Wilderness was one of the first orders of business when the new Congress convened this week, with New Mexico Senator Jeff Bingaman introducing a new version of the omnibus lands package that ran out of time in the final days of the 110th Congress. This legislation is ripe for early passage, but it must overcome procedural obstacles first. Urge your senators to vote for cloture (i.e. avoid a filibuster) and passage of the bill to make it one of the first to reach the new president’s desk!
Please call the Washington, D.C. offices of each of your two U.S. Senators today. You can quickly find their phone numbers here. Calling makes the biggest impact, but you can email them if you prefer.
The package would designate more than 2 million acres of wilderness across nine states - from California to West Virginia. In addition to 16 wilderness bills, the omnibus package includes measures dealing with water issues and heritage lands, and would create a national landscape conservation system. Overall, the package would establish a significant natural legacy for future generations with substantial wilderness gains and other conservation advancements.
Unfortunately, Senator Tom Coburn of Oklahoma continues to employ obscure procedural maneuvers to try and thwart passage of this important package. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid is working to overcome these obstacles with an impending vote to invoke cloture on the bill and block Sen. Coburn’s tactics. Cloture means that there would be a time limit placed on how long the bill could be discussed or considered in order to preclude a filibuster. This procedural vote may come as early as Sunday, with a vote to pass the package following later in the week. Take a moment and call or email your senators before Sunday to voice your support for this legislation!
