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As promised, the following is a report on areas proposed to be included in the National Wilderness System in the current (110th) Congress. There are 17 Bills introduced (plus additional Bills for inclusion of rivers into the Wild and Scenic River System). Thirteen States are involved with most of the States west of the Mississippi River. The Exceptions are Georgia and Virginia. The States with the largest proposed wilderness are Utah, California, and Alaska, with a three-state proposal bringing in Montana, Idaho, Wyoming into the list of large acreages. Utah has the distinction of the largest amount of proposed wilderness acreage, 9,351,840 acres, all of it in one Bill (Senate Bill 1170 and House Resolution 1919) entitled "America's Red Rock Wilderness Act of 2007". California is a distant second with 1,652,844 acres in two separate Bills. The largest is the "California Wild Heritage Act of 2007", (S-483 and HR-960 which establishes 1,538,158 acres in 53 locations) and the other the "Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Park Wilderness Act" of 2007" (S-1744 and HR-3022) with 114,686 acres as proposed wilderness. Alaska is third with 1,605,031 acres in two Bills: "Udall-Eisenhower Arctic Wilderness Act" (HR-39) with 1,559,538 acres in the Arctic National Wildlife Preserve, and the "Izembek and Alaska Peninsula Refuge and Wilderness Enhancement and King Safe Access Act of 2007" putting an additional 45,493 acres into wilderness. The other large acreage proposal is a multi State proposal entitled "Northern Rockies Ecosystem Protection Act" which proposed to connect all Montana, Idaho, and Wyoming wilderness areas with wilderness corridors. The total for this proposal is 2,155,433 acres of additional wilderness. Other States with wilderness proposals are: Idaho, 723,480 additional acres in three Bills (S-802) "Owyhee Initiative Implementation Act of 2007", 504,078 acres, (HR-222) "Central Idaho Economic Development Act", and (S-1802) "Idaho Wilderness Boundary Modification Act"; Colorado, 252,534 acres in (S-1380 and HR-2334) "Rocky Mountain National Park and Indian Peaks Wilderness Act", 252,534 acres. Oregon, 142,512 acres in two Bills, (S-647) "Lewis and Clark Mount Hood Wilderness Act of 2007", 128,817 acres, and (S-2034 and HR-3513) "Copper Salmon Wilderness Act", and 13,700 acres. Washington, (S-520 and HR-886) "Wild Sky Wilderness Act",106,000 acres. Arizona finishes the substantial wilderness proposals with (HR-3287) "Tumacacori Highlands Wilderness Act of 2007", at 83,300 acres. The States of Georgia (HR-707), New Mexico (HR-2632), and Virginia (S-570 and HR-1011) have only small amounts proposed as wilderness. Washington's Wild Sky Wilderness is scheduled for a vote in the US Senate and is expected to pass. This would send the then passed law to the President for signature. One hang up, however, is that all Bills passed in the U.S. Senate must provide for the Bills funding through the elimination of a like amount in the US Proposed Budget Bill. The two Washington Senators who sponsored the Bill are working to clear this last hurdle. Other Wilderness Bills that are likely to pass both the U.S. Senate and the U.S. House are: "Colorado's Rocky Mountain Indian Peaks Wilderness Bill", and Oregon's two Bills. Alaska's “Izembek Wilderness” also looks to be passed. Effect on known collecting areas is not determined. Not likely to pass is the very large Utah wilderness bill which lacks any support from the Utah Senators, the two California Wilderness Bills which lack support from one of the States Senators, and the Three-State Bill, "The Northern Rockies Ecosystem Protection Act", which lacks any support in the States effected. These Bills would have an adverse effect on many collecting locations, especially the Utah Bill. Other Bills could be introduced, but it is late in the session for any chance of passage. [ALAA - The American Lands Access Association is a 501(C)(4) organization that was established to promote and ensure the right of amateur hobby collecting, recreational prospecting and mining, and the use of public and private lands for educational and recreational purposes; and to carry the voice of all amateur collectors and hobbyists to our elected officials, government regulators and public land managers. Membership for individuals are $25 per year. Visit the ALAA website <www.amlands.org> for more information about pending legislation and membership.] via November 2007 AFMS Newsletter |
Last Revised on
January 05, 2009
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