The report is due in January 2001. More than 100 attended from various agencies and organizations. Their comments and concerns will be reflected in the Brown panel report. The council met at the Wilderness Summit and is preparing a blueprint for consistent wilderness management across jurisdictional boundaries. Based on the recommendations in the Brown panel report, the council will modify and implement the blueprint.
Wilderness protection happens on the ground, at the local level.
Last year, I formed a Wilderness Advisory Group of employees at every level and from every region. This group of 10 members informs and advises me on how to build a solid, interdisciplinary wilderness program that is effective in the field and connects with the American people. The group played a key role in developing our wilderness agenda, called Thinking Like a Mountain. The draft agenda formulates strategies for addressing key areas of wilderness management. Because so many here and across the country played such an integral role in the helping to establish our wilderness system, I am asking for your help in improving and finalizing, our, your, wilderness agenda.