Senate boosts wilderness protection across US

[desert spirit]

WASHINGTON – In a rare Sunday session, the Senate advanced legislation that would set aside more than 2 million acres in nine states as wilderness. Majority Democrats assembled more than enough votes to overcome GOP stalling tactics in an early showdown for the new Congress.

The measure — actually a collection of about 160 bills — would confer the government's highest level of protection on land ranging from California's Sierra Nevada mountain range to Oregon's Mount Hood, Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado and parts of the Jefferson National Forest in Virginia. Land in Idaho's Owyhee canyons, Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore in Michigan and Zion National Park in Utah also would be designated as wilderness.

[Sredfield]

Ever so glacial, PROGRESS!

Also:

SEC. 5001. FOSSIL CREEK, ARIZONA.

Section 3(a) of the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act (16 U.S.C. 1274(a)) (as amended by section 1852) is amended by adding at the end the following:

`(205) FOSSIL CREEK, ARIZONA- Approximately 16.8 miles of Fossil Creek from the confluence of Sand Rock and Calf Pen Canyons to the confluence with the Verde River, to be administered by the Secretary of Agriculture in the following classes:

`(A) The approximately 2.7-mile segment from the confluence of Sand Rock and Calf Pen Canyons to the point where the segment exits the Fossil Spring Wilderness, as a wild river.

`(B) The approximately 7.5-mile segment from where the segment exits the Fossil Creek Wilderness to the boundary of the Mazatzal Wilderness, as a recreational river.

`(C) The 6.6-mile segment from the boundary of the Mazatzal Wilderness downstream to the confluence with the Verde River, as a wild river.'.
The bill also included National Scenic Trail status for the AZ Trail.

and

SEC. 5201. ARIZONA NATIONAL SCENIC TRAIL.

Section 5(a) of the National Trails System Act (16 U.S.C. 1244(a)) is amended by adding at the end the following:

`(27) ARIZONA NATIONAL SCENIC TRAIL-

`(A) IN GENERAL- The Arizona National Scenic Trail, extending approximately 807 miles across the State of Arizona from the U.S.-Mexico international border to the Arizona-Utah border, as generally depicted on the map entitled `Arizona National Scenic Trail' and dated December 5, 2007, to be administered by the Secretary of Agriculture, in consultation with the Secretary of the Interior and appropriate State, tribal, and local governmental agencies.

`(B) AVAILABILITY OF MAP- The map shall be on file and available for public inspection in appropriate offices of the Forest Service.'.

[azdesertfather]

That's great. Anyone know where to find the full list of lands included?

Also wondering what "National Scenic Trail" Status does officially?

[Sredfield]

The "list of lands" would take books to present. And many of these areas are not surveyed, the laws pass with maps of varying detail and the actual surveys can take decades. If you have an area of interest it's best to contact the local managing agency.

[rally_toad]

In response to dshillis:
Go to The Wilderness Society website, then click on Media Resources then on "Congress gets an early start on banner year for wilderness" it takes you to an article, then click on "the legislation" towards the beginning of the article, it takes you to a list of the Bills that get lumped together in this package.

However its not all good supposedly, the bill has an amendment allowing a road to be built through the Izembek Wilderness in Alaska.

I would have posted the link here to the page, but its not allowed.

Or google the Omnibus Lands Management Act of 2008. But that will get you a long, long list of things to read.

[Sredfield]

The bill is available on Thomas, google Thomas, search on "wilderness" click on "S. 22" but it doesn't give a meaningful description of the lands involved.

[Jeffshadows]

This is excellent news

[hippiepunkpirate]

However its not all good supposedly, the bill has an amendment allowing a road to be built through the Izembek Wilderness in Alaska.

Eh, Alaska has enough wilderness and desolation. I think it can spare some acres if we can get some in return down south, just as long as Sarah Palin stops hunting polar bears...

[JimmyLyding]

...and shooting wolves from airplanes. Anyone else read the recent issue of 'Backpacker Magazine' about the wolf "hunting" right outside of Denali National Park? I have little problem with hunting, but the idea of trapping makes me ill.

[azdesertfather]

I have little problem with hunting, but the idea of trapping makes me ill.

Why? Do you believe that hunting and trapping are always wrong?

[azdesertfather]

In response to dshillis:
Go to The Wilderness Society website, then click on Media Resources then on "Congress gets an early start on banner year for wilderness" it takes you to an article, then click on "the legislation" towards the beginning of the article, it takes you to a list of the Bills that get lumped together in this package.

However its not all good supposedly, the bill has an amendment allowing a road to be built through the Izembek Wilderness in Alaska.

I would have posted the link here to the page, but its not allowed.

Or google the Omnibus Lands Management Act of 2008. But that will get you a long, long list of things to read.

Interesting, rally_toad...I checked out what was on the Wilderness Society site, but that legislation doesn't list anything from Arizona, which Sredfield quotes regarding Fossil Creek and the AZ Trail...

[Jeffshadows]

...and shooting wolves from airplanes. Anyone else read the recent issue of 'Backpacker Magazine' about the wolf "hunting" right outside of Denali National Park? I have little problem with hunting, but the idea of trapping makes me ill.

Yea, I saw that. Trapping results in undue suffering for the animal, so I'm with you on that one.

[rally_toad]

I checked out what was on the Wilderness Society site, but that legislation doesn't list anything from Arizona, which Sredfield quotes regarding Fossil Creek and the AZ Trail...

To find the full bill with the Fossil Creek and AZ Trail designations you have to google "Omnibus Land Management Act of 2009"
It includes the whole bill including two from AZ as well as a bunch of other weird little pork and earmarks things that have been added into it. The whole thing is really long to read and alot of it is the pork stuff.

[azdesertfather]

Some of the other Arizona things I found in there:

* The Walnut Canyon Study Act of 2007 (S. 722 and H.R. 1558), would direct the Secretary of the Interior and the Secretary of Agriculture to jointly conduct a study of certain land adjacent to the Walnut Canyon National Monument in the State of Arizona. The purpose of the national monument was originally established to include protection of natural and cultural resources that are known to be significant to contemporary native tribes.
* The America's Historical and Natural Legacy Study Act (H.R. 3998) would authorize the Secretary of the Interior to study the inclusion of the Harry S Truman Birthplace State Historic Site in Missouri, the battlegrounds of Matewan, and the Butterfield Overland Trail in the States of Missouri, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, and California as part of the National Park System or National Trails System.
* The Lower Colorado River Multi-Species Conservation Fund (H.R. 2515), would authorize the Bureau of Reclamation to carry out the Lower Colorado River Multi-Species Conservation Program in the States of Arizona, California, and Nevada. These costs are to be split 50/50 between the federal government and the participating non-federal entities.