The EcoNews Report

What's Next for Rep. Huffman's Wilderness Bill?

Congressman Jared Huffman has spent his entire federal legislative career on an idea: a holistic approach to address the needs of federal lands within his congressional district, combining new Wilderness and Wild and Scenic River designations with prescriptions for active forest restoration and more. After six years of drafting and stakeholder engagement, Congressman Huffman released his bill in 2018. Of course, with Trump and a McConnell-led Senate, the bill never made it past the floor of the House. But, as the old saying goes, elections have consequences. The 2021 General Election and the Georgia Senate runoff have fundamentally improved the odds that Rep. Huffman’s bill will pass this year. Among other things, Rep. Huffman’s former Senate co-sponsor, is now our Vice-President. Ryan Henson of the California Wilderness Coalition joins Gang Green to talk about the details of the bill, some of his favorite new wilderness areas, and breaks down the prospects of the bill’s passage in the 177th Congress.

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What's Next for Rep. Huffman's Wilderness Bill?