At this juncture in the first session of the 111th Congress, members of Congress have authored and introduced eight wilderness bills for California, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, New Mexico, Oregon, and Washington. When these bills are enacted, more than 1.6 million acres of your public land will be permanently protected as a natural legacy for future generations. More are on the way.
People in these states worked very hard to build support locally among far-flung constituencies, Main Street business, local elected officials, and managing agencies, which makes the job less difficult for a member of Congress to shepherd his or her legislation through the process. It’s never easy or simple, but the path is clearer and the hurdles lower if broad support exists in affected communities.
In Montana, the timber industry supports Sen. Jon Tester’s Forest Jobs and Recreation Act, introduced in July, because for more than two years industry folks worked closely with conservationists to formulate a proposal that works for both sides. In Colorado, Rep. John Salazar had ski operators and county commissioners at the table, listened to their concerns, and tailored his bill accordingly, introducing the San Juan Mountains Wilderness Act in October.
In each instance, these eight pieces of legislation and the others on the way toward introduction are about building something from the ground up that benefits communities nearby these special places. It’s about collaborating with groups that have often been on opposing sides for decades to resolve nettlesome land conflicts. It’s about neighbors talking to neighbors, and making democracy work for regular people.
That’s why we say when – not if – these bills pass. They will, and when they do, the quality of life improves in all our communities. Everybody wins.
