“Vermonters spoke, our delegation listened, and now Congress has acted to give Vermont the additional wilderness her citizens have worked so hard for. By passing the New England Wilderness Act, Congress has honored Vermont’s long tradition of land conservation with 42,000 acres of new wilderness. The unanimous votes in both chambers also provide a fitting legacy for retiring Senator Jim Jeffords who worked tirelessly with Senator Leahy and Senator-elect Sanders to achieve this result.”

In a rare display of bipartisanship and comity, both the Senate and House have unanimously passed the New England Wilderness Act of 2006. The legislation needs only the President’s signature to become law. The Vermont Wilderness Association (VWA), representing 14 of the state’s leading conservation and recreation organizations, enthusiastically thank Senator Patrick Leahy, Senator Jim Jeffords, and Senator-elect Bernie Sanders for acting on the wishes of Vermonters to designate more wilderness in the Green Mountain National Forest.

The legislation will designate as wilderness 42,000 acres (of the 80,000 proposed in 2001 by Vermont Wilderness Association) of the Green Mountain National Forest and 34,500 acres in the White Mountain National Forest. In addition, the bill will create a 17,000-acre Moosalamoo National Recreation Area in the Green Mountain National Forest.

During the Green Mountain National Forest planning process, Vermonters spoke up in favor of more wilderness. Throughout some 70 public meetings and in more than 10,000 written comments, citizens repeatedly expressed their desire to restore balance to the national forest by protecting additional wild and ecologically-sensitive land as officially designated wilderness. The VWA looks forward to working cooperatively with the staff of the Green Mountain National Forest to implement the law.

Wilderness designation protects land in its natural state and provides unparalleled opportunities for many low-impact traditional uses such as hunting, fishing, hiking, and camping. Wilderness areas also play a vital role in watershed protection and the maintenance and improvement of unfragmented wildlife habitat.

VWA members include: American Lands Alliance, Appalachian Mountain Club, Appalachian Trail Conference, Audubon Vermont, Conservation Law Foundation, Forest Watch, Green Mountain Club, National Wildlife Federation, Noise Pollution Clearinghouse, Sierra Club, Vermont Natural Resources Council, Vermont Public Interest Research Group, The Wilderness Society, and the Wildlands Project.