Background:

New Hampshire’s White Mountain National Forest makes up 14% of the states’ land mass and is one of the largest tracts of public land in the Northeast. With six to seven million visitors a year, the Forest provides recreational opportunities as well as remote wilderness experiences to people from throughout New England and beyond. There are four existing Wilderness Areas on the Forest – the Sandwich Range, Presidential Range-Dry River, Pemigewasset, and Great Gulf. These areas total 114,000 acres or two percent of the state.

Vermont’s Green Mountain National Forest, the state’s only National Forest, forms the backbone of this idyllic, pastoral state. Visitors hike, ski, camp and explore in its rolling mountains. The 400,000-acre Green Mountain National Forest currently has approximately 60,000 acres of designated Wilderness.

On September 19, the Senate unanimously passed New England Wilderness Act of 2006- legislation to increase designated wilderness areas in both Vermont and New Hampshire. The bill combined two separate bills introduced in the current Congress, the Vermont Wilderness Act and the New Hampshire Wilderness Act. The bill designates 42,000 acres of wilderness in six different parcels in Vermont’s Green Mountain National Forest and two areas totaling 34,500 acres in New Hampshire’s White Mountain National Forest. The measure also creates the Mount Moosalamoo National Recreation Area in Vermont, a 15,857-acre tract south and east of Middlebury, Vermont.

Update:

On November 15, the House of Representatives passed the New England Wilderness Act of 2006. The legislation now goes to the President, who is expected to sign the bill into law.

"I am very pleased that we have passed a bill that will preserve more acreage in the Green Mountain National Forest for generations to come," said Sen. Jim Jeffords, (I-VT). "This bill is the product of many years of hard work and reflects the true spirit of conservation in Vermont."

"Vermonters have high expectations about the stewardship of our natural resources, and I am pleased that we were able to pass legislation that recognizes the diverse needs of Vermonters while ensuring that wilderness areas are preserved for future generations," said Rep. Bernie Sanders (I-VT).

House Representatives Charles Bass and Jeb Bradley, both Republicans of New Hampshire, were strong supporters of the measure. Senator Judd Gregg (R-NH) said, "New Hampshire's landscapes and natural resources are a big reason why our state is such a great place to live and raise a family, as well as such a big draw for visitors who love the outdoors."

News Articles:

Boston Globe, November 15, "Wilderness areas expanded in Vermont, New Hampshire"

The Union Leader, November 16, "White Mountains wilderness addition OK'd"

Burlington Free Press, November 16, "Congress expands Vermont wilderness"

Contact:

New Hampshire:
Fred Lavigne, Friends of the Sandwich Range, 603-284-6919
Dan Yetter, Friends of the Wild River, 603-893-5429
Leanne Klyza Linck, The Wilderness Society, (802) 482-2171, leanne_linck@tws.org
Bart Koehler, TWS Wilderness Support Center, 970-247-8788, bart_koehler@tws.org

Vermont:
Leanne Klyza Linck, The Wilderness Society, 802-482-2171, leanne_linck@tws.org
Peter Sterling, Vermont Wilderness Organizer,802 279-6840, peter@democracyfund.org

Background:

The 102,000-acre Valle Vidal unit of the Carson National Forest is renowned for its elk and other hunting opportunities and is prime habitat to recover the Rio Grande cutthroat trout. The Forest Service has managed the area since Pennzoil Co., which never allowed drilling in the area, donated the tract to the federal government in 1982. This special area starts at an elevation of around 7,800 feet and terminates at 12,544 feet - the summit of Little Costilla Peak, New Mexico’s third highest mountain.

The Forest Service has undertaken a process to determine whether or not to lease portions of the Valle Vidal for coal bed methane development. In response, a wide range of interests including sportsmen, local governments, tribes, the former president of the New Mexico Oil and Gas Association and conservation groups joined together to oppose plans to allow drilling in the area. Rep. Tom Udall (D-NM) and Sen. Jeff Bingaman (D-NM) introduced legislation in September 2005 (H.R. 3817 and S. 1734) to withdraw the area from mineral entry. On Monday, July 24, 2006 the House of Representatives approved the Valle Vidal Protection Act of 2005 (H.R. 3817) by a voice vote, with the support of New Mexico’s other two Members of Congress - Heather Wilson (R-NM) and Steve Pearce (R-NM).

Update:

Just hours after Senate Energy and Natural Resources Chairman Pete Domenici (R-NM) and Ranking Member Jeff Bingaman (D-NM) announced their agreement to push for Senate passage of the Valle Vidal Protection Act of 2005 (H.R. 3817), the Senate passed the measure by unanimous consent. The bill now goes to President Bush for his signature.

“I made this bill my top priority this week. I am pleased the Senate moved swiftly and I am confident the President will sign this bill. Valle Vidal will continue to be one of the most beautiful and pristine corners of New Mexico,” Domenici said.

“This is terrific news. The Valle Vidal is a beautiful part of New Mexico that deserves to be protected. I’m very glad we able to get Senate support for this bill so that we could send it to the president,” Bingaman said.

Authored by Rep. Tom Udall (NM-D), the legislation will permanently prohibit energy development and extraction in the 102,000-acre Valle Vidal unit of the Carson National Forest.

"Countless New Mexicans have worked tirelessly to ensure the permanent protection of this remarkable treasure for generations to come, and passage of this bill is a testament to their efforts," Udall said. "This was truly an effort that rose from the ground up. Community members living near the Valle, sportspeople from around the country, and (Boy) Scouts who come every year to earn natural resources stewardship badges in the Valle Vidal all worked together to express their desire that this unique piece of land and its unparalleled wildlife populations be protected in perpetuity."

Contact:

Jim O'Donnell, Coalition for Valle Vidal, 505-758-3874, jodonnell@vallevidal.org
Oscar Simpson, New Mexico Wildlife Federation, 505-345-0117, oscarsimpson3@yahoo.com
Stephen Capra, New Mexico Wilderness Alliance, 505-843-8696, scapra@nmwild.org

Background:

The proposed Browns Canyon Wilderness is located in Chaffee County, Colorado, six miles southeast of Buena Vista, and is bounded on the west by the Arkansas River. The BLM’s Royal Gorge Field Office in Canon City manages the area.

Streams have cut steep gulches through the pinkish granite and metamorphic rock of the area. Pinyon-juniper forest dominates the arid lands in Browns Canyon along the Arkansas River. The vegetation changes dramatically as elevation increases, giving way to Douglas fir, ponderosa pine, and stands of aspen.

The area is an important wintering ground for deer and elk, according to the Colorado Division of Wildlife. Twenty bighorn sheep were reintroduced into Browns Canyon in 1980, with an additional 20 in both 1982 and 1985. It is estimated that there is currently a herd of 135 bighorns whose range includes Browns Canyon and portions of Aspen Ridge. Other mammals found within the area include mountain lions, black bears, bobcats, foxes, coyotes, pine martens and many smaller animals. Eight species of raptors have been sighted in the area, including golden eagles, prairie falcons, and great-horned owls.

Browns Canyon of the Arkansas River is widely known among whitewater boating enthusiasts. It is the busiest stretch of the river, totaling more than 90,000 user-days annually, according to figures compiled by BLM. Hunting, hiking, fishing, and backpacking are among the other numerous recreational pursuits in the area.

In November 2005, Rep. Joel Hefley (R-CO) introduced the Browns Canyon Wilderness Act (H.R. 4235) in the House and Senator Wayne Allard (R-CO) introduced the measure (S. 1971) in the Senate. The bill seeks to designate approximately 20,000 acres as wilderness. The bill has had a hearing in the House Resources Committee.

Update:

After twenty years of service, Rep. Joel Hefley, who introduced the Browns Canyon Wilderness Act and whose congressional district includes Browns Canyon, is retiring at the end of this Congress. A strong effort is underway to protect Browns Canyon before Hefley leaves offices at the end of the year. The Browns Canyon bill has the support of a number of organizations including backcountry horse riders, commercial rafting companies, environmentalists, the Bureau of Land Management and U.S. Forest Service. It also has strong support from the rest of the Colorado delegation, including Senator Ken Salazar (D-CO).

The Browns Canyon Wilderness Act appeared to be headed for passage until the National Rifle Association raised last minute objections to the legislation, with a letter to Sen. Wayne Allard saying it opposed the proposal. A four-mile stretch of rough jeep trail called the Turret Trail lies inside the proposed area, and the NRA's opposition is based on the assumption that closing it would inconvenience hunters. However, the Pike San Isabel National Forest has already decided to close the road for management reasons. The area has been a wilderness study area since the early 1990s.

There has been an outpouring of support in the local media for the wilderness designation from local NRA members and hunters. As The Denver Post's Charlie Meyers noted recently, "This claim flies in the face of a considerable body of research showing that roads not only diminish habitat and reduce the numbers of animals, but also decrease hunter harvest. A report released by Trout Unlimited in 2006 establishes a strong connection between roadless areas and successful hunting and fishing. Other studies strongly connect wild areas with an abundance of deer and elk."

Rep. Hefley will be replaced by newly elected Rep. Doug Lamborn (R-CO). Unfortunately, passage of the bill in the new Congress seems even less likely with Lamborn taking over. "I may have a different perspective than Mr. Hefley on the Browns Canyon Wilderness Act," Lamborn said in a recent news article. "I'm not sold on the idea. In fact, I see some real problems with it.”

Local proponents of the bill, which includes Backcountry Hunters and Anglers and many individual sportsmen and women, are urging the congressional delegation to pass the legislation in this Congress.

News Articles:

The Mountain Mail, November 14, "Move on Browns"

Denver Post, November 7, "NRA off target on Browns Canyon project"

Rocky Mountain News, November 6, "Pass Brown's Canyon wilderness bill"

Contact:

Jeff Widen, Colorado Environmental Coalition, (970) 385-8509, widen@cecenviro.org
Steve Smith, The Wilderness Society CO, (303) 650-5818, ext. 106, steve_smith@tws.org

Background:

Nevada:
White Pine County in eastern Nevada is at the heart of the Great Basin. It is a place where majestic mountains tower over wide valleys of sagebrush and bunch grass. Mysterious caves and ancient fossils hide in rugged limestone cliffs, and crystalline streams cascade through twisting canyons. This is a land where deer and elk browse among the evergreens and aspens. White Pine County is also home to 5,000 year old bristlecone pines that stand sentinel high on windswept peaks.

On August 1, Senator Ensign (R-NV) and Senator Reid (D-NV) introduced the White Pine County Conservation, Recreation and Development Act (S.3772). The bill designates 13 new Wilderness areas, approximately 545,000 acres, managed by the US Forest Service and the BLM in White Pine County with two significant additions to existing Wilderness areas. The legislation contains nine different titles that address a number of public land issues including, wilderness designation, release of portions of wilderness study areas, land disposal, public purpose conveyances, land transfers from Forest Service to Bureau of Land Management (BLM), authorization for a study of an ORV trail, land transfers to the Ely Shoshone Tribe, authorization for restoration projects, amendments to the Southern Nevada Public Lands Management Act, and establishment of the Great Basin Heritage Route.

Utah:
Washington County in southwestern Utah is home to Zion National Park as well as vast stretches of wild but unprotected public lands. The region - known as Zion-Mojave - contains a complex mix of the Mojave Desert, Great Basin, and Colorado Plateau creating a distinct and diverse landscape. The Bureau of Land Management has identified 193,940 acres of lands with wilderness characteristic in the Zion-Mojave region while citizens’ have identified 323,300 acres of wilderness quality land in the region. Washington County is one of the fastest growing counties in the U.S. and as such, the Zion-Mojave wilderness lands are threatened by pressure from sprawl and development, as well as by increasing off-road vehicle use.

In July, Senator Bob Bennett (R-UT) and Rep. Jim Matheson (D-UT) introduced the Washington County Growth and Conservation Act of 2006. This draft legislation addresses a range of public lands issues including wilderness designation, development, and land sales. Conservation groups have unanimously opposed the bill expressing strong concerns that the bill would make only minimal conservation gains while also requiring a massive sell-off of federal public lands, as well as authorizing numerous new water development projects, and new roads and utility corridors among many other egregious provisions.

Update:

On November 16, the Senate Subcommittee on Public Lands and Forests held a hearing on the White Pine County Conservation, Recreation, and Development Act of 2006 and the Washington County Growth and Conservation Act of 2006.

Senator Harry Reid (D-NV) and Senator John Ensign (R-NV) both testified in favor of their White Pine County legislation. “Our citizens and visitors benefit greatly from open access to vast public lands, but at the same time our towns are frequently boxed in by federal land and our counties are severely limited in the tax revenues available to them because of the large federal holdings,” said Reid. “This situation requires that the Nevada congressional delegation play an active role in helping our communities meet their changing needs and provides an important opportunity to protect and improve our most sensitive public lands.”

“This bill will be a tremendous victory for the residents of White Pine County and all of Nevada,” said Ensign, whose great grandparents settled in the county more than 100 years ago. “It finds a balance with all groups involved. It gives economic opportunity to the residents of White Pine County and preserves Eastern Nevada’s stunning landscapes. Also, this bill reduces fire hazards around Lake Tahoe and the Spring Mountains, helps purify Lake Mead’s water, promotes water conservation, and provides more affordable housing throughout our state.”

Also testifying in favor of the White Pine County legislation was Brent Eldridge, a White Pine County Commissioner and fourth generation rancher. Jerry Greenberg, Vice President for Regional Conservation with The Wilderness Society testified on behalf of Friends of Nevada Wilderness, The Nevada Wilderness Project, Campaign for America’s Wilderness, Red Rock Audubon, and The Wilderness Society. Greenberg also spoke in opposition to the Washington County legislation.

Greenberg noted that the Nevada and Utah bills are very different. The Washington County bill has inadequate wilderness protection, leaves out many of the most ecologically sensitive areas, and sets arbitrary mandates on land sales. While conservationists have consistently said they believe the acreage figure for land sales in the Nevada bill is excessive, the parcels must be identified through the BLM's resource management planning process. The Utah bill mandates sales for approximately 20,000 acres and does not require that those lands be identified through a public planning process.

Senator Bennett testified in favor of his legislation and argued that the Washington County bill must pass to manage the growing population in Washington County within the region's public lands and resources. He said water developments, transmission lines and highways cross public lands, making it hard for future development planning. "The federal government must play a significant and active role in securing the future and continued viability of these areas," Bennett said. "And that is why this legislation is so critical."

"The bill falls short of truly protecting our public lands and balancing the needs of the region," Peter Metcalf, CEO of Black Diamond Equipment, said in his testimony to the subcommittee on behalf of the Outdoor Industry Association. "Our recommendation is that the bill be withdrawn and reworked to allow for more public review and improvements."

Also testifying on both bills was an official from the Interior Department who said the administration was generally supportive, but preferred proceeds from the land sales to go to the federal treasury. "The administration believes all American taxpayers should see some benefits from the sale of public lands," Chad Calvert, deputy assistant secretary of land and minerals management.

In a statement released following the hearing, the Nevada Wilderness Coalition urged for the passage of the White Pine County legislation. "Senate Bill 3772 is a complex public lands bill built upon five years of citizen efforts that addresses a variety of issues in White Pine County, Nevada. Although not perfect, this legislation is a compromise that addresses a number of competing uses on public lands and is product of a true bi-partisan effort. With the improvements recommended in our testimony, we believe that this legislation represents significant gains for the National Wilderness Preservation System and should be enacted without delay."

A statement released by the Utah Wilderness Coalition stated, “A broad array of groups has expressed opposition to the legislation, asserting that it will exacerbate, not solve, the rampant sprawl and growth that faces Washington County. In addition to outdoor retailers, the Shivwits Band of the Paiutes, archeologists, Taxpayers for Common Sense, and virtually all local and national conservation groups are opposed to the legislation.”

Link to the full testimonies

Contact:

Nevada:
Jeremy Garncarz, The Wilderness Society, (303) 650-5818x115, Jeremy_garncarz@tws.org
Pete Dronkers, Friends of Nevada Wilderness, (775) 293-1007, pdronkers@sbcglobal.net
Cameron Johnson, Nevada Wilderness Project, (775) 746-7850, cameron.johnson@wildnevada.org

Utah:
Scott Groene, Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance, 801-428-3975, scott@suwa.org
Suzanne Jones, The Wilderness Society, 303-650-5818 ext. 102, suzanne_jones@tws.org
Lawson LeGate, Sierra Club, 801-467-9294, lawson.legate@sierraclub.org

In the wake of last week’s election, long time supporters of Washington’s Wild Sky Wilderness Act are extremely excited about the revitalized chances of the legislation moving forward in the110th Congress. Below are some highlights from stories and editorials that ran last week with links to the full articles.

Everett Herald, November 13, "Wild Sky headed for fast approval: Key opponent's ouster clears way for new wilderness area"

The Wild Sky Wilderness bill - a proposal to set aside 106,000 acres of forest north of Index and Skykomish - long lingered on life support.

It's been resuscitated with the Democratic takeover of Congress.

Washington lawmakers are gearing up in January to renew an effort to preserve the land.

"The Wild Sky Wilderness is my top environmental priority going into the next session of Congress," said Rep. Rick Larsen, D-Wash. "The importance of Wild Sky is it will give people for generations a clean place to hunt and fish?"

Seattle Post Intelligencer, November 17, "Warming likely to get a real look on the Hill"

...The new Democratic controlled House is likely to deliver quick action on one long-stalled piece of Washington legislation.

Creation of a 106,000-acre Wild Sky Wilderness Area has twice passed the Senate, but been blocked by House Resources Committee Chairman Richard Pombo...