A bill that would designate approximately 126,000 acres in Olympic National Forest as wilderness and 19 rivers on the Olympic Peninsula as wild and scenic rivers passed the U.S. House of Representatives Feb. 12.
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A bill that would designate approximately 126,000 acres in Olympic National Forest as wilderness and 19 rivers on the Olympic Peninsula as wild and scenic rivers passed the U.S. House of Representatives Feb. 12.
The bill was introduced in 2012 and has undergone many revisions in a long road to its final passage.
The bill was introduced by Congressman Derek Kilmer who represents Washington State’s 6th Congressional District, which includes Jefferson County and much of the north Olympic Peninsula.
The Wild Olympics Act was passed as part of a package of bills called the Protecting America’s Wilderness Act and in total designates 1.3 million acres of public land as wilderness in Washington, California and Colorado.
The legislation will permanently protect the Olympic Peninsula’s remaining old-growth forests and salmon and steelhead habitat, while opening more opportunities for outdoor recreation, according to a press release.
The bill was developed with local and regional timber interests in mind to not impact harvestable timber bases.
“I’m proud to see the House pass this practical, balanced strategy that will protect the wildest and most pristine places on the Peninsula while ensuring we can keep and grow jobs in our natural resource industries and other sectors,” Rep. Kilmer said in a press release. “I am grateful for the years-long collaboration to create a proposal that works for folks across the community – including tribes, sportsmen, conservation groups, timber communities, business leaders, shellfish growers and others.”
No existing forest service roads or trailheads nor any private property will be impacted by the bill.
A companion bill in the U.S. Senate was introduced last week by Sen. Patty Murray who represents Washington state. It has been sent to the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources where it must be passed to receive a floor vote.
The bill has received more than 800 regional endorsements, including all three current Jefferson County commissioners, eight past and present members of the Port Townsend City Council, numerous Jefferson County businesses and several Jefferson County conservation organizations, including the Northwest Watershed Institute, the Hood Canal Coalition and the Olympic Environmental Council.
