The non-profit Friends of Allegheny Wilderness (FAW) has recently been established in Pennsylvania to address the acute shortage of wilderness in the state’s only national forest -- the Allegheny. While 18% of national forest land nationwide is designated wilderness, less than 2% of the Allegheny is wilderness. This figure is very low even by eastern national forest standards.

A unique connection for the Allegheny region however is our ties to the architect of American wilderness, Howard Zahniser. Born in Franklin, PA in 1906, Zahniser grew up in Tionesta, a town that lies on the southwest boundary of the Allegheny National Forest. Zahniser, or "Zahnie" as he was known to many, was executive director of The Wilderness Society from 1945 until his untimely death in 1964, and was the lead author of the federal Wilderness Act of 1964. He is buried in Tionesta, within a stone’s throw of his beloved Allegheny River. A celebration of Zahnie’s ties to Tionesta and the Allegheny region, and his lifelong work for wilderness was recently held in the hometown he loved.

FAW executive director Kirk Johnson applied to the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission to have an historical marker installed in Tionesta in honor of Howard Zahniser last fall, and the maker was approved in March. The dedication of the marker took place on Monday, August 13. FAW worked closely with the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission, the Forest County Historical Society, The Wilderness Society, and the Pew Wilderness Center to make this event a huge success. The dedication was an important end in itself to honor a great Pennsylvanian, but also served as an opportunity to educate the public about the value of wilderness.

The ceremony was enthusiastically attended by some 70 wilderness aficionados including U.S. Congressman John Peterson; Howard Zahniser’s sons Ed and Matt, and sister Helen Zahniser Snyder; former deputy Secretary of Agriculture under President Carter, Rupert Cutler; Allegheny National Forest Supervisor Kevin Elliott; representatives of The Wilderness Society and many others.

"Pennsylvania has always been home to some of our nation’s greatest conservationists and none is greater than Howard Zahniser," said Darrell Knuffke of The Wilderness Society. "We owe him a great debt of gratitude for all his work to protect Wilderness both throughout the country and right here in Pennsylvania."

FAW will further Zahniser’s wilderness vision by working toward the designation of additional wilderness areas in the Allegheny National Forest, and in particular by gaining wilderness protection for the 4,100 acre Tionesta old-growth forest. The designation of a Tionesta Wilderness Area encompassing the old-growth, combined with other wilderness additions will make a fine tribute to the life and work of Howard Zahniser, whose 100^th birthday anniversary is approaching in 2006.

For more information on the Zahniser event or the FAW campaign to designate new wilderness in the Allegheny National Forest, please visit www.pawild.org or call (814) 730-3629.