The Pew Charitable Trusts submitted a written statement to the U.S. Senate Energy and Natural Resource Subcommittee on Public Lands, Forests, and Mining supporting five bills that, if enacted, would strengthen protections for public lands and rivers in Arizona, California, Montana, New Mexico, and Oregon.
The bills—addressed during a June 7 hearing—would provide several significant safeguards, including a permanent end to mineral extraction on a million acres surrounding Grand Canyon National Park; wild and scenic river designation for 385 miles of rivers in Montana and 450 miles of the Gila and San Francisco Rivers in New Mexico; a 66,000-acre national monument encompassing Sutton Mountain in central Oregon; and a 3,925-acre expansion of the Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument in California. These proposals enjoy strong support from Tribes, local business and government leaders, veterans, and outdoor recreation organizations, among others.