How has the Cumberland Island Wilderness Act of 1982 impacted the historic resources of the island? Through the Acts restrictions on use, the National Park Service (NPS) has been restricted in its efforts to maintain the historic structures of the island. Because of the inability for the NPS to use motorized equipment within Wilderness, they are unable to transport materials via Main Road from one end of the island to the other. Although transport is possible via other means (via water), the expense and time required for that transport is prohibitive. The environment created by the Wilderness legislation on Cumberland Island is so restrictive that the maintenance of historic structures is inefficient and ineffective. Demolition by neglect of historic structures is the result. In this thesis, I examine the innate difficulties in protecting both natural and historic resources without prioritizing either and make recommendations for future action and future study.