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Omnibus Public Lands Bill (S-22) vote expected on February 12

S.22, a collection of about 160 bills, would set aside more than 2 million acres as new designated Wilderness in nine states, address Federal budgets and agency funding, designate 1,000 miles of rivers in seven states as Wild and Scenic Rivers, create National Landscape Conservation System designations, designate National Heritage Areas, and authorize studies or designation of several National Scenic and Historic Trails.

From The Partnership for the National Trails System, Feb. 5, 2009

The House of Representatives is planning to vote on S. 22 - the Omnibus Public Lands Bill - next week on Wednesday or Thursday. THIS VOTE WILL BE EXTREMELY CLOSE!

* The bill was stalled in the Senate for nearly a year due to a threatened filibuster. If the House approves the Senate-passed version unchanged, it will go directly to President Obama for his signature. If the bill is modified in any way through an amendment or motion to recommit, the bill must return to the Senate, where it will again be subject to a filibuster. A single amendment effectively kills the bill for this year.

The vast majority of bills included in this omnibus bill have little to no opposition, strong local support and broad, bi-partisan support inCongress.

The Omnibus Public Lands bill -- S. 22 is the BIG (160 bills in all) trails bill of the new 111th Congress!

Sixteen bills would set aside more than 2 million acres as new designated Wilderness areas in nine states.

The bill includes these components important to the National Trails System:

- Authorization of the National Landscape Conservation System in the Bureau of Land Management;

- Authorization of Willing Seller Land Acquisition Authority for nine national scenic and historic trails;

- Authorization of Revision of the Feasibility Study for 4 Historic Trails;

- Designation of the Arizona National Scenic Trail;

- Designation of the Pacific Northwest National Scenic Trail;

- Designation of the New England National Scenic Trail;

- Designation of additional routes and feeder trails for the Trail of Tears National Historic Trail;

- Designation of the Washington-Rochambeau National Historic Trail;

- Authorization of a Feasibility Study of the Chisolm Trail;

- Authorization of a Feasibility Study of the Great Western Trail (cattle trail);

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