Rick Larsen: “I rise today in support of creating the first wilderness area for Washington State in over 20 years. The Wild Sky…”

“I rise today in support of creating the first wilderness area for Washington State in over 20 years. The Wild Sky Wilderness will be unique, protecting 106,000 acres of the most pristine forests and streams in my district, while providing a clean and accessible place to hike, hunt, and fish. The Wild Sky Wilderness Act has been carefully crafted, and it reflects years of community input. It will protect the peaks, forests and lakes of the Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest, as well as thousands of acres of lower-elevation forest and salmon-bearing streams. Wild Sky will protect more lower-elevation acres than any other wilderness area in Washington State, bringing wilderness closer to our communities and benefiting Washington families and businesses for generations to come. This Wild Sky Wilderness Act has strong bipartisan support as well. This bill has received strong support from local Republican and Democratic legislators, former Republican Governors, and our current Democratic Governor, Christine Gregoire.”