Chapter 5: How Wilderness Bills Become Law

Bicycling and Wilderness: A Mountain Biker's Guide to Wilderness Advocacy

One reason for the Wilderness Act's strength and longevity is that it places power in the hands of the United States Congress. Unlike other land designations whose protections can be undone through local administrative procedures, creating or undoing Wilderness requires a relatively permanent act of Congress. In debating a Wilderness bill Congress itself often relies on the state's delegation (both senators and district representatives) for an indication of local support. The importance of this delegation's opinion cannot be overemphasized.

Because it is very difficult to pass a bill of any sort, Wilderness bills often must survive several sessions of Congress before becoming law. For example, the 2005 Wild Sky Wilderness bill in Washington state, in its fifth year on Capitol Hill, passed the Senate each of the last three congressional sessions, but has not yet received support from the House of Representatives. If both houses pass the bill, it then must receive the president's signature and become law. In this particular case, as with many Wilderness bills, it has proven essential that Washington state's congressional delegation show near unanimous bipartisan support for the bill. In forming their opinions, these Congress members gauge whether local interests also come out strongly in favor of Wilderness designation.

The lesson to remember is that, other than committee chairs, the influential Congress members are from the state(s) with proposed Wilderness. These people look to the state and local sentiments in forming their decision on a Wilderness bill.