Senate should act on bills
|
|
Sep 24, 2008 | Jackson Hole News & Guide
|
While Congress frets over the latest financial crisis to threaten the nation, it should take action of legislation that would do permanent good for Wyoming. Facing the end of their session on Thursday, lawmakers are sitting on two important conservation measures. One, the Craig Thomas Snake Headwaters Legacy Act, would protect 387 miles of rivers and streams in the Snake River drainage under the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act. The second, the Wyoming Range Legacy Act, would prohibit further energy leasing in the Wyoming Range south of Jackson Hole and would allow conservation groups to buy and retire existing energy leases there.
The two measures have been combined with a number of other public lands initiatives and are stalled in the Senate. That’s because lawmakers are not addressing the Omnibus Public Lands Management Act, S.3213, even though the 90 bills collected under its title have passed through Senate committees this session. Congress could extend its business beyond Thursday, or come back after elections for a lame duck session. Either way, lawmakers should act quickly to pass the public lands package that is neatly bundled and ready to go. Protecting the Snake River and Wyoming Range are permanent actions that would outlive any economic boom or crisis and so should be a priority,
|