Protect Iconic Public Lands Before Year End

Photo credit: Chris Korbulic, Dosewallips River, Wild Olympics

Congress is considering a package of lands bills that could protect the public lands and rivers in Washington, California, Oregon, Colorado, New Mexico, Montana, and the east coast.

Public lands are the heart and soul of a thriving outdoor recreation community and a growing outdoor recreation economy. Conserving important landscapes across the country is valuable for outdoor recreation, of course, but is invaluable for climate and the environment. Intact landscapes ensure that Americans have clean air, clean water, and protections from the worst effects of climate, as well as places to play.

 Both House and Senate leadership have signaled their interest in supporting outdoor recreation in an end-of-year package, including through passing public lands bills. Among the landscapes at stake are some that are deeply valuable to the outdoor community, including:

Washington—Wild Olympics

In Washington, Senator Murray and Representative Kilmer are championing protections for the Wild Olympics. Their bill would protect 131,900 acres of Wilderness and 457 river miles as Wild and Scenic on the Olympic Peninsula adjacent to Olympic National Park. In addition to its conservation values, the bill protects hundreds of miles of trails, scores of climbing sites, dozens of whitewater paddling runs, and valued backcountry ski terrain.

California—Northwest California Wilderness, Central Coast Heritage Protection Act

In California, Senator Padilla has championed a number of bills as part of his PUBLIC Lands Act, including the Northwest California Wilderness, Recreation, and Working Forests Act that would protect areas of the Trinity Alps, the Smith River in California, and the coast. The Central Coast Heritage Protection Act, among other things, would designate a 400-mile-long Condor National Recreation Trail that would support through-hiking and backpacking across the Los Padres National Forest.

Oregon—Smith River, Owyhee River Canyon, River Democracy Act, Oregon Recreation Enhancement (ORE) Act

Senators Merkley and Wyden have proposed numerous bills to protect incredible outdoor recreation opportunities in the state. The Smith River NRA Expansion Act would expand protections for the Oregon headwaters of the Smith River; proposed protections for the Owyhee Canyonlands in southeastern Oregon would be one of the most significant conserved landscapes in the lower 48 if it passed, and would conserve spectacular paddling and hiking; the River Democracy Act would expand protections for 4,700 miles of rivers and streams in Oregon; and for the Oregon Recreation Enhancement (ORE) Act would protect recreation opportunities throughout southwestern Oregon, establishing the Molalla Recreation Area and a Rogue Canyon Recreation Area.

Colorado—CORE Act, Dolores River

Although the Camp Hale-Continental Divide National Monument protected portions of the original CORE Act, Senator Bennet and Representative Neguse’s CORE Act would protect a number of additional landscapes, including the Thompson Divide, the San Juan Mountains, the Curecanti National Recreation Area, and new Wilderness areas along the Continental Divide. All of the proposed designations in the CORE Act have been carefully vetted by recreation groups, and would protect recreational opportunities like hiking, climbing, skiing, and mountain biking. Senator Bennet and Representative Neguse have also proposed protections for the Dolores River, home to world-class recreation, especially whitewater rafting, kayaking, and canoeing when flows allow, and backcountry hiking and backpacking opportunities.

New Mexico—Pecos Watershed, M.H. Dutch Salmon Greater Gila Wild and Scenic Rivers Act

In New Mexico, Senator Henrich and Representative Leger Fernandez have proposed protections for the Pecos Watershed, which would protect the Upper Pecos from mineral development, designate the Thompson Peak Wilderness Area, and protect whitewater resources between Cowles and Pecos, where the river flows through wooded high mountain canyons, barren tablelands with bluffs, and rugged rock formations.  Senator Bennet and Representative Vasquez have proposed protecting nearly 450 miles of outstanding rivers and streams through the M.H. Dutch Salmon Greater Gila Wild and Scenic Rivers Act.

Montana—Blackfoot Clearwater, Montana Headwaters

In Montana, Senator Tester has championed recreation and conservation protections with the Blackfoot Clearwater Stewardship Act, which would protect the Blackfoot River, and expand protections for the Bob Marshall, Scapegoat, and Mission Mountains Wilderness areas. His bill to protect the Montana Headwaters would add 20 rivers to the Wild and Scenic River System.

Over the years, Outdoor Alliance has advocated for and helped pass millions of acres of land protections. And we continue to advocate for numerous landscapes that are highly deserving of more protections, including many of these land protection bills that have been moving through Congress in the last few years.

The lame duck, a period after an election but before the start of a new Congress, is often a productive time for passing legislation, and we are hopeful that Congress will include some of these bills in an end-of-year package.

These bills are all vetted by the outdoor recreation community, and have passed out of the House or Senate committees and are ready for a vote on the floor. The end of the year, though often very productive legislatively, is also unpredictable.

Congress may pass a substantial recreation and lands package, leading with the EXPLORE Act, which has strong bipartisan support and has already passed the House, or negotiations could implode and everything could be deferred to the next Congress. How can you help make the former happen? Take two minutes to write your lawmakers now: