Wilderness News Releases

Mountain Lake; courtesy SELC

The U.S. House of Representatives today passed H.R. 1011, the Virginia Ridge and Valley Act of 2007, which protects 55,000 acres of the Jefferson National Forest in southwestern Virginia as wilderness, wilderness study areas or scenic areas.

Listen as Mike shares the latest on efforts across the country and on Capitol Hill to protect special wild places, and reminds listeners that National Public Lands Day (Sept. 29) is a great day to take action to protect our wild public land -- through wilderness designation. Click here to begin listening to the segment. The interview with Mike begins two minutes into the segment, if you want to skip ahead.

South Fork San Jacinto; © Jen Schmidt

Congresswoman Mary Bono (R-CA) and Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA) today announced the introduction of the California Desert and Mountain Heritage Act, which would designate 191,000 acres throughout Riverside County as wilderness, and designate 31 river miles of the North Fork San Jacinto River, Bautista Creek, and Palm Canyon as wild and scenic.

"We applaud the leadership of Senator Ron Wyden and Representative Peter DeFazio for their introduction of the Copper Salmon wilderness proposal to protect the headwaters of the Elk River on the southern coast of Oregon,” said Mike Matz, executive director of the Campaign for America's Wilderness.

Jim and Bess Murray of Charlottesville are being honored this month by the Campaign for America’s Wilderness and The Wilderness Society as “Wilderness Heroes” for their nearly 40 years working to protect the state’s special wild places.

Former lab partners at Oxford University, Jim and Bess have spent the last four decades in Virginia camping, hunting and enjoying the natural beauty of the state.

We applaud the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee today for moving the popular Wild Sky legislation another step closer to reality. This broadly-backed bill has been years in the making, and the citizens of Washington state are anxious to see it become law.

Senators Murray and Cantwell and Representatives Larsen and Inslee deserve our thanks for their unwavering commitment to protecting this spectacular and beloved wild place – with its ancient old growth forests, sparkling salmon streams, and snow-capped mountain peaks.

“The hidden strength of the broadly backed Rocky Mountain National Park Wilderness bill is the bipartisan support of the Colorado congressional delegation,” said Mike Matz, Executive Director of the Campaign for America’s Wilderness.

Citizens across Virginia and America applaud the House Natural Resources Committee for taking the important first step of hearing legislation to forever protect some 55,000 acres in the Jefferson National Forest as wilderness, wilderness study or national scenic areas.

Hard work, perseverance, commitment and determination by conservation champions Rep. Rick Larsen and Sen. Patty Murray have made this a historic and happy day for wild lands in Washington and the people that care for them. Rep. Jay Inslee also deserves high praise for his work on this key bill. Passage of the Wild Sky Wilderness Act in the U.S. House of Representatives today brings us an important step closer to forever protecting 106,000 acres of amazing old-growth forest, sparkling salmon
streams and alpine peaks - just an hour's drive from Seattle.

Congress continues to build on the momentum of last year's heartening achievements to protect a lasting legacy of America’s common ground as part of the National Wilderness Preservation System. In a work session today, the House Natural Resources Committee approved H.R. 886, the Wild Sky Wilderness Act, to protect more than 106,000 acres of wilderness in Washington's Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest, sending the measure to the House floor. The path for final House passage of this broadly backed measure has now been cleared.