中文摘要：

美国早期的开拓者认为荒野是无用和邪恶的，开发与征服荒野是时代的主流。随着19世纪末边疆的终结和环境的不断退化，一批环保先锋呼吁荒野保护，美国出现了从征服荒野向保护荒野的思想转变。在大量实践探索的基础上，国会于1964年通过《荒野法》，建立美国国家荒野保护体系（NWPS），将“认定荒野区”作为联邦土地中保护级别最高的土地进行管理。经过50多年的发展，美国国家荒野保护体系的面积逐年扩大，至今全美5％的土地为“认定荒野区”，荒野管理的质量也逐渐提升。总之，国家荒野保护体系的建立和发展是美国自然保护地体系的一次革命性进步，有效保护了美国荒野地的自然过程和多元价值。

英文摘要：

The early American settlers believed that wilderness areas were useless landforms that contain evil elements, and therefore should be conquered ano exploited. This attitude towards wilderness used to be the mainstream trend of ideology in that age. As the expansion of the frontier ended at the end of the 19th century, an increase in environmental degradation occurred as an unexpected result. This issue alerted a group of pioneers taking a new interest in environmental protection activities, calling for wilderness preservation. It became a transition point for change in attitude towards wilderness lands from conquering to preserving in the United States. Learning from a substantial amount of real life practices done at the beginning stage, the U.S. Congress passed the Wilderness Act in 1964, which set up the National Wilderness Preservation System（NWPS） and gave the designated wilderness areas the highest form of protection o1 any federal land. In over 50 years, the NWPS gradually expanded and now about 5% of the area in United States is designated as wilderness areas. At the same time, the quality of the wilderness management was also improved. The establishment and development of the NWPS is a revolutionary step for the American Protected Areas System, which effectively protected the natural processes and multiple values of the American wilderness areas.