A bill to permanently protect 106,000 acres of national forest in eastern Snohomish County was approved Monday night by a Republican-dominated Senate, but the measure has a long way to go before final passage.
The Wild Sky Wilderness bill has languished in the House of Representatives this session, not even getting a hearing to date. But Rep. Rick Larsen, D-Wash., one of the prime sponsors of the legislation, said he’s optimistic the bill will get an airing next year in the House Resources Committee.
Larsen, a Democrat from Lake Stevens, and Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., introduced the legislation in their respective chambers and have pushed for passage.
"Senate approval of this measure is a critical step in establishing Wild Sky as a destination for future generations to hike, fish, ride, camp, climb and enjoy the great outdoors," Murray said. "It combines accessible lower elevations with majestic mountains and will be a treasure for Washington’s citizens."
A year ago, the Senate approved the Wild Sky bill. Murray had more clout then because Democrats controlled the Senate. It was passed out of the House committee, but never got to the floor of the lower chamber for a vote before the end of the 107th Congress.
The current 108th Congress will continue into next year, allowing the proposal to remain alive for action.
"I do expect to get a hearing in the resources committee," Larsen said. "There is a glaring gap in the lack of significant environmental legislation that has come out of this House of Representatives. I think that has become an increasing black mark on the House."
A House co-sponsor of the bill, Rep. Jennifer Dunn, R-Wash., also has written a letter seeking a hearing that would expedite the wilderness legislation getting to the floor for a vote. In addition, environmental groups recently have been putting pressure on Dunn to use more of her influence with the Republican leadership to get Wild Sky passed.
Politics shouldn’t matter with a law like this, Larsen said, noting that a Republican Senate approved Wild Sky, and a Republican House could do the same.
It’s a bill carefully crafted to meet many users’ needs, Larsen said, and "there is no reason but politics to prevent it from getting out of the House and onto the president’s desk. There isn’t an ounce of politics left in this bill. It’s good policy, good environmental legislation."
Murray also called on all members of the state’s delegation to push for passage.
Sen. Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., also was a co-sponsor of the Senate bill and helped clear it through the natural resources committee on which she serves.
"Its easy passage is a testament to the hard work that has gone into this bipartisan and popular bill," Cantwell said.
Wild Sky is different from most wilderness proposals because it contains 14,000 acres of low-elevation old-growth timber and about 25 miles of salmon and steelhead spawning streams in the Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest.
The proposed wilderness is north of U.S. 2 and the towns of Skykomish and Index. It includes the north fork of the Skykomish River drainage area. Among compromises that went into fashioning the bill, popular snowmobile areas were left out, float planes would continue to visit Lake Isabel in the high Cascades, and it would include a paved path for wheelchair access.
Reporter Jim Haley: 425-339-3447 or haley@heraldnet.com.
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