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Forests:
The New England Wilderness Act

Our Position: support
Bill Number: S2463
Sponsor: Sens. John E. Sununu (R-NH) and Judd Gregg (R-NH, Patrick Leahy (D-VT), Jim Jeffords (I-VT)
Legislative Session: 2006

The bill would protect 34,500 acres of federal lands in the Sandwich Range and the Wild River region of the White Mountain National Forest in New Hampshire as Wilderness.  The legislation was amended to fold in another bill that would designate more than 47,000 acres of Wilderness in the Green Mountain National Forest in Vermont and create a new National Recreation Area.

Status

3/28/2006: Introduced

9/19/2006:  Passed the Senate.

9/21/2006: Referred to House Subcommittee on Forests and Forest Health

11/15/06: Passed the United States House of Representatives

12/01/06: President Bush signed bill into law

Contact

Sean Cosgrove
Senior Washington Representative
National Forests and Endangered Species
sean.cosgrove@sierraclub.org
202-547-1141

Background

Congress approved the New England Wilderness Bill, a measure that will create a new Wilderness area of approximately 23,700 acres in size in the Wild River Valley in the Gorham, New Hampshire area and will expand the existing wilderness area in the Sandwich Range of the White Mountain National Forest by 10,800 acres. The legislation will also protect over 46,000 acres of land in the Green Mountain National Forest in Vermont and create a new National Recreation Area.

As with any Wilderness designation, years of work have gone into the passage of the bill and thousands of Sierra Club members have worked in defending wild forests, building public support, engaging allies and adding their voices. Much thanks goes to the Congressional delegations of Vermont and New Hampshire for their hard work and persistence.