Album: Designated Wilderness Islands of Mississippi

Fourteen years later, in 1978, Horn and Petit Bois Islands within Gulf Islands National Seashore were designated as wilderness areas as part of the National Wilderness system. This elevated stature of national significance means the National Park Service is charged with preserving and protecting the wilderness character of the 2,245 acres that comprise these islands (1,564 acres-Horn and 680 acres-Petit Bois) in perpetuity. As defined by the 1964 Wilderness Management Act, all designated wilderness areas across the Country are constituted by having the following character: natural, solitary/primitive, untrammeled, and undeveloped. Uncommon species of birds, animals, and marine life are also protected on these two islands.