Daily Wilderness News Clips

The House Thursday approved legislation that would extend the highest level of federal protection to 21.3 miles of Oregon's MolallaRiver.

The bill, which was sponsored by Rep. Kurt Schrader, D-Ore., sailed though the chamber by a 292-133 vote. All five members of Oregon's delegation voted for the bill. It now moves to the Senate where Oregon Sens. Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley have introduced an identical measure.

Colorado Sens. Mark Udall and Michael Bennet earlier this week introduced the Senate version of U.S. Rep. John Salazar's San Juan Mountains Wilderness Act, which would protect more than 60,000 acres of public lands in southwestern Colorado as either wilderness or a special management area.

Congress has already had its say in setting the boundaries of Eastern Nevada's newest wilderness areas, but local residents will still have a chance to shape the way they're managed. 

At just under 11,000 feet, Mount Grafton is the highest point on BLM-administered lands in the state. The BLM is now accepting public comments for a draft plan to manage the mountain and three other wilderness areas within the agency's Ely district. 

Washington, D.C. - Today, U.S. Senators Mark Udall and Michael Bennet announced that they have introduced the San Juan Mountains Wilderness Act of 2009 in the Senate. It is a companion bill to one introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives by Congressman John Salazar (H.R. 3914).

Democratic U.S. Sens. Mark Udall and Michael Bennet introduced a bill Tuesday to preserve more than 61,000 acres in southern Colorado's San Juan Mountains, including 33,000 acres of new wilderness.

The bill is the Senate version of legislation introduced in the House by Democratic Rep. John Salazar of Manassa and would expand existing wilderness around Lizard Head peak and the 14,150-foot Mount Sneffels.

The bill also creates a 21,000-acre special-management area and removes from mineral development more than 6,500 acres near Naturita Canyon.

Colorado's U.S. senators have joined the push for wilderness and other protections for more than 61,000 acres in the San Juan Mountains.

Democrats Mark Udall and Michael Bennet have introduced the San Juan Mountains Wilderness Act, a companion bill to legislation recently offered in the House by Rep. John Salazar, D-Colo.

Gov. John Baldacci is calling it a "landmark achievement" and a "wonderful legacy." Two conservation groups today announced their purchase of a pair of ecologically sensitive parcels of land in northern and western Maine. Both will be permanently conserved as part of a broader development and conservation plan. And the protection of the larger of the two tracts is considered a "missing link" in a special corridor between Moosehead Lake and Baxter State Park.

Washington » Nearly 90 members of Congress want the Interior Department to protect 9.4 million acres of Utah public lands from development while lawmakers consider a measure to set aside the areas as wilderness.

Led by Rep. Maurice Hinchey, D-N.Y., the members of Congress wrote to Interior Secretary Ken Salazar on Tuesday asking him to use his "considerable authorities" to protect the millions of acres until Congress can act.

A federal bill seeking to make the Big Sur portion of Los Padres National Forrest a separately funded unit and expand protected wilderness areas in Monterey County was introduced Friday.

If signed into law, the bill from Rep. Sam Farr, D-Camel would redesignate the Monterey Ranger District of Los Padres as a separate management unit.

Currently, the forest, which is about 2 million acres stretching from Big Sur to Los Angles County, is divided into five ranger districts that share federal funds from the Department of Agriculture.

AUGUSTA, Maine - A dream long held by conservation and environmental groups to permanently protect land stretching from the Moosehead Lake region to Baxter State Park has become reality with the purchase of the Roach Ponds tract by the Appalachian Mountain Club.