Wilderness

Just a brief reminder to us all: the Democratic majority has already had a positive effect on the environment...

The Democratic-controlled Congress, stepping up a push that gained little ground when Republicans were in the majority, is on the verge of walling off as many as three millions more acres of the nation's wilderness from commercial and recreational development.

Lawmakers are moving to designate nearly as much land as wilderness area over the next year as they did during the Republican Party's recent 12-year tenure in the leadership. During that period, which ended last year, some of the party's more conservative members held key congressional posts, and blocked efforts to add much to the 107 million acres nationwide officially considered wilderness. [...]

The seven-term Mr. Pombo was defeated last year by Democratic challenger Jerry McNerney, whose campaign received backing from national environmental groups. Mr. Pombo's old committee, now named the House Committee on Natural Resources, is chaired by West Virginia Democrat Nick Rahall.

Soon after the new Democrat-controlled 110th Congress convened early this year, Sen. Murray and Rep. Larsen re-introduced their Wild Sky bill. It passed in the House in April, and also cleared the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee. Wild Sky is expected to be the first of the new wilderness bills approved by Congress, with full Senate passage expected as early as the next few weeks, say staffers of the Senate Energy Committee.

Good job!