A new coalition to promote wilderness conservation on Capitol Hill has formed as a sweeping wildlife habitat package remains stuck.
The National Wilderness Coalition comprises 25 prominent nonprofits and is seeking to build support for wilderness conservation measures on Capitol Hill. Among its members are the Sierra Club, the Southern Environmental Law Center and the Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance.
The coalition is not currently taking a position on any pending legislation, but is celebrating the 60th anniversary of the Wilderness Act and making inroads among lawmakers for their cause. It’s first entreaty was awarding a number of lawmakers “Wilderness Champion Awards.”
Among the Democratic lawmakers recognized: House Natural Resources ranking member Raúl Grijalva of Arizona, Reps. Melanie Stansbury of New Mexico, and Joe Neguse and Diana DeGette of Colorado. Democratic Sens. Martin Heinrich of New Mexico, Michael Bennet of Colorado and Dick Durbin of Illinois also received the award.
