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Tell your Senators to Support the Omnibus Public Land Management Act!
As early as this week, the Senate may take up the Omnibus Public Lands Management Act that would designate nearly two million acres of wilderness in nine states and create a new 26-million-acre national conservation system. This would be the largest expansion of wilderness in a decade, providing permanent protection for spectacular landscapes. Ensure the Senate acts by contacting your Senators and asking them to support the Omnibus Public Lands Management Act. Edit the letter below and click Send This Message.
Dear [ Decision Maker ] , Congress has a historic opportunity to protect some truly incredible American landscapes by passing the Omnibus Public Land Management Act. I urge you to support this important measure. The Omnibus Public Land Act is a compilation of bills, including measures to designate new wilderness areas, protect key rivers, and establish the National Landscape Conservation System. The vast majority of the measures contained in this bill have little to no opposition, strong local support, and broad, bi-partisan support in Congress. Please support the measure and oppose any weakening amendments. This is a historic opportunity for America's public lands. I thank you for your support.
Sincerely, |
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| Background Information |
On January 7, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid introduced the Omnibus Public Land Management Act, which now includes 160 separate measures passed by the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee or other Senate committees.
The omnibus lands act includes 16 Wilderness bills from nine states: California, Oregon, Idaho, Colorado, New Mexico, Utah, Michigan, Virginia and West Virginia. These bills would protect over two million acres of new Wilderness, providing the greatest expansion of Wilderness in 15 years. These bills would protect such treasures as California's Sierra Nevada mountain range, Oregon's Mt. Hood and portions of the Jefferson National Forest in Virginia.
The omnibus lands act will also:
- Establish the National Landscape Conservation System, which currently protects 26 million acres of natural treasures, including such American icons as the California coastline, and the Sonoran Desert national monuments;
- Protect 1.2 million acres of the Wyoming Range in western Wyoming from oil and gas development;
- Protect rivers in California, Oregon, Idaho, Wyoming, Arizona and Massachusetts as Wild and Scenic Rivers.
The Wilderness measures in the omnibus lands act have broad bi-partisan support. One provision, however, is incompatible with the conservation measures in the package. We oppose this provision because it could result in de-designation of critical Wilderness habitat within the Izembek National Wildlife Refuge in Alaska to allow construction of a harmful and unnecessary road. This measure would adversely affect an internationally significant wetlands complex and has no place in legislation focused on conserving national treasures.
This, however, is a historic opportunity to protect America's natural treasures. If these areas are not protected, many will remain vulnerable to mining, oil and gas development, logging, and destructive off-road vehicles.
Please use your back button to return to our action page and ask your Senators to support this bill.
