Tell Congress to pass the Northern Rockies Ecosystem Protection Act (HR 980)

Take Action Now!

On May 5, 2009 the House Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests, and Public Lands held a hearing on the Northern Rockies Ecosystem Protection Act (NREPA) HR 980. Finally, after 17 years of playing the waiting game, the time for NREPA is now, and we need you to take action. With bi-partisan national support, and sponsorship from Carolyn Maloney (D-NY) and Raul Grijalva (D-AZ), NREPA is on the move and may soon receive a vote on the House floor. In order for this vote to occur however, we need people like you to express your support and tell Congress why you support HR 980. The Northern Rockies Ecosystem Protection Act is a visionary piece of legislation that would protect Idaho’s spectacular roadless country with permanent Wilderness designation. If you want to see Idaho’s wildlands protected for generations to come, now is the time to act!

NREPA is a piece of legislation that you have a major stake in. The bill will forever, in perpetuity, protect your primitive Idaho backcountry from industrial extraction and the onslaught of the motorized recreation industry. NREPA would ensure the protection of Idaho’s 9.5 million roadless acres, preserve your favorite trout streams, and sustain wildlife populations that make Idaho so special. These places need to be spoken for and Congress needs to hear your stories, your experiences, and your vision for the vast Idaho backcountry!

HR 980 is a management option for not only Idaho backcountry, but the entire roadless Northern Rockies bioregion. A total of 24 million acres of roadless areas, mostly National Forest System lands, would be placed into the National Wilderness Preservation System, ensuring protection for a place that still contains all of the species present at the time of the Lewis & Clark expedition over 200 years ago. Today’s leading conservation biologists consider the Northern Rockies bioregion as the most intact wildland ecosystem left in the entire country. This is something we need to embrace, be proud of, and work to protect. The time for us to act is now!

NREPA would protect numerous roadless lands right here in the Big Wild: Weitas Creek, Kelly Creek, and Meadow Creek for example. These three wildland jewels comprise close to three-quarters of a million acres, and provide critical habitat for both endangered wildlife and aquatic species. Just as importantly these wildlands are our heritage; places that make Idaho the quintessential destination for backpacking, fly-fishing, and hunting. It is because of places like Cove-Mallard, the Selway-Bitterroot additions, and Grandmother Mountain that we are proud to call Idaho home!

If you feel inspired, and wish to speak a word for wildness, please write to: Domenick Carroll at domenick.carroll@mail.house.gov. (Put HR 980 in the subject line) Tell him you support the Northern Rockies Ecosystem Protection Act. Reach into your heart, find some words, and tell him a favorite story or experience of yours in Idaho’s roadless backcountry. Most importantly, tell Congress why these places are important to you and your family. This is an incredible opportunity for us to move NREPA thru Congress. Please take a moment to write!

Please send your letter to Idaho Congressman, Walk Minnick as well, at this website: http://minnick.house.gov/

To find out more about the Northern Rockies Ecosystem Protection Act go to:

http://www.wildrockiesalliance.org or http://www.friendsoftheclearwater.org