A bill spearheaded by Sen. Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., and passed Tuesday by the Senate provides crucial environmental protections to wilderness areas throughout the country. Equally important, it represents the return of negotiation and compromise in Congress.
The Natural Resources Management Act passed 92-8 and now moves into the House of Representatives, where it is expected to have broad bipartisan support. And The Washington Post reports that White House officials have indicated President Donald Trump will sign the bill if it lands on his desk. The legislation designates 1.3 million acres of new wilderness areas and 694,000 acres of new recreation and conservation areas, while also creating four new national monuments and protecting the areas of some current monuments.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., said: “It touches every state, features the input of a wide coalition of our colleagues, and has earned the support of a broad, diverse coalition of many advocates for public lands, economic development, and conservation.” Meanwhile, the Congressional Budget Office calculates that the legislation will save taxpayers $9 billion, which drew support from fiscal conservatives.
Hailed as the most significant conservation legislation in at least a decade, the bill includes numerous provisions directly impacting Washington. One would improve volcano early warning and monitoring systems. Another would remove 340,000 acres in northern Washington’s Upper Methow Valley from consideration for mining permits. And another would permanently reauthorize the Land and Water Conservation Fund, which since 1964 has used royalties from oil and gas permits for the protections of wilderness areas; the fund has been become a political football in recent years and its authorization is currently lapsed. The legislation also includes several provisions increasing access for hunters and anglers.
