The Mountaineers
This week, the U.S. House of Representatives will take up a lands package which includes additional protections for the Wild Olympics Wilderness and Wild and Scenic Rivers Act here in Washington State. This bill will protect over 126,000 acres around the Olympic National Park where we hike, camp, and explore. We need your support to get this important bill passed this year!
You may recall that this lands package came close to passing Congress last year. In fact, the House passed it not once but twice. Ultimately, despite over 700 messages to lawmakers sent by our community, these public lands provisions did not become law.
This year, the House reintroduced these bills as part of a package called the Protecting America’s Wilderness and Public Lands Act. All together, this package of bills will protect 4 million acres of cherished landscapes across the West, from parts of the Trinity Alps in California to pristine rivers and jagged peaks on the Olympic Peninsula.
The House will vote on this package as soon as this week. This will be the first significant vote of this Congress on outdoor issues, and it’s key that our community shows up in force to support these efforts. Lawmakers need to hear that their voters are passionate about conservation and the outdoors.
Please voice your support to members of Congress!
Over the past decade, we have worked with a diverse group of partners and coalition members to support Congress in creating more protections for wildlands and scenic rivers surrounding the Olympic National Park. Our Mountaineers community leads many trips to the Olympics, including hiking, backpacking, and stewardship activities, and we believe that protecting these beloved areas will ensure visitors can enjoy the lush natural beauty of the Olympic Peninsula for generations to come.
Learn more about Wild Olympics’ vision of long-term protection for these sensitive forest and river watersheds, and the partners working together to push this bill through with our partners at Wild Olympics.
The Protecting America’s Wilderness and Public Lands Act includes eight bills (listed below) that will protect spectacular landscapes, including protections for: the Wild Olympics in Washington; California's Central Coast, Trinity Alps, and Rim of the Valley; and public lands and waters in Colorado. These bills are the result of long-standing efforts from Outdoor Alliance, our partners, and local groups to protect outstanding recreation, including climbing, mountain biking, hiking, camping, and paddling.
- The Wild Olympics Wilderness and Wild and Scenic Rivers Act
- The Colorado Outdoor Recreation and Economy (CORE) Act
- The Grand Canyon Centennial Protection Act
- Colorado Wilderness Act of 2020
- The Northwest California Wilderness, Recreation, and Working Forests Act
- The Central Coast Heritage Protection Act
- The San Gabriel Mountains Foothills and Rivers Protection Act
- The Rim of the Valley Corridor Preservation Act
Please help by expressing your support to lawmakers. You can use the tool below to send a message providing support for more protected public lands and waters. And it’s not just outdoor recreation or the places themselves that stand to benefit: conserving land and waters is also key in addressing climate change.
The House needs to hear from you now, particularly in support of Wild Olympics. Please join the more than 12,000 Olympic Peninsula residents who support this bill and 800 businesses, farms, faith leaders, sports groups, elected officials, conservationists, outdoor recreationists, and civic groups in strong support of Wild Olympics.
