals vital to the national interest and have not been subjected to adequate mineral surveys, I am recommending that action on these proposals be deferred pending the completion of such surveys.

After a review of roadless areas of 5,000 acres or more and roadless islands, the Secretary of the Interior has concluded that seven areas are not suitable for preservation as part of the National Wilderness Preservation System. These are: Savannah National Wildlife Refuge, Georgia; Little Pend Oreille National Wildlife Refuge and Turnbull National Wildlife Refuge, Washington; Bowdoin National Wildlife Refuge and the National Bison Range, Montana; National Elk Refuge, Wyoming; and Horicon National Wildlife Refuge, Wisconsin.

In addition to this message, I am transmitting herewith to the Congress letters and reports from the Secretary of the Interior regarding these wilderness proposals. I concur with the recommendation of the Secretary in each case, and I urge the Congress to give early and favorable consideration to all of these proposals.

RICHARD NIXON

The White House,

June 13, 1974.