More than 2 million acres of public lands and 1,000 miles of rivers in Arizona, Colorado, California, and Washington State would gain federal wilderness protection under a bill passed by the US House on Feb. 26.
A key element of the bill is giving permanent protection from uranium mining to about 1 million acres of public land surrounding Grand Canyon National Park. Members of the Havasupai tribe who live at the bottom of the canyon have been fighting for decades to protect their drinking water from uranium mining contamination.
The Protecting America’s Wilderness and Public Lands Act passed 220-200 in the House, and now goes to the Senate.
The act combined eight bills that had been introduced singly by representatives of states where land and rivers will be protected. Among the bill’s key protections are:
The Grand Canyon Protection Act: Makes permanent a 20-year moratorium on new uranium mining claims on about 1 million acres of public land surrounding Grand Canyon National Park, while leaving existing claims alone.
The Colorado Outdoor Recreation and Economy (CORE) Act: Permanently protects more than 400,000 acres of public land in Colorado, including the White River National Forest along the Continental Divide, the San Juan Mountains, the Thompson Divide near Carbondale and Glenwood Springs, and the Curecanti National Recreation Area.
The Colorado Wilderness Act: Designates about 660,000 acres of public land as wilderness, including many of Colorado’s mid-elevation ecosystems such as Little Book Cliffs, and Demaree, Bangs, and Roubideau canyons. All are considered critical habitats for a variety of plants and wildlife.
Northwest California Wilderness, Recreation, and Working Forests Act: Designates about 306,500 acres of public land as wilderness, adds about 480 miles of rivers to the National Wild and Scenic River System, and supports Northern California’s economy through improved wildfire resiliency and expanded recreational opportunities. The Bigfoot National Recreation Trail would be created, and new mountain biking routes would be considered in the Smith River National Recreation Area in Six Rivers National Forest.
Wild Olympics Wilderness and Wild and Scenic Rivers Act: Designates about 131,900 acres of public land as wilderness and protects 458 miles of rivers. The following rivers would be designated as wild, scenic, or recreational: Elwha, Dungeness, Big Quilcene, Dosewallips, Duckabush, Hamma Hamma, South Fork Skokomish, Middle Fork Satso, West Fork Satsop, Wynoochee, East Fork Humptulips, West Fork Humptulips, Quinault, Queets, Hoh, Bogachiel, South Fork Calawah, Sol Duc, and Lyre.
Central Coast Heritage Protection Act: Designates as wilderness about 287,500 acres of public land in the Machesna Mountain Potential Wilderness Area, the Fox Mountain Potential Wilderness Area, the Condor Ridge Scenic Area, the Black Mountain Scenic Area, and the Condor National Scenic Trail. About 230 miles of the Indian, Mono, Matilija, Sespe, and Piru Creeks and Sisquoc rivers will be designated as wild and scenic rivers.
San Gabriel Mountains Foothills and Rivers Protection Act: Expands San Gabriel Mountains National Monument by 109,000 acres, designates about 30,700 acres of public land as wilderness, and protects 45 river miles as wild and scenic.
Rim of the Valley Corridor Preservation Act: Expands the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area on the California coast northwest of Los Angeles by about 191,000 acres, protecting natural and cultural resources while expanding outdoor access for one of America’s most densely populated cities.
The Last Green Valley: Extends protection for 15 years for the National Heritage Area known as The Last Green Valley, a cluster of 35 towns covering 1,1000 square miles in eastern Connecticut and south-central Massachusetts. The area is known as the only stretch of dark nighttime sky on the East Coast between Washington, DC, and Boston, Massachusetts, and is preserved through the cooperation of residents, businesses, nonprofits, and local governments.
The text of H.R. 803 can be found here.