Senator Lee’s Border Bill guts Wilderness Act, potentially impacting all Wilderness areas in the U.S.
Bill would open entire Wilderness System to road construction, motor vehicles, aircraft landings, and deployment of tactical infrastructure, including video surveillance systems and motion sensors
MISSOULA, MONTANA—Anti-public lands and anti-Wilderness crusader, Senator Mike Lee (R-UT), has introduced a bill that guts the Wilderness Act, potentially allowing the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to build roads, land aircraft, and install surveillance technology across America’s entire 112 million-acre National Wilderness Preservation System.
Specifically, Senator Lee’s so-called “Border Lands Conservation Act” would allow DHS to do the following in Wilderness areas across the entire country:
• Construct and maintain roads and physical barriers.
• Deploy tactical infrastructure and technology in Wilderness, including observation points, remote video surveillance systems, motion sensors, vehicle barriers, fences, roads, bridges, drainages, and detection devices.
• Use motor vehicles, motorboats, and motorized equipment.
• Use aircraft, including landings and takeoffs.
While early reporting on Senator Lee’s bill has focused on the bill applying to federal public lands, including Wilderness areas, within 100 miles of the northern borders and southern border, an analysis of the bill by Wilderness Watch has revealed that Lee’s bill could potentially impact America’s entire 112 million-acre National Wilderness Preservation System.
“While some of the provisions of Senator Lee’s bill appear to limit its reach to border areas, the bill’s provisions that amend the 1964 Wilderness Act apply to every Wilderness in the nation,” said George Nickas, Wilderness Watch’s executive director. “DHS is spread across the entire U.S., and it’s not hard to imagine a Homeland Security Secretary concocting a border security reason to send bulldozers or aircraft or install remote video surveillance systems in any Wilderness in the National Wilderness Preservation System if Lee’s bill becomes law.”
Even if Senator Lee’s bill only applied to public lands and Wilderness closer to the northern and southern border, the impact to Wilderness and its wildlife would be significant.
According to a previous analysis prepared by Wilderness Watch, gutting the Wilderness Act along just the U.S. borders with Canada could damage 73 Wilderness areas across 12 states, affecting more than 32 million acres of the National Wilderness Preservation System. The U.S. border with Canada is 5,525 miles-long, including a 1,538 mile-long border between Alaska and Canada.
The bill also appears to open Wilderness to logging, chaining, brushing, and similar efforts to prioritize “fuels management” and create fuel breaks along the border and the new “navigable roads” that could be constructed in these areas.
Senator Mike Lee’s anti-public lands and anti-Wilderness views and policy initiatives are well known. Earlier this year, Senator Lee attempted to sell off over three million acres of America’s public lands heritage as part of legislation that passed this summer. Senator Lee has previously introduced legislation to weaken the Wilderness Act and allow mountain bikes, strollers, and game carts on every piece of land protected by the National Wilderness Preservation System. Senator Lee fought to get permanent, fixed anchor climbing gear and installations allowed in Wilderness, and he’s attempting to open America’s national parks to off-road vehicles.
“Senator Lee is using the excuse of homeland security to wage his own war against America’s most treasured public lands, including Wilderness,” added Nickas. “He’s aimed a scud missile at our natural heritage, from the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in Alaska to Big Bend National Park in Texas and America’s entire National Wilderness Preservation System. His colleagues in the Senate need to shoot this bill down.”
America’s National Wilderness Preservation System covers 112 million acres, including over 800 Wilderness areas in 44 states and Puerto Rico. Wilderness Watch is the leading national organization whose sole focus is the preservation and proper stewardship of lands and rivers included in the National Wilderness Preservation System.
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WHAT YOU CAN DO!!
Please call your Congressional representative and two senators at 202-224-3121 and tell them to oppose the so-called “Border Lands Conservation Act!”
Montana Senators Daines and Sheey will more likely vote to open wilderness...most senators from western states will be pressured
Nothing good has ever come out of his mouth or his pen. Nothing ever will.