National Park Service
Tuesday morning the House Natural Resources Committee held a hearing on four new public lands bills. Taken in combination with the Senate Public Lands, Forests, and Mining subcommittee hearing on additional bills, Congress could add more than 427,000 acres of public lands. These areas benefit all Americans by providing natural areas for recreation and by increasing tourism, which expands the economy surrounding these areas.
The Sierra Club strongly supports the following Senate bills taken up in committee:
Wild Olympics Wilderness and Wild and Scenic Rivers Act (S. 1510). The Wild Olympics Wilderness and Wild and Scenic Rivers Act, sponsored by Sen. Murray, protects more than 126,000 acres of new Wilderness in the Olympic National Forest, including old growth and ancient forest habitat. The Wild Olympics bill designates 19 rivers as Wild and Scenic, protecting both public access and water quality. The bill is supported by a large and broad coalition of stakeholders.
Oregon Wildlands Act (S. 1699). Oregon Wildlands Act, sponsored by Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley, proposes adding over 56,000 acres of protected land. The Sierra Club has long supported Wilderness protection for the Wild Rogue and Devil’s Staircase areas and is glad to see progress towards this goal.
Central Coast Heritage Protection Act (S. 1423). Sen. Boxer’s Central Coast Heritage Protection Act designates more than 245,000 acres of new and expanded Wilderness in the Los Padres National Forest and the Carrizo Plain National Monument. These areas are home to more than 468 species of wildlife, including the endangered California condor and the southern steelhead. The bill also designates the new Condor National Recreation Trail.
The two hearings are signs that a public lands package could come together this Congress. Last year, the Senate Agriculture Committee held a hearing on Sen. Alexander’s and Sen. Corker’s Tennessee Wilderness Act (S. 755), and there is strong bipartisan support for reauthorizing and fully funding the Land and Water Conservation Fund. If you combine LWCF with Tennessee Wilderness, Wild Olympics, California Coast, Oregon Wildlands and the bills heard in the House subcommittee Tuesday you get a robust - and bipartisan - lands package.
After years of gridlock it’s heartening to see Congress working towards a legislative package that would protect important natural areas for the good of all Americans. As the centennial anniversary of the National Park Service approaches this August, having Congress pass a bipartisan lands bill would show that both Democrats and Republicans understand that our public lands are America’s common ground.