The Chronicles Of Grant County
Gila Wilderness Centennial Anniversary Poster Contest
"Smokey Sunset from Signal Peak Fire Lookout" This photo was the 2023 Photo Contest Overall Winner of Gila National Forest. (The photo was produced by Michael Ruggiero and was provided courtesy of the United States Forest Service – Gila National Forest, March 29, 2023.)
Photographers who enjoy producing photos of wilderness are encouraged by the United States Forest Service to submit photos to be considered for Gila Wilderness Centennial Anniversary Posters.
This photography contest is accepting submissions through December 1, 2023.
The winning photos will be used as part of the 100th anniversary of the establishment of the Gila Wilderness by the Federal government.
"On June 3, 1924, 755,000 acres were set aside by the [U S] Forest Service as the Gila Wilderness, the first designated wilderness in the world," according to a statement from the U S Forest Service. "During the early years of wilderness designation, the area was under the supervision of District Ranger Henry Woodrow, who had been working in the area since 1909. According to Woodrow's diary, in the years just preceding and immediately following wilderness designation, trails were practically non-existent and the grizzly bear still roamed."
While it is extremely unlikely that you will run into a grizzly bear in the Gila Wilderness today, much of the wilderness that existed 99 years ago still remains.
(According to the "Black Bears of New Mexico" brochure issued by the New Mexico Department of Game and Fish in 2003, "The last recorded grizzly in New Mexico was killed in 1931 north of Silver City.")
A portion of the lands initially set aside as the Gila Wilderness were separated in 1980 to form the Aldo Leopold Wilderness. Both of these wilderness areas as well as the Blue Range Wilderness are part of the Gila National Forest.
"The designation of the Gila Wilderness on June 3, 1924, was a major milestone in American history…," said Henry Provencio, Wilderness District Ranger. "Centennial celebrations in 2024 will incorporate our communities, art, music, food, theatre, and so much more. This poster contest is the primer, incorporating artwork by members of the public into educational and outreach materials that will be used throughout next year."
Multiple posters are anticipated to be produced for this project.
According to a statement from the U S Forest Service, "An honorarium in the amount of $100 will be awarded to all artists whose artwork is selected for inclusion in Gila Wilderness Centennial posters. There is no fee for entry in the competition."
The photos submitted are to highlight what the U S Forest Service indicated are the "five characteristics of wilderness." These elements include, according to the Federal government, "untrammeled; natural; undeveloped; opportunities for solitude and primitive, unconfined recreation; and other characteristics that make the Gila uniquely special."
Photographers must grant permission to the U S Forest Service to use their photos for publicity and educational purposes in a variety of ways beyond simply use in posters.
Detailed instructions can be found on the website for the Gila National Forest.
Contest entries should be emailed to SM.FS.GilaPoster@usda.gov .
For further information regarding this poster contest, interested individuals can contact Heather Provencio, Gila Wilderness Centennial Arts Committee Coordinator at heatherprovencio@yahoo.com .
Contest winners are slated to be announced January 15, 2024.
The photos included in this news column are ones that were selected as winners in an earlier photo contest conducted by the Gila National Forest. There was one overall winner as well as winners in four distinct categories: landscape, botanical, wildlife, and night sky categories.
In a news statement dated March 29, 2023, Camille Howes, Forest Supervisor of the Gila National Forest said that "It is extremely gratifying that so many people were willing to share their photographs of the Gila National Forest with us. The wide selection of stunning photographs submitted illustrate the beauty and diversity of the Gila National Forest, its history, flora and fauna, and the people who call this area home."
Among the winners in the 2023 Photo Contest of Gila National Forest were (from top to bottom): 2023 Photo Contest Botanical Winner – "Beautiful Wings" produced by DaLue Mize; 2023 Photo Contest Landscape Winner – "Sunrise from Emory Pass" produced by James Apodaca; 2023 Photo Contest Wildlife Winner – "Northern Goshawk Nestling" produced by Jim Rogers; and 2023 Photo Contest Night Sky Winner – "Meteor Shower from the Continental Divide National Scenic Trail" by Michael Ruggiero.
(The photos were provided courtesy of the United States Forest Service – Gila National Forest, March 29, 2023.)
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© 2023 Richard McDonough