ABSTRACT
The National Cattlemen's Association supported the concept of wilderness because the livestock industry believed that there were limited wild and scenic areas that should be protected to give future generations a glimpse of the vistages of the past. The livestock industry was assured that the Wilderness Act recognized that livestock grazing was compatible with wilderness values. The Wilderness Act allowed livestock grazing to continue within designated wilderness areas. The exact language of the Wilderness Act was: "the grazing of livestock, where established prior to the effective date of this Act, shall be permitted to continue subject to reasonable regulations as are deemed necessary by the Secretary of Agriculture." Livestock industry representatives finally met around a table in 1980 with representatives of wilderness groups and House and Senate supporters of wilderness. They thrashed out legislative language, supplemented by some report language guidelines, and these were accepted by Congress in passing the first Roadless Area Review and Evaluation II wilderness bill.
