House approves Wild Sky wilderness
WASHINGTON -- The House on Tuesday approved a bill to create a Wild Sky Wilderness northeast of Seattle, the first new wilderness area in Washington state in more than 20 years.
The bill, introduced by Rep. Rick Larsen, D-Wash., would designate 167 square miles in the Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest north of Sultan, Wash., as wilderness, the government's highest level of protection.
The voice vote sends the bill to the Senate, which has approved the Wild Sky proposal three times in recent years.
Sen. Patty Murray, who has championed the measure in the Senate, said Tuesday she was confident it would be approved for a fourth time. A Bush administration official has said the president will sign the bill if it reaches his desk.
"I remain completely optimistic that I will be standing there in Wild Sky for a signing ceremony" this summer, said Murray, who has pushed the Wild Sky bill for nearly five years. "I am so ready."
Larsen hailed the House vote, which came three months after Democrats took over the chamber following a dozen years of Republican rule. GOP leaders in the House had blocked the Wild Sky bill for years, saying that wilderness protection should extend only to lands untouched by humans.
Larsen called the bill a "carefully crafted" compromise that has drawn support from a variety of groups, from environmentalists to local officials, business leaders and outdoor recreation enthusiasts.
"Wild Sky will protect more low-elevation acres than any other wilderness area in the state, bringing wilderness closer to our communities and benefiting Washington families and businesses for generations to come," Larsen said.
He and Murray said the proposal 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 proposed 106,577-acre wilderness is about 90 minutes from Seattle by car, on rugged land near the towns of Index and Skyhomish, along the Beckler and North Fork Skyhomish rivers.
Environmental groups called the House vote a huge victory for Washington state and supporters of Wild Sky.
"Today's vote is a huge step forward not only for Wild Sky, but for the many Washingtonians who wish to preserve this wilderness for our children and grandchildren to experience," said Michelle Ackermann, regional director of The Wilderness Society.
This article is republished courtesy of the Seattle P-I:
House approves Wild Sky wilderness
