For the last four years, those who love the outdoors have worked to protect more than 100,000 acres of jagged peaks, soaring trees and babbling streams in east Snohomish County. And for years, proposals to create a Wild Sky Wilderness area have gone nowhere in the U.S. House of Representatives.
We are in a race against time. The longer we wait to protect the area, the closer civilization draws to this pristine wilderness.
In April, I joined former Sen. Dan Evans for a hike through this majestic area, and I, too, joined the ranks of those who support protecting the area known as Wild Sky. I worked this summer to put the issue on the radar screen of House leaders who have denied any action on the proposal.
After years of gridlock, our efforts to preserve Wild Sky are now gaining momentum. In July, the House Resources Committee agreed to hold a hearing on the plan. Until now, House leaders refused to consider – let alone pass – any legislation to protect Wild Sky.
While congressional leaders may be convinced that the area is worth preserving, they remain adamant that earlier proposals do not qualify for federal wilderness status.
Some would give up in the face of opposition and wait for political winds to shift. But I believe Wild Sky is too important, and I believe it deserves protection this year. In spite of my concerns with the committee’s analysis, I set out to create a new plan that would protect the area and overcome objections from congressional leaders.
Last week, I decided to introduce my own proposal to preserve the Wild Sky area.
My proposal remains true to the spirit of bipartisan proposals to preserve the area. My plan would create a 92,700-acre wilderness area and a 13,300-acre Backcountry Wilderness Management Area. The Backcountry Wilderness Management Area will guarantee the highest level of preservation possible for the area. In these 13,300 acres, no mining or commercial logging would be allowed.
I know how important it is that we protect our fish and streams in these lowlands. That’s why I specifically required that the Forest Service manage the area to enhance water quality – limiting activities that would cause erosion or damage to fish habitat.
Motorized vehicle use would be restricted in the entire backcountry area unless the Forest Service decides to designate specific trails for such use. This would be limited to a single road that leads to one person’s private property.
I am convinced this designation can work. My proposal requires the Forest Service to write a management plan that reflects the will of the surrounding community. Broad public support for a restrictive designation will lead to the goal we all share – protection for this environmental treasure.
Unfortunately, there are those who are anxious to criticize the bill without giving it a chance to succeed. Many supporters of creating a wilderness area believe there is no room for compromise. I believe such criticism is short-sighted. If we do not push for this common-sense legislation now, the area will not be protected at all.
There is no guarantee that Wild Sky will have a Republican advocate in the House of Representatives next year who will push for this bill with House leaders. Rep. Richard Pombo, who chairs the House Resources Committee, will continue to lead the committee and voice objections to the old proposal.
Wild Sky has become a battleground between two ideological views about what wilderness areas should look like. National groups on both sides of the issue seem to favor paralysis over protection.
Today, the House Resources Committee will vote on my proposal. The chairman of the committee has indicated he supports the bill as drafted, as does Congresswoman Jennifer Dunn. If the committee passes my proposal, it will represent a crucial victory of a moderate third way to advance the best interests of our state. Committee passage of this plan also represents the only chance to press the House to protect Wild Sky this year.
We have a choice. We can let partisanship and ideology derail protection for this area – or we can act to protect these lands now. Don’t be fooled by those who say we should wait for a perfect bill. Thousands of proposals die in Congress every year, introduced by members of Congress who made the perfect the enemy of the good.
Protecting Wild Sky deserves a chance at success. We should act now, before it is too late.
U.S. Rep. George R. Nethercutt Jr. (R-Spokane) is a candidate for U.S. Senate in the Nov. 2 election.
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