Since no movement is without its extremists, we should not be surprised to discover in the current fuss over the environment an element committed to Preserving Our Great National Heritage, the Wilderness. Their devotion to the mystique of wilderness is very nearly tantamount to a new religion.

The wilderness bunch is unusual in that they are neither wild-eyed nor, in the conduct of their other day-to-day affairs, abnormal To the contrary, they are handsome, urbane and articulate people, highly educated, often professionally employed, well paid, and more given to conservative suits of expensive tailoring than to the flowing robes of, for example, the Jesus freaks.