Omnibus Public Land Management Act Signed into Law

March 30, 2009 - The Omnibus Public Land Management Act of 2009 makes bold strides to enact over 160 different public lands measures across the country, including the protection of the Sabinoso Wilderness. Those advances include a 26 million-acre National Landscape Conservation System, 2 million new acres of Federal wilderness, more than 1,000 miles of rivers through the National Wild and Scenic River System, and the designation of thousands of trails for the National Trails System.

Over three years ago, I had the opportunity, along with then-Congressman Tom Udall and the staff of the New Mexico office of the Bureau of Land Management, to explore the beautiful and rugged Sabinoso Wilderness on horseback. The Sabinoso is a stunning piece of New Mexico characterized by high mesas, deep canyons, and abundant wildlife. I spent much of my career prior to running for public office working to protect places like the Sabinoso, because like many other conservationists and sportsmen, I believe it is profoundly important to preserve these areas for many generations of Americans to come. I have always believed that the beauty of these natural lands is important to our country’s spirit.

With the stroke of President Barack Obama’s pen on March 30, 2009, many years of work by many conservationists came to a successful close. Known as the Omnibus Public Land Management Act of 2009, the bill that I voted for and President Obama signed, makes bold strides to enact over 160 different public lands measures across the country, including the protection of the Sabinoso Wilderness. Those advances include a 26 million-acre National Landscape Conservation System, 2 million new acres of Federal wilderness, more than 1,000 miles of rivers through the National Wild and Scenic River System, and the designation of thousands of trails for the National Trails System. The Act is a major milestone in our country’s conservation history and we should take pride in our success in defending these treasured landscapes.

The bill protects significant public lands across the West including Wyoming, Idaho, and California. In each of those states, the bill protects untouched rivers, pristine wilderness areas, and majestic mountain ranges. It also helps ensure the survival of some our country’s most vulnerable wildlife.

In Wyoming, many have long valued the beauty of the Wyoming Range located in the Rocky Mountains just south of Grand Teton National Park. Thanks to the bill, 1.2 million acres of that range are now protected from oil and gas drilling. Prior plans by the Bush administration would have unleashed drilling on 90,000 acres of pristine roadless areas within that range.

In Idaho, the Act protects over a half million acres of wilderness and 316 miles of streams and rivers in the high desert areas along the Owyhee River. It also funds studies of dams and water projects on the Snake River and renames one of the river’s Birds of Prey areas in honor of the late Boise raptor conservationist, Morley Nelson. As a result of the Act, Idaho will also receive funding for a non-lethal demonstration project to reduce livestock losses to wolves.

In California, the Act protects over 700,000 acres, including the Amargosa River which serves as a winding oasis of green for many rare and endangered species through one of the harshest environments on earth, Death Valley. The state’s magnificent High Sierras and White Mountains will also be preserved, along with the San Joaquin River in the Central Valley, the ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest, and the groves of giant Sequoias along the western slopes of the Sierra Nevadas.

In a time of many challenges in our country, I am encouraged by the opportunity for a new direction. The Omnibus Public Land Management Act of 2009 embodies that spirit of national transformation. There is no question that history will consider the Act one of our country’s most significant actions to protect the sanctity of some of the last, most cherished wild places in America. I am honored to be a part of the Congress that moved our tradition of stewardship forward, and I am grateful to the members of the Sierra Club for your many years of work on the ground across our country to make this legislation possible. – Martin Heinrich

Congressman Martin Heinrich represents NM District 1 in the U.S. House of Representatives. He is the former Wilderness Chair of the Rio Grande Chapter of the Sierra Club.