The National Wilderness Preservation System consists of 757 areas, totaling 109,512,959 acres - one of our nation's greatest resources. Only a small number of these areas have dedicated volunteer-based stewardship groups. Wilderness is a crucial source of our clean water and clean air. It provides habitat for wildlife and places where people can find solitude and stillness in an increasingly mechanized world. These wild places must be protected and their ecological function preserved. Wilderness is our legacy gift to future generations. Volunteer involvement in wilderness protection has always been vital, but with current economic conditions, it is even more critical that volunteers assist the agencies charged with caring for our wilderness.