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Huge Wilderness Conservation Bill Passes House

Posted by: Nate Berg

27 March 2009 - 7:00am

A bill heading for an expected signature on the President's desk will effectively protect 2 million acres of wilderness in the U.S. Conservationists are applauding the move, while others worry the bill will hold back alternative energy plans.

"The Omnibus Public Lands Management Act, which cleared the Senate last week, was approved by a margin of 285 to 140 and has been sent to President Obama for his signature."

"The bill would officially designate land in California, Colorado, Idaho, Michigan, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Virginia, and West Virginia as wilderness. That means no logging, mining, drilling, or even vehicles."

"The Associated Press details the provisions by state. They include setting aside more than 450,00 acres of wilderness near Santa Clarita, Calif., and along the California-Nevada border, nearly 250,000 acres of Colorado’s Rocky Mountain National Park, 517,000 acres in Idaho’s Owyhee Canyonlands, and more than 250,000 acres of wilderness in and near Utah’s Zion National Park."

Full Story: House passes bill protecting 2 million acres of wilderness
Source: The Christian Science Monitor, March 25, 2009
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Short of erasing existing political and jurisdictional boundaries, citizens and officials need to develop the capacity to work across boundaries according to the "problem-sheds" of the land and water issues we face in the 21st century.
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