The House on Friday passed a sprawling conservation bill 227-200 aimed at preserving land and water in Arizona, Colorado, California and Washington state.
The legislation, called the Protecting America’s Wilderness and Public Lands Act, combined eight bills that had previously been introduced.
The bill aims to provide extra protection to about 1.5 million acres of public lands by designating them as wilderness.
It would also prevent new oil, gas and mineral extraction on more than 1.2 million acres of public land and preserve 1,000 river miles by adding them to the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System.
The vote was largely along party lines, with eight Republicans voting to support the bill and only one Democrat voting against it. “This chamber has bypassed the committee process and circumvented the will of members who represent districts directly impacted by this legislation,” said Rep. Bruce Westerman (R-Ark.) on Thursday.
“The consequences of this bill on the four Western states it impacts will be far-reaching,” he added. “If you live in Colorado and you enjoy recreating on mountain biking and ATV trails ... this bill will shut down your ability to recreate on those lands,” he added.
The bill is backed by the White House but could face an uphill battle in the Senate, where it would need 60 votes to avoid a filibuster...
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1 comment:
Between the acts of congress and the land grabbing by Gates and others there will not be any land upon which we might enjoy the gifts God has given us in this country. It is not too late to stop this, but folks we need to get off our TV butts and go to work. If you don't know what to do try talking to your neighbors and putting together an action plan. In this case two heads are better than one.
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