Comment from Stephanie Kalish

National Park Service decision makers, I am deeply concerned about the Department of the Interior’s review of wilderness policies across the Bureau of Land Management, National Park Service, and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. I am writing in regards to the Management of Wilderness Study Areas (BLM-2026-0069), Considering Lands with Wilderness Characteristics (BLM-2026-0068), Management of Designated Wilderness Areas (BLM-2026-0067), Wilderness Stewardship (NPS-2026-0100), and Wilderness Administration and Resource Stewardship (FWS-HQ-NWRS-2026-2575). In Montana, this review affects policies guiding management of immeasurably cherished lands across the state, from Glacier and Yellowstone National Parks, to the Missouri Breaks and C.M. Russell National Wildlife Refuge, to Red Rock Lakes National Wildlife Refuge and the Centennial Mountains. Managing designated Wilderness areas, Wilderness Study Areas, Recommended Wilderness, and Lands with Wilderness Characteristics to protect their wilderness character is consistent with protecting recreation - in fact, providing outstanding opportunities for primitive recreation is an integral part of wilderness under the law. These places also protect and sustain clean air, clean water, wildlife habitat, and Indigenous cultural and spiritual connections. Local communities rely on wild public lands for economic benefits from tourism and recreation, and their quality of life. I urge the Department to leave its current policies for wilderness-quality lands in place at this time. These policies provide a proven framework for protecting important public land values, supporting recreation and Tribal interests, ensuring management consistency, and maintaining the ecological, cultural, and scenic resources that make these lands unique. Continuing to protect wilderness qualities is consistent with protecting recreation. In many cases, wilderness-quality lands provide the best opportunities for backcountry recreation including camping, bird-watching, hiking and fishing and backpacking, all very popular activities in these wilderness areas. I can't stress this concern for the current protection of wilderness enough. Please consider preserving and maintaining the current wilderness policies across BLM, National Park Service and US Fish and Wildlife Services and do not conduct a review at this point in time. Sincerely, Stephanie Kalish