Issue Date: September 19, 2004

Where the wild things are saved

Our country's vast and varied open spaces inspired the early pioneering spirit that defines America. This month marks the 40th anniversary of the Wilderness Act, a landmark bipartisan promise to preserve wilderness for future generations. The law, signed by President Lyndon B. Johnson on Sept. 3, 1964, established a national policy to secure "the benefits of an enduring resource of wilderness."

Today, 662 wilderness areas adding up to about 106 million acres are protected. Turf battles can be politically charged, in terms of weighing the merits of conservation. As a result, less than 5% of U.S. land is protected as wilderness.

Doug Scott -- policy director for Campaign for America's Wilderness and author of just-out "The Enduring Wilderness: Protecting Our Natural Heritage Through the Wilderness Act" (Fulcrum, $12.95) -- believes the future of untamed wilderness lies with the public. "[Conservation is] an act of humility, and there is a patriotic value," he says. "Many of the values we hold dear were shaped here -- a passion for freedom, independence, self-reliance -- the attributes of pioneers. By preserving real living wilderness, we are preserving a touchstone to that frontier heritage."

Fun facts

Florida's 6-acre Pelican Island is the smallest protected area.

The largest is almost 10 million acres in Wrangell-St. Elias National Park in Alaska.

Ronald Reagan signed the most laws (43) to protect wilderness; Jimmy Carter wins on acreage (66 million).

States with no protected wilderness areas: Connecticut, Delaware, Iowa, Kansas, Maryland, Rhode Island.

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Road to fitness

Staying fit IS a way of life for many people, but the lifestyle is hard to maintain on the road. Though most hotels have fitness rooms, they're often small, crowded and not always open. But that's changing. Today, you don't even have to check in to enjoy some hotels' fitness benefits; many offer public memberships to their pools and fitness facilities. Some other trends:

Om away from home. The Topaz Hotel in Washington, D.C., describes itself as a "wellness hotel"; seven guest rooms have exercise or yoga equipment. In-room yoga instruction also is accessible on hotel TVs free at the Topaz and 38 other Kimpton hotels in the United States and Canada. Also, Westin Hotels have teamed with Reebok on a yoga- and Pilates-inspired video you can do in bed. And the Grand Wailea Resort Hotel & Spa on Maui in Hawaii offers yoga classes in its oceanfront pool.

In-room gym. At the Affinia Dumont in New York City, hotel guests can order a Fit Kit: a portable gym with hand and ankle weights, an exercise ball, a yoga mat and resistance bands. Or stay in the Fitness Suite, a 675-square-foot, one-bedroom chamber with its own workout studio and sauna, starting at $399 per night. For $15 a day, guests at select Hilton Hotels and Resorts can rent a foldable treadmill with a 54-inch neighbor-conscious (noise-filtering) running surface.

Dr. Hotel. At Don Shula's Hotel and Golf Club in Miami Lakes, Fla., guests receive a list of stress-busting stretches and can order a 20-minute video showing exercises using hotel-room objects (e.g., triceps exercises you can do with a suitcase; squats buttressed with a towel). Guests who stay 10 nights get a free fitness assessment with annual body fat, strength and flexibility screenings. Personal info is kept on file; frequent guests also are entitled to free annual cholesterol and blood pressure screenings.