[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 61 (Tuesday, April 17, 2007)]
[House]
[Pages H3406-H3409]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                    WILD SKY WILDERNESS ACT OF 2007

  Mr. GRIJALVA. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the 
bill (H.R. 886) to enhance ecosystem protection and the range of 
outdoor opportunities protected by statute in the Skykomish River 
valley of the State of Washington by designating certain lower-
elevation Federal lands as wilderness, and for other purposes.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                                H.R. 886

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled,

     SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

       This Act may be cited as the ``Wild Sky Wilderness Act of 
     2007''.

     SEC. 2. ADDITIONS TO THE NATIONAL WILDERNESS PRESERVATION 
                   SYSTEM.

       (a) Additions.--The following Federal lands in the State of 
     Washington are hereby designated as wilderness and, 
     therefore, as components of the National Wilderness 
     Preservation System: certain lands which comprise 
     approximately 106,000 acres, as generally depicted on a map 
     entitled ``Wild Sky Wilderness Proposal'' and dated February 
     6, 2007, which shall be known as the ``Wild Sky Wilderness''.
       (b) Map and Legal Descriptions.--As soon as practicable 
     after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary of 
     Agriculture shall file a map and a legal description for the 
     wilderness area designated under this Act with the Committee 
     on Energy and Natural Resources of the Senate and the 
     Committee on Natural Resources of the House of 
     Representatives. The map and description shall have the same 
     force and effect as if included in this Act, except that the 
     Secretary of Agriculture may correct clerical and 
     typographical errors in the legal description and map. The 
     map and legal description shall be on file and available for 
     public inspection in the office of the Chief of the Forest 
     Service, Department of Agriculture.

     SEC. 3. ADMINISTRATION PROVISIONS.

       (a) In General.--
       (1) Subject to valid existing rights, lands designated as 
     wilderness by this Act shall be managed by the Secretary of 
     Agriculture in accordance with the Wilderness Act (16 U.S.C. 
     1131 et seq.) and this Act, except that, with respect to any 
     wilderness areas designated by this Act, any reference in the 
     Wilderness Act to the effective date of the Wilderness Act 
     shall be deemed to be a reference to the date of enactment of 
     this Act.
       (2) To fulfill the purposes of this Act and the Wilderness 
     Act and to achieve administrative efficiencies, the Secretary 
     of Agriculture may manage the area designated by this Act as 
     a comprehensive part of the larger complex of adjacent and 
     nearby wilderness areas.
       (b) New Trails.--
       (1) The Secretary of Agriculture shall consult with 
     interested parties and shall establish a trail plan for 
     Forest Service lands in order to develop--
       (A) a system of hiking and equestrian trails within the 
     wilderness designated by this Act in a manner consistent with 
     the Wilderness Act (16 U.S.C. 1131 et seq.); and
       (B) a system of trails adjacent to or to provide access to 
     the wilderness designated by this Act.
       (2) Within two years after the date of enactment of this 
     Act, the Secretary of Agriculture shall complete a report on 
     the implementation of the trail plan required under this Act. 
     This report shall include the identification of priority 
     trails for development.
       (c) Repeater Site.--Within the Wild Sky Wilderness, the 
     Secretary of Agriculture is authorized to use helicopter 
     access to construct and maintain a joint Forest Service and 
     Snohomish County telecommunications repeater site, in 
     compliance with a Forest Service approved communications site 
     plan, for the purposes of improving communications for 
     safety, health, and emergency services.
       (d) Float Plane Access.--As provided by section 4(d)(1) of 
     the Wilderness Act (16 U.S.C. 1133(d)(1)), the use of 
     floatplanes on Lake Isabel, where such use has already become 
     established, shall be permitted to continue subject to such 
     reasonable restrictions as the Secretary of Agriculture 
     determines to be desirable.
       (e) Evergreen Mountain Lookout.--The designation under this 
     Act shall not preclude the operation and maintenance of the 
     existing Evergreen Mountain Lookout in the same manner and 
     degree in which the operation and maintenance of such lookout 
     was occurring as of the date of enactment of this Act.

     SEC. 4. AUTHORIZATION FOR LAND ACQUISITION.

       (a) In General.--The Secretary of Agriculture is authorized 
     to acquire lands and interests therein, by purchase, 
     donation, or exchange, and shall give priority consideration 
     to those lands identified as ``Priority Acquisition Lands'' 
     on the map described in section 2(a). The boundaries of the 
     Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest and the Wild Sky 
     Wilderness shall be adjusted to encompass any lands acquired 
     pursuant to this section.
       (b) Access.--Consistent with section 5(a) of the Wilderness 
     Act (16 U.S.C. 1134(a)), the Secretary of Agriculture shall 
     ensure adequate access to private inholdings within the Wild 
     Sky Wilderness.
       (c) Appraisal.--Valuation of private lands shall be 
     determined without reference to any restrictions on access or 
     use which arise out of designation as a wilderness area as a 
     result of this Act.

     SEC. 5. LAND EXCHANGES.

       The Secretary of Agriculture shall exchange lands and 
     interests in lands, as generally depicted on a map entitled 
     ``Chelan County Public Utility District Exchange'' and dated 
     May 22, 2002, with the Chelan County Public Utility District 
     in accordance with the following provisions:
       (1) If the Chelan County Public Utility District, within 
     ninety days after the date of enactment of this Act, offers 
     to the Secretary of Agriculture approximately 371.8 acres 
     within the Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest in the State 
     of Washington, the Secretary shall accept such lands.
       (2) Upon acceptance of title by the Secretary of 
     Agriculture to such lands and interests therein, the 
     Secretary of Agriculture shall convey to the Chelan County 
     Public Utility District a permanent easement, including 
     helicopter access, consistent with such levels as used as of 
     date of enactment, to maintain an existing telemetry site to 
     monitor snow pack on 1.82 acres on the Wenatchee National 
     Forest in the State of Washington.
       (3) The exchange directed by this Act shall be consummated 
     if Chelan County Public Utility District conveys title 
     acceptable to the Secretary and provided there is no 
     hazardous material on the site, which is objectionable to the 
     Secretary.
       (4) In the event Chelan County Public Utility District 
     determines there is no longer a need to maintain a telemetry 
     site to monitor the snow pack for calculating expected runoff 
     into the Lake Chelan hydroelectric project and the 
     hydroelectric projects in the Columbia River Basin, the 
     Secretary shall be notified in writing and the easement shall 
     be extinguished and all rights conveyed by this exchange 
     shall revert to the United States.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Arizona (Mr. Grijalva) and the gentleman from New Mexico (Mr. Pearce) 
each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Arizona.


                             General Leave

  Mr. GRIJALVA. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members 
have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include 
extraneous material on the bill under consideration.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Arizona?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. GRIJALVA. Mr. Speaker, H.R. 886, introduced by the gentleman from 
Washington State, Representative Rick Larsen, would designate a 
106,000-acre wilderness on national forest lands in the State of 
Washington. The proposed wilderness, to be known as the Wild Sky 
Wilderness, has probably been more studied and reviewed than any recent 
wilderness considered by the Natural Resources Committee.
  This is not a new matter. Nearly identical legislation was approved 
by the committee in the 107th Congress. This message was subject to a 
hearing in 2004, at which time the administration testified they do not 
object to its passage.

[[Page H3407]]

  Further, similar legislation has passed the Senate in each of the 
last three Congresses. The proposed wilderness includes significant 
low-level elevation wilderness that is home to important fish and 
wildlife populations. This new wilderness would link with previously 
designated wilderness in the national forest and would be within a few 
hours' distance from half of the population of Washington State.
  The Wild Sky Wilderness has significant State and local support in 
Washington. State officials, local elected officials, businesses, and 
church groups have all gone on record supporting the wilderness 
designation.
  Mr. Speaker, the time has come to designate this wilderness. I would 
like to commend my colleague, Representative Larsen, and other Members 
of the Washington delegation for their perseverance in seeking a 
wilderness designation for this magnificent area.
  We support passage of H.R. 886 and urge its adoption today.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. PEARCE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  I would like to begin by complimenting Representative Larsen for the 
hard work he has put into this legislation and for proposing wilderness 
only in his district. This would seem to be a basic sensible courtesy, 
but seems to be lost on some of his fellow Democrats.
  With that said, the minority is opposed to this bill. During the 
markup in the Natural Resources Committee, the minority pledged its 
willingness to work with the majority, but this offer must have fallen 
upon deaf ears. In the future, we hope the majority can at least 
contact us after we make such a gesture.
  Much of the area that would be designated by this bill does not 
qualify as wilderness. The 1964 Wilderness Act states explicitly that 
wilderness areas should be primitive and untrammeled by man. Yet the 
Wild Sky Wilderness Act includes several roads, a bridge, numerous 
culverts, and other man-made developments.
  The proposal also includes areas with mining patents and lands 
identified by the Forest Service for timber harvest. Moreover, 
according to the Forest Service, road corridors within the wilderness 
are too narrow to ensure proper road maintenance and safe passage by 
travelers. Without sufficient corridors, landslides or other natural 
disturbances could permanently block or destroy the road.
  Restrictions associated with the wilderness areas prohibit the use of 
mechanized or motorized activities, which would surely be needed to 
prepare a road. It is disingenuous for the majority to tout the 
public's ability to visit the Wild Sky area without protecting one of 
the main roads that would allow access to the Wild Sky area.
  We are willing to work with the majority and have indicated our 
willingness to do so. In the future we hope that the majority would 
work with us.
  Wilderness areas affect local communities, are permanent, and many 
times have ramifications or unintended consequences. We ask the 
majority to take these bills seriously and study them in good faith 
before hurriedly passing them on to the House floor.
  Mr. Speaker, I have no additional speakers, and I yield back the 
balance of my time.
  Mr. GRIJALVA. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to my colleague, the 
sponsor of this legislation before us today, the gentleman from 
Washington (Mr. Larsen).
  Mr. LARSEN of Washington. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of 
creating the first wilderness area for Washington State in over 20 
years. The Wild Sky Wilderness will be unique, protecting 106,000 acres 
of the most pristine forests and streams in my district, while 
providing a clean and accessible place to hike, hunt, and fish.
  The Wild Sky Wilderness Act has been carefully crafted, and it 
reflects years of community input. It will protect the peaks, forests 
and lakes of the Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest, as well as 
thousands of acres of lower-elevation forest and salmon-bearing 
streams. Wild Sky will protect more lower-elevation acres than any 
other wilderness area in Washington State, bringing wilderness closer 
to our communities and benefiting Washington families and businesses 
for generations to come.
  Congress passed the last national forest wilderness act in 1984 when 
a bipartisan effort brought a bill to President Ronald Reagan for 
signature that created, among other areas, the Henry M. Jackson 
Wilderness. This Wild Sky Wilderness Act has strong bipartisan support 
as well. This bill has received strong support from local Republican 
and Democratic legislators, former Republican Governors, and our 
current Democratic Governor, Christine Gregoire. Additionally, State 
legislators and the Snohomish County Executive have expressed their 
support.
  The Wild Sky Wilderness Act has local support. The former mayor of 
the town of Index, the closest local government to the proposed 
wilderness, has said that ``the Wild Sky Wilderness will be the best 
thing that ever happened in the valley.'' The cities of Monroe and 
Snohomish, both located on Highway 2 on the way to the Wild Sky, have 
passed resolutions of support.
  The Wild Sky Wilderness Act has strong business support. REI, Inc., 
the Nation's largest consumer cooperative with its focus on the outdoor 
adventure, is an endorser, as are David and Lynn Meier, co-owners of A 
Stone's Throw Bed and Breakfast and A Cabin in the Sky vacation rental 
just down the way from the wild Skykomish wilderness. Additionally, the 
Snohomish County Economic Development Council supports this proposal.
  This bill again marks the summit of a 5-year process of inclusiveness 
and compromise. My staff and the staff of Senator Patty Murray, who is 
the bill's prime sponsor in the Senate, have worked over the last 5 
years to address local concerns. As a result of this community input, 
the original idea of a 120,000-acre proposal has been whittled down to 
the 106,000-acre bill that we are voting on today.
  The spirit of compromise has been a constant in this bill's 
development over the last 5 years. This past winter, as an example, 
massive floods altered the path of the Skykomish River, displacing and 
destroying parts of the primary road that snakes through the proposed 
wilderness area. Immediately, Senator Murray and I brought together 
Snohomish County, the Forest Service and local advocates to responsibly 
adjust the boundaries of the proposed wilderness to ensure that the 
road could be repaired and remain open in the future.
  The spirit of compromise has earned the support of groups such as the 
Washington Sea Plane Pilots Association, local tribes, the Wild 
Steelhead Coalition, the Back Country Horsemen and the Washington 
Coalition of Citizens with Disabilities. Additionally, my office has 
received approximately 4,000 letters and e-mails in support of the Wild 
Sky and a petition with over 10,000 names in support. Over 5 years of 
collaboration and compromise has resulted in a bill that has gained 
broad support in the best tradition of past Washington State wilderness 
areas. It is time to create the next generation of Washington State 
wilderness.
  Finally, I want to thank Chairman Rahall and his staff, Jim Zoia and 
Rick Healy, for their tremendous help and unwavering support for the 
Wild Sky Wilderness Act.
  Mr. Speaker, in conclusion, I would like to submit the following 
names for the Record. These people conceived, fine-tuned, negotiated, 
along with many other people, the boundaries of the Wild Sky. Without 
their tireless effort, we would not be here today, and we owe them our 
thanks as well.

       Mike Town, John Leary, Larry Romans, Tom Uniack, Rick 
     McGuire, Mark Lawler, Harry Romberg, Norm Winn, Don Parks, 
     Charlie Raines, Jon Owen, Michael Carroll, Jill Mckinnie, 
     Brandon Hall, Christian Gunter, Jasper MacSlarrow, Louis 
     Lauter, Doug Clapp, Abbey Levenshus, Charla Newman, Amanda 
     Mahnke, Kim Johnston, Jeff Bjornstad, Jaime Shimek, Karen 
     Waters, John Engber, Rachelle Hein, Cindy Lewis, Christy 
     Gullion, Nalani Askov, Michelle Ackerman, Jennifer Ekstrom, 
     Doug Scott, Bill Arthur, Doug Walker, Bill & Sue Cross, Bob 
     Hubbard, Conway Leovy, Mark Heckert, Kem Hunter, Aaron 
     Reardon, Peter Jackson, Tracy Nagelbush, Brian Bonlender, 
     Michelle Koppes, Dave Sommers, Amit Ronen, Carrie Desmond.

  Finally I would like to thank the late Karen M. Fant, 1949-2006. 
Throughout her adult life Karen spurred thousands of citizens across 
the State of Washington to speak up for the protection of wild places 
and wilderness. Early on Karen recognized the need to bring together 
and involve local people in efforts to protect wilderness. To do so she 
cofounded

[[Page H3408]]

and directed the Washington Wilderness Coalition. She was instrumental 
in forming an effective statewide community of wilderness advocates. To 
those who knew her, she provided never-ending inspiration and 
enthusiasm to keep working for the goal of protecting wilderness and 
wildlands in Washington State. Above all, Karen saw the potential and 
opportunity in everyone to be involved, play an important role, and 
make a difference.
  Mr. GRIJALVA. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from 
Washington, a member of the committee, Representative Jay Inslee.
  (Mr. INSLEE asked and was given permission to revise and extend his 
remarks.)
  Mr. INSLEE. Mr. Speaker, this is wilderness the way wilderness is 
supposed to be done. I want to compliment Congressman Larsen and 
Senator Patty Murray for their efforts to shepherd and to fine-tune 
this bill. If anyone wants to see how to do a wilderness bill, come see 
how this one is done to take into consideration all of the local 
comments to pare this down to where we have the muscle and bone in this 
wilderness right now.
  Boy, is it the right place to do it. I have a picture here of Gunn 
and Merchant peaks looking north from Baring Peak. I climbed Baring 
Peak, that is really just a little scramble, a couple of summers ago. 
What is so amazing about the Wild Sky Wilderness, it is both wild, and 
it is in the sky. It is only about 55 minutes from downtown Seattle.

                              {time}  1230

  About 2 million people can drive to this incredible Wild Sky 
Wilderness in about an hour, and it is a hidden gem. What you can say 
is that we have a new hidden gem that has been protected in the State 
of Washington to join the other jewels in the crown of our wilderness 
and our National Park System in the State of Washington, and we invite 
people to come out and see it. And if you come, what you will see is a 
very virgin country very close to an urban area.
  Millions of people drive by these mountains on Highway 2 and don't 
even realize how wild this country is right to their left as they are 
going east towards eastern Washington. There are hardly even any marked 
trails in there. So if you want wild close to an urban area, come to 
the Wild Sky Wilderness. It is a very, very wonderful place to go.
  But there is a second reason I want to point out why this wilderness 
is so important. The day I went up to the Baring Peak, I just happened 
to meet a father and two of his sons he was taking for a hike. He told 
me this is one of the earliest hikes going into Baring Lake. And if you 
could see the smile on this dad and the sort of interesting looks on 
these two kids, you know what wilderness is about, because today when 
we establish the Wild Sky Wilderness, we are giving a gift to these 
kids and their kids and their grandkids. So these kids could be in the 
same position as dad has been, sometime, to have a wilderness to take 
their kids and their grandkids to, and they will have the same smile on 
their faces 100 years from now as this family did that summer day up on 
Baring Peak.
  I want to thank the people who have been involved in this, Mike Towns 
specifically, a fellow who has been working on this for over 10 years. 
He is a teacher in Redmond, Washington. I know he will have a big smile 
on his face today, too. This is a great day for the continuation of 
wilderness in the State of Washington. It is just south of the Jackson 
Wilderness Area. It is a tradition that Congressman Larsen has followed 
and Senator Jackson, and a proud tradition of wilderness in the State 
of Washington. Congratulations.
  Mr. GRIJALVA. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from 
Washington State, Representative Baird.
  Mr. BAIRD. Mr. Speaker, I simply rise to congratulate my dear friend 
and colleague, Congressman Larsen, for his tireless efforts on this.
  This bill has been around for several Congresses. It has had wide 
bipartisan support. And as my friend, Mr. Inslee, said, this was done 
the right way. Mr. Larsen held countless hearings, met with virtually 
every imaginable interest group. There were compromises, sometimes 
difficult, sometimes painful compromises. But in the end, we have a 
truly remarkable area of land set aside. And, Mr. Larsen, our friends 
in the other body, Senator Murray and Senator Cantwell, worked very 
vigorously on this, and I congratulate them. And, as Mr. Inslee did, I 
also want to congratulate the many citizen groups who worked so hard on 
this.
  I encourage my friends on the other side to recognize that no bill 
will be perfect, but this is about as good as you are going to get. 
This is an area definitely worth preserving, and the people on the 
ground support it, by and large. It is one thing to say that it is nice 
for people to set aside wilderness in their own area and not other 
areas, but doesn't that converse also apply in not opposing an effort 
of someone to set aside a wilderness in his own area? I would think the 
reasoning would suggest that it would, and I urge support from both 
sides of the aisle on this.
  I would just finally conclude with this. It is not possible for us to 
construct or build new wildlands. We can't do that; it is not within 
our power. What is within our power is to protect the small remaining 
areas of wildlands for all the future generations. This legislation 
does an admirable job of achieving this. I urge its passage, and I 
commend my friend and colleague, Mr. Larsen, and the entire committee 
for working on this.
  Mr. GRIJALVA. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from 
California, Representative McNerney.
  Mr. McNERNEY. Mr. Speaker, before I give my remarks, I first want to 
say that our thoughts and prayers today are with the students of 
Virginia Tech and their families.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of the Wild Sky Wilderness Act 
of 2007, and I thank my colleague, Mr. Larsen, and other members of the 
Washington delegation for their hard work in moving this bill forward. 
The Wild Sky Wilderness Act shows what we can accomplish when small 
businesses, concerned citizens, and elected officials work to preserve 
the environment.
  The bill allows us to protect more than 100,000 acres of 
environmentally sensitive land that includes habitat for species such 
as the spotted owl and the bald eagle. Hikers, skiers, and fishermen of 
future generations will enjoy the same pristine natural environment. As 
we protect our country's great outdoors, we also protect some of the 
greatest traditions.
  Mr. Speaker, this bill is good for the economy, good for the 
environment, and good for families. I hope my colleagues will support 
this legislation.
  Mr. INSLEE. Mr. Speaker, today I rise as a cosponsor of H.R. 886, the 
Wild Sky Wilderness Act of 2007 to commend the House for taking long 
overdue action on legislation to designate the Wild Sky Wilderness. 
Today's approval of this well-drawn, meritorious environmental 
legislation is long overdue. I want to thank Congressman Rick Larsen 
and Senator Patty Murray for their tireless persistence on behalf of 
their constituents as well as Chairman Rahall for his long standing 
support for the Wild Sky and for bringing this bill to the floor.
  As a Member of the House Natural Resources Committee, I have been 
supportive of Congressman Larsen's attempts to designate this area as 
wilderness and was continually frustrated at the failure of the 
previous Chairmen of that Committee to move this legislation and 
disappointed at the reasons given for inaction. Those arguments were 
without merit.
  One of the benefits of working on this legislation was learning of 
the steadfast support from my constituents, the new Wild Sky Wilderness 
will be a popular and well-loved addition to my state's heritage of 
protected wild landscapes. It is overwhelmingly supported by my 
constituents, who live nearby. Indeed, the new Wild Sky Wilderness is 
within easy access of the people in the entire Puget Sound region.
  This wilderness area, which is located in Snohomish County, enjoys 
enthusiastic support from the county council as well as our elected 
county executive. It also has the support of an overwhelming number of 
local elected leaders throughout the county, Democrats and Republicans 
alike, as well as a long list of local Snohomish County business 
owners. Over the years that the Wild Sky Wilderness has been before 
Congress it has earned enthusiastic editorial support from the local 
newspaper, the Everett Herald, as well as the major newspapers in 
Seattle and across the state.
  I want to emphasize to my colleagues that in my State this is as 
popular and non-controversial a proposal as it could possibly be. I am 
pleased to mention the support this legislation enjoys from the 
Administration, including

[[Page H3409]]

the Agriculture Under Secretary, who in response to my questioning said 
that the President will sign this bill into law.
  On top of its stunning wild character, the 106,577-acre Wild Sky 
Wilderness is particularly noteworthy because it embraces lower 
elevation lands than most of the existing Federal wilderness areas in 
our State. As a result, the new wilderness will afford statutory 
protection to headwaters streams and watersheds vital to the survival 
and restoration of healthy runs of salmon and steelhead in the 
Skykomish River, for which the area is named.
  Passage of this legislation contributes to the important goal of 
protecting a greater diversity of biological communities in our 
National Wilderness Preservation System--including deep, forested 
valleys as well as towering, ice-clad mountain peaks. This lower 
elevation wilderness land will provide greater opportunities for year-
round recreational adventures for Washington State residents.
  During the congressional consideration of this wilderness proposal, 
our committee has dealt with a question that all too easily can mislead 
those who are not familiar with the 1964 Wilderness Act and of the 
consistent approach Congress has followed over four decades now in 
applying the protection of that historic conservation law to additional 
portions of our Federal lands.
  As Congress acts on wilderness proposals such as this Wild Sky 
Wilderness legislation, it is important that we take care to follow the 
legislative history of the Wilderness Act of 1964, which was a 
bipartisan product of our committee, and the precedents consistently 
laid down over the subsequent more than four decades as Congress has 
enacted more than 130 laws under both Democratic and Republican 
leadership that have designated new wilderness areas across our 
country.
  It is clear that the Wilderness Act reserves to Congress alone the 
decision as to what Federal lands are ``suitable'' for designation as 
wilderness. Subsection 2(a) of the Wilderness Act specifies that ``. . 
. no Federal lands shall be designated as `wilderness areas' except as 
provided for in this Act or by a subsequent Act.'' Subsection 3(c) 
further specifies that the President may make recommendations, but that 
``A recommendation of the President for designation as wilderness shall 
become effective only if so provided by an Act of Congress.''
  Despite this full history of Congressional action, some tried to 
question the inclusion of certain lands in the Wild Sky Wilderness 
because these lands showed fading evidence of past logging, old roads, 
and similar evidence of human use and impact. This objection, sometimes 
referred to as the ``purity theory'' of wilderness, is not based on an 
accurate understanding of the Wilderness Act and the intent of those 
who enacted it.
  The new Wild Sky Wilderness includes some evidence of past human uses 
and impacts, including evidence of logging, old logging roads and 
logging railroad grades, and some culverts installed along those roads 
and railroad grades. In this way, it is no different than many 
wilderness areas Congress has previously designated as wilderness.
  During a debate here on the House floor in 1969, Representative 
Morris K. Udall, the former chairman of our committee and himself one 
of the architects of the Wilderness Act, explained this practical 
approach intended by the authors of the Wilderness Act to the House:

       It would be nice to have our national wilderness system 
     absolutely pure and completely free of any sign of the hand 
     of man. But the fact is that we are getting a late start in 
     this business of preserving America's wilderness. Logging has 
     occurred; wood roads have been opened and later abandoned; 
     cabins have been built which in time have decayed and fallen 
     down; in the interest of public health and safety and to 
     protect the natural resources there may sometimes be lookout 
     towers and patrol cabins. All of these are imperfections 
     within the wilderness. Yet how often is man able to create or 
     to establish anything which is truly perfect? Very, very 
     rarely--if ever. [Congressional Record, September 24, 1969]

  Mr. Speaker, these remarks by Rep. Udall perfectly explicate the 
practical approach that Congress has always followed as we choose lands 
for protection in our National Wilderness Preservation System. He went 
on to further explain that:

       Congress has declared it is our national policy to preserve 
     America's wilderness resource. Whether some prior existing 
     imperfection--something less than absolutely purity--is to be 
     accepted into the national wilderness system should be 
     determined by whether its inclusion will significantly 
     contribute to the implementation of this national policy of 
     wilderness preservation or whether its omission will 
     significantly obstruct this policy. [Congressional Record, 
     September 24, 1969]

  In keeping with the practical approach he has so cogently summarized, 
I want to emphasize that some of the low elevation lands within the 
Wild Sky Wilderness show evidence of past human use and impacts. We 
have made a careful judgment that inclusion of these lands is important 
to serve the overall purpose of wilderness protection. As chairman 
Udall would have put it, every acre in the proposed Wild Sky Wilderness 
exhibits ``substantially all the value of wilderness.'' We should 
preserve it.
  I would also like to take a moment to pay tribute to Ms. Karen Fant, 
who devoted her life to preserving wilderness and wildlife in Alaska 
and the Pacific Northwest. She spent four decades organizing for 
conservation, working for groups including the Alaska Coalition, Sierra 
Club, Olympic Park Associates, Wild Sky Working Group, Washington 
Wilderness Coalition, and Save Our Wild Salmon Coalition. Her activism 
spanned many years, crossed state lines, and extended as far as 
Chongqing, China, where she dedicated herself to developing a strategy 
to address environmental degradation in Asia as a board member of the 
Seattle-Chongqing Sister City Association.
  Karen was instrumental in passing the 1984 Washington State 
Wilderness Act, which sets aside over one million acres of new 
wilderness. She also initiated the efforts to preserve Wild Sky. I 
cannot imagine a better way to honor Karen's conservation legacy than 
for my colleagues to join me in supporting H.R. 886, the Wild Sky 
Wilderness Act of 2007. Passage of this legislation is the perfect 
tribute to Karen's legacy.
  Mr. GRIJALVA. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from Arizona (Mr. Grijalva) that the House suspend the rules 
and pass the bill, H.R. 886.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the 
rules were suspended and the bill was passed.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

                          ____________________