POTSDAM -- SUNY Potsdam will hold a number of events this fall in celebration of the 50th anniversary of the Wilderness Act. Signed by President Lyndon B. Johnson in 1964, the Wilderness Act protected 9.1 million acres of federal land and created the National Wilderness Preservation System.

SUNY Potsdam will offer two public lectures and a special concert, in addition to leading a number of free ventures in the Adirondack Park. The events begin next week and run through November. All events are free, and the public is invited to attend. Parking will be available in lots 1, 2, 6 and 9 for these events.

Adirondack historian Philip Terrie will open the celebration next week, with a free lecture on Sept. 15 at 7 p.m. in Kellas Hall room 106. Titled "A Shared History: The Adirondacks and the National Wilderness Act," the lecture will address the role of New York State in the formation of U.S. wilderness legacy. A professor emeritus at Bowling Green State University, Terrie is also the author of "Contested Terrain: A Cultural History of Wilderness in the Adirondacks." A reception will follow.

Adirondack folk musician Dan Berggren will continue the Wilderness Act anniversary series, with a performance on Sept. 25 at 7 p.m. in the Performing Arts Center. Berggren describes his music as "stories of human nature, love, hard work, failure and success," SUNY Potsdam said. Since 1985, Berggren has released 15 albums and performed all over the United States, as well as in Germany, Belgium, Romania, Bulgaria and Central Africa.

Chad Dawson will give a free lecture, titled "The National Wilderness Preservation System: Milestones to Date and Challenges Ahead," on Sept. 29 at 7 p.m. in Stowell Hall room 211. A professor emeritus of recreation resources management at the SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry, Dawson will also visit classes across the SUNY Potsdam campus on Sept. 30.

Throughout the fall semester, the College's Wilderness Education Program and the Venture Outdoors club will provide a series of outdoor activities in collaboration with the Laurentian Chapter of the Adirondack Mountain Club. These activities are of varying levels of difficulty, and range from hiking, rock climbing, paddling and day trips to overnight treks.

The Wilderness Act 50th anniversary events are also sponsored by the SUNY Potsdam National Endowment for the Humanities Committee, the Provost's Office, the Department of History, the Honors Program and the Associated Colleges Faculty Development Program.

Info: vanhookl@potsdam.edu or 267-2551.