Worst Congress for Wilderness Ever?

THE WORST CONGRESS FOR WILDERNESS OUR CURRENT CONGRESS IS ONE OF THE WORST FOR WILDERNESS PROTECTION IN HISTORY. The 112th Congress has unleashed a fury of bills that threaten wilderness, and now they are holding up 27 good bills that would protect vulnerable wild places. HERE'S A LOOK AT THE PROBLEM AND WHY WE MUST TURN IT AROUND SOON. WHY PROTECT MORE WILDERNESS? Wilderness designation is the highest form of protection the government can give to any wild public land. Vulnerable lands without wilderness protection are often threatened by: PERMANENT VEHICLES ROADS DRILLING MINING STRUCTURES - WILDERNESS IS DWINDLING IN THE CONTINENTAL U.S.: 2% 98% l. IS PROTECTED AS IS DEVELOPED OR DESIGNATED VULNERABLE TO WILDERNESS. HUMAN DISTURBANCE, AN ANTI-WILDERNESS CONGRESS This Congress has launched an unprecedented number of anti-wilderness bills that threaten to open some of the best, unspoiled wild places to drilling and industry. If that weren't enough, Congress has stalled on every good bill that would protect special wildlands as designated wilderness. H ANTI-WILDERNESS LEGISLATION PRO-WILDERNESS LEGISLATION ANTI-WILDERNESS PIECES OF LEGISLATION WILDERNESS DESIGNATION BILLS PASSED IN PROGRESS: BY THIS CONGRESS: MORE THAN 12 - STALLING ON WILDERNESS BILLS THIS CONGRESS IS THE FIRST SINCE 1966 TO FAIL TO PROTECT EVEN A SINGLE ACRE OF WILDERNESS. ACRES OF WILDERNESS PROTECTED IN: 107TH CONGRESS 529,590 ('01-'02) 108TH CONGRESS 801.784 ('03-'04) 109TH CONGRESS 1,030,748 ('05-'06) 110TH CONGRESS 106,000 ('07-'08) 111TH CONGRESS 2,096,150 ('09-'10) 112TH CONGRESS ('11-'12) TIME FOR ACTION THE NUMBER OF WILDERNESS DESIGNATION BILLS 27 THAT ARE SITTING IN CONGRESS WAITING FOR ACTION. If Congress does not make it a priority to pass these bills in 2012, they will expire when Congress adjourns. THE WILDERNESS SOCIETY WAS A LEADER IN HELPING local grassroots coalitions bring most of these wilderness bills to Congress. Local consensus for such bills can take years of research and negotiations to build. If Congress refuses to pass these bills, years of hard work will be lost. THESE BILLS WOULD PERMANENTLY PROTECT WILD PLACES, INCLUDING LANDS IN: TENNESSEE THE TENNESSEE WILDERNESS ACT (S. 1090) This act would permanently protect 19,556 acres of wilderness in Tennessee's Cherokee National Forest. CALIFORNIA THE BEAUTY MOUNTAIN AND AGUA TIBIA WILDERNESS ACT (H.R. 41/S. 1574) This act would protect 21,000 acres of exceptional rock formations, steep canyons, and chaparral and oak woodlands in San Diego County, California. NEW MEXICO RIO GRANDE DEL NORTE NATIONAL CONSERVATION AREA ESTABLISHMENT ACT (S. 667/H.R. 1241) This act would protect some of the most ecologically sensitive lands in northern New Mexico, including 24,000 acres as designated wilderness and 235,000 acres as a national conservation area. COLORADO SAN JUAN MOUNTAINS WILDERNESS ACT (S. 1635) This act would protect more than 61,000 acres of southern Colorado wildlands, including the designation of 33,000 acres of wilderness. MONTANA ROCKY MOUNTAIN FRONT HERITAGE ACT (S. 1774) This act would add 67,000 acres to the Bob Marshall and Scapegoat Wilderness areas of Montana and would establish a 208,000-acre conservation area in the heart of Montana's Rocky Mountain Front. WHAT DO LOCALS SAY? These bills have strong support from local citizens who would be impacted most. TELL CONGRESS TO ACT Without action these great wild places could be sold off, opened up, and carved into. YOU OWN 2 MILLION ACRES OF WILDLANDS THAT AWAIT PROTECTIONS IN THIS CONGRESS. HOW WILL YOU CARE FOR THAT LAND? х ASK CONGRESS TO PASS WILDERNESS BILLS TODAY. TAKE ACTION: VISIT WWW.WILDERNESS.ORG/WORSTCONGRESS PHOTO CREDITS: THE Rocky Mountains - by Jeff Vantine San Juan Wilderness, Okanogan - by United States Forest Service Rio Grande - Marissa Bracke - flikr Beauty Mountain - by Doug Steakly Cherokee Forest - by Bill Hodge Man in Coat - by Kristina Servant Hikers, Father and Son - by Jeff L. Fox WILDERNESS -SOCIET Y- Protecting wilderness and inspiring Americans to care for wild places.