The Wilderness Act of 1964

 "A wilderness, in contrast with those areas where man and his own works dominate the landscape, is hereby recognized as an area where the earth and community of life are untrammeled by man, where man himself is a visitor who does not remain."- 1964 Wilderness Act.

On September 3rd, 1964, the Wilderness Act of 1964 was signed into law after eight years of revisions.  Congress included the BWCA in this act, but the area was marked for conflict from the start.  The BWCA was given use exceptions that didn’t apply to other wilderness units; mainly that logging and motorized recreation would be allowed. This act scarcely solved the debated issues on rights in the BWCA.

"The Wilderness Act of 1964 was the critical first step in saying to the nation this is unlike any other place."- Betsy Daub, Friends of the Boundary Waters Wilderness.
The Wilderness Act of 1964 gave people all over the country the responsibility to protect wilderness areas, and was the first act to give wilderness areas the right to be protected.
"Within wilderness areas designated by this Act the use of aircraft or motorboats, where these uses have already become established, may be permitted to continue subject to such restrictions as the Secretary of Agriculture deems desirable. In addition, such measures may be taken as may be necessary in the control of fire, insects, and diseases, subject to such conditions as the Secretary deems desirable."- Wilderness Act of 1964.