Radio host Jim Slinsky and Mike Matz took time recently to discuss wilderness and the status of wilderness legislation in Congress for Jim's sportsman-oriented radio program. Jim and Mike cover a lot of interesting ground in their nearly hour-long conversation. Listen here, and visit the Outdoor Talk Network for more from the perspective of hunters and anglers across the country.

Nearly nine in ten Americans believe that protecting public land as part of the National Wilderness Preservation System is important, according to a new Zogby International poll of 1039 likely voters across the country. These voters view as “very important” (57 percent) or “somewhat important” (30 percent) the protection of publicly owned land as wilderness, leaving it just as it is. The support cuts across political parties, regions, age groups, and ethnic and religious backgrounds. Twelve percent said it was not important to protect the nation’s wilderness.

Colorado's Dominguez Canyon; © Mike Matz

The U.S. Senate is keeping wilderness legislation near the top of its agenda. Today, the Public Lands and Forests Subcommittee heard testimony on bills to permanently protect wild lands in California, Colorado and New Mexico.

Spring Basin; © Bruce Jackson

Nearly 40,000 acres of some of Oregon's most dramatic and picturesque landscapes-lava flows, castle-like rock formations, ancient junipers and blooming wildflower meadows-are a step closer to permanent protection today, as legislation to designate the Oregon Badlands and Spring Basin areas was heard by the Senate Subcommittee on Public Lands and Forests.

Senator Jeff Bingaman introduced a major lands bill, S. 3213, yesterday, before Congress began its July 4th recess. The Chairman’s package contains more than 90 titles, including more than a half dozen wilderness measures to protect over 900,000 acres of wild land in Oregon, Idaho, Colorado, Virginia and West Virginia.

Beauty Mountain proposed wilderness (CA);
© Doug Steakley

Conservationists cheered House passage today of another three wilderness bills, and urged the Senate to take the measures up quickly. The bills, which passed by voice vote, will together protect for all Americans more than 320,000 acres of wild public land in California and New Mexico. From California’s iconic Joshua Trees and Giant Sequoias to New Mexico’s 1,000-foot-deep Cañon Largo, more of our natural treasures will stay as they are for future generations, thanks to the action of Congress today.

Pressure Ridge in Badlands, © Greg Burke

We applaud Senator Wyden and the Oregon Natural Desert Association today for putting together such a wildly popular Badlands wilderness bill. The outpouring of bipartisan business community backing for the proposal is impressive. Add in ranchers, mountain bikers and others, and this bill enjoys an incredibly broad base of support. A 2005 poll of Deschutes County, Oregon voters found that 69 percent supported wilderness protection for the Badlands. The area's fantastic rock formations, just 15 miles east of Bend, is a 30,000-acre area filled with fascinating lava flows and ancient junipers.