The Green Mountains form both the backbone of Vermont and basis for the state's name. They also contain some of the wildest, most pristine forests, peaks and wetlands in New England.
Senate Passed the New England Wilderness Act of 2006 on Sept. 19
The bill creates over 82,000 acres of new wilderness and a 15,000 acre National Recreation Area on the White Mountain and Green Mountain National Forests of New Hampshire and Vermont. Click here to read the language of the bill. To see a map of the Green Mountain areas propsed in the bill, click here. For further information on the bill passage, read Senator Leahy's press release and Senators Sununu and Gregg's joint press release. For more information on the New England Wilderness Act, read below.
The Forest Service released its Final Land Use Management Plan in March 2006. This plan guide activities in the Green Mountain National Forest (GMNF) for the next 10 to 15 years. Read the plan here.
During the planning process, AMC was following a number of issues closely: roadless area protection, wilderness recommendations, backcountry recreation, off-road vehicles, and timber management. Click here for an analysis of the final plan.
Vermont Wilderness Act of 2006
In April 2006, Senators James Jeffords and Patrick Leahy and Congressman Bernie Sanders released the Vermont Wilderness Act of 2006. This bill builds on the wilderness recommendations in the final Green Mountain National Forest management plan, though is substantially smaller than the wilderness proposal crafted by the Vermont Wilderness Association, a coalition of 14 conservation organizations including AMC. AMC applauds the release of this bill and will work to pass it through the US Congress by the time Senator Jeffords retires at the end of 2006.
Additional Resources
;)
