Land Protection Omnibus Bill Headed for Senate Debate

For Immediate Release
09-18-08
Contact: Jenn Dice, Government Affairs Director
jenn@imba.com
303-545-9011

A 53-bill omnibus package has cleared the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee and sits poised for debate on the Senate floor. Included in this legislative bundle are several Wilderness and land protection proposals. IMBA supports the omnibus and is asking for minor modifications to two individual bills.

In the Lewis and Clark Mt. Hood Wilderness Act (H.R. 6290), Oregon advocates are seeking assurance that cherished trails in the Boulder Lakes area will remain open to bicycles. The area already enjoys a high level of protection as a National Recreation Area, but the most recent version of this bill would close Boulder Lakes' valuable singletrack. The League of American Bicyclists, Bicycle Oregon, IMBA's 19 clubs in Oregon and one-half dozen other bicycling groups are asking Congressman Earl Blumenauer (D-OR) to keep these trails open to mountain biking. IMBA has supported previous versions of this collaborative bill that did not close trails in Boulder Lakes.

IMBA California is requesting several boundary adjustments in the Eastern Sierra and Northern San Gabriel Wild Heritage Act (S. 3069, H.R. 6156) to allow for continued access and trail expansion near Mammoth Lakes, a popular mountain biking destination. IMBA California's official testimony requests these changes for bicycling and seeks to uphold the existing strong protections for forests, water and wildlife. Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA) has made several adjustments for mountain biking, but her staff has recently indicated no more accommodations will be made and the trails will close to bicycling.

IMBA has already submitted written testimony in support of some other land protection and Wilderness bills in the omnibus package. These include:

• Beaver Basin Wilderness Act (S. 3017)
• California Desert and Mountain Heritage Act of 2008 (H.R. 3682)
• Copper Salmon Wilderness Act (S. 2034)
• Dominguez-Escalante National Conservation Area and Dominguez Canyon Wilderness Area Act (H.R. 6162, S. 3065)
• National Landscape Conservation System Act (S. 1139)
• Oregon Badlands Wilderness Act of 2008 (S. 3088)
• Owyhee Public Land Management Act of 2008 (S. 2833)
• Rocky Mountain National Park Wilderness and Indian Peaks Wilderness Expansion Act (S.1380)
• Sabinoso Wilderness Act (H.R. 2632)
• Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks Wilderness Act (H.R. 3022)
• Spring Basin Wilderness Act of 2008 (S. 3089)
• Virginia Ridge and Valley Act (S. 570)

Mountain bikers are passionate about the outdoors. We believe in managing public lands as a public trust and as priceless national treasures. Bicyclists share the concern with other trail users that the pressures of growth and industry threaten the qualities that make our favorite rides special. We want to see the forests and mountains where we ride protected in their natural state, with clean air and clean water. Please click here for more information on IMBA's land protection values.

If approved by the Senate, the omnibus package will arrive on the president's desk to become law.

Click here for a comprehensive update on land protection packages in key states.