The designation of wilderness areas is often a highly controversial act. Wilderness designation takes large amounts of land out of use. For that reason, timbering, mining, ranching, energy and development interests are often strongly opposed to expansion of the wilderness system, wanting to be able to put these areas to more profitable use. For that reason, many of those people do not understand the necessity of preserving wild areas and do not support the expansion of the concept. However, many other people who may not visit wilderness areas still support the need for wilderness areas, feeling that they want to know that these areas exist, even if they, themselves, do not use them.
Wilderness areas provide undisturbed habitats for wild plants and animals, promoting biodiversity.