Wilderness Legislation in 110th Congress

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Signed by the President

Wild Sky Wilderness (S. 520/H.R. 886)

The President signed the Wild Sky Wilderness Act into law May 8, 2008, making it the first wilderness designated by the 110th Congress. The legislation passed in the House April 29, 2008 as part of a larger public lands package. It passed the Senate April 11, 2008.

With this wilderness designation, 106,577 acres of national forest roadless lands in Washington are now protected. A little more than an hour from downtown Seattle, the Wild Sky is a rugged landscape with thousand foot cliffs, high alpine peaks, breathtaking waterfalls, lush old-growth forests and crystal clear rivers, and more than 25 miles of salmon and steelhead spawning streams.

The Wild Sky Wilderness proposal is unique because it will also protect mature second growth forests that were railroad logged in the 1920s and 1930s. These areas naturally regenerated to become diverse forests of Douglas fir, cedar, hemlock, maple and cottonwood. Protecting these lands will help ensure the future of wildlife populations throughout the region including mountain goats, spotted owls and bears.

The bill was first introduced in 2002 by Washington Democrats, Senators Patty Murray and Maria Cantwell and Representatives Rick Larsen and Jay Inslee.

Passed the House

Copper Salmon Wilderness Act (S. 2034/H.R. 3513)

Some of the healthiest wild chinook and steelhead runs on the west coast are closer to permanent protection after Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR) and Congressman Peter De-Fazio (D-OR) introduced legislation on September 10, 2007 to designate as wilderness the Copper Salmon region of Southern Oregon.

The Copper Salmon Wilderness Act would protect 13,700 acres of pristine old-growth forest surrounding the headwaters of the Elk River in the Siskiyou National Forest. This largely intact ancient forest features giant Douglas fir trees and endangered Port-Orford cedar.

The permanent protection of Copper Salmon as wilderness will provide a boost to the local economy through increased tourism and outdoor recreation, and help guard against logging and development that could harm the health of the Elk River.

The bill passed the House of Representatives on April 22, 2008. It was marked up by the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources on January 30, 2008.

The Wild Monongahela Act (H.R. 5151/S. 2581)

The Wild Monongahela Act was introduced on January 29, 2008 by Rep. Nick Rahall (D-WV). Representatives Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV) and Alan Mollohan (D-WV) cosponsored the bill and companion legislation was introduced in the Senate by Robert C. Byrd (D-WV) and Jay Rockefeller (DWV).

The bill would designate 37,000 acres of wilderness in the Monongahela National Forest, expanding three existing wilderness areas, Cranberry, Dolly Sods and Otter Creek and creating three new wilderness areas: Big Draft, Roaring Plains west and Spice Run. It would become the first new wilderness in the state in 25 years.

The potential wilderness areas contain some of the greatest hunting, fishing, hiking, backpacking, and birding in the state.

The bill passed the House of Representatives on April 22, 2008 and has been marked up by the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.

Virginia Ridge and Valley Act (S. 570/H.R. 1011)

Representative Rick Boucher’s (D-VA) bill to protect 55,000 acres in the Jefferson National Forest as wilderness, wilderness study or national scenic areas was passed by the House of Representatives on October 23, 2007.

Parts of the Appalachian Trail run through this area, which offers breathtaking views of the Blue Ridge, covered by old-growth trees and incised by clear streams. Rock outcrops formed in the last Ice Age can also be found here.

Tourism is important to the regional economy, and this measure enjoys strong local support. The protections in this bill will ensure that the area remains pristine and continues to draw anglers, hunters, climbers, and outdoorsmen for generations to come.

Virginia Senators John Warner (R) and Jim Webb (D) have introduced a companion bill. The Senate Subcommittee on Public Lands and Forests marked up the bill on May 7, 2008.

Introduced

Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument Voluntary and Equitable Grazing Conflict Resolution Act (S. 2379)

Introduced on November 16, 2007, by Senators Gordon Smith (R-OR) and Ron Wyden (D-OR), the Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument Voluntary and Equitable Grazing Conflict Resolution Act (S. 2379) would permanently protect 23,000 acres of Southeastern Oregon’s wild land as the Soda Mountain Wilderness.

Located at the convergence of the state’s eastern deserts and its lush fir forests, the Soda Mountain region is a part of the 53,000 acre Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument.

The monument was originally established in 2000, as a means of protecting the land’s remarkable biodiversity and natural resources. While this initial classification was meant to prevent future development, it provided limited protection from commercial logging and no defense against damaging off-road vehicle use.

The Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources marked up the bill on May 7, 2008, along with four dozen public land, water and heritage bills.

Lewis and Clark Mount Hood Wilderness Act (S. 647)

The Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee on July 25, 2007 passed this bipartisan legislation out of committee, sending it to the Senate floor. It was introduced on February 15, 2007 by Oregon Senators Ron Wyden (D) and Gordon Smith (R).

Conservationists, community leaders, hunters and anglers are eager for the chance to permanently protect 128,600 acres of national forest on Mount Hood. The plan also calls for nearly 80 miles of river to be protected under the National Wild and Scenic River System.

The wild lands in the proposal are a vital source of clean drinking water for Oregonians, home to many indigenous plant and animal species, and popular recreation areas that contribute greatly to the health of the economy.

This bill is now included in a large lands package (S. 2180) that was introduced on October 18, 2007 by Senator Jeff Bingaman (D-NM), Chair of Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee.

Central Idaho Economic Development and Recreation Act (H.R. 222)

January 4, 2007—the first day of the 110th Congress—Rep. Mike Simpson (R-ID) introduced an economic development package that designates almost 320,000 acres of wilderness in the Boulder- White Cloud Mountains of Idaho.

Boulder-White Clouds is the largest unprotected wild roadless area in the national forests of the lower 48 states. Its broad range of elevations and habitats gives it enormous biological and geographical diversity. Since the land is uninterrupted by roads, Boulder-White Clouds is a popular hunting and fishin destination, with spawning salmon and big game such as elk, moose, mountain goat, bighorn sheep, black bear, and cougar.

The area boasts tremendous recreation opportunities and spectacular scenery, and is popular with Idahoans as well as thousands of people who come from out-of-state to enjoy these lands.

California Wild Heritage Act (S. 493/H.R. 860)

This statewide measure, introduced by California Senator Barbara Boxer (D) and Representative Hilda Solis (D), would conserve some of California’s last wild places and wild and scenic rivers. The California Wild Heritage Act would permanently protect 2.4 million acres of scenic wilderness throughout the state and designate more than 20 rivers as wild and scenic, ensuring clean water, free flowing rivers, and quality fish and wildlife habitat.

Since the California Wild Heritage bill was first introduced in May 2002, public support has continued to grow. Hundreds of businesses and thousands of individuals, including scientists, religious and civic leaders, have been joined by the state Senate and Assembly, and nearly 200 other elected officials in endorsing the measure. It would protect some of the state’s most extraordinary wild lands, including Eagle Peak – an area critical to San Diego’s water supply, and Duncan Canyon – home to one of the best old-growth groves in the Tahoe National Forest. The measure would also protect the Clavey River, one of only four remaining free-flowing rivers in the Sierra Nevada.

The bill was introduced February 6, 2007.

Owyhee Initiative Implementation Act (S. 2833)

Senator Mike Crapo’s (R-ID) legislation includes a provision to permanently protect as wilderness 517,000 acres in Idaho’s Owyhee-Bruneau Canyonlands in the southwestern corner of the state, where Oregon and Nevada meet. It would create the largest protected area in Idaho since the 1980 designation of the Frank Church River of No Return Wilderness, and provide wild and scenic status to nearly 315 miles of rivers.

The legislation, which was introduced on April 9, 2008 was marked up on May 7, 2008 by the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, along with four dozen public land, water and heritage bills.

Rocky Mountain National Park Wilderness and Indian Peaks Wilderness Expansion Act (S. 1380/H.R. 2334)

The House Natural Resources Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests and Public Lands held a November 13, 2007, hearing on this bill, which would protect as wilderness nearly 250,000 acres (94 percent) of Colorado’s Rocky Mountain National Park.

The legislation, introduced by Colorado Democrats Rep. Mark Udall and Sen. Ken Salazar and Republicans Sen. Wayne Allard and Rep. Marilyn Musgrave, was shaped with the help of hiking and mountain biking enthusiasts, conservation organizations, as well as local communities and elected officials.

This bipartisan legislation would protect many of the lush forested valleys, glistening lakes and rivers, alpine tundra and spectacular mountain peaks that make the Rocky Mountains a national treasure.

Wilderness protection for these areas has been a long time coming. President Richard Nixon recommended designating the undeveloped backcountry of Rocky Mountain National Park as wilderness in 1974.

The Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources marked up this bill on May 7, 2008, along with four dozen public land, water and heritage bills.

Sabinoso Wilderness Act (H.R. 2632)

The Sabinoso Wilderness Act would designate more than 15,000 acres in San Miguel County as wilderness.

Under the proposal, the Sabinoso Bureau of Land Management land unit, about 40 miles east of Las Vegas, NM and 25 miles northwest of Conchas Dam State Park, would be permanently protected under the Wilderness Act of 1964. Included in the proposal are lands in and around the Sabinoso Wilderness Study Area.

The proposal enjoys the official support of the New Mexico legislature, which unanimously passed Memorial 53 calling on the state's congressional delegation to support the establishment of the Sabinoso Wilderness Area.

The bill was introduced by Rep. Tom Udall (D-NM) on June 7, 2007. The House Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests and Public Lands marked up the bill on May 14, 2008.

The Tumacacori Highlands Wilderness Act of 2007 (H.R. 3287)

Rep. Raul Grijalva (D-AZ) sponsored this bill, which would permanently protect more than 130 square miles of Sonoran Desert (some 84,000 acres), the largest roadless parcel on national forest lands in the state. The bill would ensure that the Tumacacori Highlands—a biological hotspot that is home to one of the highest concentrations of rare plants and animals in the country—would forever stay as it is today.

The legislation would protect the towering peaks of the Pajarita, Atascosa and Tumacacori mountains, and the deep recesses of Peck Canyon and Hell's Gate, which shelter precious water in the Santa Cruz River watershed.

The Highlands are popular with hikers, horseback riders, birders and hunters, providing critical habitat for game species such as white-tail deer and javelina, and containing numerous culturally significant sites and archaeological areas.

The House Natural Resources Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests and Public Lands held a hearing on this legislation on November 13, 2007 , which was introduced on August 1, 2007.

California Desert and Mountain Heritage Act of 2007 (H.R. 3682/S. 2109)

Introduced by Rep. Mary Bono Mack (R-CA) and Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-CA), the California Desert and Mountain Heritage Act would permanently protect over 190,000 acres in Riverside County as wilderness, add 31 miles of four rivers to the Wild and Scenic River System and expand by 5,000
acres the Santa Rosa and San Jacinto Mountains National Monument.

Some of the country’s most important and well-known public lands lie within Riverside County,
including Joshua Tree National Park and the North Fork San Jacinto River, along with Beauty Mountain, and Cahuilla Mountain.

Riverside County stretches 210 miles across southern California, from the outskirts of Los Angeles to the Colorado River border with Arizona.

The House Natural Resources Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests and Public Lands marked up the bill on May 14, 2008. The Senate Subcommittee on Public Lands and Forests held a hearing for this bill on April 15, 2008. The legislation was introduced on September 27, 2007.

The Sequoia-Kings Canyon Wilderness Act of 2007 (H.R. 3022/ S. 1774)

The bipartisan Sequoia-Kings Canyon Wilderness Act will permanently protect 115,000 acres of wilderness in the Sequoia-Kings Canyon National Park, including 69,500 acres to be named the John Krebs Wilderness after the former congressman and conservationist who fought to protect these lands in the Mineral King Valley.

Also protected in this area is Redwood Mountain Grove, the largest stand of Giant Sequoia within the park, as well as California’s largest cave and the Old Hockett Trail. The land is home to many wild animal species, including the California spotted owl and the Golden Eagle.

The House Natural Resources Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests and Public Lands marked up the bill on May 14, 2008. The legislation was introduced in the House of Representatives by Jim Costa (D-CA) and Devin Nunes (R-CA) and in the Senate by Barbara Boxer (D-CA) on July 12, 2007.

Alpine Lakes Wilderness Additions and Wild Pratt River Act (H.R. 4113)

Rep. David Reichert (R-WA) introduced legislation that would expand the existing 394,000-acre Alpine Lakes Wilderness by 22,100 acres and designate the Pratt River as Wild and Scenic.

The additional roadless lands protected by this bill lie in the Pratt River Valley and the Middle and South Fork Snoqualimie River Valleys, an area that includes glacier-cut u-shaped valleys, snow capped peaks, old-growth forests, whitewater rivers and strong native trout runs.

This wilderness area is the closest and most accessible to residents of the greater Seattle Metropolitan area and would preserve existing recreational opportunities for hiking, camping, rafting, kayaking, horseback riding, mountain biking and wildlife viewing.

The original Alpine Lakes Wilderness was designated by Congress in 1976 by the late Congressman Lloyd Meeds. Rep. Reichert’s bill will expand the are to include key old-growth areas.