Law Alert - Northern Rockies Ecosystem Protection Act
H.R. 980
This act (NREPA for short) designates new wilderness areas to the National Wilderness Preservation System in five states (Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Washington, and Wyoming).
The Northern Rockies are one of America’s more pristine ecosystems; protecting the region is long overdue. This bill puts measures into place tailored for a number of different ecosystems across the region (from the Congressional Research Service Summary):
(1) Greater Glacier/Northern Continental Divide ecosystem;
(2) Greater Yellowstone ecosystem;
(3) Greater Salmon/Selway ecosystem; (4) Greater Cabinet/Yaak/Selkirk ecosystem;
(5) Greater Hells Canyon ecosystem;
(6) Islands in the Sky Wilderness; and
(7) Blackfeet Wilderness.
The bill also designates protected corridors between the regions.
And it’s not just about “tree-hugging”: NREPA promises to save taxpayers $245 million over a ten year period.
For more information about this bill go to NREPA’s website: http://www.wildrockiesalliance.org/
Do something:
Additional Links:
Full text of the bill
The Huffington Post, The Return of Citizen King
Associated Press - Bill Would Designate 23 Million Acres of Wilderness
