From now until September 3, the Wilderness Forever public photography competition will accept entries of images illustrating the sheer majesty, diversity, and value of our nation's wilderness areas.

This professionally-juried contest is being conducted by the 50th Anniversary National Wilderness Planning Team (Wilderness50), Nature's Best Photography, and the Smithsonian Institution. Approximately 50 winning contest entries will be chosen for display as large format prints in the Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History as part of a 2014 exhibition celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Wilderness Act.

"This is a great opportunity to show off the beauty and diversity of Idaho," says Dan Buckley, superintendent of Craters of the Moon National Monument and Preserve in Idaho. "We're excited to share the public's visions of Idaho's beautiful wilderness lands and we encourage visitors to submit photos of these special places."

Professional, amateur and student photographers may submit their photographs accompanied by personal stories and memories about the scenes depicted. Contest guidelines and entry instructions are found online at this site.

Wilderness50 is a coalition of more than 25 non-profit organizations, academic institutions, and government agencies that is planning and implementing local, regional, and national events and projects. The nation's wilderness system, now encompassing more than 109 million acres, was established in 1964 for the use and enjoyment of the American people. The 757 wilderness areas that exist today are managed by all four federal land managing agencies: the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), Fish and Wildlife Service, Forest Service (USFS), and National Park Service (NPS).

You can learn more about the 50th anniversary of the Wilderness Act and Wilderness50 by visiting this website.