Supporters of Wild Sky try again
But the hard road the legislation faces became clear as the chairman of a
key House committee once again said he opposes an effort to designate as
wilderness any land that contains logging roads or other marks of human
intrusion - a test the Wild Sky measure fails.
Bills sponsored by Rep. Rick Larsen and Sen. Patty Murray would designate
106,000 acres in the Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest as wilderness, the
government's highest level of protection. The two Democrats say their measure
would block development or other economic activity in a sprawling area north of
U.S. 2 that includes habitat for bears, bald eagles and other wildlife, as well
as streams, hiking trails and other forms of recreation.
The plan includes 13,000 acres that contain several former logging roads and
other marks of human intrusion - marks that House Resources Chairman Richard
Pombo says conflict with the 1964 Wilderness Act.
Pombo, R-Calif., withdrew a proposed Wild Sky bill
last fall, saying wilderness protection should extend only to lands untouched
by humans.
Pombo supported a compromise plan that would have protected nearly 93,000
acres as wilderness, while designating 13,300 acres as a backcountry management
area, a less-restrictive federal designation that would allow off-road
vehicles.
Larsen and other critics said the election-year plan - put forth by
then-Rep. George Nethercutt, R-Wash. - would have threatened old-growth forests
and salmon habitat and left the door open for development. Nethercutt was
running against
Larsen, in a statement Wednesday, said he was optimistic that this could be
the year for Wild Sky.
"We are restarting the clock on Wild Sky," he said. "We have
done the homework and the legwork to create a 'hands on' wilderness proposal
that will benefit
Now, he added, "We have to make it a reality. I will continue working
with my colleagues in the House and with Senators Murray and (Maria) Cantwell
to bring Wild Sky to life."
Larsen pledged to work with Pombo, as well as members of the
A spokesman for Pombo said Wednesday he remains deeply skeptical of the
Larsen plan, but is open to working with him and other supporters to bring the
bill to a vote in committee.
"The chairman is more than open to working with Rick Larsen and (fellow
Democratic Rep.) Jay Inslee on the Wild Sky bill," said Matthew Streit, a Pombo spokesman.
"However, he has the same concerns he had last year with the land
included in the bill that does not meet the requirements of the original 1964
Wilderness Act," Streit added.
Inslee, a co-sponsor of the bill, said he was optimistic about its chances,
calling the measure "the most carefully crafted wilderness bill in the
country."
He and
Larsen stressed the broad support the bill enjoys in the state, and said years
of negotiation have led to support from groups
as diverse as backcountry horsemen and snowmobilers;
the Washington Seaplane Pilots Association; local tribes; the Snohomish County
Emergency Responders; and the Washington Coalition of Citizens with disAbilities.
The bill is supported by all six Democratic members of the House from
Meanwhile Wednesday,