Dear Scott:
Thank you for contacting me to express your opposition to H.R. 996, the Northern Rockies Ecosystem Protection Act (NREPA). I agree with you and welcome the opportunity to respond.
As you may know, this legislation was introduced by Representative Carolyn Maloney (D-New York) on February 13, 2015. The bill would designate 23 million acres of land in Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Washington and Wyoming as components of the National Wilderness Preservation System. H.R. 996 has been referred to the House Natural Resources Committee, where it awaits further consideration. No similar legislation has been introduced in the U.S. Senate.
I have serious concerns with NREPA because it would supplant local, community-based efforts to effectively manage our federal public lands in the West. If NREPA were signed into law, it would override longstanding, community-based efforts that seek to balance the many appropriate uses of our public lands with conservation and environmental protections. As such, I cannot support NREPA.
Like you, I agree that one-size-fits-all approaches to public lands management, mainly by directives from Washington, D.C., take us in the wrong direction. Rather, I support public land management solutions that are formulated and supported by local communities and organizations. These collaborations should guarantee multiple use and recreation, conservation, and adequate environmental protection. I have worked throughout my time in Congress to support these types of measures, such as the Owyhee Initiative, as well as other stakeholder driven, collaborative efforts. Please rest assured that I will continue to do so to ensure effective stewardship of our public lands.
Again, thank you for contacting me. Please feel free to contact me in the future on this or other matters of interest to you. For more information about the issues before the U.S. Senate as well as news releases, photos and other items of interest, please visit my Senate website, U.S. Senator Mike Crapo.
Sincerely,
Mike Crapo
United States Senator
