Wilderness Report #100 Celebrates the 39th Anniversary of the Wilderness Act September 3, 2003, marked the 39th anniversary of the signing of the Wilderness Act, which created our National Wilderness Preservation System and gave wilderness advocates around the country the legislative tool they needed to permanently protect wild areas of public land by law.   250,000 Comments Oppose Bush Plan to Exempt Alaska Forests from Roadless Rule In just over a month's time, more than a quarter of a million comments were received by the Forest Service in opposition to Bush Administration proposal to exempt the Tongass and Chugach National Forests from the Roadless Area Conservation Rule.