President Obama has just declared September National Wilderness Month, and this weekend is the end of the traditional summer camping season in Washington. The presidential declaration is a nod to the 45th anniversary of the Wilderness Act, as Washington is home to several of the nation's first wilderness areas, including Mt. Adams and Glacier Peak. Those sites, as well as areas on the wilderness docket, are top destinations for many seeking outdoor experiences this Labor Day weekend.
As one of the newest members of The Wilderness Society’s Governing Council, Dave Matthews is lending his voice to help preserve America’s treasured wilderness—including legislation to protect Alaska’s Arctic National Wildlife Refuge and the Alpine Lakes Wilderness expansion efforts near his home in Seattle. He is also calling on Congress to avoid short-sighted cuts in programs that preserve land, wildlife, and clean water.
Bipartisan Legislation One Step Closer to Preserving Additions to Alpine Lakes Wilderness and Portions of the Pratt River and the Middle Fork Snoqualmie River
SEATTLE — Supporters of the Alpine Lakes Wilderness Additions and the Pratt and Middle Fork Snoqualmie Rivers Protection Act (H.R. 1769 / S. 721) celebrated as the legislation moved closer to final passage.
SEATTLE — Today conservationists and recreational enthusiasts celebrated the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee approval of the Alpine Lakes Wilderness Additions and Pratt and Middle Fork Snoqualmie Rivers Protection (S.721) and Illabot Creek Wild and Scenic (S. 635) Acts.
If you’re ever in Seattle, the spectacular Alpine Lakes Wilderness is an absolute must-see getaway for jaw-dropping scenery. The area, accessible with just 45 minute drive from the city, is one of the country’s most visited wilderness areas, providing incredible wild mountain vistas, impossibly craggy peaks and lush old-growth forests – not to mention over 700 mountain lakes and tarns, living up to its namesake.
Wilderness supporters celebrated Thursday as the Alpine Lakes Wilderness Additions and the Pratt and Middle Fork Snoqualmie Rivers Protection Act (H.R. 1769 / S. 721) got one step closer to reality after House passage of the bill. The measure would protect an additional 22,000 acres of wilderness adjoining Washington state’s existing Alpine Lakes Wilderness Area and would add 10 miles of the Pratt River and nearly 30 miles of the Middle Fork of the Snoqualmie River to the National Wild and Scenic River System.
