Posted on 03/25/2009 2:07:23 PM PDT by jazusamo
WASHINGTON — Congress on Wednesday set aside more than 2 million acres in nine states as protected wilderness - from California's Sierra Nevada mountains to the Jefferson National Forest in Virginia.
The legislation is on its way to President Barack Obama for his likely signature.
The House approved the bill, 285-140, the final step in a long legislative road that began last year.
The vote came two weeks after the House rejected the bill amid a partisan dispute over gun rights. The measure was brought up again in the Senate and approved last week, setting up Wednesday's vote.
The bill - a collection of nearly 170 separate measures - would be one of the largest expansions of wilderness protection in a quarter-century. It would confer the government's highest level of protection on land in California, Colorado, Idaho, Michigan, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Virginia and West Virginia.
Supporters called the bill landmark legislation that will strengthen the national park system, restore national forests, preserve wild and scenic rivers, protect battlefields and restore balance to the management of public lands.
Opponents, mostly Republicans, called the bill a "land grab" that would block energy development on vast swaths of federal land.
"After nearly a decade during which our parks were taken for granted and our range lands were scarred by a spider-web of roads and (drilling) well pads," the lands bill "represents a new dawn for America's heritage and American values," said Rep. Nick Rahall, D-W.Va., chairman of the House Natural Resources Committee.
Rep. Doc Hastings, R-Wash., and other Republicans complained that the measure would lock up millions of acres of land that could be explored for energy and used for other development.
(Excerpt) Read more at seattletimes.nwsource.com ...
and who owns this land right now?
Oh great, more “public” owned property that the peasants can’t tread upon.
As Doc Hastings indicated, this is about shutting down American industry and INCREASING DEPENDENCE ON FOREIGN OIL!
Obama’s lies continue!!!
I would like to know the total amount of natural resources that are located on these lands.
A country rich in resources that refuses to use them. Stupid Americans.
Wilderness bill Ping!
Title:
Enviro Terrorists Steal Land from Citizens
I love how this always involves us westerners.
I pox on the eastern states!
“interstate commerce”? bullcrap. they’ve no right.
Excellent....this will certainly pull us out of the recession. Way to focus congress.
My thoughts, but it may be a conversion of National Forests into National Parks, which, as I understand, are off limits to anything commercial.
The ecos know not what they are doing.
I thought this got killed a week or more ago in the Senate?
Geez. No love for us geologists that is for sure.
They know exactly what they’re doing.
This is an incredibly brilliant plan hatched to take away all revenues of these lands that might be generated from the underlying minerals.
America does not need this revenue, right?
See Obama talking about increasing revenues the same day!
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123792991709930321.html
“After nearly a decade during which our parks were taken for granted and our range lands were scarred by a spider-web of roads and (drilling) well pads,” the lands bill “represents a new dawn for America’s heritage and American values,” said Rep. Nick Rahall, D-W.Va., chairman of the House Natural Resources Committee.
the good news is we will be building more roads and bridge to get there-
It wouldn’t surprise me to see the eco nuts win over the feds and stop all fire suppression in National Parks and wilderness areas because that’s “natures” way, oh how I hate these nuts.
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