A hundred years ago this month, the forester Aldo Leopold proposed to the Forest Service that the federal government create the first ever wilderness area in the Gila National Forest, in New Mexico. Nearly 900 square miles of land at the center of the forest were designated wilderness in 1924. This month, National Geographic magazine's cover story is about the history and future of the area and its inhabitants. Photographer Katie Orlinsky spoke with KUNM about her time there, beginning with her first impressions.
https://www.kunm.org/local-news/2023-06-09/national-geographic-visits-the-gila-wilderness-as-it-nears-its-centenary