- CONSERVATION -

THE WILDERNESS BILL NEEDS YOUR HELP ! JWR

Enactment of the Wilderness BILL, a proposal to preserve for future generations certain scenic public lands in a primeval state, is of vital interest to conservation-minded citizens. Presently the bill appears to be bogged down in a dispute over whether the President or Congress has the power to set aside public domain and to specify its use. The chairman of the House Interior Committee, Wayne N. Aspinall (Dem.,-Colorado), has told the administration, in effect, that until the congressional-executive power controversy is settled there will be no wilderness bill and perhaps no other Land conservation legislation (NY Times,Mar.1,63).
This jurisdictional challenge appears to be the latest power play by opponents of the Wilderness Bill, mainly western mining interests, ably led by Congressman Aspinall, who are strongly dedicated to exploitation of the remaining untouched areas of the public domain. It already appears that a repeat performance of last year is in the making, when a small minority interest group was able to successfully scuttle the bill.
It is imperative that all of us who want to see the preservation of what is left of our once vast wilderness make ourselves heard by writing to our congressman, our senator, and specifically Rep. Aspinall, Chairman of the House Interior Committee, asking that at least the bill be brought to a vote. It is strongly evident that the proposal to save these primeval lands will fail unless conservationists exert pressure at least equal to those opposing the bill.
The following is an excerpt from an excellent NY Times editorial (2/25/63) that clarifies some of the issues around the Wilderness Bill:
"This measure is not, as its opponents have persistently implied, a Federal land grab. Every acre of land affected by it is now and long has been within the national park system, national forest system or the national wildlife refuges or ranges. Every acre is now under Federal control.
In the national forests, which are in part subject to commercial exploitation, the extra protection given by this measure applies to only about 8 percent of the total area. The other 92 per cent of the forests would remain open, as now, to what is enticingly called "multiple use" which includes lumbering, mining and road building.
Those who in the past have said, and no doubt will say again, that this measure is an invasion of private rights are speaking of the right to exploit for private profit certain relatively small areas of the public domain which those backing the bill believe should not be so exploited but should be left in pristine condition. That is the rub of the matter.
Late in 1961 this measure was approved in the Senate by a vote of 78 to 8. It was held up in the House last year primarily through the efforts of one Congressman, Wayne Aspinall of Colorado, who, as chairman of the House interior Committee, kept it from reaching the floor. It should pass the Senate again this year without trouble, and it should certainty be brought to a vote in the House. The lumbering and mining interests opposed to this bill - most of them operating in the West but many with headquarters in the East - must not be allowed to scuttle it again. The Wilderness Bill is a major conservation measure. It should be brought to a vote, and it should be passed."


YOUR HELP IS NEEDED. PLEASE WRITE TO YOUR CONGRESSMAN NOW.
 
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