Durbin Introduces Legislation To Protect Wilderness In Utah
The America’s Red Rocks Wilderness Act would protect more than eight million acres of wilderness in Utah
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today reintroduced the America’s Red Rock Wilderness Act to protect more than eight million acres of land in Utah that is rich in archaeological resources and home to numerous rare plant and animal species. These landscapes are also the access point for many national parks and offer unparalleled research, educational, and recreational opportunities for scientists, educators, outdoor enthusiasts, and American families.
“We must protect our nation’s remaining wild places and reaffirm our commitment to the preservation of our national heritage,” said Durbin. “With the America’s Red Rock Wilderness Act, we can protect public lands from the danger of development encroachment and preserve the natural condition of these lands for current and future generations of Americans to enjoy.”
The lands in America’s Red Rock Wilderness Act were selected through meticulous inventories conducted by a passionate group of volunteers with the Utah Wilderness Coalition. The Bureau of Land Management has confirmed the vast majority of the lands covered by the bill meet the qualifications for wilderness designation. However, as long as they are formally unprotected, these places remain threatened by oil, gas, and tar sands development, as well as rampant off-road vehicle use activities that could significantly damage the lands. Designating these lands as wilderness would safeguard them for wildlife and solitude, help with climate change mitigation, and still accommodate future generations of hunters, anglers, hikers, boaters, and lovers of the natural world.
Cosponsoring the legislation are U.S. Senators Patty Murray (D-WA), Maria Cantwell (D-WA), Tina Smith (D-MN), Ben Ray Lujan (D-NM), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Chris Murphy (D-CT), Ed Markey (D-MA), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Ron Wyden (D-OR), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Peter Welch (D-VT), Cory Booker (D-NJ), and Jeff Merkley (D-OR).
U.S. Representative Melanie Stansbury (D-NM-01) will introduce companion legislation in the House.
The bill is also supported by the Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance.
“I am proud to reintroduce legislation protecting some of America’s most iconic landscapes, the Red Rocks Wilderness,” said Stansbury. “Protecting these incredible landscapes will help fulfill our trust and treaty obligations to Tribes, fight climate change, and protect our precious Colorado River and its tributaries. This wilderness designation will protect one of the most beautiful places in America, while supporting local communities and economies, for generations to come.”
“America’s Red Rock Wilderness Act is a vision of what real conservation and wilderness protection should look like for public lands in Utah,” said Travis Hammill, DC Director forSUWA. “The stakes have never been higher, as the Trump Administration looks to decimate public lands, prioritize extractive industry above all else, and eliminate the workforce of career staff who manage these lands. Senator Durbin and Representative Stansbury have been steadfast and powerful voices in the wilderness movement, and we are continually grateful for their consistent commitment to ensuring that the redrock is protected for future generations.”
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