The Partnership is rallying Americans at the grassroots level to oppose H.R. 1975, the "Northern Rockies Ecosystem Protection Act."  The bill, sponsored by Connecticut Representatives Carolyn Maloney and Christopher Shays, would designate as wilderness nearly 23 million acres across five states, including seven million acres in Montana, 9.5 million acres in Idaho, five million acres in Wyoming, 750,000 acres in eastern Oregon and 500,000 acres in eastern Washington.

The U.S. House Natural Resources Committee held a hearing on this legislation on October 18, 2007.

"This bill, if passed, will damage public access and recreation in many states across the West," wrote Darrell Henry, the Partnership's Vice President of Government Affairs. "We are strongly opposed to this 'mega western wilderness designation bill' and will not stand by while Representatives from New York and Connecticut tell Montana, Idaho, Wyoming, Oregon and Washington citizens how to manage public lands in their states."

Said Henry: "Not only do wilderness designations create too much regulation and too many restrictions on the lands out West, but they also deny access to many citizens who have a right to use our public lands. These designations do not allow any mechanized vehicles in the area, including bicycles and wheelchairs, as well as road building of any kind, so access to these areas are severely restricted. This bill could negatively impact the West's ability to fight and prevent forest fires," Henry wrote.

"We agree with Congressman Denny Rehberg of Montana that any piece of legislation affecting public lands must make an allowance for input from local communities and those who use and depend on these resources for work and recreation, " Henry said.

The full text of the Partnership letter can be seen here.

ABOUT THE PARTNERSHIP

The Partnership for America is a broad-based alliance of people who support a clean environment and a healthy, growing economy.  The Partnership's membership includes more than 600 companies, associations, coalitions and individuals who collectively employ or represent more than one million citizens across America in the following sectors: farm/ranching, coal, timber/wood products, small businesses, utilities, hard rock mining, oil & gas, construction, manufacturing, property rights advocates, education proponents, recreational access advocates, county government advocates, local, state and federal elected officials, grassroots advocates and others.