All too often in today's turbulent political climate, good news--any good news--from the federal government flies under the radar screen, under-reported or unreported.

Take the fact of 76,150 acres of newly designated wilderness in New England.

I hadn't heard about it. You?

It wasn't until I saw it in the most recent adition of Appalachia, the AMCs bi-annual journal of mountaineering and conservation.

Yep, last December 1st President Bush signed into law the New England Wilderness Act of 2006 (NEWA) creating 34,500 acres of Wilderness (yes, that's Wilderness with a capital W, serious business when the feds get involved) in the White Mountain National Forest, and 41,650 acres in the Green Mountain National Forest.

Whoa! That's awesome.

New England has 76,150 acres of newly designated wilderness. Who knew???
Photo by Huw Evans

Here's some specifics for reference.

In the WMNF in NH and Maine:

* Sandwich Range: 10,800 acres were added to the existing 25,000 acres in four separate units: Guinea Pond-2,823 acres, Waterville Valley-4,038 acres, Hedgehog-2,766 acres, and Ferncroft-1,144 acres.

* Wild River: The law creates a brand new wilderness area of 23,700 acres in the magnificent valley vetween the Carter-Moriah and Baldface-Royce Ranges (a very familiar stomping ground for this hiker)

In the GMNF in Vermont:

* Glastenbury: A new 22,425 acre wilderness area was created, encompassing the 3,748 summit of Glastenbury Mountain (right on the Long Trail-what a view!) and the largest area of unbroken forest in southern Vermont.

* Joseph Battell: A new 12,333 acre area protecting the ridgeline between Brandon Gap and Middlebury Gap (also on the Long Trail and a fantastic stretch of walking).

* Lye Brook: 2,338 acres added

* Breadloaf: 3,757 acres added

* Peru Peak and Big Branch: 799 acres added

The new and additional Wilderness areas will be managed by the US Forest Service under the direction of the 1964 Wilderness Act, "where the earth and its community of life are untrammeled by man, where man himself is a visitor who does not remain."

It also means the eventual loss of our good friends the Blue Brook, Spruce Brook and Perkins Notch shelters, as USFS Wilderness policy discourages man-made structures. But that will be aways off yet.

Good news about our New England outdoors. News you might never have heard amid the din of crap mucking up the airwaves.

No go on out and shoot your television, and then go hiking...

Have a good weekend!