Wilderness News Releases

The Campaign for America's Wilderness of the Pew Environment Group today applauded Senator Tim Johnson's (D-SD) introduction of legislation to permanently protect nearly 50,000 acres of wilderness in the Buffalo Gap National Grassland of western South Dakota. 

"We commend Senator Johnson for his leadership and vision on this historic legislation.   The grasslands in South Dakota are an important piece of the nation's natural and cultural heritage," said Marcia Argust with the Campaign for America's Wilderness of the Pew Environment Group.  "If enacted, the measure will create the very first grasslands wilderness in the nation, complementing South Dakota's current appeal as an outdoor and hunting mecca, both to residents and out-of-state visitors. 

Boulder-White Clouds

Bipartisan legislation  to permanently protect over 330,000 acres of wilderness in central Idaho has been introduced by the full Idaho delegation.  Congressmen Mike Simpson (R) and Walt Minnick (D) joined Senators Mike Crapo (R) and Jim Risch (R) in sponsoring the Central Idaho Economic Development and Recreation Act.  The bill seeks to designate some of the nation's most iconic, yet still unprotected National Forest lands as wilderness, while simultaneously working to ensure the economic sustainability of surrounding communities.

© Tyler Roemer

The Campaign for America's Wilderness of the Pew Environment Group commends the Senate Subcommittee on Public Lands and Forests for holding a hearing on legislation to protect more than 16,000 acres of wilderness in the lower John Day River area of Eastern Oregon. 

"The Cathedral Rock and Horse Heaven Wilderness Act of 2010 has moved one step closer to enactment today," said David Dreher, policy manger for the Pew Environment Group's Campaign for America's Wilderness.

Proposed Wasatch wilderness; © Ray Bloxham

The Campaign for America’s Wilderness of the Pew Environment Group today applauded the introduction of a federal bill to permanently protect more than 26,000 acres of national forest land in Utah’s central Wasatch Mountains. Sponsored by Representative Jim Matheson (D-UT), the legislation is the result of a two-year consensus-building effort involving Salt Lake County and Salt Lake City and a broad and diverse group of area interests.

Pratt River; © Rick McGuire

The Campaign for America's Wilderness of the Pew Environment Group applauds passage of the first wilderness protection bill of the year by the U.S. House of Representatives.  The Alpine Lakes Wilderness Additions and Pratt and Middle Fork Snoqualmie Rivers Protection Act, (H.R. 176), introduced by Congressman Dave Reichert (R-WA), will expand the existing Alpine Lakes Wilderness in the state of Washington by more than 22,000 acres, and designate parts of the Middle Fork Snoqualmie and Pratt Rivers as wild and scenic. 

The House Natural Resources Committee today approved the Alpine Lakes Wilderness Additions and Pratt and Middle Fork Snoqualmie Rivers Protection Act (H.R. 176), sending it to the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives for action. The measure, introduced by Representative David Reichert (R-WA), would expand the existing 394,000-acre Alpine Lakes Wilderness by more than 22,000 acres, and designate parts of the Middle Fork Snoqualmie and Pratt Rivers as wild and scenic. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA) has introduced companion legislation, which is now before the full Senate.

The Pew Environment Group's Campaign for America's Wilderness announced today that Roberta Salazar of Taos, New Mexico, is being honored as this month's "Wilderness Hero" for working to connect young people with nature. Ten years ago, Salazar made a personal commitment to ensure that Northern New Mexico kids grow up recognizing the importance of protecting the land and the healthy ecosystems on which they depend.

WASHINGTON – (Thursday, January, 28, 2010) -- The Pew Charitable Trusts today announced that effective February 1, 2010, the Campaign for America’s Wilderness (CAW) will become part of the Pew Environment Group, expanding Pew’s work to protect public lands. For more than two decades, Pew has been dedicated to securing lasting safeguards for wilderness of the United States, Canada and most recently Australia. The result has been the preservation of tens of millions of acres of pristine landscapes critical to providing clean water, healthy fish and wildlife habitat, outdoor recreation and a buffer for the impacts of climate change. A cornerstone of this effort has been the Campaign for America’s Wilderness, which Pew established in 2002.

The Campaign for America's Wilderness hailed the introduction today of The Cathedral Rock and Horse Heaven Wilderness Act of 2010, which will designate over 16,000 acres of wilderness in the Cathedral Rock and Horse Heaven areas near the lower John Day River as good for Oregonians and all Americans.   

San Juan Mountains; © John Richter

"The San Juan Mountains Wilderness Act (H.R. 3914) moved an important step closer to enactment today at a hearing of the House Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests, and Public Lands," said Marcia Argust, Campaign for America's Wilderness Policy Manager.