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WASHINGTON (AP) – The House passed legislation on Friday that would create about 1.5 million acres of new wilderness and integrate nearly 1,200 miles of waterways into the nation’s wild and scenic river system as Democrats move to protect more public land – with the blessing of President Joe Biden.
The bill passed by a vote of 227-200. The bill passed mostly along party lines, with eight Republicans joining all but one Democratic lawmaker in voting for the bill.
Biden has set a goal of conserving at least 30% of America’s land and oceans by 2030, a measure his supporters say will help curb global warming while preserving some of the country’s most scenic lands for future generations of Americans. But like other items on Biden’s agenda, the bill faces an uncertain future in the 50-50 Senate, where the support of at least 10 Republicans would be needed to overcome a filibuster.
Republicans have said wilderness area designations will limit the use of these lands and make them more vulnerable to catastrophic wildfires. Lands designated as wilderness receive the highest level of government protection and are generally off-limits to motor vehicles with permitted recreation-oriented activities such as hiking, camping, and horseback riding.
The bill is largely a collection of bills that the House twice approved last year, but which did not make it into law. It is one of the largest land protection packages Congress has ever considered and covers nearly 3 million acres of public land, mostly in Colorado, California, Washington, and Arizona.
“Not only will this help protect the air we breathe and the water we drink, but also the wildlife that inhabit these unspoiled areas,” said Representative Diana DeGette, D-Colo., Principal Sponsor of the Bill .
One of the provisions of the bill would permanently remove over a million acres of federal land north and south of Grand Canyon National Park from eligibility for any future mining leases, but leaves the claims intact. valid and existing. Supporters of the withdrawal say uranium deposits in northern Arizona should not be mined for fear of contaminating the Grand Canyon.
Republican lawmakers have portrayed the bill as a job killer in rural communities because the new wilderness restrictions would mean a ban on logging and mining and motor vehicles. They said giving up access to critical minerals makes the United States more dependent on other countries such as China to meet their economic and defense needs.
“I would challenge my colleagues to appreciate these scenes and panoramas. I encourage them to take pictures, so they can show their children and grandchildren what they looked like before locking them in a wilderness, ”said Representative Bruce Westerman, R-Ark.
The ideological divide over the bill was evident when the Colorado congressional delegation debated the measure in the House. The legislation included bills from Representative Joe Neguse and DeGette that would affect more than one million acres of public land in the state.
“At the end of the day, we have an obligation to leave our environment better than we found it. That is the purpose of this bill, ”said Neguse.
But Rep. Lauren Boebert, R-Colo., Said the bill “targets” her district and has been opposed by the Colorado Farm Bureau and many local officials “because of the damage they know it will cause. and the activities it will prevent. ”
Rep. Doug Lamborn, R-Colo., Said he knew the intention of the supporters was to protect the land, but in practice, the wilderness designation is too restrictive, even preventing people from using bicycles or strollers.
“I prefer public land with multiple uses,” he says.
He also expressed concerns that the stricter land use restrictions would end forest management practices that could reduce the risk of fires, although supporters of the bill say the secretary to Agriculture has the power in wilderness areas to take the necessary measures to control fires, insects and disease.
“We’re going to see bigger and hotter fires than ever in Colorado,” Lamborn predicted.
The only dissenter among Democrats was Representative Vicente Gonzalez from Texas.
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