Posted Thursday, March 12, 2009
BEND, OR - U.S. House Democrats fell two votes short yesterday of protecting more than 2 million acres of public lands. Oregon Public Broadcasting's Ethan Lindsey reports that the bill would have had far-reaching impact in the Northwest.
The bill would have set aside more than 100-thousand acres around Mt Hood, and would have protected miles of land around Idaho's Owyhee River.
Gena Goodman-Campbell is with the Oregon Natural Desert Association.
Her group has been pushing to protect 30-thousand acres of the 'Badlands' east of Bend for decades. She says she thought one of the biggest hurdles would be winning over Hood River Republican Greg Walden.
Gena Goodman-Campbell: "We were all standing around the computer watching the votes come in. And it was an incredibly close vote. We were happy to see Congressman Walden vote for the bill. And I think without and wilderness bills in Washington, the Washington legislators didn't have as much at stake."
Washington Republicans Cathy McMorriss-Rodgers and Doc Hastings were the only two Northwest legislators to vote against the bill.
Supporters needed to reach a high bar -- two-thirds of the votes - to pass the measure because of the way it was being voted on.
Copyright 2009 OPB
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