WV Wilderness Signed, Sealed and Delivered Today
Monday, March 30, 2009
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Wilderness is being signed, sealed and delivered today at the White House, as the Omnibus Public Land Management Act is signed into law by President Obama. The legislation includes protection for 37,000 acres in the Monongahela National Forest and about 2 million acres of newly designated wilderness nationwide.
Campaign for America's Wilderness executive director Mike Matz will be on hand for the bill signing. He says support for adding to the wilderness inventory came from folks from all walks of life because wilderness lands serve many purposes – such as places for hunting, fishing, camping and bird-watching.
"It is nice to be able to get out, just clear your head a little bit, walk in the quiet, soak in some nature and really be able to determine what's important in life."
Matz says the wilderness protection being authorized today took years of on-the-ground work and collaboration between businesses, conservation groups, sportsman's groups and recreation organizations. He calls it an example of democracy at work.
"It has made people in other states not only a little bit envious, but also excited about their prospects. Already, we've seen new wilderness bills introduced."
Opponents of the public land act were concerned about restrictions on oil and gas production and extraction of other natural resources.
get more stories like this via email
United Nations experts are raising concerns about chemical giants DuPont and Chemours, saying they've violated human rights in North Carolina…
Social Issues
The long-delayed Farm Bill could benefit Virginia farmers by renewing funding for climate-smart investments, but it's been held up for months in …
Environment
Conservation groups say the Hawaiian Islands are on the leading edge of the fight to preserve endangered birds, since climate change and habitat loss …
Environment
April has been "Invasive Plant Pest and Disease Awareness Month," but the pests don't know that. The U.S. Department of Agriculture says it's the …
Health and Wellness
The 2024 Arizona Alzheimer's Consortium Public Conference kicks off Saturday, where industry experts and researchers will share the latest scientific …
Environment
Environmental groups say more should be done to protect people's health from what they call toxic, radioactive sludge. A court granted a temporary …