Washington, D.C. - Washington State wasn't a big part of the Omnibus Public Lands Management Act just passed by Congress, but there may be some new wilderness acreage in its future, nonetheless. As Congress embraces the value of wilderness this month, two members of Washington’s delegation are part of the action.

Rep. Dave Reichert (R-Wash) and Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash) have introduced a bill to expand the Alpine Lakes Wilderness Area in the North Cascade Mountains by 22,000 acres. Reichert acknowledges it often takes years to get wilderness legislation through Congress, but says this bill is starting out with support from both major parties.

"It’s the idea of bipartisanship and working together to make this an area that all of us can enjoy. It oesn’t matter what party you belong to, protecting our wilderness is important to all of us."

The bill would also protect portions of the Snoqualmie and Pratt Rivers. It took nine years for the newest Washington wilderness area, Wild Sky, to make it through Congress. Murray and Reichert say, what they learned from that experience will be useful in this one. Murray expects some opposition from those who believe wilderness protection keeps too much land out of use for development, logging and mining. Their proposal is to widen the current Alpine Lakes boundaries to include land at lower elevations.

John Chelminiak North Cascades Initiative director for The Wilderness Society, says that’s important because it makes the area more accessible to more people.

"It will be a spectacular place to take your children and experience wilderness without having to go to the top of a peak, almost virtually in the backyards of the communities of the North Cascades."

Reichert and Murray hope the additional acreage will attract tourism dollars for the towns in the region, including Issaquah, North Bend and Snoqualmie. They say they already have local groups on board for what may be a long ride to see the bill through to passage.






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A new poll indicates strong support for protections of the West's greater sage-grouse. The results come as the U.S. Bureau of Land Management considers a plan for improving conservation of the bird. BLM is reviewing public comments on its draft environmental impact statement for amending and strengthening sage grouse protections. The agency has plenty of public support for this: a poll commissioned by The Pew Charitable Trusts found 93% of people surveyed back the BLM's efforts to protect the bird and its habitat.

Tyler Dungannon, conservation coordinator with Oregon Hunters Association, said many support even greater protections.

"In the Western U.S., roughly 70% favored restricting some development of specific public lands to ensure long term habitat protections for sage grouse," he explained.

The poll also found that nearly 60% of respondents say sage grouse conservation efforts boost economic development. Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife data from 2019 says hunting, fishing and wildlife viewing fueled $1.2 billion in spending in the state.

Josh Collins, a retired landscape ecologist in Bend, said there are positives to BLM's plans for conserving sage grouse, including the expansion of Areas of Critical Environmental Concern for the bird and the agency elevating conservation as one of is priorities on public lands. But he added that there's also room for improvement, such as a focus on ensuring sage grouse chicks have wildflowers to feed on in their first few weeks of life.

"One of the things missing in the BLM report and almost every other state or federal report concerning the sage grouse is a focus on the dietary needs of the chicks and the brood hens," he continued.

Collins adds that bringing back the sage grouse means bringing back wildflowers in the region, which will benefit other species.

"Young pronghorn benefit from that, they eat wildflowers. And, of course, the pygmy rabbit does. Many birds are feeding on the insects that are attracted by the wildflowers. So, the wildflower is kind of a missing piece of the foundation of the ecological health for the whole system," he said.


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The U.S. Forest Service is considering changes to modernize the Northwest Forest Plan.

While it was hailed as a success when it was created 30 years ago, the Forest Service wants to update the plan to address new challenges to the region. To help with the process, the agency convened an advisory committee, which unanimously approved 192 recommendations for the plan.

Susan Jane Brown, chief legal counsel for Silvix Resources, a nonprofit environmental law firm based in Oregon, co-chaired the committee and said tribal inclusion and rights were among the most critical issues to address because they weren't included in the original plan.

"That was a pretty substantial oversight and something that the federal advisory committee wanted to correct this time around," Brown explained. "We really wanted to center indigenous perspectives and indigenous knowledge in the management of these forests."

The plan guides management of more than 19 million acres of land across Washington, Oregon and northern California. The Forest Service is moving forward with the amendment process for the plan. Brown pointed out a draft environmental impact statement was expected in August but it has been pushed back. The agency is incorporating the committee's recommendations for a draft analysis, as well as other alternatives.

The Forest Service is looking to address three threats: invasive species, particularly large and severe wildfires and climate change. Brown argued the issues need to be addressed quickly.

"Our forests and communities are in desperate need of clear management direction given the wildfire crisis, given the climate crisis that we're also experiencing right now," Brown emphasized. "We really need an updated management plan that is equipped to deal with those new challenges."

Travis Joseph, president and CEO of the American Forest Resource Council, co-chaired the federal advisory committee. He said the committee gathered diverse interests and did the hard work to collaborate on their recommendations to the Forest Service.

"There is a path forward, and we can move beyond the hyperbole and the 'forest wars' of the past," Joseph contended. "If we focus on what we have in common and the outcomes that we want to achieve, we can move beyond the past and frankly build a brighter future."

Support for this reporting was provided by The Pew Charitable Trusts.


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The Bureau of Land Management proposed a new plan for public lands in southwest Wyoming, that makes some headway for conservation.

The BLM's new resource management plan for the 3.6 million acre Rock Springs Field Office is the first update since 1997.

According to the agency, the plan incorporates both new science and updated federal priorities including renewable energy and federal-Tribal relations.

The BLM must consider mining, grazing, recreation interests and - as of a rule effective in June - the "health and resilience of ecosystems."

Meghan Riley, wildlife program manager with the Wyoming Outdoors Council, said some parts of the plan strike an effective balance - for example, prioritizing greater sage-grouse and big-game species in the area's northern portion.

"It's sort of a win-win," said Riley, "because there's limited potential and even no potential for a lot of mineral development in that area."

The agency had four alternative plans to work with, and chose a mix of what it calls the "conservation" and "balanced" options.

In a statement, Gov. Mark Gordon said the new one "does not meet Wyoming's expectations."

The final mix of options significantly scales back some conservation opportunities, including cutting the number of areas of environmental concern from 16 to 12.

Riley said the plan could have further protected crucial wildlife habitats such as winter range and migration corridors across the whole area, rather than applying the strongest protections in only a few locations.

"Having management actions that are tied to specific habitat types might allow the agency to be more nimble," said Riley, "in updating management as new maps and data are available from the state."

The public protest period runs through September 23.

Support for this reporting was provided by The Pew Charitable Trusts.




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